Oregon State holds off rival Washington State: Cougars miss game-tying last-minute FG in Pac-12 clash

FINAL: Oregon State 10, Washington State 7

The first leg of the in-season home-and-home series between Washington State and Oregon State was far from the most aesthetically pleasing matchup the Cougars and Beavers have ever played in their lengthy history as Pac-12 rivals. Oregon State won a 10-7 rock fight over its Pacific Northwest foe, and after a horrific 0-7 start and coaching change, it suddenly holds a two-game winning streak.

It was fitting that two of the biggest plays of the day came on the defensive side of the ball. Oregon State safety Jaheim Patterson intercepted Washington State's Zevi Eckhaus twice, making this the fourth time this season the latter threw multiple picks in one game. The first of those turnovers came on the opening drive, and it set the tone for the defensive battle that was about to ensue over the next couple of hours.

There were only two touchdowns in the game, and the second was a decisive one as it put the Beavers on top for the second and final time. Running back Anthony Hankerson punched the ball in to highlight a 122-yard day on the ground. It was an answer to Washington State's lone score, a second-quarter rushing touchdown from Kirby Voorhees.

Special teams proved to be a major factor in the game, as well. Caleb Ojeda knocked in a field goal for Oregon State to get the scoring started, and Washington State had a chance at a field goal itself in the final minutes. The Cougars watched in anguish, though, as Jack Stevens' 32-yard kick went wide right. Had he converted the try, the visitors would have brought the game even at 10 and likely forced overtime. Instead, the Beavers ran the clock out for their second consecutive triumph.

With the win, Oregon State snaps an eight-game losing streak to FBS opponents. Its last win over a team from the same subdivision came last year against this same Washington State program.

"I'm proud of these guys, and I'm happy for them," Oregon State interim coach Robb Akey said on the CBS broadcast. "They fought their tails off. We traded a little adversity and overcame it, fought through it. You see them smiling right now. That's success. I do believe that puts us in first place in the 'Pac-2' conference, so let's go."

There is pure elation on the Oregon State side, but in the other locker room, Washington State is heartbroken once again. The Cougars have now lost three of their last four games with each of those defeats coming by three points or fewer.

All signs pointed toward overtime in Corvallis, but Washington State whiffed on its opportunity to level the game at 10 apiece. Jack Stevens pushed a 32-yard field goal attempt wide right, effectively dashing the Cougars' hopes of extending the game. It will now take a defensive stop and an offensive miracle to keep this one alive.

Special teams giveth and special teams taketh away. The Cougars had a shot at sending the game to overtime largely because of a 47-yard punt return from Tony Freeman, which set them up with prime field position on the pivotal drive.

Jeremiah Noga, a former Beaver, hauled in a fourth-down catch but came up short of the line to gain, bringing an end to a crucial Washington State drive. The Cougars fell short of points on the heels of Oregon State's go-ahead touchdown and thus must get a stop and march down the field on their ensuing possession -- if their offense gets another crack at it, that is.

Oregon State will attempt to drain the clock with a rushing attack that has been one of the few bright spots of the day.

Early 4Q: Oregon State 10, Washington State 7

Oregon State woke up from its offensive nightmare with its first trip to the end zone. As has been the case for the last two seasons, when the Beavers needed a big play, they turned to their standout running back. Anthony Hankerson broke loose for a 37-yard run to put the Beavers on the doorstep, and he finished the job two plays later when he pushed across the goal line for a go-ahead score. Hankerson is up to 113 rushing yards on the game.

If the defense continues to play an ultra-stingy brand of football, 10 points may be all the Beavers need to notch their second win of the season.

End 3Q: Washington State 7, Oregon State 3

It was a scoreless third quarter for both sides, and it featured just one first down. There were more punts (eight) than completed passes (seven) between the teams in a putrid 15 minutes of offensive play.

Credit goes, in part, to the defenses. Bryce Lamb and Malaki Ta'ase logged back-to-back sacks for the Cougars to highlight their best defensive series of the day. The Beavers did not allow Washington State to move the chains on any of their four possessions. But a lack of execution on the other side of the ball is just as much a part of the equation.

