San Diego State walked into Reser Stadium knowing Oregon State could strike fast. What it got instead was a first-half avalanche.
The Beavers scored touchdowns on their first five possessions and raced to a 38-7 lead by halftime, with quarterback Braden Atkinson directing the offense like he had all day to work. Atkinson threw for 246 yards and three touchdowns, and the Aztecs never found a way to slow the tempo or the spacing Oregon State created.
It started immediately. Oregon State took the opening kickoff and marched 75 yards in 11 plays for a 7-0 lead. Even when Atkinson got sacked by Sione Hala in the red zone, the Beavers kept their composure, converted a fourth-and-2, and finished the drive with a 2-yard touchdown pass to Maalik Murphy.
From there, the Beavers just kept rolling. Atkinson connected with three different receivers for scores, including an 11-yard touchdown to freshman Jesse Legree on the first play of the second quarter. Legree was wide open coming out of the backfield, and that play pushed Oregon State ahead 21-0.
San Diego State had almost no room to breathe on offense. The Aztecs didn’t cross midfield until their sixth possession, when Jayden Denegal capped the march with an 11-yard touchdown pass to Jacob Bostick.
Before that, the Aztecs had already gone through some lineup shuffling. True freshman Josiah Lucas started, but after the first possession - which ended in a punt - he was in the injury tent and then jogged into the locker room with a trainer. Javion “Chop” Kinnard opened the second series with SDSU already trailing 14-0, but that drive also ended in a punt.
Lucas was making his second straight start after injuries sidelined Lucky Sutton and Kinnard last week. Sutton and Kinnard were upgraded to questionable on the Pac-12 availability report this week and were among 14 players listed as game-time decisions in the final report issued two hours before kickoff. Lucas had delivered in his first start last week, rushing for 111 yards and two touchdowns in a 31-29 home win against Texas State.
Oregon State kept its foot down even when SDSU briefly got a stop. The Aztecs finally turned the Beavers away on their sixth drive, breaking up a pass in the end zone to force a field goal attempt, but Oregon State missed it. Still, the Beavers added to the damage just before halftime, drawing a pass interference penalty in the closing seconds and then drilling a 53-yard field goal as time expired.
In Other News...
Oregon State Rolled But Two Concerns Still Followed The Beavers
Oregon States 66-14 win over San Diego State at Reser Stadium looked like the kind of complete performance a coach wants to bottle up and save for later. The Beavers controlled the line of scrimmage on both sides, with the offense rolling and the defense delivering a steady answer whenever the Aztecs tried to settle in. Jesse Legree was among the players who stood out, and the overall feel was of a team that dictated the game rather than reacting to it.
Still, the cleanest wins usually leave a few things to sort through, and this one was no exception. The return of Pac-12 referees added its own layer, with a handful of officiating mistakes mixed into the afternoon, while Oregon State also had some issues to clean up in the kicking game and at cornerback. After a lopsided result like this, those are the kinds of details that matter most, because better opponents tend to find every crack. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon State Now Faces A New Problem In Washington State Game
Washington State is adding a fresh wrinkle for Oregon State to sort out this week, with coach Kirby Moore turning to Owen Eshelman at quarterback. Eshelman redshirted last year and has been preparing as the starter, so the Beavers will now have to game-plan for a quarterback they have not seen in college action yet.
The move comes after Caden Pinnick struggled through the first six games, leaving Washington State in search of a spark on offense. For Oregon State, it means another layer of uncertainty in a matchup where the Cougars are trying to reset the position and make the Beavers adjust on the fly. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon State Gets Needed Reinforcements As One Injury Concern Grows
Oregon State is getting some welcome signs of help as the season moves along, even if the injury picture is still uneven. Receiver Xayvion Noland is expected to be available this week after missing the previous game, which gives the Beavers another option as they try to steady the offense and keep some rhythm going around a line that has been shorthanded.
The bigger concern remains on the defensive side, where linebacker Kord Shaw is not close to a return and appears unlikely to be back this season. Along the offensive front, there is some movement in the right direction: left tackle Josiah Timoteo has been practicing again, and interior lineman Carter Guillaume is edging nearer to being ready, giving Oregon State at least a little hope that its front could get healthier soon. [Read more 🡒]