University of Oregon
Indiana
Hoosiers Drop Ducks 30-24
09/11/04 | Football
EUGENE, Ore. (AP) -- Matt LoVechhio threw for a touchdown and Benjarvus Green-Ellis ran for 91 yards and another score, to lead Indiana to a 30-24 upset of Oregon on Saturday and its first 2-0 start since 1996.
The Hoosiers, who won only two games all of last season, opened with a 41-10 rout of Central Michigan.
The Ducks (No. 25 ESPN/USA Today; No. 24 AP), who started the season with a bye, broke a string of 21-straight nonconference victories at Autzen Stadium dating back to Sept. 17, 1994, when they lost to Utah.
Indiana had not defeated a ranked opponent on the road since Nov. 10, 2001, when they beat No. 23 Michigan State in East Lansing.
Oregon had 317 passing yards and outgained the Hoosiers 178 to 127 rushing yards, but couldn't capitalize on Indiana's second-half mistakes.
Oregon came within 30-24 with 8:38 left in the game on Dante Rosario's 7-yard touchdown catch from Kellen Clemens.
On the next series, Indiana punter Tyson Beattie, on fourth-and-12, put his knee down while fielding a low snap for a loss of 14 yards. Oregon got the ball on the Indiana 44, but the drive stalled at the 18 and Jared Siegel's field goal attempt went wide right.
Oregon had another chance when Robby Valenzuela recovered Ymar Washington's fumble on the Indiana 27, but a play later Clemens was intercepted by Herana-Daze Jones.
Clemens was intercepted again on the Ducks' next series, and time eventually ran out for Oregon. He finished 24-for-44 for 317 yards, with three touchdowns and three interceptions.
Indiana easily handled the stumbling Ducks in the first half. Bryan Robertson had field goals from 39 yards and a pair from 31 yards. Green-Ellis had 19-yard scoring run and LoVecchio hit Courtney Roby with an 8-yard TD pass.
After they were booed by the home crowd at the half, the Ducks finally scored in third quarter, when Clemens found Rosario with a 35-yard touchdown pass.
Siegel added a 33-yard field goal for Oregon to narrow it to 23-10.
On the next play, Lance Bennett had a 98-yard kickoff return to score for the Hoosiers, but Oregon came up with its own big play with Clemens' 59-yard scoring pass to Demetrius Williams.
It was just Indiana's third nonconference victory on the road since 1995. The Hoosiers won at Cincinnati in 1998 and Toledo in 1996.
Oregon is one of five ranked teams on Indiana's schedule this season, along with Michigan, Ohio State, Minnesota and Purdue.
The Ducks were the final Division I team to kickoff this season. The effort Saturday did not bode well for them as they head to Norman to play No. 2 Oklahoma next week.
The game started on a somber note, as Oregon held a moment of silence for Terrance Kelly, a promising recruit from De La Salle High School who was shot to death in Richmond, Calif., just two days before he planned to report to fall practice in Eugene.
