Pro Sports

Luck still perfect vs. Titans as Colts pull out 34-26 win

Posted October 23, 2016 7:00 am

By TERESA M. WALKER

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver T.Y. Hilton celebrates after scoring a touchdown on a 37-yard pass reception against the Tennessee Titans in the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 23, 2016, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Zaleski) The Associated Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Andrew Luck threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Jack Doyle with 1:55 left to put Indianapolis ahead to stay, and the Colts rallied to beat the Tennessee Titans 34-26 Sunday for their 10th straight win against their AFC South rival.

The Colts (3-4) came in having lost two of three, including blowing a 14-point lead in an overtime loss last week at Houston. But Luck has never lost to Tennessee, and he improved to 8-0 against the Titans with yet another comeback win. He finished with 353 yards passing and three TDs, the last after Tennessee went up 23-20.

T.Y. Hilton caught seven passes for 133 yards, including a 37-yard TD . The Colts shook off 12 penalties for 131 yards in pulling out their 15th win in 16 games against Tennessee.

The Titans (3-4) saw their two-game winning streak end.

Marcus Mariota had a chance to rally the Titans, but T.Y. McGill sacked him and stripped out the ball. Robert Mathis picked it up and ran 14 yards for the clinching TD with 1:47 left and a 34-23 lead. The Colts finished with three sacks

VINATIERI'S RECORD

Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri kicked a pair of field goals, and the second, a 33-yarder with 3:46 left in the third quarter gave him an NFL record 43 consecutive field goals made. His first tied him with former Colts kicker Mike Vanderjagt who made 42 straight between 2002 and 2004.

ONSIDE KICK

The Colts pounced on the Titans with an onside kick after Luck's second TD with 10:16 left in the second quarter. Titans tight end Phillip Supernaw had a chance to scoop up the ball only to fail, and Robert Turbin recovered for Indianapolis at the Tennessee 35. The Colts had to settle for a 28-yard field goal by Vinatieri after having first-and-goal, but the onside kick helped the Colts go up 17-6 with 10 straight points.

BIG MAN TD

The Titans opened a game driving for a touchdown for a second straight game, and Mariota being a perfect 5-of-5 for 47 yards wasn't the best part of the possession. Under pressure, Mariota dumped a pass off to left tackle Taylor Lewan who ran 10 yards for the TD. Lewan was so wide open he looked back as he ran into the end zone for the first TD by a left tackle for this franchise, according to Pro Football Reference.

CARTED OFF

The Titans lost left guard Quinton Spain to an injured right knee when he went down on incomplete pass with 14:23 left in the second quarter. He was carted off the field to the locker room. Then cornerback Perrish Cox went down late in the same quarter when linebacker Sean Spence appeared to land on him, and Cox was carted to the locker room where he was evaluated for a concussion. Neither returned, finally being ruled out early in the fourth quarter.

___

Online:

AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and AP NFL Twitter feed: https://twitter.com/AP_NFL

Follow Teresa M. Walker at www.twitter.com/teresamwalker

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver T.Y. Hilton (13) catches a 37-yard touchdown pass as he is defended by Tennessee Titans cornerback Jason McCourty (30) in the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 23, 2016, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Zaleski) The Associated Press

Indianapolis Colts running back Robert Turbin (33) recovers the ball after an onside kick by the Colts as Tennessee Titans' Antonio Andrews (26) closes in during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 23, 2016, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/James Kenney) The Associated Press

Indianapolis Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri (4) is congratulated by holder Pat McAfee (1) after Vinatieri kicked a 33-yard field goal against the Tennessee Titans in the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 23, 2016, in Nashville, Tenn. The kick is the 43rd consecutive field goal for Vinatieri, an NFL record. (AP Photo/James Kenney) The Associated Press

Indianapolis Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri (4) kicks a 33-yard field goal against the Tennessee Titans in the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 23, 2016, in Nashville, Tenn. The kick is the 43rd consecutive field goal for Vinatieri, an NFL record. Holding is Pat McAfee. (AP Photo/James Kenney) The Associated Press

Tennessee Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) tosses the ball to an official after being sacked for a 10-yard loss by the Indianapolis Colts in the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 23, 2016, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/James Kenney) The Associated Press

Tennessee Titans tight end Delanie Walker (82) catches a 7-yard touchdown pass ahead of Indianapolis Colts defenders Clayton Geathers (26) and Josh McNary (57) in the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 23, 2016, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Zaleski) The Associated Press

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