Coming home after a rough loss in Fresno last Saturday, Oregon State still had everything to play for. Tonight, their Pac-12 title hopes hit a serious road block. In a home loss to Texas State – which featured the Bobcats run game gaining over 300 rushing yards – the Beavers lost in a rout, 42-21.
The official box score can be read at this link, while the rest of this piece features our complete game recap.
Texas State set an ominous tone on the game’s opening drive – marching 75 plays across 15 plays – reaching the end zone on a Davian Jackson direct snap up the middle. When the dust settled, Oregon State trailed 7-0 with 8:21 remaining in the first quarter. The orange & black blight extended to the Beavers opening drive, with a three-and-out followed by tipped AJ Winsor punt springing the Bobcats next drive near midfield.
A quiet Reser Stadium roared back to life three snaps later, when Oregon State linebacker Gyriece Goodman intercepted Texas State passer Brad Jackson’s pass up the middle. Hope was short lived, however. On first down, right tackle Josiah Timoteo committed a holding penalty. On 2nd and 19, quarterback Braden Atkinson aimed deep down the sideline for freshman wideout Cynai Thomas, and Texas State corner Jayden Bradley climbed the ladder for a leaping interception. The turnover set up Texas State in Beavers’ territory, and 6 plays later they doubled their lead on a Torrance Burgess Jr. plunge across the goal line.
Enter Jesse Legree. On 2nd and 8, Oregon State’s freshman phenom slipped free of zone coverage for a 26 yard catch. Later, Atkinson found Legree on back-to-back throws, leading Oregon State’s offense into the red zone. On 2nd and 4 from Texas State’s 9 yard line, tailback AJ Newberry did the rest. His unchallenged sprint into the end zone put the Beavers on the board with :59 remaining in the first quarter. Notably, the drive pushed OSU’s sophomore gunslinger Atkinson past 3000 passing yards this season. Before tonight, only five other Beavers had accomplished that milestone.
Texas State answered on the first play of the second quarter, with wide receiver Zechariah Sample slipping past the secondary for a 47 yard strike. That explosive play brought the visitors into the red zone, but their threatening drive would end without points. On 3rd and 6, linebacker Aiden Sullivan wrangled Davian Jackson alone in the flat, setting up a Jacob Bonilla field goal attempt which was blocked by long-armed corner TJ Crandall.
Following a three-and-out, Texas State responded with a 6 play, 62 yard drive, highlighted by Davian Jackson’s 40 yard run into the red zone. After replay review denied an apparent touchdown pass to tight end Blake Smith, the drive’s star Jackson punched the pigskin across the goal with a 1 yard run. With 9:20 until halftime, Texas State led 21-7.
After each team traded punts, Oregon State got one last chance before halftime. On 3rd and 5 from Texas State’s 19 yard line, Atkinson couldn’t connect with Texas transfer Aaron Butler on a fade pass in the end zone. On 4th and 5, Newberry caught a short out route across the flat, but Bobcats’ defensive back Treylin Payne roped him down. The tackle forced a turnover on downs with Texas State up 21-7 and just over a minute left. That score carried into halftime after Oregon State edge rusher Takari Hickle dropped Texas State’s passer Jackson on the final snap of the half, and no Texas State timeouts remaining.
Halfway through, the game mirrored Oregon State’s haunted Halloween last Saturday in Fresno. Star quarterback Braden Atkinson completed 14-of-24 passes (58%) for just 130 yards, no touchdowns, and 1 interception. Oregon State lacked balance, calling only 7 true runs and managing just 43 yards on the ground. On the other side, Texas State’s ground game churned 186 yards on 34 carries, helping quarterback Brad Jackson comfortably complete 12-of-16 passes (75%) for 160 yards. no touchdowns, and 1 interception.
Oregon State’s second drive of the half got as far as Texas State’s 4 yard line, before mistakes forced the offense backwards. First, tight end DeCorion Temple committed a holding penalty that forced 1st and 20 from the 24. Then, Texas State linebacker TJ Burkhalter blitzed up the middle to sack Atkinson. After pressure forced a throwaway on 3rd and 28, Oregon State trotted out kicker Caleb Ojeda for his first field goal try tonight. The senior’s 50 yard attempt caromed off the right post, no good.
Texas State countered with a back-breaking 10 play, 68 yard touchdown drive with a mix of efficient runs and medium-range passes consistently moving the sticks. With just 3:13 remaining in the third quarter, the hosts trailed 28-7.
After an Oregon State punt – triggered by a third down Legree catch overruled by replay review – the Bobcats leading rusher Torrance Burgess Jr. raced up the right hashmarks 63 yards. That explosive play ended the third quarter, with Oregon State trailing 28-7, and Texas State on the verge of adding to their lead. Coming out of the commercial break, their quarterback Jackson swept up the alley for a game-clinching 23 yard touchdown.
Oregon State’s prior drive featured an injury to Atkinson’s throwing hand on third down. On their next drive, the Beavers leaned on backup quarterback Maalik Murphy. The senior’s first snap ended in disaster, with Texas State defensive back Craig Royal Jr performing a leaping one-handed interception. The Bobcats cashed in their turnover 4 plays later, with Jackson finding Sample deep 28 yards down the sideline for a touchdown. Later in the final frame, Cornell Hatcher Jr.’s goal line touchdown run brought the Beavers closer. Kourdey Glass added another short touchdown run on the Beavers’ next drive. At the final whistle, Texas State won 42-21.
When the action ended, Texas State’s dominance littered the stat lines. The Bobcats earned exactly 600 yards of total offense, over 300 yards on the ground (386), and edged past Oregon State in time of possession (35:52 to 24:08), thanks to 2 brutal turnovers. Defensively, Texas State only allowed 267 passing yards and 89 rushing yards.
The loss drops Oregon State to 5-4 overall, 3-2 in Pac-12 play, facing a 3 team tie for 2nd place in the conference standings. Texas State (5-4, 3-2) defeated Oregon State, but San Diego State (4-5, 3-2) bested the Bobcats last month, and Oregon State throttled San Diego State in early October. Boise State remains atop the conference unbeaten 5-0 in league play after dispatching Colorado State 64-38. Fittingly, the league-leading Broncos will host the Beavers next Saturday in Boise, with a 3 PM kick scheduled on USA Network.
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