Oregon crushes Florida State in Rose Bowl, 59-20

The second-seeded Ducks scored six straight times they touched the ball in the second half, with five of the touchdowns covering at least 21 yards and the last four coming after Florida State turnovers.

In a span of 12:54 on the game clock, the score went from 25-20 to 59-20.

“A lot of fun,” said Oregon coach Mark Helfrich of the Ducks’ run, “but at the same time these guys were able to retain a tremendous focus.”

In the matchup of Heisman Trophy winners, Jameis Winston matched Mariota’s numbers, but the Seminoles (13-1) were no match for the Ducks.

Third-seeded Florida State’s winning streak ended at 29. In Winston’s first loss as a college starter, maybe his last game in college, he threw for 348 yards and turned the ball over twice.

“I think what he did as a competitor and what he does with his teammates, he’s one of the great players in not only college football, but college football history to me,” Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher said. “It was a tough day out there.”

Mariota was mostly brilliant again. Directing the Ducks’ warp-speed, hurry-up offense, the junior passed for 338 yards and two touchdowns. When he sprinted for a 23-yard touchdown with 13:56 left in the fourth quarter it made the score 52-20 and it made the Ducks the first team to reach 50 points in Rose Bowl history. This was game No. 101.

“The longer you go, the stronger you get,” said Ducks safety Erick Dargan, who forced a fumble and intercepted a pass. “We went longer and we stayed stronger. Everyone kept demanding more out of each other.”

The Ducks fans spent much of the final quarter mockingly doing the Seminoles’ warchant and tomahawk chop. After it was over the players sported T-shirts that read “WON NOT DONE.”

The first playoff game at college football’s highest level, the type of postseason game fans have longed for forever, looked like it would be a classic for about two and a half quarters.

Under a cloudless sky, on a chilly day in Pasadena, the Rose Bowl featured the third matchup of Heisman Trophy winners and a couple of quarterbacks who could be vying to be the first overall pick in April’s NFL draft.

On the same field where Florida State erased an 18-point deficit against Auburn to win the national title last year, the Seminoles trailed at half for the sixth time this season.

And then the hole got deeper.

Seminoles freshman Dalvin Cook was stripped by Derrick Malone Jr. with Florida State in Oregon territory. The Ducks quickly flipped the field and Royce Freeman scored his second touchdown of the day from 3 yards out to make it 25-13.

Helfrich had called the Seminoles “unflappable” during the week leading up to the Rose Bowl — and they showed it on the next drive.

Winston threw an 18-yard touchdown pass to freshman Travis Rudolph to make it 25-20 Oregon with 8:07 left in the third.

Then the Ducks took off.

Mariota zipped a pass to Darren Carrington for a 56-yard touchdown pass.

Then another fumble by Cook, and the wave of big plays and points the Ducks do better than any team in the country started rumbling.

Mariota hit Carrington for a 30-yard touchdown and the Rose Bowl, filled mostly with green and yellow, was rumbling, too.

With the sun just about set behind the San Gabriel mountains, the Ducks put the ‘Noles away.

On fourth-and-5 in Oregon territory, Winston had lots of time but couldn’t find a receiver. He was flushed from the pocket and as he loaded to throw his foot slipped and the ball popped out of his hands.

“It kind of looked like he slipped on a banana, like in cartoons,” Oregon linebacker Torrodney Prevot said.

FSU–FG Aguayo 26, 5:18. Key plays: Winston 4 pass to O’Leary on 3rd-and-3; Winston 17 pass to Rudolph; Cook 20 run; Winston 16 pass to Wilson on 3rd-and-9; Cook 10 run. Drive: 13 plays, 65 yards, 4:48. Oregon 11, Florida St. 6.

Ore–Tyner 1 run (Schneider kick), 2:18. Key plays: Mariota 12 run; Mariota 15 pass to Freeman; Mariota 21 pass to Carrington on 3rd-and-3; Tyner 23 run. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 3:00. Oregon 18, Florida St. 6.

FSU–K.Williams 10 run (Aguayo kick), 0:36. Key plays: Winston 24 pass to K.Williams; Winston 17 pass to Lane. Drive: 6 plays, 71 yards, 1:36. Oregon 18, Florida St. 13.

Third Quarter

Ore–Freeman 3 run (Schneider kick), 11:54. Key Plays: Malone fumble recovery on Oregon 31; Mariota 34 pass to Carrington; Mariota 30 pass to Baylis. Drive: 5 plays, 69 yards, 1:32. Oregon 25, Florida St. 13.

FSU–Rudolph 18 pass from Winston (Aguayo kick), 8:07. Key plays: Winston 23 pass to Wilson on 3rd-and-21; Winston 15 pass to Greene on 3rd-and-2. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 3:47. Oregon 25, Florida St. 20.

