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Oregon's Big Comeback Capped By 2-OT Win

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The Associated Press

Published: September 14, 2008

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - LaGarrette Blount ran 3 yards for a touchdown in the second overtime to give No. 16 Oregon a come-from-behind 32-26 win over Purdue on Saturday.

Oregon (3-0) trailed 20-3 early in the second quarter, but tied the game late in the third, and Purdue's Chris Summers missed a 44-yard field goal as time expired in regulation.

Oregon got the ball first in overtime, and quarterback Justin Roper was stopped on a third-and-2 at the Purdue 17. Matt Evensen made a 33-yard field goal to give Oregon its first lead, 26-23.

On Purdue's first play of the first overtime, Curtis Painter threw down the sideline for Greg Orton, and Oregon's Walter Thurmond was called for pass interference to give Purdue the ball at the Oregon 10. Summers made a 22-yard field goal to force a second overtime.

Painter fumbled on the first play of the second overtime, but Justin Pierce recovered for the Boilermakers. Summers was forced into a 47-yard field goal, and he missed wide right to set up Oregon's winning drive.
Blount finished with 12 carries for 132 yards and two touchdowns.
Kory Sheets ran 29 times for 180 yards and two touchdowns for Purdue (1-1), which lost its 15th consecutive game against a ranked team.

Trailing by 14, Oregon got back in the game when Jairus Byrd returned a punt 87 yards to make it 20-13 with 4:41 left in the third quarter.

Oregon broke another big play, with Blount rumbling 74 yards up the middle, to get into scoring range. Roper kept on a fourth-and-1 at the Purdue 16 and went 11 yards, and Blount finished the drive with a 5-yard run that tied the score at 20 with 11 seconds left in the third quarter.

Summers made a 27-yard field goal to give Purdue a 23-20 lead with 7:30 to play, but Evensen answered with a 38-yard field goal to tie the score at 23 with 5:06 left.

ILLINOIS 20,

LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE 17

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Daniel Dufrene had a career-high 126 yards rushing and Matt Eller's late field goal helped No. 24 Illinois hold off Louisiana-Lafayette.

Dufrene rushed 19 times and caught a touchdown pass for Illinois (2-1), which took a 20-10 lead on Eller's 27-yard kick with 1:40 left.

But Illinois didn't put the game away until Garrett Edwards recovered an onside kick attempt by Louisiana-Lafayette (0-2) with less than 20 seconds left.

IOWA 17, IOWA STATE 5

IOWA CITY, Iowa - Shonn Greene ran for 120 yards and a touchdown, Andy Brodell returned a fourth-quarter punt 81 yards for a score and Iowa beat Iowa State for its third straight home win over the Cyclones.

The Hawkeyes (3-0) survived wet and windy conditions behind Greene's third straight game over 100 yards rushing and yet another solid defensive effort. Iowa held the Cyclones (2-1) scoreless on two trips inside the 5-yard line and kept its opponent out of the end zone for the third straight game.

NORTHWESTERN 33,

SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 7

EVANSTON, Ill. - Tyrell Sutton ran for 101 yards and three touchdowns, leading Northwestern to victory over Southern Illinois.

Sutton had 17 carries, scoring on runs of 44 yards in the second quarter, 2 yards in the third and 15 in the fourth. The Wildcats (3-0) scored 27 unanswered points in a game that was played in a steady rain that closed down a highway north of the city and flooded streets near Ryan Field.

Northwestern quarterback C.J. Bacher completed 21 of 29 passes for 184 yards and Amado Villarreal kicked four field goals, all under 40 yards.

MINNESOTA 35,

MONTANA STATE 23

MINNEAPOLIS - Eric Decker had nine catches for 157 yards and a touchdown to lead Minnesota to victory.

It took a while for the sluggish Gophers (3-0) to get going, but once Adam Weber started getting the ball to Decker, the Bobcats (1-2) didn't have an answer.

Freshman DeLeon Eskridge rushed for 114 yards and three touchdowns, replacing starter Duane Bennett, who tore his ACL in last week's victory over Bowling Green. Willie VanDeSteeg added 1 1/2 sacks and a blocked field goal for the Gophers.

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