Powers Throws for 2 Scores; Sun Devils Beat Ducks, 24-21

Mike Richey’s 33-yard field goal 46 seconds into the fourth quarter gave Arizona State a lead that held up in a 24-21 Pacific 10 victory over Oregon Saturday night.

Arizona State, 5-4 overall and 3-3 in the Pac-10, broke a three-game losing streak while handing Oregon (3-6, 1-5) its fourth loss in a row.

Arizona State’s Bret Powers, who completed 14 of 34 passes for 196 yards, threw scoring passes of seven yards to Bob Brasher and 15 yards to Eric Moss in the first half, which ended in a 14-14 tie. Kelvin Fisher ran 29 yards for the Sun Devils’ third touchdown.

Oregon’s fourth-string quarterback, Bob Brothers, passed to Jeff Thomason for a 29-yard touchdown, and an interception and blocked punt accounted for the Ducks’ other two scores.

Eric Castle returned a second-quarter interception 30 yards for a touchdown, and Muhammad Oliver blocked a punt, recovered the ball and returned it 21 yards for a third-quarter touchdown.

Brothers was shifted to split end in the spring because he wasn’t needed at quarterback, but he was forced to play quarterback after a series of injuries to others.

The senior, after going eight for 13, missed 12 of his next 13 passes in a stretch that lasted until Oregon got the ball back with 3:12 remaining. But an illegal-receiver penalty killed a late Oregon drive at midfield.