No. 3 Ducks Fly Past Nicholls 66-3

(AP) No. 3 Oregon handles Nicholls 66-3 in opener
By ANNE M. PETERSON
AP Sports Writer
EUGENE, Ore.
Marcus Mariota threw a touchdown pass and ran for two additional scores and the No. 3 Oregon Ducks made easy work of lower-tier Nicholls with a 66-3 victory in the season opener on Saturday.

Mariota, who set an Oregon record with 38 touchdowns last season as a redshirt freshman, completed 12 of 21 passes for 234 yards before sitting after the third quarter when the Ducks had built a 45-3 lead.

Mariota also ran for 113 yards for his second career game with more than 100 yards rushing.

De’Anthony Thomas ran for 128 yards and two more touchdowns for Oregon in the debut of new head coach Mark Helfrich.

Helfrich, the team’s former offensive coordinator, was promoted when Chip Kelly left the Ducks in January for the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles.