This time, however, they weren't in an airplane at 30,000 feet. ASU had Oregon, the seventh-ranked team in the country, on the ropes here before getting zapped with a 56-55 defeat in double overtime.

Oregon players celebrate after their improbable double-overtime victory.(AP)

"We're just so heartbroken to not come away with a victory," Snyder said. "It was an expensive game, emotionally and physically."

Twice, ASU led by 14 points, the last time with six minutes remaining. A team that is led by a quarterback and tailback who had to walk onto the program needed direction from above.

And when the situations started to puzzle Snyder, the inevitable unfolded and sixth-year Oregon coach Mike Bellotti had secured the first victory of his career at Sun Devil Stadium.

The Ducks (7-1 overall, 5-0 in the Pac-10) kept their title as the only undefeated team in league play, and its annual Civil War with Oregon State looms larger by the week. Their Nov. 18 game in Corvallis, Ore., might be for a Rose Bowl berth.

Ducks quarterback Joey Harrington said he couldn't stop tingling moments after the wild game ended.

"We played so hard," Harrington said. "We had to dig down deep, but that's what separates us from so many other teams. We play for each other. God, it feels good. We left everything out on that field, and we get to go home with a 'W' on our shoulders.

"With all we went through (Friday)."

What did all the Ducks go through? Due to inclement weather, they spent more than three hours on the tarmac at the airport in Eugene, Ore. They didn't depart until they had finished their team meal and watched a movie, and they didn't walk into their hotel here until 1 a.m. on Saturday.

But their travel troubles paled in comparison to what the Sun Devils (5-3, 2-3) were hit with en route back home from their overtime victory against Washington State in Pullman, Wash., late last Saturday night.

Their America West Airlines jet was struck by lightning twice about 10 minutes from landing at Sky Harbor International Airport. The Devils didn't get to see the finish of Gone in 60 Seconds, the Nicholas Cage repo-man flick.

Saturday's apparent victory was gone in about six minutes, after the Sun Devils had taken a 49-35 lead on a 59-yard touchdown run by freshman tailback Mike Williams.

On Oregon's next drive, the Ducks answered with perhaps the gutsiest play of the game. On fourth-and-1 at ASU's 32-yard line, Bellotti guessed perfectly when Harrington completed a 32-yard touchdown pass to senior Marshaun Tucker along the left sideline.

Then it got crazy.

ASU stalled at the Oregon 33, but Snyder chose to go for the first down on a fourth-and-14 call. Redshirt freshman quarterback Jeff Krohn threw to outstanding tight end Todd Heap on the left side, and Heap nearly hauled it in after a deflection.

But the ball hit the turf.

Snyder scrambled for an explanation, saying the play took place in an area of the field where "nothing makes a whole lot of sense."

He had scant faith in sophomore kicker Mike Barth, who had already missed a 40-yarder and who had a back injury that was worsening through the day. Snyder said he didn't want to pooch a coffin-corner punt because he was certain Nick Murphy would boot it into the end zone.

How about taking a delay-of-game penalty or two, to give Murphy more space?

"We could have done it," Snyder said.

Still, Arizona State seemed to lock up the victory when junior safety Willie Daniel nailed tight end Justin Peelle at the 1 after he caught a fourth-down pass from Harrington with 1:22 left, but ASU gave Oregon more life.

Three plays into the Devils' drive, Oregon linebacker Mike Callier yanked the ball loose from Williams, who had gained 10 yards, and cornerback Jermaine Hanspard plopped on it with 33 seconds left.

Oregon had no timeouts left when that play began, with 37 seconds left. If Krohn downs the ball, ASU can extinguish most of the remaining ticks on fourth down and Murphy can run it out of the end zone for a safety. Then the Devils get a free kick, on which the game likely ends.

Of course, if Williams hangs on, game over.

Harrington wasted no time, throwing a 17-yard touchdown strike to Peelle on the Ducks' first play to tie it 49-49. Snyder drew the wrath of an announced crowd of 53,085 when he instructed the Devils to down the ball and run out the final ticks in regulation.

He went for it on fourth-and-14, then turned conservative with two or three Hail Mary chances at the end?

After four hours of football, nothing had been decided. Then Oregon's kicker missed a 42-yard field goal in the first overtime that could have won the game for the Ducks.

Allan Amundson gave Oregon its first lead of the day when he ran wide left from the 1 on the first drive of the second extra session. And ASU answered when Krohn, who had been 4-0 as a starter, threw a 22-yard scoring strike to receiver Richard Williams.

All week, Snyder had talked about faking a field goal at some critical point Saturday, and Krohn stayed on the field. He hadn't held for a field goal all day, but he knew what Snyder wanted in this situation.

Before Barth had a chance to nudge the point-after attempt, Krohn rose with the ball and dashed right, throwing a 2-point pass to Heap that fell incomplete and sealed the victory for Oregon. Heap said he got a hand on the ball and should have caught it, but no one Sun Devil could take the blame for the loss.

"You can't put the blame on Mike Williams," said Krohn, who threw for a career-high 432 yards. "You can't blame it on one person."

Even if your last name is Snyder? Lightning can't strike you four times, can it?