Oregon Works Overtime to Beat Fresno State, 30-27

FRESNO — Tony Graziani’s third touchdown pass of the game came in overtime as Oregon managed a 30-27 nonconference victory over Fresno State Saturday night.

A 30-yard field goal by Oregon’s Joshua Smith tied the score at 24-24 and sent the game into overtime, something new in college football this season.

Fresno, on its first possession of the overtime, got a 35-yard field goal from Armen Torigian.

But Oregon got a touchdown on a 25-yard pass play to Justin Wilcox to pull out the victory.

Oregon opened the scoring on a 88-yard pass play, Graziani to Pat Johnson. Graziani finished 19 of 32 for 316 yards.

The Ducks opened a 14-0 first-quarter lead on Kenny Wheaton’s 69-yard pass interception return.

But the Bulldogs, playing in front of a noisy home crowd of 39,312--eighth largest ever--came back to make it 14-7 at halftime on a three-yard run by Michael Pittman, who had 151 yards in 39 carries.

Fresno then took a 17-14 lead in the third quarter, but Oregon went back on top, 21-17, on a 32-yard pass-play touchdown, Graziani to Damon Griffin.

In the fourth quarter, a three-yard touchdown run by Fresno’s Pittman and a 30-yard field goal by Oregon’s Smith left the score tied at the end of regulation.