College Football
BOXSCORE | RECAP
Oregon 44, Washington State 41
When: 4:00 PM ET, Saturday, September 24, 2022
Where: Gesa Field at Martin Stadium, Pullman, Washington
Temperature: 70°
Head Official: Mike McCabe
Attendance: 33058

Bo Nix threw for 428 yards and three touchdowns as No. 15 Oregon rallied for a 44-41 victory against host Washington State in the Pac-12 Conference opener for both teams Saturday afternoon in Pullman, Wash.

The Ducks (3-1, 1-0 Pac-12) scored 29 fourth-quarter points -- including 22 in a late span of 2:47 -- to take their first lead.

Oregon trailed 34-22 when Nix, who finished 33-of-44 passing, threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end Cam McCormick with 3:48 left.

The Ducks' defense held WSU (3-1, 0-1) to a three-and-out and Nix hit Troy Franklin on a 50-yard scoring strike with 1:21 left to give Oregon a 37-34 advantage.

The Ducks' Mase Funa intercepted a Cameron Ward pass and returned it 27 yards for a score with 1:01 left to clinch the victory.

Ward was 37-of-48 passing for 375 yards and two touchdowns and also rushed for a score. He threw a 15-yard TD pass to De'Zhaun Stribling and a 1-yarder to Robert Ferrel. The latter, with 6:42 left, gave WSU a 34-22 lead.

The Cougars' Nakia Watson scored on a 1-yard run with one second left for the final margin.

Linebacker Francisco Mauigoa returned an interception 95 yards in the first half, giving the Cougars a 17-9 lead at the intermission.

Nix hit Kris Hutson for a 55-yard gain on the first play from scrimmage in the second half and two plays later threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Bucky Irving. A two-point conversion pass failed when Franklin was stopped just short of the goal line by Mauigoa, leaving the Cougars with a 17-15 lead.

Dean Janikowski kicked a 38-yard field goal and Ward hit Stribling with a 15-yard scoring strike later in the third to extend Wazzu's lead to 27-15.

Oregon's Jordan James scored on a 1-yard plunge on the first play of the fourth quarter to pull the Ducks within 27-22.

The Ducks had a 624-416 edge in total yardage.

--Field Level Media

Top Game Performances
Rushing
Oregon   Washington State
Mar'Keise Irving Player Nakai Watson
11 Attempts 12
81 Yards 36
7.4 Avg Yards 3.0
0 Touchdowns 1
0 Long 0
Receiving
Oregon   Washington State
Troy Franklin Player De'Zhaun Stribling
5 Receptions 5
137 Yards 84
27.4 Avg Yards 16.8
1 Touchdowns 1
0 Long 0
Team Stats Summary
 
  Yards Scoring Defense
Team Tot Rus Pas TD FG INT Sck FF
Oregon 624 178 446 5 3 2 4.0 0
Washington State 428 53 375 5 2 1 0.0 0