Tag: Beavers

Oct 26, 2024; Berkeley, California, USA; California Golden Bears quarterback Fernando Mendoza (15) carries the ball against the Oregon State Beavers during the second quarter at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Everything clicking for Cal in rout of Oregon State

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Quarterback Fernando Mendoza turned a late lateral from running back Jaivian Thomas into a first-possession touchdown, leading a scoring frenzy that propelled California to a 44-7 shellacking of Oregon State in a nonconference game Saturday afternoon in Berkeley, Calif.

In a matchup of former Pacific-12 Conference rivals, Mendoza also threw a traditional TD pass, Thomas scored on a short run and Derek Morris booted five field goals, allowing the Golden Bears (4-4) to snap a four-game losing skid and remain unbeaten in nonconference play.

Mendoza was credited with both a TD pass and TD reception when, from the Oregon State 9, he flipped a third-down pass to Thomas in the flat. The Cal back was immediately trapped, but alertly lateraled the ball back to an onlooking Mendoza, who raced to the end zone for the game-opening score.

Mendoza connected with Nyziah Hunter from 20 yards out later in the period for a 14-0 lead from which Cal never looked back.

The Golden Bears ran up a 31-0 margin by halftime, with a 2-yard run by Thomas and two-point conversion pass from Mendoza to Mikey Matthews complementing Morris field goals from 33, 46 and 19 yards.

Morris added a fourth field goal from 25 yards in the third period and 38 yards in the fourth, the latter completing Cal’s scoring after Jamaal Wiley had added a 1-yard TD run late in the third quarter.

Oregon State (4-4) finally got on the scoreboard with 5:00 remaining on a 2-yard pass from backup quarterback Ben Gulbranson to Trent Walker.

Mendoza finished 27-for-36 for a career-high 364 yards without an interception. Hunter hauled in four of the passes for 85 yards, and Trond Grizzell had five catches for a game-high 95 yards.

Cal star running back Jaydn Ott returned from an ankle injury to contribute four catches for 58 yards as well as 11 rushing yards on 10 carries. Thomas was the Golden Bears’ leading rusher with 33 yards on seven attempts.

Gulbranson completed 11 of his 20 passes for 131 yards, also without an interception. Walker had five catches for 58 yards, while Anthony Hankerson was Oregon State’s top ballcarrier with 49 yards on 16 carries.

While Cal played error-free ball, the Beavers suffered two turnovers — a fumble and an interception thrown by starting quarterback Gevani McCoy, who went 2-for-5 for 3 yards before being replaced by Gulbranson.

–Field Level Media

Oregon running back Jordan James dives into the end zone for a touchdown as the Oregon State Beavers host the Oregon Ducks Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024 at Reser Stadium in Corvallis, Ore.

No. 9 Oregon’s offense erupts in rout of rival Oregon State

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No. 9 Oregon found consistency on offense in a big way on Saturday, thumping host Oregon State 49-14 in Corvallis, Ore.

Oregon (3-0) scored on eight possessions and turned an eight-point lead into a blowout for its first win at Oregon State since 2018. Dillon Gabriel finished 20-of-24 passing for 291 yards with two touchdown passes and added another touchdown on the ground.

Jordan James had 86 yards on 12 carries, including a touchdown in each half, and Noah Whittington added 64 rushing yards, including a 27-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. Tysheem Johnson reeled in seven catches for 110 yards as the gained 546 yards of total offense against a defense that had allowed 15 points combined in its first two games.

Oregon won for the 14th time in the last 17 games in the in-state rivalry and outscored Oregon State (2-1) 27-0 in the second half after taking a 22-14 halftime lead. In the second half, former Beavers kicker Atticus Sappington made both field goal attempts and Jayden Limar took a screen pass 65 yards for a touchdown with 10:43 to play in the game.

Oregon had the ball for roughly nine minutes in the first half but scored touchdowns on all three possessions. James ran for a 4-yard touchdown on the first drive, then Gabriel found a hole on the left side and outran the Beavers defense 54 yards for a score. With a 2-point conversion, the Ducks led 15-7.

The Ducks took a 22-7 lead with 6:43 to play in the second quarter on Gabriel’s 20-yard strike to Traeshon Holden in the back of the end zone.

Oregon State moved the ball 81 yards on 14 plays for a 1-yard touchdown run for Anthony Hankerson, who capped off the Beavers’ first drive of the game with a 6-yard rushing touchdown.

