Tag: Oregon State

Aug 30, 2024; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils quarterback Maalik Murphy (6) goes to throw the ball against the Elon Phoenix during the second half at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images

Former Duke QB Maalik Murphy transferring to Oregon State

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Former Duke quarterback Maalik Murphy told ESPN that he is transferring to Oregon State.

Murphy reportedly visited Oregon State on Wednesday after stops at Kentucky and Auburn.

He will have two more seasons of eligibility with the Beavers.

“Lets get to work Beaver Nation!” Murphy posted on X.

Murphy entered the transfer portal on Dec. 10, one day before Tulane transfer Darian Mensah committed to the Blue Devils.

The 6-foot-5 Murphy is expected to be under center for Oregon State, which also has backups Gabarri Johnson and Kallen Gutridge returning next season.

Murphy spent the first three seasons of his collegiate career at Texas, however he was sandwiched between Quinn Ewers and Arch Manning. His decision to transfer to Duke paid immediate dividends this season, as he set the school record with 26 touchdowns while completing 254 of 421 passes for 2,933 yards.

Murphy started two games at Texas in 2023 when Ewers was injured.

–Field Level Media

Nov 16, 2024; San Jose, California, USA; Boise State Broncos running back Ashton Jeanty (2) runs for a touchdown against the San Jose State Spartans in the third quarter at CEFCU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

Playoff-focused No. 11 Boise State breaks for breakfast with Beavers

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Boise State might need a wakeup call for the Friday morning game against visiting Oregon State.

But as long as the No. 11 Broncos (10-1) are alert enough to bag a 10th straight victory when they meet the Beavers in a game that kicks off at 10 a.m. local time, Boise State would be on the doorstep of a first-round bye in the 12-team College Football Playoff.

The Broncos would also need to win the Mountain West title game on Dec. 6 — the opponent will probably be No. 22 UNLV — to make sure it holds off No. 17 Tulane of the American Athletic Conference for the automatic spot that goes to a conference champion outside the power four leagues.

A loss to Oregon State (5-6) would mean a devastating hit to a Boise State resume where the lone loss is to No. 1 Oregon on a last-second field goal in Eugene.

The Broncos certainly rely on all-everything running back Ashton Jeanty against the Beavers.

Jeanty, a top Heisman Trophy candidate, leads the nation with 2,062 rushing yards and 27 rushing touchdowns and is the fourth FBS player since 1956 to have 2,000 yards and 25 touchdowns through 11 games. The others are Oklahoma State’s Barry Sanders (2,628 yards, 37 touchdowns in 1988), Texas’ Ricky Williams (2,124, 27 in 1998) and Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon (2,109, 25 in 2014).

He also ranks second in Boise State history with 4,230 career rushing yards. The leader is Cedric Minter (4,550 from 1977-80).

Jeanty has racked up four 200-yard outings — a school-record 267 against Georgia Southern, 259 against Washington State, 217 versus Hawaii and 209 against Nevada.

Beavers coach Trent Bray marvels at the player who is a finalist for the Doak Walker Award (top running back), Maxwell Award (player of the year) and Walter Camp Award (most outstanding player).

“The kid is just, he’s unbelievable,” Bray said during a press conference. “You watch the Washington State game, Washington State has him hit in the backfield a bunch, and he just breaks a tackle and creates an explosive run. He’s just a really good player. Tough, physical. He’s tough to stop and he’s really what makes them go, there’s no doubt about it.”

Still, the Broncos could use a statement game after struggling with host San Jose State two weeks ago and rallying to beat host Wyoming 17-13 last weekend.

“Championship teams find ways to win, and they also learn from the wins,” Boise State head coach Spencer Danielson said during a press conference. “Our guys battled, and I’m proud of them.

“We know Oregon State is coming off a huge win against Washington State. … They are playing their best football right now, no questions asked. They’ve had some guys hurt, some guys banged up, they’re back healthy. You saw what they did against a really good opponent.”

Oregon State snapped a five-game losing streak last weekend with a 41-38 home victory over Washington State. Everett Hayes kicked a 55-yarder with 20 seconds left to give the Beavers the victory.

