CORVALLIS - JaMarcus Shephard’s first win as Oregon State’s head coach came with all the trappings of a milestone night: photographers clustered at midfield, a locker room ready to erupt, and a game ball handed over by athletic director Kevin Griffin and president Jayathi Murthy.
What Shephard didn’t have, at least not yet, was the muscle memory for it all.
After Oregon State’s 52-17 win over Montana on Saturday night at Reser Stadium, Shephard was caught in the swirl that comes with a first victory in a new role. He had just finished his television interview and was trying to figure out where to go next.
“I really didn’t know what to do,” Shephard said. “When the game was over with I’m used to running in with the players, celebrating and laughing with them along the way about the various things that we got to clean up.”
His wife, Hallie, and his kids got the first hugs. Then came the run into the locker room, where the Beavers were waiting to greet him with a celebration that matched the moment.
“We love Shep,” defensive end Takari Hickle said. “He’s done nothing but love us and allow us to grow and excel as players while also challenging us how we need to be challenged and putting us through things that will get us ready for moments like this.”
The game ball from Griffin and Murthy brought another jolt of emotion for Shephard, who said the exchange meant a lot because of the shared outlook.
“I was so excited to get it from him because I know him and I have a similar vision in terms of challenging the status quo and competing at a high level,” Shephard said. “That was really special for me to see his eyes and see that he was proud.”
Oregon State was favored all week and then again at kickoff, but the number mattered far less than the result. In Corvallis, wins are not something anyone takes for granted, and this one arrived with authority.
Shephard has kept calling this a “foundational” season, but the way the Beavers handled Montana suggested the work may be moving faster than expected. The Grizzlies came in as a legitimate FCS national championship contender and brought several All-Americans with them, yet Oregon State controlled the night.
“I do think that we’ve done a great job with these young men understanding that we have to build a foundation for our program,” Shephard said. “I think some of them have understood that going forward our expectations continue to rise within our football team. ...
I’m proud of the first step we’ve taken. This is the first step of many and I can’t wait to get ready for the next one.”
The Beavers’ offense piled up 510 yards, its highest total since Oct. 18 of last season against Lafayette. Braden Atkinson completed 22 of 30 passes for 333 yards and threw five touchdown passes to five different receivers.
Jesse Legree finished with four catches for 100 yards and a touchdown and still leads the country. Aeryn Hampton, Aaron Butler, Eric Olsen and DeCorion Temple also scored through the air.
“That to me is the sign of an offense that can continue to be productive throughout the year,” Shephard said. “You can’t just pinpoint one particular person and try to shut them down and then that’s going to shut the whole offense down. That to me was critical.”
Atkinson said the Beavers showed more balance than they had before.
“We’re very explosive in the pass game and we can run the ball,” Atkinson said. “I feel like we showed we can run the ball this week.”
Oregon State, now 1-2, got 101 rushing yards from AJ Newberry and Tre Garrison, who combined for that total out of the team’s 144 yards on the ground.
The defense did its part, too. Eli Gillman was held to 81 yards, and Keali’i Ah Yat did not top 200 passing yards until late in the fourth quarter.
Hickle said the result felt different from what the program experienced last year, and that difference came from the tone Shephard has set.
“I think coming off of what happened last year - I try not to carry that with me, really think about it too much because it doesn’t matter - understanding and realizing what we went through is a way for me to use to move forward,” Hickle said. “With the standard and the culture that Shep has brought here, it does feel different but different in all the right ways. It was a very positive change.”
An announced crowd of 34,030 watched the Beavers roll, the biggest home turnout for Oregon State since 2024. Plenty of fans stayed late as the margin kept growing.
When it was over, Shephard thanked everyone around the program - the fans, players, staff, administration and even Montana - and made it clear he sees the night as only the beginning.
“Everybody needs to start paying attention,” Shephard said. “Because there’s something going on here in Corvallis.”
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Braden Atkinson Just Delivered The Oregon State Breakthrough Fans Needed
The first win of the JaMarcus Shephard era finally arrived at Reser Stadium, and it came with the kind of breakout performance Oregon State had been waiting to see. Braden Atkinson set the tone by throwing for five touchdowns and adding another on the ground, while the Beavers also showed clearer progress in the rushing game and got useful work from the defense in a 52-17 win over Montana.
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Oregon State Has A Clear Reason To Watch Oklahoma State's Injuries
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The pace of the transformation is what stands out most. Atkinson has already cleared 1,000 passing yards this season, and he is doing it while quickly building chemistry with a wide receiver room that is giving the Beavers more answers than they had last fall. Oregon State has been looking for an offense that can stress defenses in different ways, and Atkinsons early command is making that search feel a lot shorter than expected. [Read more 🡒]