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| 2015 Rose Bowl: Marcus Mariota and Oregon crush Jameis Winston, Florida State | 2015 Rose Bowl: Marcus Mariota and Oregon crush Jameis Winston, Florida State |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| PASADENA, Calif. — Until the end, Jameis Winston remained convinced of his own impermeability to reality, to the rules that govern everyone else. The Oregon Ducks not only beat the Florida State Seminoles on Thursday afternoon in the 101st Rose Bowl. They embarrassed them, a 59-20 shellacking that sent Oregon to the national championship game and snapped the defending champions’ winning streak at 29. | PASADENA, Calif. — Until the end, Jameis Winston remained convinced of his own impermeability to reality, to the rules that govern everyone else. The Oregon Ducks not only beat the Florida State Seminoles on Thursday afternoon in the 101st Rose Bowl. They embarrassed them, a 59-20 shellacking that sent Oregon to the national championship game and snapped the defending champions’ winning streak at 29. |
| The Ducks pressured Winston until, in the game’s signature moment, he stumbled backward and fumbled the ball over his head. They ruffled him until he and his coach, Jimbo Fisher, yelled at one another the sideline, Fisher profanely threatening a benching. They stood on the champion’s podium and hollered, in the sing-song manner of the fans’ faux-war chant, “No means no” — a reference to Winston’s off-field troubles. | The Ducks pressured Winston until, in the game’s signature moment, he stumbled backward and fumbled the ball over his head. They ruffled him until he and his coach, Jimbo Fisher, yelled at one another the sideline, Fisher profanely threatening a benching. They stood on the champion’s podium and hollered, in the sing-song manner of the fans’ faux-war chant, “No means no” — a reference to Winston’s off-field troubles. |
| All that, and Winston managed to deny the Ducks’ dominance. | All that, and Winston managed to deny the Ducks’ dominance. |
| “This game could have went either way,” Winston said. “If everybody in this room just want to be real with themselves, this game could have went either way. Just be real with yourself right now. We beat ourselves.” | “This game could have went either way,” Winston said. “If everybody in this room just want to be real with themselves, this game could have went either way. Just be real with yourself right now. We beat ourselves.” |
| The Ducks deserved far more credit, for the way they harassed Winston, for the way Marcus Mariota piloted their warp-speed offense, for the way Oregon Coach Mark Helfrich kept the pressure on Florida State in a second-half onslaught. Florida State committed five turnovers in its first six possessions of the second half, the costliest when Winston stumbled, lost the ball and watched Oregon linebacker Tony Washington return it for touchdown. Oregon outscored FSU, 41-7, in the second half, the half Florida State had owned all season. | The Ducks deserved far more credit, for the way they harassed Winston, for the way Marcus Mariota piloted their warp-speed offense, for the way Oregon Coach Mark Helfrich kept the pressure on Florida State in a second-half onslaught. Florida State committed five turnovers in its first six possessions of the second half, the costliest when Winston stumbled, lost the ball and watched Oregon linebacker Tony Washington return it for touchdown. Oregon outscored FSU, 41-7, in the second half, the half Florida State had owned all season. |
| “As we soon as we started the game, in the first drive, I already saw their heads going down,” Oregon linebacker Torredney Prevot said. “Their hands started getting on their hips. We see their endurance – it’s not that strong. We noticed it on film. They played people that can’t finish. That’s what we do. We finish here.” | “As we soon as we started the game, in the first drive, I already saw their heads going down,” Oregon linebacker Torredney Prevot said. “Their hands started getting on their hips. We see their endurance – it’s not that strong. We noticed it on film. They played people that can’t finish. That’s what we do. We finish here.” |
| Winston arrived Thursday afternoon at the Rose Bowl with an impeccable knack for remaining unblemished in the face of distress, the trait that made him both a Heisman Trophy winner and college football’s premier villain, both a charismatic quarterback and an unrepentant vandal. On the field he performed miracles, and away from it he emerged unscathed from silly crimes and chillingly serious allegations. All of Winston’s travails, to the chagrin of fans across America, ended the same way: He got away with it. He won. | Winston arrived Thursday afternoon at the Rose Bowl with an impeccable knack for remaining unblemished in the face of distress, the trait that made him both a Heisman Trophy winner and college football’s premier villain, both a charismatic quarterback and an unrepentant vandal. On the field he performed miracles, and away from it he emerged unscathed from silly crimes and chillingly serious allegations. All of Winston’s travails, to the chagrin of fans across America, ended the same way: He got away with it. He won. |
