Braden Atkinson wasted little time putting Oregon State in control Saturday, and the Beavers never really let Washington State back into the game on the way to a 48-30 win in Corvallis, Ore.
Atkinson carved up the Cougars for 347 passing yards and three touchdowns, helping Oregon State stack points early and keep the pressure on. Jesse Legree was his favorite target, finishing with 108 yards on eight catches and two scores, and becoming the first wideout to reach 1,000 receiving yards this season.
Oregon State’s offense had plenty of balance behind that. AJ Newberry turned in a big all-around day with 105 rushing yards on 11 carries, plus 120 receiving yards on five catches and a touchdown. Jake Reichle added two rushing touchdowns of his own.
The Beavers struck first on Reichle’s 1-yard run for a 7-0 lead, then Atkinson connected with Legree on a 90-yard touchdown. Before the first quarter ended, Caleb Ojeda added a 48-yard field goal to push the margin to 17-0. Oregon State carried a 27-10 lead into halftime and stayed comfortably ahead from there.
Washington State got a standout effort in the first career start for redshirt freshman quarterback Owen Eshelman. He threw for 289 yards and two touchdowns, rushed for 136 yards on 15 carries, and added another score on the ground.
Branden Granashamoorthy also made his presence felt, finishing with 147 receiving yards on 11 catches and a touchdown.
Eshelman helped the Cougars finish with three straight touchdown drives late, and Washington State’s 30 points were the most it has scored against an FBS opponent this season.
Oregon State improved to 5-2 overall and 3-0 in Pac 12 play. Washington State dropped to 1-6 and 0-3.
The Cougars host 23rd-ranked Boise State on Saturday. Oregon State has the week off before heading to Fresno State on Oct. 31.
In Other News...
BYU Fans Had Provo Buzzing Before This Huge Cougars Showdown
ESPNs College GameDay turned Provo into the center of the college football world Saturday morning, with a top-10 showdown between BYU and Notre Dame setting the stage for a loud, colorful buildup. The broadcast drew out creative signs from both fanbases, with BYU supporters leaning into the moment and Notre Dame fans answering back as the crowd filled in around one of the biggest games in town in years.
The scene had the easy energy of a big-stage college atmosphere, part celebration and part taunt, with references to past games and plenty of playful back-and-forth across enemy lines. For Washington State fans watching from a distance, it was another reminder of how quickly the Cougars old conference footprint can still generate national buzz when the right matchup and the right crowd collide. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon State Faces A Trap Game Fans Can't Afford To Ignore
Oregon State is bracing for a game it cannot treat lightly, and the focus has quickly turned to Washington States young quarterback situation. Coach Shephard has stressed the need for intensity, a fair warning for a Cougars team that has shown enough in spots to make trouble despite the record next to its name. At the center of it all is Owen Eshelman, a redshirt freshman whose high school rsum suggested real upside, even if the early scouting report also comes with the kind of turnover concern that can swing a game in a hurry.
For Washington State, the challenge is as much about proving it can carry over the better parts of its play as it is about changing the conversation around a difficult season. The Cougars are trying to turn those flashes into something sturdier, and the matchup offers another chance to show they can make an opponent uncomfortable for four quarters. Oregon State knows the danger, and Washington State still has enough pieces to make this one feel a lot less predictable than the records suggest. [Read more 🡒]
Washington State Just Got Exposed By A Problem Fans Feared
Oregon State found a familiar sore spot for Washington State and kept leaning on it until the Beavers were in control. Sophomore transfer quarterback Braden Atkinson, who came over from Oregon State? completed 23 of 38 passes for 347 yards and three touchdowns without a turnover, continuing a season that has quietly surged to 2,604 yards and 24 scores against just two interceptions. The Beavers got efficiency through the air, and they got it at the right time, when Washington State needed a stop and could not find one.
The bigger dagger came from senior running back transfer AJ Newberry, who turned in the best game of his career with 225 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown. His 88-yard run was the kind of burst that changes the feel of a game in a snap, and it only sharpened the concern for a Washington State defense that has too often looked vulnerable when opponents find space. For a fan base already worried about that flaw, this was the sort of performance that makes the fear feel a lot more real. [Read more 🡒]