The Beavers couldn’t stop Gabriel, who was 10-of-10 passing for 114 yards in the first half and completed a career-high 15 straight passes before throwing his first incompletion early in the third.

Oregon State had 116 rushing yards at halftime but was held to 15 in the second half. Hankers had 57 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries for the game and Gevani McCoy completed 22 of 34 passes for 172 yards.

–Field Level Media

Sep 7, 2024; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel (8) looks down field to pass the ball during the second half against the Boise State Broncos at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

‘Fun game for the state of Oregon’: No. 9 Ducks vs. Beavers

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Despite only a three-point win at home over Boise State last week, Oregon remains a top-10 team.

The ninth-ranked Ducks (2-0) have shown how good they can be with a big-play offense, a possible Heisman Trophy candidate in quarterback Dillon Gabriel, and an athletic defense, but there have been too many penalties, sacks and turnovers for AP poll voters to keep them at No. 3 in the nation, where they began the season.

Now comes a rivalry game against Oregon State (2-0) in Corvallis, Ore., on Saturday afternoon. The Beavers and Ducks for decades were in-state rivals in the Pacific-8, Pac-10 and Pac-12 conferences, and this season Oregon is making its Big Ten debut while Oregon State remains in the Pac-12 alone with Washington State.

Oregon and Oregon State will meet for the 128th time and will play as non-conference opponents for the first time since 1963. The programs, at schools less than an hour’s drive apart, will play in September for the first time in the history of the rivalry, according to the Ducks’ sports information office.

This is the earliest in the season the Ducks and Beavers have faced each other, and the first time in a month other than November or December since October 1945. Oregon is 68-49-10 all-time against Oregon State and has won 13 of the past 16 meetings, including 31-7 last season in Eugene.

But the Ducks haven’t won at Reser Stadium in Corvallis since 2018.

“This is a fun game for the state of Oregon; it’s certainly a fun game for our players. I think they know exactly what it means. It means a little bit more,” Ducks coach Dan Lanning said. “Is it another game? Yeah, it’s another game. Is it important for us? It’s very important for us. Our guys want to go out there and have success.”

Oregon State, like Oregon, has wins over a Big Sky Conference team and a Mountain West team this season. The Beavers posted a 21-0 shutout of San Diego State on the road last weekend and have two running backs in the nation’s top 20 in rushing yards — Jam Griffin (124.5 yards per game, 12th) and Anthony Hankerson (113.0, 17th).

Head coach Trent Bray’s defense has held opponents to a combined 15 points in the first two games, the fewest allowed by Oregon State to open the season since the 2002 Beavers gave up 13.

Oregon State surely will look to run the ball after Oregon gave up 192 rushing yards and three touchdowns to Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty last week.

“The great teams that I’ve been around or have watched have been great running football teams. That’s where it starts,” Bray said. “Your ability to close out games, you’ve got to be able to run the football. It definitely helps your defense stay off the field, so it helps you play better defense.”

–Field Level Media

Dec 29, 2023; El Paso, TX, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Steve Angeli (18) drops back to pass against the Oregon State Beavers defense in the first half at Sun Bowl Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ivan Pierre Aguirre-USA TODAY Sports

No. 16 Notre Dame steamrolls No. 19 Oregon State to win Sun Bowl

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Steve Angeli passed for three touchdowns in his first career start as No. 16 Notre Dame shellacked No. 19 Oregon State 40-8 on Friday in the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas.

Angeli drew the start after Sam Hartman opted out of the game and he stood out by completing 14 of 18 passes for 212 yards for the Fighting Irish (10-3). Jordan Faison had five receptions for 115 yards and a touchdown and Jadarian Price rushed for 106 yards and a score for Notre Dame.

Jayden Thomas and Jeremiyah Love also caught touchdown passes and Chase Ketterer tacked on a rushing score for the Fighting Irish.

Ben Gulbranson was 16-of-27 passing for 180 yards, one touchdown and one interception for the Beavers (8-5), who lost their third straight game. Gulbranson threw just one pass in the regular season but became the starter for the bowl game after both DJ Uiagalelei and Aidan Chiles entered the transfer portal.

The Beavers were also without star running back Damien Martinez and leading tackler Easton Mascarenas-Arnold. In addition, wide receivers coach Kefense Hynson served as interim coach after Jonathan Smith departed for the Michigan State gig.

