Pac-10 Roundup: Beavers outlast the Sun Devils

Published 10:31 pm Saturday, November 1, 2008

CORVALLIS, Ore. — Rudy Carpenter’s throw for a 2-point conversion with 21 seconds left was intercepted and Oregon State held off Arizona State 27-25 on Saturday night for the Sun Devils’ sixth straight loss.

Carpenter hit Andrew Pettes with a 3-yard touchdown pass, but was intercepted by Victor Butler on the conversion attempt to tie it.

Arizona State’s losing streak matches the school record for losses set in 1929.

Oregon State backup quarterback Sean Canfield threw for 218 yards and two touchdowns for the Beavers. Canfield came into the game in the second quarter after starter Lyle Moevao left with a sore right shoulder.

Thomas Weber kicked four field goals, and Troy Nolan returned an interception for a touchdown for the Sun Devils.

Freshman Jacquizz Rodgers, the Pac-10’s leading rusher, ran for 133 yards for Oregon State. He also had five receptions for 55 yards. His brother, James Rodgers, had eight catches for 102 yards.

Moevao went into the game at the top of the Pac-10 with an average of 254.1 passing yards.

The extent of his injury was not immediately known. He was on the sideline in the second half wearing his jersey, but no pads.

Moevao threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Shane Morales in the first quarter to give the Beavers the early lead.

Weber kicked field goals of 27 and 34 yards in the first half to narrow it to 7-6 at the break.

Canfield was intercepted by Arizona State safety Troy Nolan on the Beavers’ first series of the second half. Nolan ran the ball back 41 yards for a touchdown to put the Sun Devils ahead.

The Beavers recovered with Canfield’s 3-yard scoring pass to Morales on the next series.

But Arizona State took the lead back shortly thereafter on Weber’s 44-yard field goal.

Justin Kahut kicked a 45-yard field goal, a career long, to make it 17-16 for Oregon State. The Beavers extended the lead with Canfield’s 11-yard touchdown pass to Sammie Stroughter early in the fourth quarter. Jacquizz Rodgers had a key 33-yard catch-and-run on the drive.

Weber added a 29-yard field goal to narrow it to 24-19.

There were some tense moments late in the game when the teams exchanged shoves after Jacquizz Rodgers was pushed out of bounds following a run.

Kahut capped the scoring for the Beavers with a 44-yard field goal.

Rudy Carpenter completed 15 of 27 passes for 217 yards, and Shaun DeWitty ran for 110 yards for the Sun Devils.

The Beavers next travel to UCLA, come home to face California, visit Arizona and wrap it up at Reser Stadium against Oregon in the annual Civil War game.

Elsewhere in the Pac-10

California 26, No. 23 Oregon 16: At Berkeley, Calif., Marcus Ezeff recovered the Ducks’ fumble on a punt return to set up Shane Vereen’s 2-yard TD run with 8:57 to play, and the Golden Bears persevered in the rain to win and set up a showdown with USC next week. Cal’s big plays on defense and special teams decided the game. Linebacker Worrell Williams returned an interception 50 yards to the Oregon 3 to set up Nyan Boateng’s TD catch 18 seconds before halftime, and Jairus Byrd’s fumble on a fair catch attempt doomed Oregon’s otherwise solid defense again. The Ducks also suffered a safety on a horrible punt snap, bobbled an extra-point hold and missed a field goal.