Washington State Football defeats Oregon State, 38-35

Oregon State dropped a tough game in Pullman, Washington Saturday evening. Despite a potent rushing attack (and dominant Deshaun Fenwick performance) the Beaver defense couldn’t stop Washington State frequently enough to get the victory. Oregon State’s passing attack left a lot to be desired especially compared to the Cougs lethal spread offense.

Here’s how it all went down:

FIRST HALF

Things got off to an ominous start when Washington State needed just 2 plays to score a touchdown. Kyle Williams took advantage of a blown Oregon State assignment to get behind the defense and haul in a 63 yard TD catch. An awkward pitch/fumble to Damien Martinez on 3rd-and-2 forced the Beavers to punt on their first possession. Washington State took advantage and went on a 9-play, 90-yard touchdown drive to take the 14-0 lead. That drive included a stunning catch from Josh Kelly. Oregon State’s secondary was getting torched and it culminated with one our players throwing a punch setting up 1st-and-goal instead of a tense third down attempt. The Beavers offense finally answered with a run-heavy drive of their own. Deshaun Fenwick ran in a beautiful 38-yarder for the first of his three TDs. Another long WSU touchdown drive followed by an DJ Uiagalelei interception meant things were dire for the Beavs. Oregon State’s defense made a couple of big plays recovering fumbles on back-to-back possessions. DJ Uiagalelei hit Silas Bolden for the Beavers longest play of the day (a 50 yard catch) to set up another Deshaun Fenwick TD, 21-14 WSU. The Beavers offense couldn’t capitalize on the 2nd turnover though, immediately turning it over on down. Washington State’s offense wouldn’t stay down for long as Cam Ward hit Josh Kelly for a touchdown after having about 8 seconds without feeling any pressure. Oregon State found themselves down 28-14 at the break.

SECOND HALF

Beaver fans were of course hoping for a rejuvenated offense to start the 3rd quarter, but that did not happen. Instead the next two Oregon State drives went 4-plays, 9 yards (turnover on downs) and then 4-plays, 9 yards (punt). WSU missed a long field goal to keep the score tied though. But a 12-play, 83-yard WSU drive felt like a dagger. Josh Kelly made another impressive catch to haul in the TD, 35-14 Cougs. To Oregon State’s credit they never gave up, scoring touchdowns on their final three possessions. If it wasn’t for a WSU doinked field goal (that still bounced in) this game could have gone into overtime. Oregon State also had a shot at recovering the onside kick with 1 minute remaining, but as was the theme in this game it was just another squandered opportunity. Washington State walked away with a well-deserved 38-35 win.

The Pros:

• It’s just one road game against a very good Washington State team. The Beavers have the opportunity to bounce back against a Utah team that has the best defense in the conference. Oregon State can still accomplish all their goals this season moving forward.
• Deshaun Fenwick take a bow. 101 yards and 3 TDs (only 11 carries).
• Frustrating outcome and game, but I appreciated the fight this Oregon State team showed.

The Cons:

• For the 2nd straight game DJ Uiagalelei was not sharp. I question the play calling and the Beavers need some receivers to step up more often, but it was obviously rough at times today for DJU.
• This Oregon State secondary is not as good as last season. They buckled down in the 2nd half, but Cam Ward with 404 yards & 4 touchdowns = OUCH. Kyle Williams and Josh Kelly deserve a bunch of credit as well.
• Cam Lampkin was disruptive against Oregon State. Multiple open-field tackles against Damien Martinez and was making plays when DJ Uiagalelei threw his way. Cam’s on both sides of the ball were causing fits for Oregon State.
• Damien Martinez’s streak of 100+ yard rushing ended tonight.
• Utah just held a strong UCLA team to 7 points. The Utes give up 9.5 points per game on average. Things won’t get any easier for Oregon State’s offense on a short week. Time for the Beavers to step up at home and give their best effort in what could be become a season defining game in Reser Stadium.