Iowa State Cyclones win Fiesta Bowl over Oregon Ducks

GLENDALE, Ariz. — The Ducks helped spoil their own postseason party.

No. 25 Oregon ended the season with a disjointed, sloppy performance during a 34-17 loss to No. 12 Iowa State in the Fiesta Bowl on sun-splashed Saturday at State Farm Stadium.

The Ducks’ (4-3) offense was unable to sustain any momentum using two quarterbacks, the defense was unable to get off the field in the first half and the special teams making two costly gaffes as the Pac-12 champions were out-coached and out-played by the Big 12 regular-season champions.

A year after Justin Herbert led Oregon to a victory in the Rose Bowl to put an exclamation point on a 12-2 finish, coach Mario Cristobal enters the offseason with uncertainty at quarterback.

Fourth quarter: No. 12 Iowa State 34, No. 25 Oregon 17

Iowa State takes another 7 1/2 minutes off the clock and gets a 39-yard field goal from Connor Assalley with 6:11 remaining in the fourth quarter for a 34-17 lead over Oregon at the Fiesta Bowl. That should wrap it up for Iowa State.

End of third quarter: No. 12 Iowa State 31, No. 25 Oregon 17

Iowa State extends the lead to 31-17 with a 33-yard field goal from Connor Assalley with 6:30 remaining in the third quarter of the Fiesta Bowl after Oregon loses a fumble on a punt and Iowa State took over the Ducks' 14-yard line.

The punt hit the helmet of Oregon defensive back Mykael Wright, making it a live ball and Iowa State recovered it. Oregon has lost three fumbles in the game, two on special teams leading to 10 points, and has forced no turnovers.

Oregon also lost a fumble after getting a first down at the Iowa State 44-yard line and then forced a three-and-out.

The Ducks will begin the fourth quarter with a third-and-2 from their own 23-yard line.

Halftime: No. 12 Iowa State 28, No. 25 Oregon 17

Henry Katleman drills a career-long 47-yard field goal to pull Oregon with 28-17 of Iowa State with 13 seconds left in the half at the Fiesta Bowl after a TD pass from Anthony Brown to Mycah Pittman is negated by a holding penalty. Oregon gets the second-half kickoff.

Brown, who played the entire second quarter at QB for Tyler Shough, is 9-of-13 passing for 122 yards and has run for two touchdowns. Iowa State running back Breece Hall has run 22 times for 85 yards, and Brock Purdy is 13-of-16 passing for 131 yards and one touchdown and one rushing touchdown.

Oregon makes a bad play failing to cover a kickoff, and Iowa State star Breece Hall runs in for a 1-yard TD after Iowa State took over at the Oregon 27-yard line. It's 28-14 Iowa State with 1:27 left in the first half of the Fiesta Bowl.

Iowa State gets a quick TD on a 1-yard TD run from QB Brock Purdy thanks to 30-yard pass to Xavier Hutchinson from Purdy after Oregon linebacker Isaac Slade-Matautia commits a targeting penalty and is ejected from the game after Purdy's 14-yard run. Iowa State up 21-14 with 1:44 left in the first half.

Oregon then fails to cover the kickoff and Iowa State recovers at the Ducks' 27-yard line.

Oregon backup QB Anthony Brown leads a 98-yard scoring drive after the Ducks stop Iowa State on fourth-and-goal and runs 16 yards for his second TD of the game to tie the Fiesta Bowl at 14-14 with 3:17 remaining in the first half. Ducks need a stop to finish half as they get the second half kickoff.

Iowa State looked poised to take a two-score lead when the Cyclones recovered a Travis Dye fumble on the Oregon 15-yard line and a converted a fourth down from the 6-yard line. But the Ducks defense stopped Iowa State when running back Breece Hall was stuff for a 1-yard loss on fourth-and-goal from the Oregon 1-yard line.

Oregon loses 6-foot-7 Iowa State tight end Charlie Kolar on busted coverage for a 14-yard touchdown pass on third down with 10:58 left in the second quarter of the Fiesta Bowl. Iowa State takes another eight minutes off the clock on this 69-yard drive for a 14-7 lead.

The Cyclones are 6-of-7 on third-down conversions already and when they were stopped on third down, Breece Hall ran seven yards on fourth-and-1 from the Oregon 26-yard line to keep the drive alive. Hall has 47 yards rushing on 14 carries.

Iowa State quarterback Brock Purdy is 9-of-10 passing for 83 yards, and Kolar has four catches for 42 yards already.

End of first quarter: No. 12 Iowa State 7, No. 25 Oregon 7

Oregon answers when backup QB Anthony Brown runs 6 yards for TD with 4:14 remaining in the first quarter for a 7-7 tie with Iowa State in the Fiesta Bowl. Travis Dye had a 23-yard run and an 18-yard reception on the drive for the Ducks. 

