INDEPENDENCE BOWL : Oregon Gets a Scare and a Win

Oregon’s Bill Musgrave thought he had fumbled away the Ducks’ chances of winning the Independence Bowl Saturday night at Shreveport, La.

“I heard the referee blow the whistle as I was falling. I thought I had fumbled,” Musgrave said about the play at the one-yard line.

Tulsa thought it had recovered the fumble, but the referees ruled that Musgrave was down.

Instead of losing a fumble, Oregon retained possession and Gregg McCallum kicked a 20-yard field goal to give the Ducks a 27-24 victory over Tulsa.

“I don’t understand that and I told the officials,” Tulsa Coach David Rader said. “And you can quote me on this, I had about 50 guys playing in the ballgame and they gave me 110%. There were seven guys calling the ballgame and they gave me about 75%.”

McCallum’s winning kick came after Musgrave, who passed for 320 yards and two touchdowns, led the Ducks to the Tulsa one. The nullified fumble occurred on a third-and-goal play.

Oregon Coach Rich Brooks said Musgrave was closer to the play than he was.

“There were a lot of calls I wasn’t happy with all night. Believe me, when we get a break on a call I’m not going to question it,” Brooks said.

The winning drive began on the Ducks’ 48 after Oregon stopped Tulsa on a fourth-and-one with 7:48 remaning.

Oregon (8-4) was appearing in its first postseason game in 26 years when it defeated Southern Methodist in the 1963 Sun Bowl, which capped the Ducks’ last eight-victory season. Tulsa finished 6-6.

The Golden Hurricane led, 17-10, at halftime on a one-yard run by Brett Adams and Derrick Williams’ 21-yard return of a blocked punt.

The winning drive came after Tulsa quarterback T.J. Rubley drove the Golden Hurricane from its 18 to the Oregon 48, where the drive stalled when Adams was stopped on a fourth-down. play.

Both teams were sluggish in the first half played in 29-degree weather with a brisk wind.

Both Musgrave and Rubley were intercepted twice and each team lost a fumble in the error-prone first half.

Musgrave completed 22 of 39 passes. His rushing touchdown, which tied the game, 24-24, was the first of his collegiate career.

Rubley finished with 17 of 34 for 183 yards.

Tulsa entered the game without standout wide receiver Dan Bitson, who broke his legs in a car accident. Shortly before game time, Rader suspended starting linebacker and leading tackleratt Luke for violating team rules.

Tulsa’s David Fuess made a 26-yard field goal in the second quarter and Adams earlier scored on a one-yard run.

The Ducks’ McCallum had a 29-yard field goal in the first period.