to football." So what is most difficult, hitt

EUGENE, Ore. -- Even a driving rain couldnt rattle Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota. Mariota threw for two touchdowns and ran for another and No. 2 Oregon defeated California 55-16 on Saturday night in a drenched Pac-12 opener for both teams. "Ive been playing in the rain since I was a little kid. Hawaii has its passing showers," the sophomore quarterback said. "So it really doesnt bother me." Bralon Addison returned two punts for touchdowns and Byron Marshall ran for 130 yards and two more scores for the Ducks (4-0, 1-0). The game was played as a strong storm swept across the Pacific Northwest, cutting power to more than 26,500 customers in Oregon. It was a sloppy mess on the field, with eight fumbles -- four for each team -- in the first half alone. The Ducks handled the soggy conditions better, building a 41-3 halftime lead. The wind and rain all but shut down the "Bear Raid" offence that new head coach Sonny Dykes has installed at Cal (1-3, 0-1). Cal freshman quarterback Jared Goff went into the game as the national leader with an average of 435.3 yards passing a game. He completed just 3 of 6 passes for 11 yards in the first quarter before he was replaced with backup Zach Kline. Goff, making his first start on the road, simply couldnt grip the ball. "The ball was slipping out of his hand. Were not quite sure why but it was," Dykes said. "So we felt like were having a hard time getting anything done. Couldnt throw it at all. We needed to make a change and it felt like it gave us a better chance to move the football and score some points." Mariota, whose name is mentioned as an early Heisman Trophy candidate, completed 11 of 24 passes for 114 yards and ran for another 33 yards before coach Mark Helfrich sat him during the third quarter. Oregon coach Mark Helfrich also suggested Mariotas Hawaiian upbringing had something to do with his ability to shake off the storm. "Playing on the beach as a kid, I thing, was paying off," Helfrich said. Oregon opened the game with Marshalls 14-yard scoring run. Mariota threw two touchdown passes, a 19-yarder to Josh Huff and a 14-yarder to Daryle Hawkins before Marshall ran for a 25-yard score to make it 27-0. But the start of the game was also costly for Oregon. Running back DeAnthony Thomas was hurt while returning the opening kickoff. He grasped his lower right leg and had to be helped off the field. He reappeared after the half on crutches, but because Oregon does not discuss injuries it is unclear how serious it is. Afterward, Thomas said he hurt his right ankle, but it had not been X-rayed. He said he was trying to make a move but "it was slippery out there." "Im very focused," said Thomas, who was uncertain about his status for next weeks game at Colorado. "Ill get back there when I can." The speedy junior leads the Ducks with 338 yards rushing and six touchdowns. He has 485 all-purpose yards through Oregons first three games. Mariota ran 2 yards to score in the second quarter before Addisons 75-yard punt return for a touchdown. Cal finally got on the board as time ran out with Vincenzo DAmatos 46-yard field goal. Addisons 67-yard punt return for a score early in the second quarter made is 48-3. The only other Duck with two punt returns for touchdowns in a game was Cliff Harris against New Mexico in 2010. Thomas Tyner ran for a 21-yard touchdown for the Ducks before Jeffrey Coprich pushed in a yard for a TD for Cal to make it 55-10. Kline hit James Grisom with a 7-yard scoring pass for the final margin. Kline completed 18 of 37 passes for 165 yards. Ducks defensive co-ordinator Nick Aliotti likened the weather to the so-called "Toilet Bowl" between Oregon and Oregon State in 1983, the last college game to end in a scoreless tie before the NCAA changed its rules. "Those conditions were pretty terrible," Aliotti said. "But I dont know if it was as windy." Both teams were coming of bye weeks. The Bears last outing was a 52-34 loss to No. 4 Ohio State on Sept 14. The Ducks are the third ranked opponent that Cal has faced; the team also lost to then-No. 22 Northwestern in the season opener. All three teams are undefeated. Oregon put up easy nonconference victories over Nicholls State, Virginia and Tennessee. The Ducks have averaged 61.3 points per game, ranked second nationally, while allowing opponents just 9 points a game. Cal hung close with Oregon for a good part of their last meeting, trailing just 24-17 midway through the 3rd quarter last year. But Mariota led the then-No. 3 Ducks on a 35-0 run for a 59-17 victory in Strawberry