Oregon State avoided the shutout when Gulbranson tossed a 33-yard touchdown pass to Jimmy Valsin III with 6:19 left in the game. Tyler Voltin ran in for the two-point conversion.

The Fighting Irish outgained the Beavers 448-197. Oregon State netted 2 yards on the ground while Notre Dame piled up 236.

Notre Dame was dominant throughout and increased its lead to 24 with 10 third-quarter points.

Spencer Shrader booted a 44-yard field goal with 9:43 left in the third quarter to give the Fighting Irish a 17-0 lead.

Six-plus minutes later, Angeli threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Faison.

In the fourth quarter, Notre Dame’s Gi’Bran Payne was stopped at the Oregon State 1-yard line on fourth down to turn the ball over to the Beavers.

On the next play, Oregon State’s Isaiah Newell couldn’t make it out of the end zone as the Fighting Irish added a safety with 11:24 remaining. Notre Dame then increased the lead to 33-0 on Angeli’s 13-yard touchdown pass to Love en route to finishing off the win.

Notre Dame limited the Beavers to 103 total yards while taking a 14-0 halftime advantage.

The Fighting Irish moved ahead when Angeli tossed an 8-yard scoring pass to Thomas with 6:47 left in the first quarter.

Price’s 1-yard run with 27 seconds left in the half gave Notre Dame the 14-point margin.

–Field Level Media

Nov 11, 2023; Corvallis, Oregon, USA; Oregon State Beavers running back Damien Martinez (6) celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the first half against the Stanford Cardinal at Reser Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports

Oregon State RB Damien Martinez arrested on suspicion of DUII

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Oregon State running back Damien Martinez was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of driving under the influence of intoxicants, according to police in Corvallis, Ore.

The Corvallis police log notes a 19-year-old male, confirmed to be Martinez, is accused of DUII, reckless driving and reckless endangering after a traffic stop for running a red light.

Because Martinez is under 21, he was also cited for possession of marijuana as a minor.

Martinez addressed his situation in a post on social media Thursday.

“Made a mistake, I am fine, I WAS FINE, I’ll be fine…” Martinez wrote.

It was unknown what discipline Martinez would face as the No. 20 Beavers await a bowl game assignment.

The Beavers went 8-4 in the regular season, and Martinez led them in rushing, ranking second in the Pac-12 with 1,185 yards. He scored nine touchdowns.

Oregon State already was in a state of flux with coach Jonathan Smith leaving for the Michigan State job and quarterback DJ Uiagalelei reportedly preparing to enter the transfer portal.

–Field Level Media

Sep 9, 2023; Pullman, Washington, USA; Washington State Cougars quarterback Cameron Ward (1) is chased out of the pocket by Wisconsin Badgers linebacker Maema Njongmeta (55) in the first half at Gesa Field at Martin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-USA TODAY Sports

Pac-2 party: No. 21 Washington St. hosts No. 14 Oregon St.

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The championship of the Pac-2 will be on the line Saturday when No. 14 Oregon State plays No. 21 Washington State in Pullman, Wash.

Wait, what?

OK, it’s still the Pac-12 for now. And a mighty impressive one, with eight teams ranked in the top 12.

But a year from now, when Oregon, Southern California, UCLA and Washington bolt for the Big Ten; Arizona, Arizona State, Utah and Colorado join the Big 12; and Cal and Stanford set sail for the Atlantic Coast Conference, the Beavers and Cougars will be all that’s left of the so-called Conference of Champions.

“We belong in the Power 5,” Washington State coach Jake Dickert said on ESPN after his Cougars defeated then-ranked Wisconsin 31-22 on Sept. 9.

The Cougars (3-0), who have also won handily at Colorado State and against Northern Colorado, have adopted an “us-against-the-world” philosophy.

“Washington State’s gonna thrive … The Cougars are gonna make it,” Dickert said. “Cougs vs. everybody.”

WSU’s Cameron Ward has completed 77 of 107 passes (72.0 percent) while throwing for 990 yards, nine touchdowns and no interceptions as the Cougars have averaged 48.3 points per game.

Ward has found plenty of rest in the two blowouts, keeping him fresh for conference play.

“It’s helped me physically for sure, to start Pac play,” Ward said. “The past three games, they really don’t mean anything. Everything comes down to this Saturday.

