Nix Dominates In Ducks Finale As Oregon Trounces Liberty in Fiesta Bowl 45-6

Oregon quarterback Bo Nix, right, holds up the offensive MVP trophy after Oregon defeated Liberty in the Fiesta Bowl NCAA college football game as Oregon head coach Dan Lanning, left, looks on Monday, Jan. 1, 2024, in Glendale, Ariz. Oregon won 45-6. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

750 The Game Staff

Bo Nix capped off his stellar collegiate career Monday by throwing 5 touchdown passes, helping Oregon cruise to a Fiesta Bowl win over Liberty 45-6 in Glendale, Ariz.

In a bowl season continuously marred by opt-outs and transfers of star players, Nix decided to play with his teammates one last time before entering the NFL draft. Running back Bucky Irving chose to do the same, and both players had big games to show for it. Nix finished 28 for 35 for 363 yards before giving way to backup Austin Novasad early in the fourth quarter. Irving rushed for 117 yards on 14 carries averaging over 8 yards a rush, with a touchdown.

Tez Johnson led Oregon receiving with 11 catches for 172 yards and a score. Traeshon Holden, Gary Bryant, Jr., Terrance Ferguson, and Kenyon Saddiq also scored for the Ducks who finish the season 12-2 overall in Dan Lanning’s second season as head coach. Oregon’s two losses came by three points each to rival Washington, once in Seattle on Oct. 14th and then in Las Vegas in the Pac-12 Championship Game. Washington edged Texas later Monday night in the Sugar Bowl to advance to the National Championship game against Michigan.

Nix finished the season completing 77.4% of his passes, breaking the NCAA record for completion percentage in a season previously held by Alabama’s Mac Jones in the 2020 season (77. 36%). Nix also broke Marcus Mariota’s program records for touchdowns and passing yards in a season with 45 touchdowns and 4,508 yards.

The Ducks remain the only team in the nation to score at least 30 points in every game this season.

Oregon enters the offseason looking to reshape another impressive roster as it heads to the Big Ten Conference in 2024. Before then, they will watch to see if their rivals to the north can finish a national title journey of their own. The Huskies and Wolverines meet next Monday in Houston.