Oregon Routs Cal in Pac-10 Football Matchup
Masoli, Ducks Dominant in 42-3 WIn Over No. 6. Golden Bears
Jeremiah Masoli and Ed Dickson broke out of early-season slumps in a big way as Oregon dominated the No. 6 Golden Bears 42-3 in a Pac-10 football opener. Masoli completed 20 of 25 passes for 253 yards and three touchdowns – all to Dickson, who finished with 11 catches for a career-high 148 yards.
Dickson, Oregon's highly touted tight end, had just four receptions entering the game; and Masoli had yet to throw a touchdown pass. That all changed in resounding fashion as Oregon steamrolled Cal with 524 yards of total offense.
Freshman running back LaMichael James ran 21 times for 118 yards and a touchdown for the Ducks, who improved to 3-1 on Chip Kelly's best day yet in his first season as Oregon head coach.
The Ducks, after falling to No. 8 Boise State 19-8 in their season opener, rebounded with victories over Purdue and then-No. 18 Utah. Those victories came by a total of nine points, so Oregon had something to prove.
Coach Jeff Tedford's Golden Bears were looking to make a statement, too. They owned the Pac-10's highest ranking in addition to an unblemished record. But Cal had yet to face a team of Oregon's caliber, and it showed. The blowout could have been even worse, but the Ducks fumbled the ball away three times.
The turnovers didn't hurt, as Oregon's defense stepped up with a performance to match that of its offense. The Ducks gave up only 207 yards and a first-quarter field goal to Cal, which entered the game averaging 488 yards and 48 points per game.
Jahvid Best, Cal's star running back, finished with just 55 yards on 16 carries and lost a fumble. The junior carried the ball just once in the second half, for no gain. He had two receptions for 14 yards, both in the third quarter.
Big Second Quarter Gives Ducks Control
The teams were tied 3-3 at the end of the first quarter, but Oregon put together three touchdown drives in the second. Dickson caught a 26-yard TD pass from Masoli, Remene Alston scored on a 1-yard run, and James added a 4-yard TD rush.
Oregon blew it wide open in the third period, as Masoli hit Dickson with scoring passes of 9 and 36 yards.
Cal's only threat of the second half, and its only drive of more than 31 yards, came when Kevin Riley hit Verran Tucker with a 50-yard pass on the first play of the second half. But the Golden Bears ended up being stopped on downs.
Morgan Flint's second field goal of the game, a 42-yarder in the fourth quarter, made it 42-3. Earlier, Flint hit a 30-yarder. And he caught a 2-point conversion pass from Nate Costa in the second period.
Cal's only points came on a 47-yard field goal Vince D'Amato.
Golden Bears Passing Game Misfires
Riley completed just 12 of 31 passes for 123 yards, and backup Beau Sweeney fared no better, going 1-for-5 on Cal's final possessions. Tucker, with three receptions for 71 yards, was the only player other than Best to manage more than 30 yards from scrimmage.
The Bears defense managed four sacks, including two by Cameron Jordan. And Mychal Kendricks and Mike Mohamed had nine tackles apiece. But Cal could find few answers against Masoli and the Oregon offense.
Jeff Maehl had six receptions for 56 yards, and Alston ran for 42 yards on six carries for the Ducks, who finished with 236 rushing yards.
Oregon mounted a strong pass rush, producing five sacks. Terrell Turner and Kenny Rowe recorded two sacks apiece for the Ducks, who also had six quarterback hurries. Javes Lewis made a team-high five tackles in addition to two pass breakups, and Turner had three tackles for losses.
Ducks End Losing Streak in Series
Oregon ended a three-game losing streak to Cal, which still leads the series 39-31-2. The Ducks, though, have won eight of the last 11 contests between the teams.
Cal will be at home against No. 12 USC next Saturday, while Oregon plays host to Washington State.
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