10.24.1999
Ducks Edge UA, 44-41
AP Story
TUCSON, Ariz. - Josh Frankel kicked a 32-yarder, his fourth field goal of the game, with 1:04 to play Saturday night, giving Oregon a wild 44-41 victory over Arizona to snap the Ducks' seven-game road losing streak.
Rueben Droughns rushed for 202 yards on a school record 45 carries for the Ducks (4-3 overall, 2-2 Pac-10). Backup quarterback Joey Harrington threw a fourth-quarter touchdown pass.
The Ducks overcame a big-play night for Arizona. Three Wildcats had touchdown runs of 65, 80 and 60 yards. But a safety on the game's first play and a crucial missed extra point doomed Arizona (4-3, 2-2).
The Wildcats drove to the Oregon 29 in the final seconds, but Mark McDonald, who missed an extra point in the third quarter, missed a 45-yard field goal with two seconds to play. McDonald is 1-for-10 in field goals this season, all from beyond 40 yards.
Arizona outgained Oregon 553 yards to 437, but the Ducks had good field position all night thanks to long punt and kickoff returns.
Keith Smith relieved Arizona starter Ortege Jenkins and threw three touchdown passes. He also had a 49-yard run on his first play.
The Wildcats got touchdown runs of 65 yards by Jenkins, 80 yards by Dennis Northcutt and 60 yards by Trung Canidate. Northcutt and Canidate also caught touchdown passes from Smith. Northcutt set a Pac-10 record by catching a pass in his 38th consecutive game.
Oregon led 21-7 early in the second quarter, but Arizona rallied to tie it 21-21. Michael Fletcher, whose long punt returns hurt Arizona all night, intercepted Smith's pass at the Arizona 29 to set up Frankel's 31-yard field goal that put Oregon up 27-21 in the third quarter.
Canidate's 60-yard touchdown run tied the game at 27 with 7:06 left in the quarter, but Arizona failed to take the lead when McDonald missed an extra point for the fourth time this season. Walk-on Sean Keel kicked Arizona's final two conversions, but McDonald was back for the game-tying field goal try.
Oregon starter A.J. Feeley was benched late in the third quarter after completing 7 of 23 passes. Harrington took the Ducks the length of the field, but threw a goal-line interception to David Loudermilk.
Smith's 32-yard touchdown pass to Northcutt on the second play in the fourth quarter gave Arizona a 34-27 lead. But the Ducks scored three plays later on Harrington's 36-yard strike to Tony Hartley and it was 34-34 with 13:58 to play.
Arizona got its last lead at 41-34 after Droughns fumbled and Jarvie Worcester recovered at the Ducks' 29. Smith threw a short pass to Canidate on third-and-14, and the tailback sidestepped a tackler and ran to the end zone on a 33-yard scoring play with 9:07 remaining.
Sonny Cook, who had 141 yards on four kickoff returns, took the kick to the Ducks 45 and Oregon drove the length of the field. Droughns, finally healhty after being hampered by sore ribs for the last month, had a 17-yard run to help set up the winning kick.
The Ducks scored a safety on the game's first play when Jenkins' lateral pass to Canidate was off the mark and Canidate had to fall on it in the end zone.
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