| America pinned its hopes on Oregon to do what no one — neither a football team nor a local police department — could do. And the Ducks delivered. Winston, for the first time in a two-year career laden with controversy and excellence, encountered a force from which he could not escape. In the first semifinal of the first-ever College Football Playoff, Winston’s likely final game as a collegian doubled as his first loss. | America pinned its hopes on Oregon to do what no one — neither a football team nor a local police department — could do. And the Ducks delivered. Winston, for the first time in a two-year career laden with controversy and excellence, encountered a force from which he could not escape. In the first semifinal of the first-ever College Football Playoff, Winston’s likely final game as a collegian doubled as his first loss. |
| “The good thing is, we live to fight another day,” Winston said. “No one likes to lose, man. Losing is really not in my vocabulary, to be honest with you.” | “The good thing is, we live to fight another day,” Winston said. “No one likes to lose, man. Losing is really not in my vocabulary, to be honest with you.” |
| The Ducks taught him. With one more victory, Oregon can claim its first national title and cement the program’s decade-long rise to college football highest echelon, alongside any southern-fried power you care to name. The Ducks will face the winner of the Alabama-Ohio State Sugar Bowl in the national title game on Jan. 12 in Arlington, Tex. | The Ducks taught him. With one more victory, Oregon can claim its first national title and cement the program’s decade-long rise to college football highest echelon, alongside any southern-fried power you care to name. The Ducks will face the winner of the Alabama-Ohio State Sugar Bowl in the national title game on Jan. 12 in Arlington, Tex. |
| Mariota triumphed in the hyped meeting of Heisman Trophy-winning quarterbacks, but Oregon’s victory was complete. The Ducks’ defense forced two crucial fumbles by standout freshman running back Dalvin Cook. Oregon rushed for 309 yards and passed for another 338. The Ducks ran 81 plays and gained 8.7 yards per. Five Ducks scored touchdowns. | Mariota triumphed in the hyped meeting of Heisman Trophy-winning quarterbacks, but Oregon’s victory was complete. The Ducks’ defense forced two crucial fumbles by standout freshman running back Dalvin Cook. Oregon rushed for 309 yards and passed for another 338. The Ducks ran 81 plays and gained 8.7 yards per. Five Ducks scored touchdowns. |
| After a choppy first half, which included stopping Winston’s lunge on a fourth-and-goal option from the 1, Oregon carried an 18-13 lead into the locker room. For the sixth time this season, Florida State trailed at halftime. The Seminoles had survived against the unranked likes of North Carolina State and Miami. This time, they pressed their luck not against a patsy from the Atlantic Coast Conference, but against the electric-green thresher from Oregon. | After a choppy first half, which included stopping Winston’s lunge on a fourth-and-goal option from the 1, Oregon carried an 18-13 lead into the locker room. For the sixth time this season, Florida State trailed at halftime. The Seminoles had survived against the unranked likes of North Carolina State and Miami. This time, they pressed their luck not against a patsy from the Atlantic Coast Conference, but against the electric-green thresher from Oregon. |
| Cook’s first fumble, which came as Florida State drove into Oregon territory, ratcheted the degree of difficulty. Five plays later, Royce Freeman finished a 69-yard, 92-second drive with a three-yard burst into the end zone. Winston answered, converting on a third and 21 and then firing an 18-yard dart for a touchdown that pulled the Seminoles within five. | Cook’s first fumble, which came as Florida State drove into Oregon territory, ratcheted the degree of difficulty. Five plays later, Royce Freeman finished a 69-yard, 92-second drive with a three-yard burst into the end zone. Winston answered, converting on a third and 21 and then firing an 18-yard dart for a touchdown that pulled the Seminoles within five. |
| “We felt very good,” Fisher said. “We were driving right back again.” | “We felt very good,” Fisher said. “We were driving right back again.” |
