PACIFIC-12/MOUNTAIN WEST/WESTERN ATHLETIC

Barner, Ducks bounce back, beat Beavers

— After Oregon’s loss to Stanford last weekend, running back Kenjon Barner figured there were three ways for the Ducks to respond in the Civil War against Oregon State.

“You can let it define you, destroy you or strengthen you,” Barner said. “With this team, every loss we’ve taken in the past, it’s strengthened us, made us stronger. Looking back on Stanford, it was a loss. We knew what we had to do to get back on the winning track, and we did it.”

Barner ran for 198 yards and two touchdowns — despite leaving the game for a time with what he called a minor injury — and No. 5 Oregon (11-1, 8-1 Pacific-12) defeated No. 15 Oregon State 48-24.

It was Oregon’s fifth consecutive victory in the 116-game rivalry series with the Beavers.

Barner appeared to hurt either his abdomen or ribs late in the first half and headed to the locker room. He returned after the break, but much of the work went to De’Anthony Thomas until he returned on a scoring drive that made it 41-17 early in the fourth quarter.

Barner would only describe the injury as minor.

Thomas finished with 122 yards rushing and three scores. Oregon redshirt freshman Marcus Mariota threw for 140 yards and a score, and also ran for 85 yards and a touchdown.

Sean Mannion threw for 311 yards and a late touchdown for the Beavers (8-3, 6-3) but was intercepted four times.

MOUNTAIN WEST

Fresno State wins

FRESNO, Calif. — Derek Carr passed for 452 yards and four touchdowns, two of them to Davante Adams, as Fresno State thrashed Air Force 48-15 on Saturday to capture a share of the Mountain West Conference championship. Carr threw a 64-yard touchdown pass to Adams on the Bulldogs’ second play from scrimmage and 1:46 later connected with Isaiah Burse for a 36-yard scoring pass.

Marcel Jensen added two 1-yard touchdown catches, one from Carr and one from tailback Robbie Rouse for Fresno State (9-3, 7-1).

Cody Getz had 82 rushing yards and Jon Lee added 52 for Air Force (6-6, 5-3), which finished with 254 rushing yards and just 63 passing.

In another Mountain West game, Adam Muema rushed for a careerhigh 255 yards and four touchdowns in leading San Diego State (9-3, 7-1) past host Wyoming (4-8, 3-5) 42-28.... Conner Smith threw a fourth-quarter touchdown pass, and Kevin Pierre-Louis batted away a last-play pass in the end zone as Colorado State (4-8, 3-5) held on for a 24-20 victory over New Mexico (4-9, 1-7).

WESTERN ATHLETIC

Keeton lifts Utah St.

LOGAN, Utah — Chuckie Keeton passed for two touchdowns, Kerwynn Williams rushed for 110 yards and senior Will Davis returned an interception 59 yards for a touchdown as Utah State beat Idaho on Saturday to secure its first outright conference title in 76 years.

The Western Athletic Conference champion Aggies (10-2, 6-0) also earned their first 10-victory season.

The Aggies intercepted Taylor Davis three times in the first half and forced him to fumble. Williams’ 52-yard run set up Keeton’s 3-yard touchdown pass to Kellen Bartlett early in the third quarter for a 28-9 advantage for the Aggies.

Williams added a 14-yard touchdown run in the fourth after opening the scoring with a 19-yard touchdown reception.

Trey Farquhar kicked field goals of 38, 46 yards and 52 yards — his 11th career field goal of 50 yards or more for Idaho (1-11, 1-5).

In other games involving WAC teams, Eric Soza threw for three touchdowns and ran for another as host Texas-San Antonio (8-4, 3-3 Western Athletic) closed out its regular season with a 38-31 victory over Texas State (3-8, 1-4). ... James Lark completed 34 of 50 passes for 384 yards and 6 touchdowns, 5 to Cody Hoffman, as Brigham Young (7-5) overcame a slow start for a 50-14 victory over host New Mexico State (1-10).

Sports, Pages 34 on 11/25/2012

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