Pac-12 championship football: Arizona manhandled in Pac-12 title game

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The Arizona Wildcats will have to settle for Pac-12 South Champions.

The Wildcats fell to Oregon 51-13 in the Pac-12 title game tonight at Levi’s Stadium.

Arizona is now 10-3 heading into a bowl game.

The Wildcats were outgained 634-199 and went through three quarterbacks.

Oregon’s Marcus Mariota threw for 303 yards and two touchdowns and added 33 rushing yards and three more scores.

The Wildcats will now await their bowl fate, which will be announced Sunday.

Third quarter: There will be no dramatic comeback in this one.

Arizona enters the fourth quarter of the Pac-12 Championship Game trailing Oregon 44-7.

The beaten and battered Wildcats have moved onto their third-string quarterback, surrendered 546 yards of offense to Oregon and lost their cool at times.

It’s everything Arizona fans were hoping it wouldn’t be.

The UA trailed 23-0 at half, and decided to go to backup quarterback Jesse Scroggins.

It didn’t matter.

After Arizona punted on its opening drive with Scroggins in at quarterback, Marcus Mariota led Oregon to a quick touchdown.

He found Devon Allen for a 4-yard touchdown to make it 30-7.

Arizona finally got on the board when Scroggins found Cayleb Jones for a  69-yard touchdown to make it 30-7.

It didn’t get any better from there though.

Mariota threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Darren Carrington and then ran for a 1-yard touchdown to make it 44-7.

The Wildcats pulled Scroggins for Randall for their final drive of the third quarter.

Center Steven Gurrola was ejected from the game for punching an Oregon defender in the quarter after the Wildcats failed to convert on a third down.

Arizona will punt to open the fourth quarter.

The Wildcats have just 158 yards of total offense

Second quarter: Rich Rodriguez’s high-powered offense has been grounded — in a big way.

The Arizona Wildcats have gained just 18 yards of total offense and have punted five times in the first half of the Pac-12 Championship Game.

The result?

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Oregon leads Arizona 23-0 in a game the Ducks have dominated.

Arizona gained just 25 yards in the first half and have minus-9 rushing yards. The Ducks have put up 379 yards of offense and have marched up and down the field at will.

Heisman Trophy frontrunner Marcus Mariota is 14 for 27 for 190 yards. He has six rushes for 23 yards and two touchdowns. 

Mariota didn’t have a rushing touchdown in his previous three games against Arizona.

Freshman running back Royce Freeman has 15 rushes for 90 yards, gashing Arizona’s defense at times.

Meanwhile, Arizona’s offense sputtered for 30 minutes.

Anu Solomon is just 6 for 12 for 34 yards and has faced constant pressure, looking confused at several different points.

The Wildcats had eight drives in the first have and have gone three-and-out on the final six of them.

Arizona longest drive was its first one. It went for 22 yards on seven plays before Anu Solomon had to pooch punt.

The Wildcats haven’t possessed the ball for more than 2 minutes and 21 seconds on a possession.

Nick Wilson, who had 215 yards against Utah and 175 against ASU, has just six rushes for seven yards in the first half.

Arizona will get the ball to open the second half, trailing by 23.

First quarter: The Arizona Wildcats are hanging on for dear life in the Pac-12 Championship Game at Levi’s Stadium.

Despite being outgained by more than 100 yards by Oregon in the first quarter, the UA is down just 6-0 after the opening frame.

Oregon has had three possessions and worked the ball into Arizona territory all three times. But the Wildcats have held the Ducks to two field goals and a turnover on downs to keep the game within reach — for now.

The Ducks went 64 yards on 10 plays on their first drive, but stalled in the red zone and had to settle for a 34-yard field goal from Aidan Schneider.

The UA’s Tyrell Johnson then fumbled on the ensuing kickoff and Oregon got the ball deep in Arizona territory. But again, the UA came up with a stop and forced Schneider to kick a 22-field goal.

The Wildcats marched into Oregon’s territory on their first drive, but had to punt after stalling out at the 38-yard line.

The Ducks, led by Marcus Mariota, got into Arizona territory yet again, but couldn’t convert on a fourth down.

The Wildcats quickly went three-and-out to give the ball back.

Oregon will open the second quarter with the ball and a 3^rd-and-15.

All total, Oregon is outgaining Arizona 161-32.

Mariota is 7 for 13 for 74 yards. He has four rushes for 12 yards.