|
 |   |
|
EVENTS Fantasy Central Inside Game Multimedia Central Statitudes Your Turn Message Boards Email Newsletters Golf Guide Cities Work in Sports
CNNSI.com GROUP
COMMERCE
|  |
CORVALLIS, Oregon (Ticker) -- Dennis Erickson now has people taking serious notice of his outpost in the Pacific Northwest. Ken Simonton ran for 234 yards and three touchdowns and Oregon State ended decades of frustration against Southern California with a 31-21 victory over the seventh-ranked Trojans in the Pac-10 Conference opener for both teams. Oregon State snapped a 26-game losing streak to the previously unbeaten Trojans, winning for the first time since a 3-0 win in the mud here in 1967. Oregon State (4-0, 1-0 Pac-10) has won its first four games for the first time since 1957. It posted its biggest win under Erickson, who took over the struggling program a year ago. Erickson, who won national championships at Miami in 1989 and 1991 before heading to the NFL's Seattle Seahawks, last season took the Beavers to their first bowl game since 1965. Tonight marked the first test of the season for the Beavers, who defeated Eastern Washington, New Mexico and San Diego State. They lived up to the challenge admirably. Simonton, a junior who carried 37 times, scored on runs of 20, two and 36 yards and went over 3,000 rushing yards in his career. His 234-yard effort was the second most allowed by the Trojans, topped only by a 241-yard performance by Curtis Enis of Penn State in 1996. The Beavers' defense forced the Trojans (3-1, 0-1) into a series of key mistakes, including a fumble by Petros Papadakis inside the USC 10-yard line early in the fourth quarter that was recovered by safety Calvin Carlyle. A few plays later, Simonton went in from two yards out to give Oregon State the lead for good at 21-14 with 11:14 left. USC's Carson Palmer was intercepted three times, completing 19-of-38 passes for 282 yards and two scores. The Trojans' running game was never a factor, gaining just 63 yards on 30 carries. Sultan McCullough rushed for just 33 yards on 10 carries. Oregon State jumped to an early 14-0 lead. Jonathan Smith threw a 15-yard TD pass to Chad Johnson 5:32 into the contest and Simonton followed four minutes later with his first TD run. Smith completed just 10-of-29 passes for 157 yards. Southern California responded in the second quarter, first on a 12-yard TD pass from Palmer to Matt Nickels. The Trojans tied the game early in the second quarter when linebacker Zeke Moreno returned a fumble 88 yards for a score. Ryan Cesca kicked a 41-yard field goal following Simonton's second score to make it 24-14. The Trojans squandered numerous chances, including a drive midway through the fourth quarter in which safety Terrence Carroll intercepted Palmer on a busted play. USC finally converted on one mistake when Beavers punter Mike Fessler dropped a snap deep in his own territory. Palmer followed with a one-yard TD pass from Palmer to Chad Pierson with 2:16 left. Simonton iced the victory with his third TD run with 1:18 remaining.
|