“It kind of gets to a point in the game where you kind of look at the score and you realize, ‘Wow, it’s going to come down to me,’” Hayes said.

Ben Gulbranson returned from a one-game absence due to a concussion to pass for a career-best 294 yards. Trent Walker also stood out with 136 yards on a season-best 12 catches to raise his season totals to 77 and 849, respectively.

Oregon State owns a 6-4 series lead over the Broncos. The Beavers won the most recent meeting 34-17 in 2022 at Corvallis.

–Field Level Media

Nov 23, 2024; Corvallis, Oregon, USA; Oregon State Beavers quarterback Ben Gulbranson (17) throws during the second quarter against the Washington State Cougars at Reser Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

Oregon State outlasts Washington State in Pac-12 shootout

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Everett Hayes booted a 55-yard field goal with 20 seconds left to lift Oregon State to a wild 41-38 victory over Washington State on Saturday night at Corvallis, Ore., in the lone Pac-12 game of the season.

Ben Gulbranson completed 22 of 34 passes for 294 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions as Oregon State (5-6, 1-0 Pac-12) halted a five-game losing streak.

The Beavers’ winning points followed a costly turnover by Washington State’s Kyle Williams. After catching a pass, Williams lost a fumble that was recovered by Oregon State’s Jaden Robinson at the Cougars’ 49-yard line with just under two minutes remaining.

John Mateer was 17-of-23 passing for 250 yards and two touchdowns and also rushed for 75 yards and two scores for Washington State (8-3, 0-1).

The victory was just Oregon State’s second in the past 11 meetings with the Cougars.

Ten teams formally departed the Pac-12 in the summer to join other leagues. Washington State and Oregon State will be part of a rebuilt Pac-12 that begins with the 2026-27 school year.

Trent Walker caught 12 passes for 136 yards, Jermaine Terry II had five receptions for 92 yards and a touchdown and Darrius Clemons also caught a scoring pass for the Beavers.

Taariq Al-Uqdah returned an interception for a touchdown for the Cougars. Carlos Hernandez and Williams (five catches, 95 yards) had scoring receptions.

Oregon State held a 31-24 lead after Gulbranson tossed a 43-yard touchdown pass to Terry with 1:41 to go in the third quarter.

The Cougars knotted the score on Mateer’s 4-yard run with 12:04 left in the game.

Two plays later, Al-Uqdah stepped in front of Gulbranson’s pass and returned it 29 yards to put Washington State back ahead.

The Beavers battled back with a 16-play, 75-yard drive that was capped by Gulbranson’s 4-yard scoring pass to Clemons to tie it at 38 with 2:45 left in the game.

Both teams scored a touchdown in the first quarter, and Gulbranson’s 1-yard run with 13 seconds left in the second quarter gave the Beavers a 21-17 halftime lead.

Hayes booted a 46-yard field goal to give the Beavers a 24-17 advantage early in the third quarter. The Cougars pulled even when Williams caught a pass in the right flat and turned it into a 57-yard touchdown.

–Field Level Media

Oct 19, 2024; Pullman, Washington, USA; Washington State Cougars head coach Jake Dickert celebrates after a missed field goal attempt by the Hawaii Warriors in the first half at Gesa Field at Martin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-Imagn Images

Abandoned rivals reunion pits Oregon State, Washington State

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The Pacific-12 Conference championship will be on the line when Washington State plays Oregon State on Saturday in Corvallis, Ore. Or perhaps that should be the Pac-2 championship.

With 10 teams bolting for other conferences this fall, the Cougars (8-2) and Beavers (4-6) are all that’s left of the Pac-12.

That makes Saturday’s showdown the lone conference game of the season.

There seemingly was a camaraderie that developed between the two schools as they’ve tried to keep the brand alive. But WSU coach Jake Dickert isn’t buying the friendly territory chatter as the Cougars hit the road.

