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Lane lifts Texas A&M to wild triple-overtime victory

Sep 9, 2007 - 3:25 AM COLLEGE STATION, Texas (Ticker) -- Fresno State had some luck on its side against Texas A&M, but it didn't have Jorvorskie Lane.

Lane ran for four touchdowns, including the go-ahead score and two-point conversion in the third overtime, as the 23rd-ranked Aggies held off the Bulldogs in a wild 47-45 victory at a rowdy Kyle Field on Saturday afternoon.

Stephen McGee threw for another score for Texas A&M (2-0), which squandered a 19-point halftime lead, surrendering its advantage on a fourth-down play with four seconds left in regulation.

However, Aggies coach Dennis Franchione offered nothing but words of praise for his exhausted team.

"I saw guys that were laying on the ground after playing all the snaps they played and exhausted and drained, thirsty and dehydrated," he said. "They had to get back up and go back down to the 25-yard line and keep playing. I just - what a tremendous fight."

With Fresno State's defense tiring and cramping in the final extra session, Lane bulled his way into the end zone for a three-yard score and followed it up by scooting through a gaping hole for the two-point conversion to snap a 39-39 tie.

Lane ran for 121 yards on 23 carries with two of his touchdowns coming in the overtime sessions.

"It's every running back's dream," Lane said. "I give my O-line all the credit for my touchdowns. They did a great job."

But Fresno State would not go down easily, as Bear Pascoe caught a nine-yard TD pass to make it 47-45. But the ensuing two-point conversion - which teams are forced to attempt in the third overtime - failed when Tom Brandstater's pass on a fade pattern to the left corner fell incomplete.

"It was a heck of a football game for both teams," Fresno State coach Pat Hill said. "There was a lot of fight. It came down to a final two-point play. We had some opportunities to win the game. We made some plays that took us out of it."

Texas A&M started the first overtime with a 27-yard field goal by Matt Szymanski to make it 32-29. And that is when things got interesting.

On the ensuing possession, Marlon Moore caught a pass over the middle and - as he dove for what would have been the game-winning score - he appeared to fumble the ball out of the end zone for an apparent touchback.

However, the call on the field marked Moore down inside the Texas A&M 1 before he lost the ball.

After an initial review, the call stood. But curiously, the officials reviewed the play again and called roughing the passer, giving the Bulldogs a first down - half the distance from the previous spot.

"That was a tough call," Franchione said. "I have had that crew before. ... They're good officials. That was a hard game to officiate."

"They say our receiver tried to stretch it over the goal line," Hill said. "That was the call, and we'll live with it. I've never seen anything like that, but that's how it goes."

Four plays later, Fresno State took advantage with a 25-yard field goal by Clint Stitser to tie the game.

The Bulldogs got the ball first in the second overtime and slammed it down the Aggies' throats, capped by Anthony Harding's one-yard touchdown run to make 39-32. Lane answered with a two-yard score to force the third overtime, setting up his heroics in that session.

McGee rushed for 123 yards on just 16 carries and also completed 12-of-23 passes for 77 yards and a score. Mike Goodson chipped in 67 rushing yards for the Aggies, who rolled for 316 yards on the ground.

"We work on (running the ball) in practice every day," Goodson said. "We go through drills and that type of situation - a close game - and it came down to it and we just got it done."

Brandstater was 21-of-32 for 260 yards with three touchdowns and an interception. Harding added two scores for Fresno State (1-1), which racked up 432 yards of total offense in the loss.

"I was disappointed with myself and the offense in the first half," Brandstater said. "We didn't play very well and dug a hole. I'm tired of getting so close and coming about with a heartbreaking loss."