Oregon

A last-second foul helped Colorado squeeze past Oregon in a battle among leaders of the Pac-12 Conference Saturday.

Nate Tomlinson hit one of two free throws in the final second after being fouled to give the Buffaloes a 72-71 win before a packed house.

Oregon got 18 points from Devoe Joseph and 17 points from Olu Ashaolu, who had a chance to give the Ducks the lead with 7.6 seconds left, but missed a free throw to complete a three-point play.

Tomlinson drew the crucial foul from E.J. Singler with under a second left in the game.

Oregon fell to 16-7 overall, 7-4 in Pac-12 play, while Colorado improved to 16-7, 8-3.

Singler finished with 13 points and 12 rebounds.

Oregon plays host to conference-leading Washington Thursday night.

OREGON 79, UTAH 68

The Oregon Ducks shook off the second-half malaise from Sunday's loss to Oregon State in time to win at Utah Thursday, and keep pace with Washington in the race for the Pac-12 Conference regular season title.

Devoe Joseph had 20 points, E.J. Singler scored 12 and  Carlos Emery added 14 points off the bench as Oregon outscored the Utes 43-32 in the second half and won 79-68.

The Ducks hit 28 of 57 (49 percent) shots from the field and 15 of 17 (88 percent) of their 17 free-throw attempts to improve to 16-6 overall, 7-3 in Pac-12 play.

Washington beat UCLA Thursday to improve to 15-7, 8-2.

The Ducks, who play at Colorado Saturday, trailed 59-58 when they scored the next 11 points to take control of the game.

Colorado also improved to 7-3 in Pac-12 play with an 82-60 blowout of Oregon State Thursday.

Coming off only the second sweep of the Arizona schools, the Oregon men's basketball team has a chance to move up into the conference leaders with Southern Cal and UCLA headed to Eugene.

Oregon enters the games, starting with USC Thursday, in fourth place in the Pac-12 at 4-2, 13-5 overall.

Following Thursday's game with USC (0-5, 5-13), the Ducks play host to UCLA (3-2, 10-7) on Saturday in the second set of home games in confernce play.

Having played four of its six Pac-12 games this season on the road, the Ducks have been impressive in posting a 3-1 road record in league play. The other 11 Pac-12 teams have managed a combined 6-22 record on the road in conference action.

CALIFORNIA 77, OREGON 60

Oregon got hit by a careeer-topping performance from California's Allen Crabbe and dropped a 77-60 decision to the Bears Sunday at Matthew Knight Arena.

Crabbe connected on six 3-point shots and scored 26 points to lead Cal, which improved to13-4 overall, 3-1 in Pac-12 play.

Oregon got 14 points from Devoe Joseph and 12 from E.J. Singler, but couldn't follow Thursday's win over Stanford and fell to 11-5, 2-2, earning its second split in two conference series.

The Ducks play at the Arizona schools this weekend - Arizona State on Thursday and Arizona on Saturday.

OREGON 78, STANFORD 67

Senior Devoe Joseph scored a career-high 30 points and led the Oregon Ducks to an impressive 78-67 win over Stanford in Pac-12 Conference men's basketball action Thursday at Matthew Knight Arena.

Joseph, who transferred from Minnesota during the summer, connected on 9 of 15 shots from the field, including five three-point shots, to help Oregon improve to 2-1 in conference play and 11-4 overall.

E.J. Singler made 10 free throws in the final three minutes and finished with 13 points to back up Joseph.

The Ducks continue a weekend homestand against Cal Sunday at 4:30 p.m.

Josh Owen led Stanford (12-3, 2-1) with 19 points.

Oregon ended 95 years of frustration in the Rose Bowl and two years of frustration in the Bowl Championship Series by beating Wisconsin 45-38 Monday.

De'Anthony Thomas ran for 155 yards and a touchdown and Darron Thomas threw for three scores as the Ducks racked up 621 total yards and won a shootout that set a Rose Bowl record for points scored.

