Oregon State had a big Sunday on the Pac-12 awards front, with quarterback Braden Atkinson and wide receiver Jesse Legree both earning weekly conference recognition after the Beavers’ 52-17 win over Montana.
Atkinson was named the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week, while Legree took Freshman of the Week honors for the third straight time. That makes him the first freshman to win the award in three consecutive weeks since Utah’s Ty Jordan in 2020.
Legree kept rolling against Montana, finishing with 100 receiving yards. He now leads the nation with 476 receiving yards on the season and has topped 100 yards in three straight games, something no Oregon State player had done since Brandin Cooks in 2013. He’ll try to become the first Beaver ever to reach four straight 100-yard games, and only the second in school history after Mike Hass.
Atkinson’s first Pac-12 award came after a sharp all-around performance in the win. He threw for 333 yards and five touchdowns, then added a 1-yard rushing score to become just the fifth player in program history to account for six touchdowns in a single game.
The Raleigh, N.C., native has also put himself in rare company early in the season. He’s the first Oregon State quarterback since Sean Mannion in 2013 to pass for more than 1,000 yards through the first three games of a season. Heading into Saturday’s game at UTEP, Atkinson has 1,122 passing yards, which ranks second nationally, and he leads the country with an average of 374 passing yards per game.
Oregon State travels to El Paso this Saturday for a 6 p.m. PT kickoff, which is 7 p.m. local time, against UTEP. The game will air on MW+ and the Beavers Sports Radio Network.
In Other News...
Oregon State Should Handle UTEP But One Thing Still Matters
Oregon State heads to the Sun Bowl on Saturday with a chance to take care of business against a UTEP team that has had a rough start on both sides of the ball. The Beavers are favored by 11.5 points, and on paper this looks like the kind of matchup a more balanced roster should control in El Paso, Texas. UTEP will lean on quarterback Colson, running back Tavorus Jones, linebacker Jayden Wilson and safety Xavier Smith as it tries to steady things against a Pac-12 program that should bring more size and depth.
Still, the details along the line and in the back end can matter in a game like this, especially for a Miners team already searching for answers. If Oregon State gets the clean looks it expects, the broader question may not be whether it can win, but how efficiently it can do so and whether UTEP can keep enough stability in place to make the afternoon competitive longer than the spread suggests. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon State Gave Fans Plenty To Like But A Bigger Test Awaits
Oregon State left Reser Stadium with plenty to like after a convincing showing against Montana, one that reflected the kind of balance coaches hope to see early in the season. The offense spread the ball around, the Beavers were willing to be aggressive on fourth down, and special teams looked cleaner than it did a year ago. Jesse Legree and Aeryn Hampton were among the players who stood out, while the offensive line showed useful depth and the returns of Eddie Freauff and Noble Thomas Jr. added to the sense that this group is getting healthier and deeper.
The performance offered real optimism, but it also came with the kind of reminders that make September revealing rather than definitive. Oregon State still has to prove it can carry that balance against a far tougher opponent, and the line situation remains something to watch as the season develops. Michael Langi saw work at center while Van Wells eligibility stays unresolved, leaving the Beavers with one more layer of uncertainty even after a game that otherwise gave them a lot to build on. [Read more 🡒]