TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Bo Nix threw for 404 yards and a career-high six touchdowns, Patrick Herbert and Troy Franklin both caught two touchdown passes and No. 6 Oregon rolled to a 49-13 win over Arizona State on Saturday.
The Ducks buried the Sun Devils with an avalanche of offense on the way to a 42-0 lead, scoring touchdowns on their first six drives and gaining 444 total yards. Nix — a Heisman Trophy candidate — had touchdown passes of 23, 49, 16, 45, 71 and 16 yards.
All that happened in just the first two quarters.
The pace slowed considerably after the halftime break, but the Ducks still cruised to victory. Franklin caught eight passes for 128 yards and became the school's single-season leader for yards receiving with 1,221. Nix completed 24 of 29 passes.
Oregon (10-1, 6-2 Pac-12) came into the game with the nation's No. 1 offense, averaging more than 46 points per game.
The Ducks opened with a nine-play, 75-yard drive that ended when Nix hit Patrick Herbert for a 23-yard touchdown and a 7-0 lead. Later in the first quarter, Herbert caught a short pass and rumbled 49 yards down the sideline for another score, escorted by a pair of blockers that kept the tight end untouched.
A few minutes later, Nix threw a perfectly placed 16-yard touchdown to Franklin, splitting two Arizona State defenders for a 21-0 lead by the end of the first quarter.
Arizona State (3-8, 2-6) looked like it might be ready to give Oregon a good game after an unexpected 17-7 win over UCLA last week, surprising the Bruins with a variety of offensive formations.
The Sun Devils and first-year coach Kenny Dillingham continued that unorthodox approach on Saturday — and even had some success on the first drive — but a missed 43-yard field goal was deflating and Oregon's offense quickly put the game out of reach.
Arizona State got on the scoreboard with Dario Longhetto's 38-yard field goal in the third quarter. The Sun Devils added a late touchdown on Melquan Stovall's 15-yard run.
Arizona State's Trenton Bourguet completed 20 of 37 passes for 142 yards.
THE TAKEAWAY
Oregon: The Ducks put on quite an offensive show to win their fifth straight game. Nix has now thrown 35 touchdowns and just two interceptions this year, adding to a sparkling resume in his fifth college season.
Arizona State: The Sun Devils have been much more competitive over the past few weeks with solid wins over Washington State and UCLA, but they're not quite prepared to handle a team that's playing at Oregon's elite level. Give Dillingham a few recruiting classes and that might change.
POLL IMPLICATIONS
Oregon might not move up in the polls, but it certainly doesn't seem like it'll fall. The Ducks are still in the hunt for a Pac-12 Championship and a spot in the College Football Playoff.
UP NEXT
Oregon: Hosts Oregon State on Friday.
Arizona State: Hosts Arizona on Saturday.
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AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