De'Anthony Thomas' 91-yard burst in the first half set a Rose Bowl record for longest run from scrimmage. He also scored on a 64-yard run - his only two carries.

Oregon, which lost in the Rose Bowl to Ohio State two years ago and to Auburn in the national title game last season, finished 12-2 under third-year coach Chip Kelly.

Wisconsin, which lost to Texas Christian in the Rose Bowl last season, finished 11-3.

Darron Thomas finished with 268 yards passing on 17 completions. LaMichael James led the Ducks on the ground with 159 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries.

Montee Ball had 164 yards and a touchdown on 32 carries for the Badgers, but had just 44 of those yards in the second half.

While the game was an offensive showdown, Oregon's defense came up with two key turnovers in the fourth quarter that helped seal the win.

As Chip Kelly prepared to head for the locker room after the first half, FOX Sports sideline commentator Tim Brewster asked Oregon coach Chip Kelly how he felt about his team's play and he talked about the need to limit mistakes and catch passes. Fans watching the game could only agree with Kelly on the opportunities the Duck missed to make a statement to the nation.

Forget, of course, that the Ducks had 35 points at the time. The inaugural Pac-12 Football Championship Game was that frustrating to watch with any kind of perspective as the Ducks won 49-31 and earned a spot in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 2.

Oregon blew out UCLA in the first half, but the score could have been even more of a blowout if just a couple plays had gone differently.

The Ducks were never in danger of losing to a team that lost 50-0 last week and was playing under its coach for the final time after his firing Monday. Oregon had dreams of playing in the BCS Title game just two weeks ago. The Ducks caused a turnover in two plays, then scored in four, with LaMichael James running untouched through the Bruins' version of the Sahara Desert Defense that included no linebackers or even one safety.

So, how would a 70-0 win in a conference title game look?

Then Oregon relaxed. Its next two drives ended in turnovers, including one that got returned for a score and tied the game 7-all. Oregon played undisciplined in all facets of its game, including a flock of penalties, and still scored 49 points. That would've led some people to Tweet something like "we sucked, and still creamed them."

UCLA never had a chance to win, but it won by not getting absolutely blown out.

So, what score would've made the Pac-12 look better - 70-0, where Oregon played at the level it would've needed to beat USC? Or the actual 49-31, where Oregon played at a level where coaches would've busted blood vessels had they been playing an elite-level opponent, yet still won by three scores?

The Pac-12, which had four of its 12 coaches fired this year, didn't fare much better, especially with the game coverage on FOX Sports. Audio didn't work regularly. There were numerous points where camerawork seemed to be without any direction, including the halftime Tuition Toss. De'Anthony Thomas disappeared from the game for an unknown reason, but showed up on the sideline, which caused Brewster to point out that only time would tell if Thomas would play again. That's some solid sideline work.

Of course, Oregon vs. UCLA isn't exactly Wisconsin vs. Michigan State. FOX Sports won't be making those errors in the Big 10 title game.

To put an exclamation point on the uneven evening, Kelly verbally pumped up conference sponsors Dr. Pepper and UPS on the stage quickly erected in an end zone, shortly after honoring outgoing University of Oregon President Richard Lariviere.

What an evening. It sure didn't make the Pac-12 look like an even competitor to a conference like the Big 10, but that can all be wiped away on Jan. 2 in the Rose Bowl.

Oregon shook off the hangover from last week’s loss to USC and what might have been in the BCS standings, and beat Oregon State handily in the Civil War, 49-21, at Autzen Stadium.

LaMichael James ran for 142 yards before leaving with what appeared to be a left elbow injury, and Oregon won the North Division of the Pac-12 Conference and will play host to the first conference championship game.

The Ducks (10-2, 8-1 Pac-12) will host UCLA on Friday night with a chance to win their third straight conference title and a spot in the Rose Bowl.

