|
RECAP
|
BOX SCORE
PULLMAN, Wash. (AP) -- Oregon quarterback Joey Harrington was
able to joke about the Ducks' latest overtime victory.
"I'm sure it's good for the ratings," Harrington said after Oregon (No. 8 ESPN/USA Today, No. 7 AP) beat Washington State 27-24 on Saturday. "I'm sure
it's not good for the heart or the hairline."
Josh Frankel kicked a career-best 47-yard field goal on the
first possession of overtime for Oregon (8-1, 6-0 Pac-10), which
beat Arizona State 56-55 last week in double overtime.
It was the third overtime loss this season for the Cougars (3-6,
1-5), who also lost starting quarterback Jason Gesser to a broken
left leg.
After Frankel's kick, Jed Boice blocked Anousith Wilaikul's
39-yard field-goal attempt.
"It would be nice to blow a team out once in a while, but a
win's a win," Boice said.
Oregon's defense, which came close to blocking kicks all game,
but made a blocking change that allowed Boice to slip through and
get a hand on Wilaikul's kick.
"I don't know where it was going, but I'm certainly glad Jed
got it," Ducks coach Mike Bellotti said. "We were talking about a
block, and Jed has become a force this year. That was obviously a
huge play."
Harrington credited the defense with coming up with a big play
when it was needed.
"That's what separates us from a lot of other teams. We're a
really tight team," he said. "If one side doesn't do well, the
other side steps up."
The Ducks trailed 17-16 at the half, but Harrington threw a
38-yard touchdown pass to Marshaun Tucker, then hit Maurice Morris
for the 2-point conversion to tie it at 24 with 9:08 remaining in
the fourth quarter.
The game was billed as a match between the top quarterbacks in
the Pac-10, but Harrington was left to battle Cougars backup Matt
Kegel after Gesser fractured the tibia in his left leg as he was
sacked with 11 minutes remaining in the second quarter.
"He works so hard and it means so much to him and then not to
be able to finish the season will be very disappointing,"
Washington State coach Mike Price said.
Harrington completed 18 of 39 passes for 212 yards and a
touchdown as the Ducks moved a step closer to the Rose Bowl, with
games against California and Oregon State remaining.
Kegel, who had a 1-yard scoring run in the fourth quarter,
completed 10 of 20 for 107 yards in relief of Gesser, who was
2-of-10 for 35 yards and an interception.
"He was right on top of the offense," Price said. "It's not
very easy to do that when you haven't played a lot."
Washington State led 17-16 after Dave Minnich's 2-yard touchdown
run that capped a 54-yard drive with 1:47 left in the first half.
Minnich carried 25 times for 108 yards and a touchdown.
The Ducks had gone up 16-10 on a 46-yard field goal by Frankel
after Rashad Bauman picked off Gesser's pass and ran it back 42
yards for a touchdown.
"We were very upset with our play in the first half," Bauman
said. "But the offense stepped up when they needed to and the
defense stepped up when they needed to. We're happy with the win."
Oregon scored on its first possession on a 9-yard pitchout to
Morris from Harrington. The touchdown was set up by a 48-yard pass
play from Harrington to Tucker on the Ducks' first play from
scrimmage. Tucker caught nine passes for 142 yards and a touchdown.
Washington State answered with a 56-yard pass play. Gesser
pitched to wide receiver Collin Henderson, who threw to Nakoa
McElrath streaking down the left sideline to the Oregon 3. Adam
Hawkins scored on a 1-yard touchdown.
Wilaikul hit a 41 yard-field goal to make it 10-7.
A storm two hours before the game left a half-inch of hail in
Martin Stadium. A pickup with a snowplow pushed the ice off the
turf, which remained slippery throughout the game.
Bellotti said Harrington "was not real sharp today. He was not
very accurate until it counted in the fourth quarter, and
obviously, he came up with some big plays.
"We did not have consistent running game," he said. "The
elements weren't great for throwing the ball, but their kids did a
great job. We just need to be better."
|
|
ALSO SEE
College Football Scoreboard
Oregon Clubhouse
Washington State Clubhouse
|
