Oct 29, 2015; Tempe, AZ, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. (3) throws a touchdown to tie the game while under pressure from Arizona State Sun Devils linebacker Viliami Moeakiola (28) during the second half at Sun Devil Stadium. Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports
Senior quarterback Vernon Adams threw a 20-yard scoring pass to junior receiver Bralon Addison in the third overtime, and sophomore cornerback Arrion Springs made the game-ending interception as Oregon posted a wild 61-55 victory over Arizona State in Pac-12 play at Tempe, Ariz.
Adams passed for 315 yards and four touchdowns, and sophomore running back Royce Freeman rushed for 112 yards and two touchdowns as the Ducks (5-3, 3-2) defeated the Sun Devils for the ninth consecutive meeting. Junior receiver Dwayne Stanford caught the tying touchdown with 12 seconds left in regulation and another on the first play of overtime.
Arizona State senior quarterback Mike Bercovici passed for 398 yards and matched his career high of five touchdowns passes and also rushed for a score as the Sun Devils (4-4, 2-3) rolled up 742 total yards and 37 first downs. However, Bercovici threw two interceptions, including the one that Springs alertly picked off in the end zone.
Adams began the overtimes by delivering a 25-yard scoring pass to Stanford. The Sun Devils responded with Bercovici’s 2-yard pass to junior wide receiver Tim White to tie the score at 48. Bercovici scored on an 18-yard quarterback draw on Arizona State’s second overtime possession, and the Ducks tied it on Freeman’s 1-yard run.
Oregon went ahead in the third overtime when Adams threw the scoring pass to Addison. The play was reviewed, and it was ruled that Addison got his left foot down in the back of the end zone. Addison fumbled the ball on a direct snap on the two-point conversion attempt to keep the lead at six before the Ducks made the decisive defensive stop.
Bercovici tossed a 5-yard touchdown pass to junior tight end Kody Kohl with 7:49 remaining in the fourth quarter to give the Sun Devils a 41-34 lead. Oregon tied the contest with 12 seconds left when a scrambling Adams lobbed a fourth-down pass toward the back of the end zone and Stanford caught it for an 8-yard score to force overtime.
Arizona State trailed by three at halftime and moved ahead 24-17 on sophomore running back Demario Richard’s 22-yard scoring run with 9:27 left in the third quarter. The lead reached 11 points when Richard caught a 1-yard scoring pass from Bercovici with 4:06 remaining in the third.
Ducks sophomore Charles Nelson returned the ensuing kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown. After a defensive stop, sophomore running back Kani Benoit broke loose for a 62-yard scoring jaunt to give Oregon a 34-31 edge with 1:35 left in the third before Arizona State junior Zane Gonzalez kicked a tying 33-yard field goal with 12:41 remaining in the contest.
Oregon led 17-14 at halftime, with the touchdowns coming on Freeman’s 64-yard scamper and sophomore receiver Darren Carrington’s 39-yard catch on fourth-and-1. Bercovici threw first-half touchdown passes of 3 yards to senior receiver Devin Lucien and 39 yards to senior receiver Gary Chambers.