| On Oregon’s next possession, Mariota watched two Florida State defensive backs swarm to tight end Evan Baylis’s short sideline pattern. He fired a slant to wide receiver Darren Carrington, who turned upfield needing only to beat safety Tyler Hunter. Carrington shook Hunter and sprinted what remained of 56 yards, nothing ahead of him but pink-and-bruised mountains rising over the lip of the stadium. | On Oregon’s next possession, Mariota watched two Florida State defensive backs swarm to tight end Evan Baylis’s short sideline pattern. He fired a slant to wide receiver Darren Carrington, who turned upfield needing only to beat safety Tyler Hunter. Carrington shook Hunter and sprinted what remained of 56 yards, nothing ahead of him but pink-and-bruised mountains rising over the lip of the stadium. |
| Oregon led 32-20, and its defense would give Mariota the opening for a dagger. On the ensuing drive, Winston hit Cook with a pass over the middle. As he burst upfield, a defender poked the ball loose. Two plays later, Mariota lofted a 30-yard touchdown, again to Carrington, and the Ducks had surged ahead by 18. | Oregon led 32-20, and its defense would give Mariota the opening for a dagger. On the ensuing drive, Winston hit Cook with a pass over the middle. As he burst upfield, a defender poked the ball loose. Two plays later, Mariota lofted a 30-yard touchdown, again to Carrington, and the Ducks had surged ahead by 18. |
| Winston still believed Florida State could come back. Florida State faced a fourth and five inside Oregon’s territory. Winston dropped back, scampered right out of the pocket, danced back to his left and met more onrushing defenders. He had always been able to come up with something in the most dire moments. All he could do now was jump backward, cock the ball and feel it slip out of his fingers and he tried to do . . . something. | Winston still believed Florida State could come back. Florida State faced a fourth and five inside Oregon’s territory. Winston dropped back, scampered right out of the pocket, danced back to his left and met more onrushing defenders. He had always been able to come up with something in the most dire moments. All he could do now was jump backward, cock the ball and feel it slip out of his fingers and he tried to do . . . something. |
| “It was just a very unfortunate play, man,” Winston said. “I never thought I would slip and throw the ball backwards. It was just a very unfortunate play. It was fourth down, so obviously I’m trying to compete my tail off to try to get us in a good situation. That’s probably going to be on ‘C’Mon Man’ or something.” | “It was just a very unfortunate play, man,” Winston said. “I never thought I would slip and throw the ball backwards. It was just a very unfortunate play. It was fourth down, so obviously I’m trying to compete my tail off to try to get us in a good situation. That’s probably going to be on ‘C’Mon Man’ or something.” |
| The ball trickled away, and Washington scooped it up and raced down the field. When Winston returned to the sideline, Fisher yelled at him, appearing to tell him he would get benched if he didn’t “calm the [heck] down.” | The ball trickled away, and Washington scooped it up and raced down the field. When Winston returned to the sideline, Fisher yelled at him, appearing to tell him he would get benched if he didn’t “calm the [heck] down.” |
| “It wasn’t words,” Fisher said. “. . . He always gets animated like that.” | “It wasn’t words,” Fisher said. “. . . He always gets animated like that.” |
| There was more than a hint of postgame delusion from the Seminoles. | There was more than a hint of postgame delusion from the Seminoles. |
| “It ain’t ever over,” Winston said. “Is still ain’t over. We can go play again.” | “It ain’t ever over,” Winston said. “Is still ain’t over. We can go play again.” |
| Except, for the Seminoles, it is over. When Winston finished with his press conference, he walked out of the makeshift tent and sat down in a golf cart. Helfrich, on deck for his news conference, walked up to him and shook his hand. Mariota, wearing a black Rose Bowl champion T-shirt, followed behind. | Except, for the Seminoles, it is over. When Winston finished with his press conference, he walked out of the makeshift tent and sat down in a golf cart. Helfrich, on deck for his news conference, walked up to him and shook his hand. Mariota, wearing a black Rose Bowl champion T-shirt, followed behind. |
| Winston stood up from the cart and embraced his fellow Heisman winner. They clasped hands and embraced in a half-hug. | Winston stood up from the cart and embraced his fellow Heisman winner. They clasped hands and embraced in a half-hug. |
| “Take care,” Mariota said. | “Take care,” Mariota said. |
| “Good luck,” Winston said. | “Good luck,” Winston said. |
| “Thank you,” Mariota replied. “You good?” | “Thank you,” Mariota replied. “You good?” |
| “I’m all right,” Winston said. He smiled and sat back down, and the golf cart drove away. | “I’m all right,” Winston said. He smiled and sat back down, and the golf cart drove away. |
| More coverage: | |
| Summary: Oregon 59, Florida State 20 | |
| Early Lead: It all implodes on Jameis Winston | |
| Early Lead: Ducks chant ‘No means no’ to war chant tune | |
| Complete bowl schedule and results |