Quarterback Tyler Shough was 3-for-3 on the drive for 41 yards. His other two completions went to Mycah Pittman as the Ducks went 73 yards on the drive to score in about three minutes.

Breece Hall scores on a 1-yard TD run as Iowa State goes 75 yards on the game's opening drive of the Fiesta Bowl and takes 7:36 off the clock in taking a 7-0 lead over Oregon football.

Hall, the nation's leading rusher entering the bowl season, had 28 yards on seven carries on the opening drive, and Brock Purdy was 5-of-6 passing for 35 yards as the Cyclones used a nice balance of running and passing to keep Oregon off balance.

Oregon Ducks ready to face Iowa State Cyclones in Fiesta Bowl

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Playing football during the pandemic was mostly unpleasant for the Pac-12.

Arizona fired Kevin Sumlin after finishing 0-5. California and Oregon State upset Oregon but were a combined 1-8 against the rest of the conference.

Washington finished atop the North Division standings without playing a road game, the Apple Cup rivalry or the regular-season finale against the Ducks.

USC was one of the six teams from the conference to opt out of bowl season due to a lack of healthy bodies and/or motivation to continue. Colorado was blown out by Texas in the Alamo Bowl.

The College Football Playoff selection committee placed four SEC teams, four Big Ten teams, three ACC teams, two Big 12 teams, one AAC team, one Sun Belt team and one independent ranked ahead of the No. 17 Trojans its final rankings.

And that leaves No. 25 Oregon carrying the banner for the Pac-12 once again as the conference’s lone representative in the New Year’s Six bowls.

The Ducks (4-2) are determined to create a happy ending to a grueling campaign against No. 12 Iowa State in the Fiesta Bowl on Saturday at State Farm Stadium (1 p.m., ESPN).

Recapping the season for Oregon Ducks, Iowa State Cyclones

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Oregon and Iowa State took roads less traveled to arrive here for the Fiesta Bowl.

The Ducks played six game against Pac-12 opponents and repeated as conference champions without posting the highest winning percentage in their own division.

The Cyclones were blown out at home by a Sun Belt team in their only nonconference games but won the Big 12 regular-season title for the first time with an 8-1 conference record.

No. 25 Oregon will play No. 12 Iowa State to cap a tumultuous 2020 season on Saturday at State Farm Stadium (1 p.m., ESPN).

Ken Woody: Fiesta Bowl could be high-scoring slugfest

If history counts, the Fiesta Bowl between Oregon and Iowa State could be a high-scoring slugfest.  

Both starting quarterbacks, the Ducks’ Tyler Shough and the Cyclones’ Brock Purdy, are Arizona natives who faced off in high school four times. Purdy won all four games, including in 2017 when he threw seven touchdown passes in a 65-63 win. 

Purdy has a big arm and last season threw for over 4,000 yards and 27 touchdowns. However, after averaging 236 yards per game this season, Purdy threw three interceptions in the loss to Oklahoma in the Big 12 Conference title game. The Cyclones’ most reliable threat has been running back Breece Hall, who has rushed for 1,436 yards and 19 touchdowns.

Who's starting and more in Saturday's Fiesta Bowl

Starting lineups, season schedules and what's at stake for Oregon Ducks, Iowa State Cyclones in the Fiesta Bowl.

Oregon Ducks defense braces for Iowa State running back Breece Hall

The Ducks’ defense is going to ring in another new year trying to slow down one of the nation’s top running backs.

Breece Hall will lead No. 12 Iowa State against No. 25 Oregon in the Fiesta Bowl on Saturday at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. (1 p.m., ESPN).

The sophomore was named to the All-American first team this week after rushing for 1,436 yards, which ranks second in the FBS.

Hall, who finished sixth in the Heisman Trophy balloting, helped carry the Cyclones (8-3) to the Big 12 regular-season championship, which is the program’s first conference title since 1912.

Deommodore Lenoir making the most of opt-in season

There is a chance Deommodore Lenoir will opt in again.

Oregon’s senior cornerback, who originally planned to skip the abbreviated college football season due to COVID-19 concerns before having a change of heart, has left open the possibility of returning for a fifth season in 2021.

“I’m not sure yet,” Lenoir said during Tuesday’s virtual Fiesta Bowl media day event. “I feel like I had a great season, but there's always some stuff you can learn and always help yourself. So that's going to be a big decision for me.”

Oregon defensive coordinator Andy Avalos says he hasn't heard from Boise State

Andy Avalos is focused on the Fiesta Bowl.

Oregon’s defensive coordinator, a former Boise State player and assistant, said he has not been formally contacted by his alma mater about the Broncos’ head coaching vacancy.

Avalos and current Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, a former Boise State quarterback, are the two top candidates expected to be targeted to replace Bryan Harsin, who left for Auburn, according to the Idaho Press.