Pac-12 roundup: Michigan State avenges loss to Oregon

Connor Cook waited all offseason for another chance to win a game like this – yet Michigan State’s talented quarterback needed some help at the end.

The Spartans would have to hold one more time on fourth down against Oregon’s always-dynamic offense.

Vernon Adams threw incomplete to end Oregon’s final drive, and fifth-ranked Michigan State held on to beat the seventh-ranked Ducks 31-28 on Saturday night in East Lansing, Michigan, in college football’s marquee game of the week. The Spartans stopped Oregon four times on fourth down, including one key stand in the second quarter at the Michigan State goal line.

The Spartans lost only twice in 2014 – to Oregon and Ohio State, the two teams that played for the national title. Michigan State led in the third quarter at Oregon but lost 46-27.

“That stuck with me the whole year,” Cook said. “It stuck with me during the season. It stuck with me watching them play in the national championship. It was with me all through spring, all through camp.”Cook threw for 192 yards and two touchdowns and the Spartans led 31-21 before Adams threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to Byron Marshall with 3:25 remaining. After a Michigan State punt, the Ducks (1-1) drove to the Spartans 33 before Adams overthrew Marshall, who had beaten his defender. MSU (2-0) then sacked Adams for a loss of 10, and he threw incomplete on fourth-and-16.

Adams nearly rallied the Ducks. His scoring pass to Marshall marked the 70th consecutive game Oregon had thrown a TD pass, breaking a record the Ducks had been sharing. Texas Tech had a streak of 69 games from 2006-2011.

(22) Arizona 44, Nevada 20: Nick Wilson ran for 194 yards and three TDs to lead the Wildcats (2-0) past the Wolfpack (1-1) in Reno, Nevada.

California 35, San Diego State 7: Jared Goff threw for two TDs in a 21-second span to break open a tight game and the Golden Bears (2-0) beat the Aztecs (1-1) in Berkeley, California.

Stanford 31, Central Florida 7: Kevin Hogan threw for a career-high 341 yards and three TDs as the Cardinal (1-1) beat the Knights (0-2) in Stanford, California.

Arizona State 35, Cal Poly 21: Mike Bercovici threw for 283 yards and three TDs and the Sun Devils (1-1) topped the Mustangs (1-1) in Tempe, Arizona.

(13) UCLA 37, UNLV 3: Paul Perkins ran for 151 yards and two scores and the Bruins (2-0) dumped the Rebels (0-2) in Las Vegas.