Nov. 8, 2008
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EUGENE, Ore. (AP) -- LeGarrette Blount's 3-yard touchdown run with six seconds left gave Oregon a 35-28 victory over Stanford on Saturday.
Down 28-27 when Stanford scored with 2:18 left, Oregon efficiently drove the field--a series highlighted by quarterback Jeremiah Masoli's 25-yard carry-- and left no time for Stanford to answer after making the two-point conversion.
Masoli completed 11 of 21 passes for 144 yards and a touchdown for Oregon (6-4, 5-2 Pac-10). Blount ran for 90 yards and two scores.
Stanford (5-5, 4-3) remains in need of one more victory to become bowl eligible for the first time since 2001. The Cardinal close out with USC at home before visiting California.
Cardinal running back Toby Gerhart, who was injured for all but one game last season, is closing in on becoming Stanford's first 1,000-yard rusher since Tommy Vardell in 1991.
But Gerhart injured his upper right hamstring early in the game and finished with eight carries for 21 yards, giving him 931 yards for the season.
Tavita Pritchard completed 15 of 22 passes for 138 yards and a score for Stanford.
With conditions alternating from sudden downpours to bursts of brilliant sunshine, Oregon went ahead early on Morgan Flint's 37-yard field goal and Masoli's 5-yard touchdown pass to Jeff Maehl.
After Stanford's Aaron Zagory converted a 39-yard field goal attempt to make it 10-3, Jeremiah Johnson ran 41 yards to score for Oregon.
Pritchard found Josh Catron with a 5-yard scoring pass to narrow it to 17-10 for Stanford. The Cardinal tied it with a fake field goal, when holder Bo McNally ran eight yards for the score.
Oregon pulled ahead before halftime with Flint's 26-yard field goal.
Zagory had a 20-yard field goal to tie it again after the break. But Oregon answered with Blount's 38-yard touchdown run in pouring rain to take a 27-20 lead.
The Cardinal closed the gap when Oregon center Max Unger's bad snap went over Masoli's head resulting in a safety to make it 27-22.
With 2:18 left, Anthony Kimble recovered his own fumble--barely--as he went into the end zone to make it 28-27 for the Cardinal. The play was reviewed after officials called it a fumble on the 1-yard line. Stanford's two-point conversion failed.
Stanford was coming off a 58-0 victory at home over woeful Washington State, the team's first shutout against a conference opponent since 1974--when they blanked Oregon 17-0.
Oregon was coming off a 26-16 loss to California, which all but dashed any hopes the Ducks had for a chance at the conference title. Oregon hosts Arizona and visits Oregon State for the season-ending Civil War game to wrap up the season.
The Ducks have won seven straight games against Stanford, and four in a row at Autzen Stadium. Stanford hasn't won in Eugene since a 49-42 victory in 2001.