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 After the teams traded overtime field goals, Carolina linebacker
Luke Kuechly's interception of Andrew Luck gave the Panthers the
ball at the Colts' 39 in the sudden-death portion of the extra
session and Gano did the rest.
The Colts had earlier wiped out a 17-point deficit in the last 7:04
of regulation as Luck suddenly got untracked before Adam Vinatieri's
50-yard field goal on the opening possession of overtime put the
visitors in position for an unlikely win.
The Panthers matched it when Gano connected on a 42-yard field goal
at a rainy Bank of America Stadium.
The Carolina possession included a dropped pass by wide receiver Ted
Ginn Jr that would have, at the very least, taken the ball inside
the 10-yard line.
Quarterback Cam Newton clicked on a couple of second-half drives,
putting Carolina 23-6 up before the Colts came storming back.
Newton threw two touchdown passes in less than a five-minute span as
the Panthers continued their best start in franchise history by
improving to 7-0.
Still trailing 23-20, the Colts regained possession at their own 40
with 2:02 remaining and out of timeouts. Luck's next three passes
were incomplete before a fourth-down conversion. After that, the
Colts moved methodically to the six-yard line.
Vinatieri's 24-yard field goal tied the game on the last play of
regulation, completing a 16-play possession.
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Gano's missed extra point proved costly following Carolina's last
touchdown.
Carolina has won a franchise-record 11 consecutive regular-season
games dating to last season. The Panthers have matched last year's
regular-season victory total when they went 7-8-1, which was good
enough to win the NFC South.
Newton finished 16-of-35 for 248 yards. He was picked off once.
Luck completed 23-of-47 passes for 232 yards for the Colts (3-5),
who lost their third game in a row. Through three quarters, he had
only 40 passing yards and was intercepted twice.
(Editing by John O'Brien)
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