CBS SportsLine wire reports
Sept. 12, 1998

EL PASO, Texas -- No. 24 Oregon was looking nothing like the worldbeater it had been a week ago. Its offense was limping, its defense faltering. Good thing the Ducks had true freshman Herman Ho-Ching to fall back on.

"I

Related Links Game summary Week 2 with the Wiseguys Top 25 roundup From the Sidelines with Dennis Dodd Forum: Can the Ducks make noise in the Pac-10?

guess I'm the team's secret weapon," Ho-Ching said Saturday night after scoring three fourth-quarter touchdowns in only his second college game to helping the Ducks beat underdog Texas-El Paso 33-26.

Ho-Ching, Oregon's leading rusher with 117 yards on 13 carries, revived an offense that had been dominated by UTEP's defense. He rushed for TDs of 3 and 31 yards and took a screen pass 50 yards for another score.

"I have a lot of confidence in myself and all I needed was a chance to prove it on the field," said Ho-Ching.

Until the 21-point fourth quarter, Oregon (2-0) had scarcely resembled the team that dismantled Michigan State 48-14 a week ago. The Ducks managed only four field goals through three quarters after squandering several opportunities inside the UTEP 20.

THE DUCKS DID MANAGE 477 yards to UTEP's 426, but they didn't come easily as the Miners (0-2) hounded Akili Smith into several incompletions and limited starting tailback Reuben Droughns to 19 yards on nine carries.

Smith was 17-of-33 for 295 yards with one interception and the 50-yard strike to Ho-Ching.

Droughns left the game in the first half with a bruised foot, which may have

The Miners couldn't top the Ducks, falling 33-26. (AP)

proved lucky for Oregon.

His departure opened the door for Ho-Ching.

"I'm a relieved and very aged coach right now," said Oregon coach Mike Bellotti, whose team earned its 13th straight non-Pac-10 victory. "I think we learned a tremendous lesson tonight. We can no longer take any team for granted."

If the Ducks did that with UTEP, it was a mistake. The Miners led from the opening minutes and pushed Oregon to the brink. The Ducks didn't have a lead until 7:37 minutes were remaining and Ho-Ching scored on the pass to put Oregon up 26-19.

THE MINERS QUICKLY tied it as John Rayborn connected with tailback Elzie Johnson on a 12-yard touchdown pass with 6:09 left.

The Ducks marched 80 yards on eight plays on their next possession, taking the lead for good as Ho-Ching sprinted past the Miners' secondary for his third touchdown.

"We blitzed and somebody didn't hit the right gap and it cost us," said UTEP coach Charlie Bailey. "We had an opportunity to beat a Top 25 team and didn't do it. Those opportunities don't come very often."

The Miners for the most part relied on the running of Paul Smith, who had 155 yards and one touchdown on 19 carries. Rayborn was 13-of-27 for 126 yards with two touchdowns.

Smith bolted through a gaping hole in the Ducks' defensive front and outsprinted two defenders for a 33-yard touchdown that put UTEP ahead 16-9 with 10:22 left in the third quarter.

IT WAS UP TO Nathan Villegas to bring Oregon back again, hitting his second 32-yard field goal of the night to cut UTEP's lead to 16-12 with 7:38 left in the third.

UTEP responded with a 42-yard field goal by Ricky Bishop to lead 19-12 with 1:37 left in the third.

The Ducks found their way into the end zone for the first time with about 13 minutes left in the game as Ho-Ching dove in from 2 yards to tie the score at 19-19.

The Ducks, who were 0-for-7 on third-down conversions in the first half, were limited to 145 yards and second-quarter field goals of 19, 49 and 32 yards by Villegas in playing to a 9-9 halftime tie.