Canyon. He matched a school record with six touchdown passes in that game. Shoes NZ Nike .J. Fair didnt have many chances to be the main option for Syracuse last season. Shoes NZ From China . In Europe, top teams seem to be largely happy with their squads after spending nearly $1 billion in the off-season. And although English league clubs are unlikely to splash cash in January, Arsenal and Chelsea could be tempted to strengthen their squads with new strikers. https://www.shoesnzonline.com/ . "I had a pretty good year," the soft-spoken Granberg told TSN.ca with a grin from the teams annual rookie tournament in London. A fourth-round selection in 2010, Granberg is worth keeping an eye on with NHL training camps rolling around in less than a week. The six-foot-two, 200-pound defender may not possess the wow-inspiring theatrics of fellow prospect Morgan Rielly, but nonetheless has a chance to contribute with the Leafs when all is said and done this season. Shoes NZ Sale . Thats what he did over the past 2 1/2 years with the Washington Wizards. Wittmans approach helped turn the Wizards from pushover to playoff winners. Shoes NZ Online . The New York Rangers centre had a goal and two assists in a 4-1 victory over the Ottawa Senators ending a 13-game goal-scoring drought.SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Russell Wilson has enjoyed spending time with the Texas Rangers. Yet the Seattle Seahawks are never far from the young quarterbacks mind. While Wilson sat in the Texas Rangers dugout Monday, fans yelling "Seahawks" filled the spring training stadium. "I couldnt expect anything less," Wilson said. "The 12th man fans were unbelievable today. Theyre everywhere. The 12th man fans are out in the outfield, theyre on third-base line, first-base line, chanting Seahawks the whole way. Hopefully the Dallas fans didnt get too mad." Wilson threw for 3,357 yards and 26 touchdowns and helped the Seattle Seahawks rout the Denver Broncos 43-8 in the Super Bowl last month. He also happens to be a pretty good baseball player, drafted three times and hitting .229 with a .350 on-base percentage in 93 games in 2010-11 in the low minors in the Colorado Rockies system. But hes had instant success in the NFL. "You never say never," Wilson said. "Ive always had the dream of playing two sports. If somehow it was a miracle that it could work out, Id consider it. At the same time, my focus is winning the championship with the Seattle Seahawks and hope to be playing for a long time. "For me, it only being my second year, yeah I won a Super Bowl and all that, but thats not enough for me. It really isnt. My goal is to be one of the best quarterbacks to ever play the game, if not the best. Ive got a long ways to go. I make sure I get up earlier than Tom Brady and Drew Brees and theyre on the East Coast." The Rangers picked Wilson for $12,000 in the Rule 5 minor league draft in December. He was in the Rangers camp Monday, took ground balls in morning drills and brought the RRangers lineup to the umpires before the game, but did not play in the 6-5 loss to Cleveland.dddddddddddd "How much did I want to play an inning?" Wilson said. "How much did I want to play the whole game is the question." He spoke at a Rangers dinner on Sunday night for sponsors, suite holders and players and addressed the minor leaguers Monday night. He said he would leave Tuesday for Seattle and "turn my focus back to football." So what is most difficult, hitting a curveball or being hit by a 300-pound defensive end? "Hitting a curveball," Wilson said. "The ball is so small. It looks like a pea." Wilson worked on throws and pivots at second base in a group with young infielders Jurickson Profar, Luis Sardinas and Rougned Odor. "He surprised me for not being out on the baseball field for a while," Rangers manager Ron Washington said. "I might have burned his legs up a little bit, but he made it through all the drills and did a fantastic job. Hes got tremendous aptitude. Thats why he is who he is. You give him something and he knows how to apply it." Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus said Wilson is athletic enough to make it in baseball. "Hes got pretty good hands," Andrus said. "Ive got to see him hit so I can answer that, but so far what I saw today it was pretty impressive." The Surprise Stadium shops selling official Major League gear, predominantly displayed Wilsons Rangers No. 3 jersey. The one on Wilsons back, however, will not be sold. "The uniform, man, Im definitely hanging this up," Wilson said. "Im gonna get a few of these and put them up around the house." ' ' '