Oregon football quarterback Bo Nix sets a few more records before heading off to the NFL

GLENDALE, Ariz. — The Bo Show — as entertaining as it was successful — wrapped up its two-year run at Oregon Monday afternoon.

And the star, quarterback Bo Nix, made sure to leave with a few records.

Nix led the Ducks to one last victory before heading off to the NFL, as he threw for five touchdowns and 363 yards in Oregon’s 45-6 win against Liberty in the Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium.

During the game he broke Marcus Mariota’s single-season school records for yards and touchdowns as his 14-game 2023 totals increased to 4,508 and 45, respectively.

Mariota had 4,454 and 42 during his Heisman Trophy winning season.

“I played good football this year because of the opportunity and the situation that I was in,” Nix said. “It wasn’t difficult to go out there and play with the guys that I was around. … As a team, I felt like we set the bar really high. We had a standard and we just wanted to go out there and match it every Saturday.”

Nix also extended his single-season school record for completions to 364 as he completed 28-of-35 passes to also set the NCAA single-season record for completion percentage at 77.45%. 

“That completion percentage is important because it speaks to a lot of people,” Nix said. “It doesn’t speak to just one person. Everybody that the ball is thrown to, they gotta catch it and they got to do something with it. And then you’ve got to protect too. Everybody was included. So I think it’s just a great team accomplishment. I think it was just an awesome way for this year to conclude.”

Nix, who finished third in Heisman Trophy voting in December and was the Pac-12 offensive player of the year, said he knew the records were out there for the taking coming into the game and credited the coaching staff for setting him up to have success.

“It was hard not to think about it because you’re so close to something that you worked so hard for and that the season has led up to,” Nix said. “I just give praise to the coaches. I think they did a good job of calling the game and when they call the game like they do, and we go out and execute, it just kind of happens.”

With that, Nix’s collegiate career came to end after five seasons of being the starter at Auburn (2019-21) and Oregon (2022-23).

He was 22-5 with the Ducks, with wins in two bowl games.

“He’s done a lot for this program,” said coach Dan Lanning, who’s never had another starting quarterback at Oregon other than Nix. “He’s played a lot of elite ball and we’re really proud of him.”

One of Nix’s losses this season came in the Pac-12 championship game on Dec. 1, a loss that motivated him to play in the Fiesta Bowl during a time when several of his projected first-round draft pick peers are opting out of the postseason.

“I wanted to go out and compete one more time,” Nix said. “I wanted to go out and play another game. And with the year that we had, it would have been a shame if I didn’t go out there and compete with the guys who who made it all possible. … After what happened on Dec. 1, I couldn’t wait to go back out there and compete one more time and if I had the opportunity I was going to go use it.”

Nix leaves as the NCAA record-holder for starts by quarterback with 61. He’s also second all-time with 17,344 career yards, fourth with 152 touchdowns, sixth with 15,352 passing yards and seventh with 1,286 completions.

“I feel like I have played a lot of football, but you know, every time I went out there, it slowed down more and more and by the end of it, I just had a really comfortable feeling,” Nix said. “I think this year with what we were doing offensively, schematically, we’re very efficient and part of that is because the players we have on our side of the ball, and you know, it’s been a great career.”

Follow Chris Hansen on Twitter @chansen_RG or email at chansen@registerguard.com