“This is what we worked for this summer. It all comes down to Saturdays. We try to go 1-0. So it’s a mindset, but it for sure helps me physically.”

The Beavers (3-0) easily defeated San Jose State and UC Davis to open the season before a 26-9 victory against visiting San Diego State last weekend.

Quarterback DJ Uiagalelei, a transfer from Clemson, has completed 42 of 68 passes for 630 yards and six TDs with two interceptions. He has also rushed for four scores.

Oregon State running back Damien Martinez has 351 yards on 40 carries.

Oregon State coach Jonathan Smith has generally steered clear of discussion of the Beavers’ future past this season.

“We’re focused with the task at hand, what is right in front of us,” Smith said. “I totally agree with Coach Dickert in regard that Oregon State and Washington State belonging and competing at the highest level.

“There’s a proven product, not just in football but in all sports. Both … have had serious success and that should continue.”

Instead, Smith has kept focused on Saturday’s conference opener.

“The meaning is Game 1 of conference play, and you want to get off to a good start,” Smith said. “It’s going to be competitive over there and obviously, we’re trying to win the game. Those are the kinds of things I think about.”

Pullman has been a tough place for the Beavers to play in recent seasons.

In 2019, Max Borghi scored a touchdown with two seconds left to lift Washington State to a 54-53 victory. Two years ago, WSU prevailed 31-24 after the Beavers’ potential tying drive stalled inside the Cougars’ 10-yard line with 33 seconds left.

Smith said those losses should serve as motivation for the Beavers this week.

“I think it helps. They do carry it, and they recognize how tough it is to win up there,” Smith said.

–Field Level Media

Sep 9, 2023; Corvallis, Oregon, USA; Oregon State Beavers quarterback DJ Uiagalelei (5) looks to throw during the first half against the UC Davis Aggies at Reser Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports

No. 16 Oregon St. hopes to stay turnover-free, faces San Diego St.

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Oregon State head coach Jonathan Smith looked for some wood to knock on when a reporter told him that his team had yet to commit a turnover this season.

Fortunately, a lectern was right in front of him.

“It’s a good thing, obviously, not turning the ball over, especially early in the season,” Smith said. “We don’t do a ton of live reps — ball carrying, tackling — in August, so the first couple games you’re still feeling that out. So far, so good.

“We’re not going into games where the ultimate goal is, ‘Don’t turn it over.’ We’ve got a mindset where we want to be aggressive. But after two, we’ll take it.”

No. 16 Oregon State (2-0) will try to maintain its early-season success when it hosts San Diego State (2-1) on Saturday afternoon in a nonconference matchup in Corvallis, Ore.

The Beavers are coming off back-to-back wins against San Jose State and UC Davis, and neither outcome was close. They rolled to a 42-17 win in their opener and followed that with a 55-7 result in their encore performance.

Now comes another test from the Aztecs, who won their first two games over Ohio and Idaho State before losing 35-10 against UCLA last week.

San Diego State head coach Brady Hoke said his team would take lessons from the loss to UCLA as it prepared for a second straight game against a Pac-12 opponent.

“We’ve got to learn from this one because next week is just as difficult,” Hoke said. “When I say that, I’m talking about (Oregon State) as a good team. They’re a (heck) of a football team. We’ve got to get better this week. We’ve got to make sure that we’re all on the same page.”

Oregon State is led by quarterback DJ Uiagalelei, a Clemson transfer who has completed 73.7 percent of his passes this season for 346 yards and five touchdowns. He also has scored three touchdowns on the ground.

Six Beavers players have caught a touchdown pass.

“You want to have some depth,” Smith said. “I think DJ as quarterback has some confidence in multiple guys out there, so that’s a good thing. Moving forward, as the season goes, you’re going to need more than one or two guys at a position.”

As Oregon State has piled up impressive statistics on offense, perhaps more impressive has been their defensive play thus far. The Beavers have allowed only 24 points, and defensive back Jaden Robinson has made life difficult for opposing quarterbacks by making seven tackles and breaking up three passes in two games.

San Diego State quarterback Jalen Mayden will try to be the first signal-caller this season to outwit the Beavers’ secondary. Mayden has completed 59.5 percent of his passes for 445 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions, and he has rushed for a team-high 184 yards with two touchdowns.

Wideout Mekhi Shaw leads Aztec receivers with 104 receiving yards to go along with a touchdown. Tight end Mark Redman has two touchdowns among his team-high 12 receptions for 102 yards.

