Atticus Sappington made all four of his field goals, including a career-long 51-yard kick late in the third quarter, and No. 6 Oregon held on for a 26-14 win over Washington on Saturday afternoon in Seattle.
Dante Moore completed 20 of 29 passes for 286 yards and a touchdown and ran for another score for the Ducks (11-1, 8-1 Big Ten), who finished the regular season on a six-game winning streak. Oregon is in line to host a College Football Playoff opening round game next month.
The decisive moments of the game came in the fourth quarter, when the Huskies faced a fourth-and-8 from the Oregon 13. Washington quarterback Demond Williams Jr. found Denzel Boston for the second of two touchdown connections between the two, and Washington had new life, down 19-14 with 8:54 to play.
But a few plays later, Moore found Malik Benson open over the middle, and Benson raced upfield for a 64-yard touchdown strike. Oregon went back up by 12 and sealed its 12th straight road victory with Dillon Thieneman’s interception with 1:20 to play.
Washington finishes 8-4 overall, 5-4 in the Big 12. Williams threw two interceptions and was sacked four times as Oregon’s defense pressured him for much of the afternoon.
Oregon scored first, driving for a 46-yard field goal from Sappington on the Ducks’ first possession of the game.
A personal foul penalty against the Ducks late in the first quarter gave Washington field position inside Oregon territory. The Huskies got the ball to the Oregon 21, but Williams was intercepted by Ducks defensive back Jaden Canady to end the possession.
Oregon drove 80 yards after that turnover for a touchdown with Moore running into the end zone from a yard out. The Ducks took a 13-0 lead moments later on another Sappington field goal.
Washington took some momentum into halftime with a 12-play, 75-yard drive. On third down with no timeouts left and 10 seconds left in the half, Williams got a throw off under heavy pressure and hit Boston for a three-yard touchdown pass.
Oregon opened the second half with a drive for a field goal, going in front 16-7.
