Oregon vs. FSU: Score and Twitter Reaction for 2015 Rose Bowl

The No. 2 Oregon Ducks didn't just make a statement. They made history.

In the first College Football Playoff game, Mark Helfrich's squad gained 639 yards of total offense and cruised to a 59-20 win over No. 3 Florida State Thursday, booking a spot in the national championship Jan. 12 with an absolute tour de force performance.

The 59 points were a record in the 101st edition of the Rose Bowl, per ESPN Stats & Info:

Marcus Mariota threw for 338 yards and had three total touchdowns (two passing, one rushing), Darren Carrington had seven receptions for 165 yards and two scores, and the Ducks gained 301 yards on the ground. They punted just twice—on the first drive of the game and the last. 

Florida State kept pace with the explosive Ducks attack for a while, finishing with 528 total yards. But the Seminoles, known all year for their second-half prowess, turned the ball over four times in the third quarter and five times overall. 

Oregon turned those takeaways into 35 points, pulling away with a dominant 27-point third quarter. ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit summed it up:

Much of the focus during the past month surrounded Mariota and Jameis Winston, the pair of Heisman-winning quarterbacks. But as ESPN's Travis Haney noted, both of them began the game a bit sluggish:

Despite both quarterbacks' early struggles, neither team had trouble moving the ball, amassing over 500 combined yards of total offense in the first half. 

Oregon put together three drives that went at least 70 yards, including a mesmerizing 19-play, 88-yard march that somehow only resulted in a field goal. CBS Sports' Dennis Dodd shared an impressive number about the Ducks' electrifying uptempo attack:

On the other side of the ball, the Seminoles found great success on the ground, a rare feat against Oregon's recently stout defense, as ESPN Stats & Info illustrated:

A fourth-down goal-line stand for the Ducks at the start of the second quarter proved to be difference early on, though, and they carried an 18-13 lead into the locker room. 

Then the third quarter happened.

At first, it was a series of alternating haymakers. Oregon went 69 yards after Derrick Malone forced and recovered a fumble by freshman running back Dalvin Cook, who was extremely productive in the first half. Florida State came back with 75-yard drive on a series of pinpoint throws by Winston. Oregon responded with a 56-yard touchdown hookup between Mariota and Carrington. 

But then the comedy of errors began for Florida State. Cook fumbled for a second time, and two plays later, Mariota found Carrington, this time on a fake screen and gorgeous throw down the sideline for a 30-yard score. 

ESPN's Brett Edgerton pointed out the second-half improvement from Mariota: 

Florida State's season has been defined by resiliency, but its magic was nowhere to be found. In fact, the Seminoles got just the opposite. On the subsequent drive, Winston lost his balance, tripped over his own shoelaces and fumbled the ball in a wacky sequence that led to a 58-yard defensive score for Tony Washington. 

Business Insider's Cork Gaines provided a look at the play:

"

The sniper got the football from Jameis and then took out the ref. https://t.co/f1HIfIsHiM

— Cork Gaines (@CorkGaines) January 2, 2015"

At that point, Cleveland Browns polarizing quarterback Johnny Manziel had to chime in: 

The score made it 45-20, and in case the 25-point margin or Oregon's unstoppable offense wasn't enough of an indication, ESPN Stats & Info provided some historical proof that the game was all but decided: 

An interception on the next drive turned into a 23-yard touchdown run for Mariota, and the fifth turnover—another fumble, this time by Jesus Wilson—in a 15-minute span helped Thomas Tyner get into the act. 

Many of the starters were eventually pulled, as the Seminoles' 29-game winning streak came to end with no drama. Many Seminoles players retreated to the locker room without congratulating Oregon following the game, and @gifdsports showed the disheartened team heading into the tunnel:

Yahoo Sports' Pat Forde notes Winston was among the players who stuck around to shake hands with the opposition following the defeat:

Oregon had sportsmanship problems of their own after the game. Fox Sports West's Bear Heiser provides footage of a disrespectful chant several players took part in:

Ralph D. Russo of The Associated Press passes along Helfrich's statement on the matter:

The embarrassing loss is certainly going to sting for Florida State. But with Cook, Travis Rudolph and slew of other talented players returning, the Seminoles will remain among the nation's elite in 2015. 

As for Oregon, its work isn't done. It will now get 10 days to prepare for the national championship on Jan. 12. Whether it's Alabama or Ohio State on the other side of the field, the Ducks have made a strong case to be feared in college football's final battle.