Indianapolis Colts at Carolina Panthers

Saturday, August 09, 2008

*Kasay lifts Panthers past Colts in OT*

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina (Ticker) -- The third time was the charm for Carolina Panthers kicker John Kasay.

A bad snap kept Kasay from winning the game on the last play of regulation. Then after missing a 51-yard field goal wide right on the opening drive in overtime, Kasay finally won the game when he booted a 46-yard field goal to give the Panthers a 23-20 win over the Indianapolis Colts at Bank of America Stadium on Saturday night.

Carolina's DeAngelo Williams rushed for two touchdowns in the first five minutes of the game, stealing the thunder from quarterback Jake Delhomme's return to action.

The Colts (0-2), who played their second game without Peyton Manning, turned the ball over on their first two possessions.

On the third play of the game, Panthers defensive end Julius Peppers sacked Jay Sorgi - Manning's replacement - and recovered a fumble on the Colts 19-yard line. Five plays later, Williams scored from 1 yard out.

On Indianapolis' next play from scrimmage Adam Seward intercepted Sorgi, giving Carolina a first-and-goal at the 10-yard line. Williams scored his second rushing touchdown on the next play, a burst up the middle.

Williams finished with 55 yards rushing on nine carries.

The defensive heroics and Williams strong night took the spotlight away from Delhomme, who was participating in his first game since Week Three of last season. Delhomme missed most of the 2007 season after undergoing "Tommy John" surgery on his throwing arm.

Carolina (1-0) planned to use Delhomme for just its first two series and kept true to that plan. He attempted just one pass, an incompletion on a fade into the end zone to Muhsin Muhammad.

Indianapolis' Marvin Harrison, who missed the final 10 games last season with a knee injury, had three receptions for 22 yards.

Colts receiver Jacob Tamme, a 2008 fourth-round draft pick out of Kentucky, where he set the school's record for most career receptions (133) and yards (1,417) by a tight end, caught two TD passes from backup QB Jared Lorenzen, also a former Wildcat.