Ore–Carrington 56 pass from Mariota (Schneider kick), 6:43. Key plays: Tyner 8 run; Mariota 7 pass to Baylis. Drive: 5 plays, 81 yards, 1:21. Oregon 32, Florida St. 20.

Ore–Carrington 30 pass from Mariota (Schneider kick), 4:21. Key plays: Daniels fumble recovery on the Florida St. 43; Mariota 13 pass to Nelson. Drive: 2 plays, 43 yards, :21. Oregon 39, Florida St. 20.

Ore–T.Washington Jr. 58 fumble recovery for touchdown (kick blocked), 1:36. Oregon 45, Florida St. 20.

Fourth Quarter

Ore–Mariota 23 run (Schneider kick), 13:56. Key plays: Dargan interception return on Florida St. 41. Drive: 6 plays, 43 yards, 2:01. Oregon 52, Florida St. 20.

Ore–Tyner 21 run (Schneider kick), 10:13. Key plays: Hardrick fumble recovery on Oregon 43, Tyner runs of 16 and 12 yards. Drive: 4 plays, 57 yards, 2:23. Oregon 59, Florida St. 20.

A–91,322.

Ore FSU

FIRST DOWNS 30 28

Rushing 17 10

Passing 12 17

Penalty 1 1

NET YARDS RUSHING 301 180

Rushes Attempts 45 39

Rushing yards 309 211

Rushing yards-lost 8 31

NET YARDS PASSING 338 348

Completed-Att. 26-36 29-48

Had Intercepted 1 1

TOTAL PLAYS 81 87

TOTAL YARDS 639 528

Avg Gain 7.9 6.1

FUMBLES-Lost 2-1 7-4

PENALTIES-Yds 6-50 6-48

PUNTS-Avg. 2-38.5 4-33.5

Punts Returns 0-0 0-0

Kickoffs Returns 3-48 9-186

Interceptions 1-0 1-0

THIRD DOWN EFF 7-12 6-16

FOURTH DOWN EFF 1-2 0-2

Sacks by 2-18 0-0

TIME OF POSSESSION 27:17 32:43

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING–Oregon, Tyner 13-124, Mariota 8-62, Freeman 12-44, Benoit 4-40, Bassett 4-25, Nelson 0-14, Marshall 1-0, Team 1-(minus 2), Lockie 2-(minus 6). Florida St., D.Cook 15-103, K.Williams 12-80, R.Green 2-7, Pender 2-5, Winston 8-(minus 15).

PASSING–Oregon, Mariota 26-36-1-338. Florida St., Winston 29-45-1-348, Maguire 0-3-0-0.

RECEIVING–Oregon, Carrington 7-165, Baylis 6-73, Marshall 5-20, Nelson 4-40, Stanford 2-21, Freeman 2-19. Florida St., Rudolph 6-96, Greene 6-59, Wilson 5-72, K.Williams 5-59, D.Cook 3-24, Lane 2-22, Stevenson 1-12, O’Leary 1-4.

PUNT RETURNS–Oregon, None. Florida St., None.

KICKOFF RETURNS–Oregon, Marshall 2-28, Allen 1-20. Florida St., Whitfield 6-131, Wilson 3-55.

TACKLES-ASSISTS-SACKS–Oregon, Hill 7-2-0, Daniels 6-3-0, Dargan 6-2-0, Seisay 4-2-0, Malone 4-1-0, Buckner 2-2-0, T.Washington 2-2-1, Robinson 2-2-0, Armstead 1-3-0, Forde 3-0-0, Walker 2-1-0, Coleman 2-1-0, Hardrick 2-1-0, Mattingly 1-2-0, J.Williams 2-0-0, Prevot 2-0-1, French 2-0-0, Balducci 0-2-0, Mathis 1-0-0, Daniel 1-0-0, Hollins 1-0-0, Lowe 1-0-0, Swain 1-0-0, Talia 1-0-0, Ava 1-0-0. Florida St., P.Williams 8-6-0, Andrews 7-3-0, Northrup 6-3-0, Darby 3-3-0, Hunter 3-2-0, Hollin 4-0-0, Thomas 3-1-0, Ramsey 2-2-0, Waisome 2-0-0, Casher 2-0-0, Walker 1-1-0, T.Smith 1-1-0, Levenberry 0-2-0, Nnadi 0-2-0, Marshall 1-0-0, K.Williams 1-0-0, Lane 1-0-0, Mitchell 0-1-0, Pugh 0-1-0, Brutus 0-1-0, LawrewnceStample 0-1-0.

INTERCEPTIONS–Oregon, Dargan 1-0. Florida St., Northrup 1-0.

MISSED FIELD GOALS–Oregon, None. Florida St., Aguayo 54 (WL).

OFFICIALS–Referee Matt Austin, Ump Russ Pulley, HL Johnny Crawford, LJ Mike Taylor, BJ Stan Murray, SJ Chris Conley, FJ Blake Parks.

Time: 3:37.