Sept. 30, 2006
Final Stats | Quotes | Notes
TEMPE, Ariz. - Despite Terry Richardson's 100-yard kickoff return for touchdown, the first by ASU in Sun Devil Stadium since 1986, the Sun Devils fell to #14/12 Oregon 48-13 on Saturday afternoon at Frank Kush Field at Sun Devil Stadium. The loss drops Arizona State to 3-2, 0-2 in the Pac-10. Oregon improves to 4-0, 2-0 in conference play.
Ducks' quarterback Dennis Dixon threw for 215 yards and three touchdowns, including two to Jaison Williams to lead Oregon to the victory. Williams had ten catches for 137 yards and the two scores, while running back Jonathan Stewart led the Ducks with 142 yards on the ground. ASU's Ryan Torain had another outstanding game on the ground, compiling 113 yards and 19 carries for the Devils.
Oregon started the day's scoring with a 13 yard pass from Dixon to Williams for a 7-0 Ducks lead. Dixon and Williams would hook up again with three minutes left in the opening quarter, this time for a 33-yard touchdown to make it 14-0 Oregon.
The Sun Devils closed the gap to 14-3 on a Jesse Ainsworth 33-yard field goal with just over six minutes left in the first half. But Oregon would add ten more points before intermission, including a three-yard touchdown run by WR Cameron Colvin on a reverse that made it 21-3. A Paul Martinez field goal at the gun made it 24-3 at halftime.
The Ducks would open the scoring in the third quarter with a Jeremiah Johnson four-yard run to put it at 31-3. Terry Richardson then wowed the crowd of 58, 526 when he took the ensuing Matt Evensen kickoff 100-yards to the house, making it 31-10. Richardson fielded the ball in the endzone, faked a handoff to Keegan Herring, then turned on the jets for the touchdown. It was the first kickoff return for touchdown by a Sun Devil in Sun Devil Stadium since November of 1986, when Bruce Hill took one back against California.
Arizona State would add another Jesse Ainsworth field goal, but ultimately the Ducks were too much for the Devils, as they went on to the 48-13 win.
Arizona State will now enjoy a week off before they head to Los Angeles for meeting with USC on October 14th.