NCAA Football: Utah downs the Ducks to grab PAC 12 championship

Utah runs right over Oregon in the PAC 12 football title game for the school's first conference crown on Friday night.

By Hassan Green

Las Vegas, Nevada - The first of the Power Five college football conference titles was on the line Friday night, with the Utah Utes making easy work of the Oregon Ducks to win their first PAC 12 crown in school history.

Utes defensive tackle Devin Kaufusi holds up a Champs shirt at the conclusion of the PAC-12 Football Championship Game.
Utes defensive tackle Devin Kaufusi holds up a Champs shirt at the conclusion of the PAC-12 Football Championship Game.  © IMAGO/ZUMA Wire

The 17th-ranked Utes dominated the 10th-ranked Ducks 38-10 in a rematch of the 2019 PAC 12 Championship Game, when Oregon triumphed over Utah in similar circumstances.

This matchup was done early as the Utes stormed out with two touchdowns to take a 14-0 lead after one quarter.

Utah kept it up with nine more unanswered points in the second quarter to go into halftime with a commanding 23-0 advantage.

The Ducks had very little to snap back at the Utes with, finally breaking the shutout with a 42-yard field goal to open the third quarter.

The Utes responded by finding the end zone twice more over the next 11 minutes of game time.

Oregon finally scored a touchdown of their own in the game’s final minutes, but things were way out of the Ducks’ reach long before that.

The player spotlight

Utes Running back Tavion Thomas rushed for two touchdowns against the Ducks on Friday night.
Utes Running back Tavion Thomas rushed for two touchdowns against the Ducks on Friday night.  © IMAGO/ZUMA Wire

Utah’s rushing attack ran roughshod over the Ducks as they cruised to victory, with sophomore running back Tavion Thomas (20) leading the way.

He was the first player to score in the game, sparking an outpouring of points, and also scored Utah’s last touchdown to put things away for good in the fourth quarter.

The Utes used five rushers to gain almost 200 total yards on the ground, with Thomas being the biggest gainer.

He finished the night with 18 carries for 63 yards and two touchdowns.

The big picture

Utah Utes head coach Kyle Whittingham (l) and quarterback Cameron Rising (r) stand on a stage at the conclusion of the PAC-12 Football Championship Game.
Utah Utes head coach Kyle Whittingham (l) and quarterback Cameron Rising (r) stand on a stage at the conclusion of the PAC-12 Football Championship Game.  © IMAGO/ZUMA Wire

Both teams had quite similar numbers on the stat sheet on Friday night.

They were close in passing yards, penalties, and even committing a pair of picks each.

However, the rushing attack was where the biggest difference was made, with Utah outgaining Oregon on the ground by a whopping 191 to 74.

Utah’s defense also shined by holding the Ducks to only 221 yards of total offense, helping the Utes pave an easy way to the PAC 12 title.

Up next for Utah is their first-ever spot in the Rose Bowl while Oregon must wait for word on their bowl game berth.

Cover photo: IMAGO/ZUMA Wire

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