TEMPE, Ariz. — Second-ranked Oregon didn't take long to establish which division of the Pac 12 was tops. The Ducks scored 21 first-quarter points on the way to a comfortable 43-21 victory over Arizona State at Sun Devil Stadium in Arizona Thursday night.
Oregon has raced through the first seven games without hitting much of a speed bump.
Arizona State has exceeded most expectations in its first season under coach Todd Graham.
The two Pac-12 division leaders got a chance to compare how good they are Thursday night, and once again the opposition was no match for the Ducks' speed.
Arizona State jumped out to a quick first-quarter lead but Oregon responded immediately on a Kenjon Barner 71 yard TD run and, with the 2-point conversion, Oregon never trailed again.
Quarterback Marcus Mariota threw for one touchdown and ran for another to lead the Ducks to a 22-7 first quarter advantage.
The Ducks put the game away with an equally explosive second quarter, adding three more touchdown runs, two one-yarders by Kenjon Barner and a back-breaking 86-yard scoring run by Mariota.
With a 43-7 halftime lead, the Ducks coasted home to their seventh straight victory of the season.
After surrentdering the one opening-minute touchdown, the Ducks' D blanked ASU until fourth quarter garbage time, when the Sun Devils added two touchdowns to make the final score less lopsided at 43-21.
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Oregon has been nearly unstoppable so far, scoring more points than every team but one while entering the BCS Standings at No. 3, a few percentage points behind Florida.
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