Oregon pumps brakes on CU’s ‘Cinderella story’

EUGENE, Ore. — Bo Nix threw three touchdown passes and No. 10 Oregon emphatically slammed the brakes on Coach Prime’s “Cinderella story,” routing No. 19 Colorado 42-6 on Saturday.

The Ducks (4-0, 1-0 Pac-12) were up 35-0 half after coach Dan Lanning sent them into the matchup of unbeatens with a fiery pregame speech that took direct aim at the star-studded, hype machine that has followed coach Deion Sanders’ team for the first three weeks of the season.

“The Cinderella story’s over, men. They’re fighting for clicks, we’re fighting for wins. There’s a difference,” Lanning told his team in front of ESPN’s cameras.

Troy Franklin caught eight passes for 126 yards and two scores for Oregon.

Sanders turned around a Colorado program that won just one game last year, bringing aboard 67 new scholarship players and opening the season with wins over TCU, Nebraska and last weekend’s double-overtime thriller against Colorado State.

He got a nice welcome to Autzen Stadium before the game from Nike co-founder Phil Knight, the patriarch of Oregon sports. And former NFL star Terrell Owens made the trip to see his friend coach.

Oregon’s duck mascot came out on the field wearing a cowboy hat and sunglasses, copying Sanders’ style.

It was a big-game atmosphere, but the Buffs (3-1, 0-1) were no match for the Ducks.

NO. 11 UTAH 14, NO. 22 UCLA 7: Karene Reid returned an interception for a touchdown and Landen King had a TD catch for host Utah, which used a stifling defensive performance to beat UCLA with quarterback Cam Rising still sidelined.

There was speculation all week about whether Rising, who tore an ACL in last season’s Rose Bowl, would be ready to return. He practiced without limits each day and warmed up in pads and full uniform before reappearing just before kickoff in a T-shirt.

And then a suffocating defense carried the day for the Utes (4-0, 1-0 Pac-12) against the Bruins (3-1, 0-1).

After splitting practice reps with Rising, Nate Johnson looked sharp early in his second career start, but Utah’s offense was limited in the second half by UCLA’s defense and some conservative play-calling.

NO. 21 WASHINGTON ST. 38, NO. 14 OREGON ST. 35: Josh Kelly caught three touchdowns, two in highlight-reel fashion, Cameron Ward passed for 404 yards and accounted for five scores, and host Washington State withstood a late rally to upend Oregon State in the Pac-12 Conference opener for both teams.

Billed as the Pac-2 championship on the Palouse, the Cougars pulled out their second victory of the season over an AP Top 25 foe. They led by 17 points early in the fourth quarter before the Beavers (3-1, 0-1 Pac-12) mounted a furious rally.

Oregon State’s DJ Uiagalelei tossed a 5-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jack Velling with 1:12 left to pull the Beavers within 38-35. The Cougars (4-0, 1-0) recovered the ensuing onside kick after a mad scramble for the ball.

Ward, who entered third in the nation in passing yards and fourth in total offense, threw three of his four touchdown passes in the first half. He also had a 1-yard TD run.

ARIZONA 21, STANFORD 20: DJ Williams scored a go-ahead touchdown from two-yards out midway through the fourth quarter to finish off a nine-play drive as Arizona (3-1, 1-0) beat Stanford (1-3, 0-1) on the road.

The Wildcats closed out the win with backup quarterback Noah Fifita under center, after starter Jayden de Laura left the game early in the fourth quarter with an apparent leg injury.