The Beavers (3-9, 3-6) will miss a bowl game for the second straight season.

James, who went into the 115th Civil War as the nation’s top rusher with an average of 142.78 yards per game, was hurt midway through the third when he was hit by Oregon State linebacker Tony Wilson.

The junior running back was already wearing a brace on his right elbow, which he dislocated on Oct. 6 against California. He missed two games because of that injury.

Not long after he left the field on Saturday, James’ elbow was wrapped in ice by a trainer. The injury did not appear to be serious because he danced a bit on the sideline with teammate Kenjon Barner during the timeout before the fourth quarter.

Oregon looked as if it was making a strong bid for a spot in the BCS championship game until last weekend, when the Ducks fell to Southern Cal 38-35. But Oregon State didn’t give them any trouble.

Darron Thomas threw for 305 yards and four touchdowns.

After a frustrating loss to Louisiana State a week ago, the Oregon Ducks are ready to re-open the college football season Saturday with a wini over Nevada Saturday at Autzen Stadium.

They just have to make it happen.

Oregon lost 40-27 to the Tigers in the Cowboys Classic in Arlington, Texas, and played less-than-impressively, especially on offense, where quarterback Darron Thomas attempted 54 pass. Running back LaMichael James, a preseason contender for the Heisman Trophy, gained just 54 yards on 12 carries, which most observers figure wiped him out of a place in the New York Athletic Club for the announcement of the winner.

Oregon coach Chip Kelly worked to keep the public focused on the length of the season following the game.

"It's one game and this is a long, long, long season," Kelly told reporters this week. "We talk about it all the time as being a 12-round fight. We're down. We didn't get knocked out in Round 1, but we lost Round 1. These kids will come back to work."

Nevada won't be a pushover. The Wolf Pack finished 13-1 last season and handed Boise State its lone regular season loss, a loss that kept the Broncos from any legitimate shot at a place in the national championship game - which Oregon played in.

Saturday's game is the season opener for Nevada.

Game time is 12:30 p.m.

The Oregon football team sure is a frustrating group to watch these days.

And, get this, the Ducks have a two-game losing streak.

Oregon's vaunted hurry-up offense with the magic play-calling that uses the four-quadrant flash cards did a whole lot of not much Saturday against what looked like a pretty average team in Louisiana State during a 40-26 loss in the Cowboys Classic.

The Ducks wouldn't give the ball to Heisman hopeful LaMichael James on consecutive plays, wouldn't use Darron Thomas as an option quarterback and even forgot to instruct punt returner Kenyon Barner to run toward the other team's goal line ... and hold onto the ball.

When they finally did start running the ball like it was the key to their offense they used freshman De'Anthony Thomas, who is just getting used to college-level defenders and he fumbled away two possessions.

Combined with the loss to Auburn in the national title game last season, the third-ranked Ducks have dropped consecutive games for the first time since 2007, when they lost three-straight games after opening the season at 8-1.

Hello Sun Bowl, here comes Oregon.

EUGENE – Joevan Catron scored 24 points and pulled down 12 rebounds to lead the Oregon men’s basketball team to a comeback 68-59 win over Weber State in the first round of the College Basketball Invitational presented by Zebra Pen at Matthew Knight Arena on Wednesday night.

The effort was the Ducks’ (17-17) senior’s 11th career double-double and his third this season as he finished 6-of-15 from the field and drained a career-best 12-of-13 free throws to pace Oregon in the win.

E.J. Singler also scored in double figures, finishing with 16 points.

The teams got their points in very different ways in the opening 20 minutes. The Ducks enjoyed an 18-8 scoring advantage in the paint while the Wildcats drained 6-of-15 (40 percent) of their three-pointers and held UO without a three-point make (0-of-11) in the first half.

