Oregon 35, Kansas State 17: A great day for a Fiesta

Update:  Oregon led Kansas State 8-0 after 12 seconds in the Fiesta Bowl Thursday night and never looked back.

Fleet sophomore De'Anthony Thomas returned the opening kickoff 94 yards for a touchdown and the Ducks made a two-point conversion for a lead they never relinquished against a tough Wildcat squad. The 35-17 win gave Oregon its second straight BCS bowl victory.

Freshman quarterback Marcus Mariota, who threw for two touchdowns and ran for another, was named Offensive Player of the Game. Senior linebacker Michael Clay was named Defensive Player of the Game with nine tackles, eight of them solo. 

But the Ducks also got major contributions from senior running back Kenjon Barner (143 yards rushing) and Thomas (two touchdowns, 195 all-purpose yards) and sophomore safety Erick Dargan (two interceptions and eight tackles, seven solo).

Update: Oregon defeated Kansas State 35-17 Thursday in the 42nd Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Ariz. Check back for more photos.

After more than a month, the countdown is over as the Ducks and Wildcats converged on Arizona for the Fiesta Bowl.

Scenes from inside the stadium are featured in the photo gallery at right.

The Ducks' visit featured:

• An admissions event with more than 100 Arizona high schoolers, who met with deans and other top university leaders.
• A pep rally with the Duck diving into the fesitivities.
• A service project where UO and KSU packed thousands of pounds of food at a local food bank.