Sun Devils rally past Beavers 44-32
TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) -- For the second time in three weeks, Arizona State erased a double-digit deficit to remain unbeaten.
Rudy Carpenter threw for 361 yards and four touchdowns and the Sun Devils defeated Oregon State 44-32 on Saturday night, rallying from a 19-point first-quarter hole.
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Carpenter completed 25 of 36 passes and threw an interception. He hit Michael Jones for touchdowns of 43 and 64 yards and connected with Ryan Torain for 7- and 48-yard scores.
Jones caught four passes for a career-high 124 yards, and Torain ran for 91 yards and had a 41-yard touchdown.
Robert James and Troy Nolan each had two interceptions and Justin Tryon picked off one for the Sun Devils (4-0, 1-0 Pac-10).
The Sun Devils survived a shaky start for the second time in three weeks. The Sun Devils spotted Colorado a 14-point lead before rallying for a 33-14 victory on Sept. 8.
Against Oregon State, the Sun Devils trailed 19-0 after the first quarter, and they had been outgained 153-6.
Oregon State (2-2, 0-1 Pac-10) led 2-0 after four plays when ASU's Jason Perkins snapped the ball over punter Jonathan Johnson's head and into the end zone, where Johnson fell on it for a safety.
Two Oregon State touchdowns and a field goal put ASU in its biggest hole of the season.
The Sun Devils didn't panic. They used two broken plays to get back in the game.
The first was a 64-yard touchdown pass from Carpenter to Jones early in the second quarter. Carpenter was flushed from the pocket, scrambled and found Jones behind safety Al Afalava.
The next big play came late in the first half, when Carpenter was hit on a blitz and fumbled at his own 23. He picked up the ball and found Tyrice Thompson for a 33-yard gain. That set up a 30-yard field goal by Thomas Weber to cut ASU's deficit to 19-13 at halftime.
The Sun Devils took a 27-26 lead on a 48-yard pass from Carpenter to Torain near the end of the third quarter. The score came one play after Nolan intercepted a pass and returned it 25 yards.
Arizona State put the game away with 17 points in the fourth quarter.
Oregon State's Sean Canfield completed 28 of 48 passes for 324 yards and two touchdowns, but was intercepted five times. He also had three interceptions in a 34-3 loss to Cincinnati Sept. 6.
Yvenson Bernard rushed for 128 yards and a touchdown for the Beavers.