Fiesta Bowl 2013 recap: Oregon Defeats Kansas State for Second Consecutive BCS Victory

If it was the last game of the Chip Kelly era, how glorious it was.

DeAnthony Thomas took the opening kickoff to the house for a touchdown, and the Oregon Ducks would never trail, defeating the Kansas St. Wildcats, 35-17, in the 2013 Fiesta Bowl.

Following the opening kickoff, Thomas would score again a couple of possessions later, taking a bubble screen into the end zone to give Oregon a 15-0 lead. Kansas St. would tighten up on defense from there, shutting down the Oregon run game while running off ten consecutive points. With just over a minute to go in the first half, the Wildcats had a chance to cut the lead to 15-13 with a field goal, but the kick sailed wide. In that final minute, the Ducks put together a quick drive, capped off by a 24-yard Kenjon Barner touchdown to give the Ducks a 22-10 lead going into the half.

In the second half, the Oregon defense tightened up, and the Ducks put the game away. Oregon scored on their first two possessions--an Alejandro Maldonado field goal, and a Marcus Mariota touchdown to stretch the lead to three scores and put the game away. The Wildcats would get one final score, but it would prove to be for naught.

It was a game that featured a bit of everything--a kickoff return for a touchdown, a rare one-point safety, and even a couple of Oregon field goals. In the end, Oregon has its second BCS Bowl victory in as many seasons, and a likely No. 2 national ranking to finish the season.