Connecticut rallies late and defeats Louisville, 21-17

Andre Dixon dragged defenders on a five-yard touchdown run with 1:32 left Friday night and Connecticut overcame a 10-point deficit and defeated Louisville, 21-17, in a Big East Conference game at East Hartford, Conn.

It was the biggest win of the season for Connecticut, 6-1 overall, 2-0 in the Big East, and keeps the Huskies in first place in the conference. The Cardinals dropped to 4-4 and 1-2.

The Huskies also got some help from a controversial punt return.

With the Cardinals leading, 7-0, with 13 minutes left in the third quarter, the Huskies’ Larry Taylor settled under a 45-yard punt and appeared to call for a fair catch at the Connecticut 26. Replays showed Taylor putting up his right hand, and Louisville players stopped their pursuit as soon as he caught the ball. But Taylor sprinted left, then down the sideline and the referees didn’t stop the play.

Louisville Coach Steve Kragthorpe called a timeout before the extra point in an effort to get the officials to take another look, but after a consultation, they said a fair-catch signal isn’t reviewable. The official definition of a fair-catch signal in the rule book calls for a player to raise his hand above his head and wave it back and forth more than once, something Taylor didn’t do.

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C.J. Bacher ran and threw for fourth-quarter touchdowns, helping Northwestern hold off Eastern Michigan, 26-14, in a nonconference game at Ford Field in Detroit.

The Wildcats (5-3) struggled against the lowly Eagles (2-6). They didn’t secure the victory until Bacher connected with Kim Thompson for a 71-yard touchdown with 2:44 left.

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The seventh-ranked Oregon Ducks have suspended sophomore receiver Derrick Jones indefinitely for violation of team rules.