Bo Nix passed for three touchdowns and rushed for one as No. 10 Oregon relentlessly pounded No. 19 Colorado 42-6 in the Pac-12 opener for both teams on Saturday afternoon at Eugene, Ore.
Nix completed 28 of 33 passes for 276 yards and one interception as Oregon (4-0, 1-0 Pac-12) handed Deion Sanders his first setback as Colorado coach. The Ducks have won 10 of the past 11 meetings with the Buffaloes.
Troy Franklin caught eight passes for 126 yards and two touchdowns for the Ducks. Casey Kelly caught a touchdown pass and Noah Whittington and Jordan James rushed for scores for Oregon, which had 522 total yards and 30 first downs.
Shedeur Sanders produced a season-low 159 yards and one touchdown on 23-of-33 passing for Colorado (3-1, 0-1). Sanders threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to Michael Harrison with 2:51 remaining as the Buffaloes averted being blanked.
Colorado was without two-way star Travis Hunter (lacerated liver), who was injured in last week’s victory over Colorado State.
The Buffaloes, who entered averaging 41.3 points per game, had just 199 yards and 13 first downs.
Jordan Burch had two of Oregon’s seven sacks.
The Ducks dominated the first half with edges of 378-21 in total offense, 22-4 in first downs while possessing the ball for 20:48.
Oregon began the game with a 10-play, 72-yard drive that was capped by Whittington’s 3-yard scoring run.
The Ducks took a 13-0 lead on Nix’s 1-yard to Kelly with 2:41 left in the period. A trick play on the two-point conversion failed.
Oregon later embarked on a 13-play, 89-yard excursion to increase its lead to 21-0. Nix tossed a 16-yard touchdown pass to Franklin with 9:39 left in the half, and the same two teamed up for a two-point conversion pass.
Nix and Franklin were at it again, connecting on a 36-yard scoring pass to make it 28-0 with 2:52 remaining in the second quarter. Nix scored on an 11-yard scamper with 12 seconds left in the half.
James scored on fourth-and-goal from the 1 six minutes into the third quarter to make it 42-0.
The Buffaloes drove 93 yards on 14 plays on their fourth-quarter scoring possession.
–Field Level Media