Another quarterback change is underway in Corvallis. Gabarri Johnson went into the Oregon State locker room for evaluation and was ruled out for the game with a foot injury, bringing a premature end to his first start as a Beaver. In his stead, the Beavers turned back to Maalik Murphy, the prized transfer who spent the vast majority of the year as the starter but hit the bench amid a lengthy stretch of poor offensive play.

Things already look bleak for Murphy. He took a sack on his second and third plays as the offense once again went three-and-out. The Beavers have just one first down in the quarter.

There have been four possessions in the third quarter and not a single first down. The defenses look just as stingy, if not more so, than in the first half. Oregon State was the closest to moving the sticks but squandered the drive with a massive ballhandling error that resulted in a fumble and a significant loss of yardage on third down.

Washington State will be content to trade defensive blows considering it has the lead. But Jimmy Rogers undoubtedly wants to tack on a few more points to give his Cougars a cushion. The Beavers could regain the lead if they score their first touchdown.

HALF: Washington State 7, Oregon State 3

They spent nearly the entire first half scoreless, but the Cougars finally found pay dirt just before heading into the locker room. Kirby Voorhees lined up in the wildcat and lunged toward the goal line, and upon review, officials determined the Washington State running back crossed the plane for the game's first touchdown. It's the third rushing score of the year for Voorhees and a potential momentum-building one for an offense that struggled to get out of its own way in the opening 30 minutes.

Zevi Eckhaus redeemed himself after his two interceptions with a terrific drive under center. Known for his dual-threat ability, the first-year starter dashed for a 20-yard run to set the Cougars up in the red zone. It was the biggest play of the drive and one of the Cougars' most explosive pickups of the day.

The touchdown is a key response to Oregon State's field goal on the previous drive. With the Beavers set to receive the second half kickoff, the Cougars could ill afford to let the home team dominate the middle eight.

Late 2Q: Oregon State 3, Washington State 0

It took 27 minutes, but there are finally points on the scoreboard in Corvallis. Oregon State kicker Caleb Ojeda drilled a 35-yard field goal to break the lengthy scoring drought and to give the Beavers much-needed special teams momentum after that phase failed them for much of the year. Ojeda improves to 5-10 on field goal attempts on the season.

The field goal is, in a way, a win for the Washington State defense. The Beavers were moving the ball with ease on the drive until they reached the red zone. Caleb Francl forced Oregon State to settle for three points when he sacked quarterback Gabarri Johnson on third down. That's the second sack on the year for the Cougar linebacker.

Just when it looked like Washington State would finally break the scoreless tie, Zevi Eckhaus tossed his second interception of the day. Again, it was Jaheim Patterson making the play for the Beavers.

The Cougars became the first team to crack the red zone but stepped five yards backward and out of striking distance on a false start. Eckhaus launched a ball towards the end zone on the ensuing play but threw it into double coverage, where Patterson was waiting patiently to jump into the throwing lane. He returned the interception 36 yards to put the Beavers in business.

Pass rushing is one of Oregon State's greatest weaknesses, but that has been far from the case today. Entering the contest, the Beavers had just eight sacks on the year -- the seventh-fewest of any team in the nation. They flipped the script against the Cougars, sacking Zevi Eckhaus three times on the last two drives alone. Shamar Meikle was responsible for the first two and logged them on consecutive plays, and Aiden Sullivan tacked on the third with a drive-ending stop.

End 1Q: Washington State 0, Oregon State 0

An interception and two punts brought ends to the game's first three possessions. It was not for a lack of ball movement, as both Washington State and Oregon State advanced into opposing territory, but each drive fizzled out beyond field goal range.

Negative plays haunted both teams. Running back Anthony Hankerson kept things moving for the Beavers on their opening possession until they ran into trouble on the other side of midfield. Facing a third-and-forever, they punted and pinned the Cougars inside their own 10 yard line to begin a battle of field position.

It looked as though Zevi Eckhaus put his turnover behind him as he led Washington State most of the way downfield and into striking distance, but that's when the Cougars ran into a wall of their own. Edge rusher Shamar Meikle got home on Eckhaus for a costly sack that pushed the visitors out of field goal range.

