SportsDirect Inc. staff
Oct 29, 2011

Freshman De’Anthony Thomas scored two touchdowns, including a 93-yard kickoff return, and No. 7 Oregon overcame a sluggish start to defeat visiting Washington State 43-28 on Saturday for its seventh straight victory.

Bryan Bennett relieved Darron Thomas to start the second half and threw two touchdown passes as the Ducks (7-1, 5-0 Pac-12 North) led only 15-10 at halftime en route to their 22nd straight victory at home.

Bennett threw a 45-yard scoring strike to De’Anthony Thomas, who has 11 touchdowns in his first eight games, and a 19-yarder to Lavasier Tuinei, who also caught a touchdown in the first half.

Damante Horton returned an interception 76 yards for a touchdown – his fourth straight game with a pick – for Washington State (3-5, 1-4), which has lost four straight.

All-American running back LaMichael James returned after missing two-plus games with an elbow injury but had only 55 yards for Oregon, while teammate Kenjon Barner rushed for 107 yards, including a 28-yard touchdown.

The Ducks’ offense scored 29 points in the first quarter against Colorado last week, but didn’t find the end zone Saturday until Tuinei’s 55-yard catch with 7:32 left in the half made it 15-3.

Oregon scored its first touchdown when Avery Patterson blocked a punt and Boseko Lokombo returned it 25 yards 1:38 into the game.

The Cougars outgained the Ducks 234-215 and enjoyed a 22:00-8:00 time of possession advantage in the first half but were hurt by a missed field goal and two Marshall Lobbestael interceptions inside the Oregon 5.

Lobbestael threw for 337 yards, including 114 and a touchdown to Jared Karstetter and 126 to Marquess Wilson.