This will be the programs’ first meeting since 2014, when Oregon State won 28-14 at home. The Beavers lead the all-time series 3-2.

–Field Level Media

Oregon State head coach Jonathan Smith walks the field before the spring showcase at Reser Stadium, Saturday, April 22, 2023, in Corvallis, Ore. Oregon State Spring Game597

DJ Uiagalelei has strong debut, No. 18 Oregon St. tops San Jose St.

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DJ Uiagalelei completed 20 of 25 passes for 239 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for two more touchdowns, and No. 18 Oregon State cruised to a 42-17 win over San Jose State on Sunday afternoon in San Jose, Calif.

Deshaun Fenwick added a rushing touchdown for the Beavers (1-0), who picked up where they left off after winning seven of their last eight games to end the 2022 season. Jack Velling, Jeremiah Noga and Anthony Gould had one touchdown reception apiece.

Chevan Cordeiro completed 18 of 32 passes for 143 yards for San Jose State (0-2).

Oregon State opened the scoring with 5:51 to go in the first quarter. Uiagalelei, in his team debut after transferring from Clemson, kept the ball and scored on a 1-yard run to finish off an 11-play, 82-yard drive.

San Jose State pulled within 7-3 with 9:24 left in the second quarter when Kyler Halvorsen made a 41-yard field goal.

The Beavers responded with two touchdowns in the final five minutes of the first half to grab a 21-3 lead heading into the break.

First, Uiagalelei connected with Velling for a 14-yard touchdown with 4:21 to play. Uiagalelei added his second rushing touchdown with 14 seconds to go in the half.

Oregon State maintained its dominance in the third quarter, as Uiagalelei found Noga for a 31-yard touchdown with 6:02 left in the frame. That increased the Beavers’ lead to 28-3.

San Jose State notched its first touchdown of the game with 14:52 left in the fourth quarter. Cordeiro fumbled near the goal line, and tight end Sam Olson pounced on the ball in the end zone for a score.

The Beavers made it 35-10 on Uiagalelei’s 28-yard touchdown pass to Gould with 10:13 to go.

Fenwick added a 3-yard rushing touchdown for Oregon State with 3:13 remaining.

San Jose State capped the scoring on a 19-yard touchdown pass from backup quarterback Jay Butterfield to Branden Alvarez with four seconds left.

–Field Level Media

Oregon State quarterback DJ Uiagalelei (5) passes the ball during the spring showcase at Reser Stadium, Saturday, April 22, 2023, in Corvallis, Ore. Oregon State Spring Game679

Reports: DJ Uiagalelei wins Oregon State’s starting QB job

Posted on | by Field Level Media

DJ Uiagalelei will be Oregon State’s starting quarterback to open the 2023 season, the Oregonian, ESPN and The Athletic reported Tuesday.

He beat out returning redshirt sophomore Ben Gulbranson and true freshman Aidan Chiles for the role.

Uiagalelei, who succeeded Trevor Lawrence as Clemson’s starting quarterback, transferred to Oregon State after three seasons with the Tigers. The former five-star recruit threw for 2,521 yards, 22 touchdowns and seven interceptions in 2022 and was benched in favor of true freshman Cade Klubnik in last year’s Atlantic Coast Conference championship game.

In 36 career games at Clemson, Uiagalelei completed 59.8 percent of his passes for 5,681 yards with 36 touchdowns and 17 interceptions.

The Beavers are ranked No. 18 in the Associated Press preseason Top 25 poll. They went 10-3 in 2022 — their first 10-win season since 2006. The season was capped by a 30-3 blowout of Florida in the Las Vegas Bowl.

–Field Level Media

Nov 19, 2022; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Oregon State Beavers linebacker Omar Speights (1) against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Sun Devil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Reports: Oregon State All-Pac-12 LB Omar Speights to transfer

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Oregon State linebacker Omar Speights entered the transfer portal on Thursday, multiple reports said.

Speights, a team captain, led the Beavers last season with 83 tackles, including eight tackles for loss. He earned first-team All-Pac-12 honors.

In four seasons at Oregon State, Speights played in 45 games and amassed 308 tackles (25 for loss), five sacks, three interceptions and three fumble recoveries.

The Beavers went 10-3 in 2022 and finished the season ranked No. 17 in the AP Top 25 poll.

–Field Level Media