COLLEGE FOOTBALL : Oregon Opens Season by Defeating Nemesis : Nonconference: After consecutive losses to Utah, Ducks use fourth-quarter rally to win, 27-20.

Ricky Whittle scored two touchdowns, the second a game-winning fourth-quarter 15-yard run, as Oregon rallied for a 27-20 victory over Utah on Saturday night.

Whittle, who broke around the right end to score untouched with 10:58 remaining to cap a 73-yard, 14-play drive, also scored in the first period on a five-yard pass from Tony Graziani.

Whittle finished the game with 160 yards in 30 carries and six receptions for another 26 yards to lead the Ducks (1-0) of the Pacific 10 over Utah (0-1) of the Western Athletic Conference.

Graziani completed 28 of 49 passes for 322 yards and two touchdowns. His other scoring toss was a 15-yarder to Josh Wilcox in the second quarter.

The victory, the first for new Oregon Coach Mike Bellotti, avenged two consecutive losses to the Utes. Last year, Utah upset the eventual Pac-10 champs, 34-16, in Eugene.

Utah had led, 17-7, after one quarter and, 20-17, at halftime, with kicker Daniel Pulsipher accounting for 14 points. After Whittle’s touchdown catch, Pulsipher turned a fake punt into a 71-yard scoring run. He also kicked field goals of 26 and 48 yards and two points after touchdown.

Brandon Dart’s 97-yard interception return on the last play of the first quarter gave the Utes their short-lived 10-point lead. Graziani’s touchdown pass to Wilcox then closed the gap at intermission for Oregon.

Brandon Jones, a junior college transfer making his first start for the Utes, completed only nine of 26 passes for 97 yards.