LAS VEGAS — Max Hall threw for 192 yards and three touchdowns in the only bowl game he knows, leading No. 15 Brigham Young past No. 16 Oregon State 44-20 in the Las Vegas Bowl on Tuesday night.
Hall gave the Cougars their third victory in five consecutive bowl appearances in Sin City and ended the Beavers’ run of five consecutive bowl victories. Oregon State appeared troubled by cold winds and the lingering sting of missing the Rose Bowl.
Hall threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Luke Ashworth, a 17-yard scoring strike to Dennis Pitta and a 15-yard touchdown pass to Manase Tonga. He had 139 yards passing in the first half.
Tonga added an 18-yard rushing touchdown, and Harvey Unga finished with 76 yards rushing and a touchdown for BYU (11-2).
Oregon State (8-5) scored on 1-yard runs by quarterback Sean Canfield and Jacquizz Rodgers, and on a 31-yard pass to Damola Adeniji after the game was out of reach. Adeniji led all receivers with seven receptions for 102 yards.
Canfield completed only four passes in the first half as the Beavers struggled to sustain drives. He finished 20 for 41 for 173 yards with an interception.
The normally dependable Rodgers fumbled for the first time in his college career in the first quarter, on his 621st touch, and Matt Bauman returned it 34 yards for the go ahead score. Officials used replay to see whether Canfield’s checkdown toss to Rodgers was a lateral or a forward pass and upheld the touchdown.
Oregon State finished with three turnovers, including a fumble by Rodgers’ brother James.
Winds gusted to 50 mph at Sam Boyd Stadium and temperatures fell to 30 degrees. The gusts were so strong that one of Oregon State’s punts traveled untouched only 6 yards.
Sports, Pages 26 on 12/23/2009