Seattle, WA — On a chilly afternoon in the Pacific Northwest, No. 5 Oregon found the spark it needed in the fourth quarter as Malik Benson’s electrifying 64-yard touchdown reception sealed a 26-14 win over Washington and pushed the Ducks a step closer to the College Football Playoff.
With Oregon (11-1, 8-1 Big Ten, No. 6 CFP) clinging to a five-point lead, Benson caught a pass from Dante Moore near midfield, sliced between two defenders, and sprinted untouched to the end zone with 7:55 left. The play halted Washington’s momentum after the Huskies had trimmed the deficit to 19-14 on a 13-yard touchdown pass from Demond Williams Jr. to Denzel Boston moments earlier.
For most of the afternoon, offensive production was scarce for both sides. Oregon relied heavily on the leg of Atticus Sappington, who delivered a standout performance with four field goals, including a career-best 51-yarder in the third quarter. He also connected from 46 yards on Oregon’s opening drive and added two more before and after halftime. Those kicks surrounded Moore’s one-yard score in the second quarter.
Moore finished the game completing 20 of 29 passes for 286 yards, keeping the Ducks steady in a game where sustained drives were rare.
Oregon’s defense was equally pivotal. The Ducks, who entered the game ranked third nationally in passing yards allowed per game, held Williams to his lowest yardage total of the season and intercepted him twice. The win extended Oregon’s nation-leading streak to 12 straight true road victories under coach Dan Lanning and marked just their second triumph over Washington in the last five years.
Washington (8-4, 5-4) saw its struggles on offense persist, but sophomore running back Adam Mohammed continued his late-season surge. Filling in again for the injured Jonah Coleman, Mohammed eclipsed 100 rushing yards for the second consecutive week.
After totaling more than 25 rushing yards only once in the first eight games, he recorded at least 50 yards in each of his final four outings.
The Huskies, who once held a 22-game home winning streak before losing earlier this season to No. 1 Ohio State, dropped their second home contest of the year. They still lead the all-time series 63-50-5.
Up Next:
Oregon: The Ducks will learn their CFP first-round opponent next Sunday.
Washington: The Huskies will find out their bowl destination when selections are announced next weekend.
