A week after missing a series due to injury, Bo Nix started and threw for 287 yards. He was limited to only one designed run all night, but he made it count, diving for two yards when Oregon needed at least one to ice the game in the fourth quarter.
The UO defense, meanwhile, got 14 tackles and two interceptions from safety Bennett Williams, who took responsibility for a late touchdown by Washington in Oregon’s loss to the Huskies the week before. Noah Sewell added eight tackles and a third interception of Utah quarterback Cameron Rising, as the defense stepped up on a night the Ducks scored their fewest points in Pac-12 play this season.
“We had Bo’s back,” said UO defensive lineman Casey Rogers, who got in on two of the Ducks’ six tackles for loss. “We knew what he went through last week to get his ankle right. It just shows you what type of kid he is, how tough he is. We knew he was putting his body on the line. We had to get his back, and I think that’s something we did.”
Oregon (9-2, 7-1 Pac-12 ) wraps up the season next Saturday at Oregon State, and a win propels the Ducks to the Pac-12 title game Dec. 2 in Las Vegas. Oregon also would advance to face USC in Las Vegas with a win by Washington State in the Apple Cup.
Game times for those matchups were expected to be announced early Sunday.
Nix was injured in the fourth quarter against Washington, and though he returned for the final series of that game, his status against the Utes was in question all week. Oregon ended up receiving the opening kickoff Saturday, and before Autzen Stadium PA announcer Don Essig could announce Nix as the UO quarterback for the opening possession, the stadium erupted at the sight of Nix jogging out to start the game.
“There’s times (earlier in the week) I was like, you know what, I can go out there and manage,” Nix said of his recovery. “And then there was times I was like, I can’t even walk — I don’t know how I’m gonna be able to do that.
“You know, I felt like the team deserved my shot. I felt like the team deserved for me to go out there and give them what I had. Because they work tirelessly all week, through injuries themselves, through some sickness. And so, I did it all for my teammates.”
In a concession to the injury, Oregon offensive coordinator…
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