No. 20 Utah survives Oregon State in two OTs
CORVALLIS, Ore. (AP) Utah running back Devontae Booker said he hadn’t had ”video-game stats” like this since high school.
Booker ran for 229 yards and three touchdowns, including a 19-yard dash in the second overtime that gave No. 20 Utah a 29-23 victory over Oregon State on Thursday night.
”It was pretty much myself just running hard,” Booker said after compiling the fifth-best rushing total in Utes history. ”They gave me the ball, I just took it and ran with it. Got in the end zone, scored, end of game.”
Booker also ran for a 15-yard score in the first overtime to put Utah (5-1, 2-1 Pac-12) in front 23-16. The Beavers (4-2, 1-2) answered with Sean Mannion’s 2-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Villamin on fourth down to force another period.
Trevor Romaine, whose 49-yard field goal as time expired in regulation tied the game at 16, attempted a 37-yard field goal that went wide right, giving the ball back to Utah for the game-winning drive.
It was Booker’s third straight game with more than 150 yards rushing for the Utes, off to their best start since winning their first eight games in 2010. Utah has won all four of its road games this season.
Mannion threw a 72-yard touchdown pass to Villamin early in the fourth quarter to put Oregon State in front 13-9.
But the Utes mounted a comeback and Booker ran 53 yards to the Oregon State 6. On fourth down, he plunged into the end zone with 4:20 left for a 16-13 lead.
Romaine’s 49-yard kick sent the game to overtime.
Mannion threw for 272 yards and two touchdowns. He surpassed former USC quarterback Carson Palmer (11,818 yards) for second on the Pac-12’s career list for yards passing with 12,014. He trails only former Trojan Matt Barkley, who had 12,327
”Just disappointment, really,” Mannion said. ”I think it’s going to hurt now, but when we go home or when we’re all sitting around tomorrow, we’re going to feel pretty proud of the way we fought.”
Kendal Thompson started at quarterback for Utah, ending more than a week of speculation about who coach Kyle Whittingham would go with in Corvallis. The depth chart going into the game listed Travis Wilson ”or” Thompson, a transfer from Oklahoma.
Wilson started the second half.
The 6-foot-7 Wilson had started all five previous games for Utah, throwing for 788 yards and seven touchdowns. But he lasted just three series in Utah’s last game, a 30-28 victory over UCLA, before he was replaced by Thompson.
Thompson, more of a dual threat than Wilson, completed four of eight passes for 17 yards in the first half. He also ran for 20 yards.
Wilson finished 5 of 10 for 45 yards as the Utes turned to Booker.
”The fight in me kept making me run harder,” Booker said. ”I knew the (Oregon State) defense was getting worn down throughout the game. The harder I ran, the more softened up they were getting.”
Andy Phillips hit field goals from 38 and 43 yards to give Utah a 6-0 lead in the first quarter.
The Beavers narrowed it with Romaine’s 37-yard field goal early in the second quarter. Oregon State tied it as time ran out in the half with Romaine’s 45-yarder. Romaine missed his first attempt, but Utah had called a timeout, and he made the second.
Oregon State was hurt late in the first half when running back Storm Woods injured his right knee following a 13-yard run. He did not return.
Woods, who went into the game as the team’s second-leading rusher, just a yard behind Terron Ward, ran for 46 yards on 13 carries before he got hurt.
The Beavers sustained another blow in the second half when they lost receiver Richard Mullaney to a left elbow injury. After the game, coach Mike Riley hinted that Mullaney’s injury might keep him out the rest of the season.
The Utes pulled back into the lead on Phillips’ 46-yard field goal in the third quarter. Phillips hit the go-ahead field goal with 34 seconds remaining in Utah’s win over then-No. 8 UCLA at the Rose Bowl on Oct. 4, the Utes’ last outing.
Oregon State was also coming off a bye following a 36-31 victory at Colorado.
Late in the third quarter, Mannion hit Victor Bolden with a 52-yard pass, but Oregon State’s drive stalled on the 34-yard line when the Beavers tried to go for it on fourth-and-4.
On the Beavers’ next series, Mannion found Villamin in the end zone.
”Crazy, hard-fought game,” Riley said.
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