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Beavers Use Ground Game To Grind Past Terps In Emerald Bowl

POSTED: 9:35 pm PST December 28, 2007

(Sports Network) - Yvenson Bernard and James Rodgers combined for 292 yards rushing and two scores, and the Oregon State Beavers defeated Maryland, 21-14, in the Emerald Bowl.

Bernard gained 177 yards on 38 carries with one score, and Rodgers rushed 10 times for 115 yards and recovered a fumble in the end zone for a touchdown for Oregon State (9-4), which won four straight to finish the season. Rodgers added five receptions for 40 yards and another score.

Starting quarterback Lyle Moevao left in the first half with an ankle injury after completing 5-of-9 passes for 40 yards. Sean Canfield came on and didn't play much better, completing 8-of-14 passes for 68 yards, with one touchdown and one interception.

Chris Turner completed 17-of-29 passes for 205 yards, with two touchdowns and two interceptions for Maryland (6-7) which had won two of three to become bowl eligible. Darrius Heyward-Bey had three grabs for 99 yards and a score. Keon Lattimore led the ineffective Terps rushing game, gaining 16 yards on seven carries.

Thanks to a 26-yard punt return by Taylor Kavanaugh, the Beavers took over at the Maryland 36 late with 1:35 left in the third quarter. Bernard burst through for 29 yards on the next play and, two plays later, fumbled into the end zone. Rodgers fell on it just over the goal line for a 21-14 lead with 10 seconds left in the third.

The Terrapins had a chance to slice into the seven-point deficit early in the fourth quarter, but Obi Egekeze pulled his 32-yard field goal attempt badly to the left with 12:25 remaining.

After Maryland was able to down a punt at the Oregon State one-yard-line, the Beavers ran off the remaining 6:24 of the game. Rodgers' 35-yard burst to the Maryland 15 all but iced the win for the Beavers, who couldn't punch it in for one more score, but were able to milk the rest of the clock to end the game.

Maryland didn't play like the underdog on its opening drive, driving 80 yards on 11 plays to take the early lead. A Turner pass for 28 yards to Isaiah Williams put the Terps at the OSU 10, and two plays later Turner found Williams for a nine-yard touchdown pass, and Maryland led 7-0 with 10:21 to play in the first quarter.

The Beavers answered with a 10-play, 68-yard march, extended by a roughing- the-punter personal foul, and Canfield hit Rodgers for a 14-yard touchdown pass to tie the game with 6:38 remaining.

The Terps went over the top for their next score, a 63-yard strike from Turner to Heyward-Bey down the sideline, and Maryland took a 14-7 lead with one minute left in the first quarter.

The second quarter was a comedy of errors for both teams. Moevao's fumble gave the Terps the ball at the Maryland 46, but Turner was picked off by Daniel Drayton, who ran back 35 yards to the Maryland 27. Rodgers fumbled on the very next play, though, giving the ball right back.

Alexis Serna's 48-yard field goal attempt later in the quarter bounced off the crossbar, but Turner was intercepted two plays later by Brian Payton, giving the Beavers the ball at the Maryland 40. The Beavers couldn't capitalize, of course, when Canfield, on 2nd-and-goal from the four, was intercepted in the front corner of the end zone by Moise Fokou.

Oregon State finally ended the string of miscues late in the half, and Bernard's two-yard scoring run with 16 seconds left tied the game at 14-14 headed into the break.

Game Notes

Williams' TD catch was his first of the season, and just the eighth passing TD of the season for the Terps. It was also only the second first-quarter TD allowed this season by the Beavers...OSU improved to 7-4 in bowls, and has won four straight...This was Maryland's 22nd bowl appearance. The Terps fell to 9-11-2. The loss ended a three-game bowl win streak...This was the first-ever meeting between two schools...Kavanaugh's 26-yard punt return in the third quarter was his longest of the season.

Oregon State

News

Oregon State
Justin Kahut's 44-yard field goal in the second quarter proved to be the only points of the game, as 24th-ranked Oregon State won the second-lowest scoring Sun Bowl ever, 3-0, over 18th-ranked Pittsburgh.

Scoreboard

Wed, Dec. 31FINAL
Oregon State (8-4) 3
Pittsburgh (9-3) 0

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