What a start for the Oregon State defense! Beaver safety Jaheim Patterson hauls in an interception to end the game's first possession, picking off Zevi Eckhaus on a deep shot on 3rd-and-long.

Turnovers continue to plague the Cougars. Eckhaus has had a propensity for the interception this year and threw two picks against each of Washington, Virginia and Toledo prior to his latest miscue.

The Beavers take over at their own 17 in search of an early lead.

Oregon State won the toss and deferred, setting Washington State up with an opportunity to strike first on the road. The Cougars open from their own 25-yard line after a touchback. Zevi Eckhaus leads the offense onto the field seeking a breakthrough after failing to score more than 28 points in every game since Sept. 6.

Anthony Hankerson entered the season as one of college football's top running backs but struggled to replicate his 2024 success during Oregon State's 0-7 start. That changed dramatically last week. The second-year Beaver set career highs with 204 rushing yards and four touchdowns as Oregon State shredded Lafayette's defense, particularly in the second half.

Washington State's defense was gashed for 59 points by both North Texas on Sept. 13 and Washington the following week in the Apple Cup. Since then, the Cougars have looked like a far more disciplined unit. None of their four opponents since that stretch have scored more than three touchdowns. Linebacker Parker McKenna has been central to that turnaround as the team's leading tackler, while edge rusher Isaac Terrell -- who missed last week with an injury -- posted two sacks and four tackles for loss against Ole Miss.

Oregon State remains a program in flux -- including at quarterback. Maalik Murphy started the first eight games before giving way to backup Gabarri Johnson midway through the most recent contest. A more mobile threat who had previously appeared in rushing packages, Johnson excelled in the 45-13 win over Lafayette in his biggest role of the season. He completed seven of nine passes, ran for 82 yards and totaled two touchdowns to jolt a struggling offense.

One hallmark of these teams' unconventional schedules is a string of road matchups against ranked Power Four opponents. Washington State handled those challenges better than Oregon State, nearly pulling off upsets of No. 7 Ole Miss and No. 15 Virginia. The Cougars lost those games on Oct. 11 and Oct. 18 by a combined five points, with their defense leading the way in limiting both opponents to 24 points or fewer.

It's not unprecedented for two teams to face each other twice in a regular season, but it's far from common. New Mexico State was the last program to do so, playing Hawaii twice in 2021 to fill out an independent schedule. Washington State and Oregon State found themselves in similar situations after the mass exodus from the Pac-12 and the expiration of their 2024 scheduling agreement with the Mountain West, forcing them to piece together slates full of nontraditional matchups. The Cougars will host the Beavers on Nov. 29 to close out the regular season, marking their second meeting in a month for the longtime conference companions.

Oregon State played its best football of the season last time out, but don't be fooled by the 45-13 victory. Beating up on an FCS opponent is no sure sign of a turnaround, especially given that it took until the second half to pull away. Washington State is the better offensive team in this matchup, its defense seems to have turned a corner and it will have the special teams advantage against one of the worst teams in the country in that regard. The Cougars are better in all three phases than a team simply looking to get across the finish line with its interim staff. Pick: Washington State -3.5

The two active members of the Pac-12 square off for the first of two regular-season matchups Saturday in Corvallis, Oregon. Familiar foes in Washington State and Oregon State will become even closer in the coming weeks as they conduct a home-and-home, and the opening leg is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on CBS.

The Cougars (4-4) hit the road for the fourth time in five games and seek to move closer to bowl eligibility in Year 1 under coach Jimmy Rogers. The Beavers (1-7), in contrast, are in the midst of a three-game home stand and seek to build momentum on the heels of their first win of the season. Interim coach Robb Akey, who took over after Oregon State fired Trent Bray, led them to a 45-13 win over FCS Lafayette prior to their bye week.

Returners from last year's Washington State squad will also likely have vengeance on their minds after the Pacific Northwest rivals delivered a classic in their 2024 matchup. The Cougars fell short in a 41-38 shootout last year as they watched the Beavers win the quasi-Pac-12 championship game in thrilling fashion. They are unquestionably the stronger team this time around, but that was also the case last November.