“First thing, I’ve never gotten into, like, they’re our buddy. Oregon State’s not our buddy. They would have left us as fast as we would have left them. This is what it is. It’s one of our biggest rivals now,” Dickert said. “That’s the way I looked at it. That’s not bulletin board material. I hope they would say it the same way, let’s go compete. We’ve been waiting to compete with these guys.

“They’ve dealt with a lot of adversity. We’ve dealt with a lot of adversity. I think it’s going be an energized (game). Their stadium is going to be packed, and there’s going to be a lot of Cougs there. To know that this is going to be opponent that we’re going to play for a long time, let’s go do it.”

The Cougars dropped out of the College Football Playoff race with a stunning 38-35 loss at New Mexico on Saturday. The loss wasted a peak performance from quarterback John Mateer completing 25 of 36 passes for 375 yards and four touchdowns.

The Beavers have lost five consecutive games, including a 28-0 defeat Saturday at Air Force.

“When you lose like we’ve lost the last five weeks, it’s never just one thing, and it’s certainly not just the players,” Beavers coach Trent Bray said. “Absolutely, I challenge myself and the coaches to come up with a better way to get these guys to perform at the level we know.”

The Beavers’ biggest problem is at quarterback. Transfer Gevani McCoy has started eight of nine games, but has twice as many interceptions (six) as touchdown passes (three) and was benched at halftime last week for freshman Gabarri Johnson. Junior Ben Gulbranson has starting experience but missed last week’s game with an injury.

“It’s hard to get a beat and a pulse on them,” Dickert said. “I’m sure that’s what they’re feeling a little bit offensively too, as well, and who gives them the best chance of winning. We’ll prepare for all three (QBs).”

–Field Level Media

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

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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

Sep 23, 2023; Pullman, Washington, USA; Washington State Cougars head coach Jake Dickert celebrates after a game against the Oregon State Beavers at Gesa Field at Martin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-Imagn Images

Oregon State, Washington State to play twice in 2025

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Pac-12 leftovers Oregon State and Washington State will play two games against each other in 2025, the schools announced Wednesday.

The home-and-home matchup is making it easier for the schools to fill up their schedules for next season. The agreement completed Oregon State’s 12-game slate while Washington State has 10 announced opponents.

Oregon State will host the Cougars on Nov. 1, while Washington State will host the Beavers on Nov. 29.

“We’re excited to have a second straight year with seven dates at Reser Stadium,” Beavers athletic director Scott Barnes said in a news release. “We elected to play two games against Washington State in order to maximize the strength of this schedule, which includes intriguing matchups both at home and on the road.”

The two schools were left behind after the collapse of the Pac-12. They are part of a pledged league to begin play in 2026 that includes current Mountain West members Boise State, San Diego State, Colorado State, Fresno State and Utah State. Gonzaga is a basketball member.

Oregon State’s 2025 schedule includes a road game against longtime rival Oregon. The Beavers also visit Texas Tech while the home slate includes games against Cal and Wake Forest.

Washington State has two games to fill. The Cougars host Washington in their annual Apple Cup matchup and also have San Diego State visiting Pullman. The road slate includes trips to Virginia and Ole Miss.

Oregon State and Washington State had a scheduling agreement with the Mountain West for this season but that won’t continue. After the breakdown in negotiations, the five Mountain West teams opted to join the two schools to form a revised Pac-12.

–Field Level Media

October 7, 2023; Berkeley, California, USA; California Golden Bears running back Jaydn Ott (1) is tackled by Oregon State Beavers defensive back Kitan Oladapo (28) during the second quarter at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Oregon State, Cal continue rivalry as nonconference foes

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Longtime Pac-12 combatants Oregon State and California renew their rivalry as nonconference opponents on Saturday when the teams duel in Berkeley, Calif.

The Beavers (4-3) and Golden Bears (3-4) have met 75 times since 1917. Cal saw its all-time lead trimmed to 38-37 after a 52-40 home loss last October in a Pac-12 contest.

Both teams bring losing streaks into this year’s contest, which is part of a two-year agreement to play nonconference games — one at each site.

