James rushes for three TDs as Blount stays on sideline
As Oregon running back LeGarrette Blount awaited his first chance to play since his suspension, LaMichael James ran for 150 yards and three touchdowns for the No. 14 Ducks in a 44-21 victory over Arizona State on Saturday night in Eugene.
Blount was dressed and ready to go, pacing the sideline at times with his helmet on. The senior running back returned this week from his suspension for punching a Boise State player following Oregon’s season-opening loss to the Broncos.
He never got in the game.
James had 119 yards and all his scores in the first half, on runs of 4, 2 and 4 yards. Jeremiah Masoli connected with Ed Dickson on a 9-yard TD pass as the Ducks (8-2, 6-1 Pacific-10 Conference) went ahead 31-7 midway through the second quarter. Oregon controls its own destiny in the Pac-10 title race for a place in the Rose Bowl.
Masoli also had a 21-yard scoring pass to Jeff Maehl in the third quarter after ASU closed within 31-21.
At California 21, No. 18 Arizona 16 — Shane Vereen scored on a 61-yard run after an odd penalty thwarted a potential go-ahead drive for the Wildcats as the Bears went on to win without star running back Jahvid Best.
Giorgio Tavecchio kicked four field goals, giving Cal (7-3, 4-3) an 18-16 lead with a 22-yarder with 4:46 remaining.
But Arizona was not done.
After Tavecchio made a key tackle on the ensuing kickoff, the Wildcats (6-3, 4-2) drove the ball down to the Cal 25. On third-and-3, Nick Foles’ pass was batted at the line. Foles caught the ricochet and tried to throw it again. That was a penalty for an illegal forward pass and the ball moved back to the 39 and Arizona lost the down.
Foles threw an incompletion on fourth down, then Vereen then ran it in on the next play, giving him a career-high 159 yards as Best watched.
The Wildcats can still clinch their first Rose Bowl trip by winning their final three games against Oregon, Arizona State and USC. But this loss removed any margin for error.