An 11-1 run by Weber State erased an early 9-5 Oregon lead and made it 16-10 seven minutes in. The Ducks countered with a 14-2 spurt of their own and with 3:53 held a 24-18 advantage. Lindsey Hughey capped a 7-0 surge by Weber State with a fade-away jumper to give the Wildcats a 25-24 lead with 57 ticks remaining in the first half. Garrett Sim answered the score with a layup to put Oregon back in front, but Hughey drained a three-pointer at the buzzer to finish the first half with a game-high 10 points and send WSU into the locker room with a 28-26 lead.

A Weber State layup made it 30-26 a minute and a half into the second half. A steal and dunk by Singler pulled Oregon back within two and Sim connected for UO’s first three-pointer of the game with 17:25 to play to put Oregon up 31-30.

The contest was tied at 35 apiece with 13:05 to play before a Catron free throw put the Ducks ahead for good. UO expanded its lead to 53-46 on a pair of free throws by Singler, but a Kyle Bullinger trifecta made it a four-point lead with 5:17 to go.  Oregon continued getting to the free throw line down the stretch and connected on 19-of-21 (90.5 percent) second-half free throws to salt the game away.

Oregon shot 55.6 percent in the second half to finish at 41.2 percent from the floor for the game. Weber State was held to 35.6 percent shooting, but connected on 12-of-31 (38.7 percent) three-pointers to stay close throughout. The Ducks made only 3-of-15 (20 percent) from long range, but went 3-of-4 from beyond the arc in the second half. Oregon edged Weber State on the glass, 36-35, and outscored the Wildcats, 30-16, in the paint.

The Ducks will host Duquesne at Matthew Knight Arena in the CBI quarterfinals on Monday, March 21.

Although the Cowboys Classic, featuring the University of Oregon and LSU football teams, is quickly approaching its kick-off, Sept. 3, in Dallas, Tex., good seats can still be purchased - for $194 apiece.

More importantly, suites are still available ranging in price from $17K to $30K.

Prices for seats and suites are relatively equal on both StubHub.com and Ticketliquidator.com.

Dallas Cowboys Stadium, where the game will be played, can handle crowds of more than 80,000 fans. Tickets priced at $194 are for seats in the 400 level - those closest to the roof.

Oregon State played Texas Christian at Cowboys Stadium last year in front of 46,138 spectators.

Oregon players wore gray for Saturday’s Senior Day and Joevan Catron asked the sellout crowd to wear white, but black would have been the most appropriate color as the Ducks were outshot, outrebounded and outplayed for the second game in a row, losing to Stanford, 88 - 71.

Oregon (14-14, 7-9) started its last regular season game in Matthew Knight Arena hot, shooting 7 – 11 early but faded just as quickly, letting Stanford (14-14, 7-10) pull even at 18 halfway through the first and take a 43 – 34 halftime lead. Stanford’s Josh Owens scored a career-high 31 points on 12 – 15 shooting as the Cardinal oushot the Ducks 59 to 37 percent.

Down nine starting the second, Stanford scored the first six points of the half and never led by less than 13 after that.

The Cardinal was able to keep senior Catron bottled up, holding the team leader to eight points and two rebounds in just 25 minutes after he picked up two early fouls.

“We’re just a different team when he’s in there,” Oregon Head Coach Dana Altman said. “Tonight we weren’t able to do much inside, they beat him around pretty good in there.“

Stanford took advantage of Catron’s absence and outrebounded the Ducks 36 – 21 while adding 12 more points in the paint.

Stanford’s 88 points marks the second straight game Oregon allowed a team to break 80 and fourth in conference play.

“Offensively, the last two games we scored enough points. Our problems tonight were more defensive,” Altman said.

One bright spot was UO guard Malcolm Armstead, who started in front of Jonathan Loyd because of a scorebook error, and led the Ducks with a season-high 22 points.

The Ducks close out their regular season on the road against Arizona State and Arizona next week before heading to the Pac-10 tournament March 9.

Saturday’s loss drops the Ducks to seventh in the Pac-10. The top six teams in the conference tournament get a first round bye.