Competing as an independent this year, Oregon State has dropped two consecutive narrow decisions — 42-37 at Nevada and 33-25 at home last Saturday against UNLV. The Beavers ended last week’s game at the Rebels’ 6-yard line, spoiling a brilliant all-around effort by quarterback Gevani McCoy, who passed for 231 yards and rushed for an additional 81.

Oregon State coach Trent Bray sees a similarity between his team and Cal.

“(I) think they’re kind of looking for that same thing we are,” he said. “We got to eliminate self-inflicted mistakes that in tight games against good opponents will keep you from winning.”

Cal has fallen victim to kicker issues in a string of four straight losses by a total of nine points to open its inaugural Atlantic Coast Conference campaign.

Sandwiching a 39-38 home loss to Miami in which the Golden Bears blew a 38-18 lead in the fourth quarter, Cal kicker Ryan Coe missed two field goals in a 14-9 loss at Florida State and a potential go-ahead 40-yarder late in a 17-15 defeat at Pittsburgh.

Cal coach Justin Wilcox made a kicker change before last week’s home game against North Carolina State, then watched freshman Derek Morris connect from 51, 26 and 24 yards. But with the game on the line, Morris missed from 28 yards out, allowing the Wolfpack to escape with a 24-23 win.

As it prepares for four more ACC contests, Cal hopes to energize its offense with the return of injured running back Jaydn Ott and debut of wideout Tobias Merriweather, a Notre Dame transfer, this week.

Wilcox said both would be game-day decisions, but it’s clear Golden Bears players are looking forward to seeing it happen.

“When we’re healthy on offense,” safety Craig Woodson boasted, “we can put up any amount of points we want to.”

–Field Level Media

Sep 21, 2024; Corvallis, Oregon, USA; Oregon State Beavers linebacker Zakaih Saez (10) intercepts a pass for a touchdown during the first quarter against the Purdue Boilermakers at Reser Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

Oregon State leans on rushing attack to beat Purdue

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Jam Griffin rushed for 137 yards on 22 carries with a touchdown in Oregon State’s 38-21 victory Saturday night over Purdue at Corvallis, Ore.

Anthony Hankerson had 89 yards and two touchdowns on 20 rushes for the Beavers (3-1).

Oregon State finished with 341 rushing yards as part of its 445 yards of total offense.
Purdue (1-2) rushed for 263 yards, led by Devin Mockobee’s 168 yards on 16 carries with a touchdown, but the Boilermakers mustered only 56 passing yards.

Hudson Card, formerly of Texas, completed 7 of 17 passes for the Boilermakers.

Gevani McCoy passed for 104 yards for Oregon State while completing 10 of 18 pass attempts. He also rushed for 66 yards on 10 carries.

Zakaih Saez of Oregon State started the scoring with a 20-yard interception return for a touchdown with 7:37 left in the first quarter.

Purdue then had a three-and-out that was followed by Oregon State’s 12-play, 71-yard drive that took 7:34 off the clock.

Hankerson capped the possession with a 1-yard touchdown run with 14:14 left in the second quarter that gave Oregon State a 14-0 lead.

Purdue suffered a turnover on downs in its next possession after driving to the Oregon State 13. Reggie Love III was stopped for a 1-yard gain when he needed 2 for the first down.

After Oregon State had a three-and-out, Purdue went 47 yards in two plays, culminating with Card’s 32-yard touchdown pass to Max Klare, cutting the lead to 14-7 with 6:30 remaining to halftime.

Oregon State’s lead increased to 24-7 with 50 seconds left in the third quarter after Zachary Card (no relation to Hudson Card) ran 26 yards for a touchdown.

The teams each scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter with Oregon State answering both of Purdue’s scores.

After Love’s 2-yard scoring run with 12:49 left cut the lead to 24-14, Oregon State responded with a 75-yard drive that was capped by Griffin’s 14-yard touchdown run.

Mockobee then scored on a 3-yard run that completed a 75-yard drive that cut the Beavers’ lead to 31-21 with 6:59 remaining.

The Beavers answered again on Hankerson’s 12-yard touchdown run with 1:53 left.
Oregon State drove 42 yards for that score after Purdue’s failed onside kick attempt.

–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