Oregon State Bedevils Devils
Oregon State came into Tempe minus a long list of injured Beavers that only got longer as the afternoon wound down. Bue a "game plan" game executed almost exatly as lined out still resulted in an easier than could be expected in a place the Beavers have almost no success in going away 31-7 win over Arizona State.
The 23rd ranked Beavers got a defensive stop on the first series of the game, to set the tone for the afternoon. And then they got a sold 78 yard scoring drive, capped by Damien Martinez's 6 yard toucdown run on their first possession. Oregon State scored on the first drive of the second half as well, again on a Maretinez run, this time for a 12 yard score, that capped an 83 yard drive that took over 6 minutes.
Oregon State got injured starters Talise Fuaga, tackle, and John McCartan, OLB, back to action, but the Beavers were without QB Chance Nolan, RB/FB/TE/SB/QB/LB/KR/ST Jack Colletto, safeties Jaydon Grant and Alex Austin, RB Deshaun Fenwick, and WR/PR Anthony Gould (injured in practice). Chance Nolan, Jack Colletto (though in uniform, is not expected to play), Jaydon Grant, Alex Austin, Deshaun Fenwick, Anthony Gould (injured in practice!), and offensive linemen Heneli Bloomfield and Tyler Morano were all unavaiable. RB Trye Lowe was available on a limited snap count.
Coach Jonathan's Smith's plan in response was to run the ball well, mix in some passes, capitalize on Arizona State miscues, play solid derense, including keeping Arizona State RB Xazavian Valladay at least somewhat under control, shorten the game, and get out of the desert with the win. In a year where the theme of the season has been checking off check boxes, it couldn't have worked better.
Martinez turned in his 5th consecutive 100 yard rushing game, something no other Beaver besides Steven Jackson has done, rolling up 138 yards, and the 2 half jump-stareting touchdowns, on 22 carries.
3rd year freshman QB Ben Gulbranson commpleted 15 of 21 passes, for 188 yards, and included a 21 yard catch and run toss to undefended TE Jack Velling a minute vefore halftime. That was a critical score, capping the 75 yard drive that came 53 seconds after Valladay's 11 yard touchdown run had tied the game at 7 apiece.
The Sun Devils' best drive of the day, which also included a 39 yard run by Valladay, the longest play of the game, offset the Beavers having controlled most of the first half, and could easily have flipped the game's momentum. Instead, the immediate response, which also included a 35 yard catch and run by Velling, the longest passing play of the game, and the scoring drive that started the second half, cemented control of the game for Oregon State.
Gulbranson also gave his best Colletto impression, running 9 times for 36 yards, which made him the Beavers' 2nd leading rusher, and an 8 yard touchdown just before the end of the 3rd quarter that gave Oregon State a 3 touchdown lead.
Valladay did have some other moments, and finished with 109 yards rushing, but was limited to just 16 touches.
Sun Devils QB Trenton Bourguet did complete 20 of 32 passes, but the Beaver defense limited yards after the catch, and kept plays in front of them, and that only yielded 122 yards, this with a patchwork secondary. It was yet another in a series of solid performances by Defensive Coordinator Trent Bray's bunch.
Pac-12 officiating did break out on several occasions, and on this day, it produced several breaks that were potentially score altering that broke the Beavers way. But its a given that such episodes will occur in most games, and good teams capitalize on opportunity and good fortune when it presents itself. Which Oregon State did on several key occasions.
Special teams made contributions as well, despite Everett Hayes missing a pair of field goals, one of which bounced off the goal post in the last minute of the game, returning the favor for the one Arizona State kicker Carter Brown doinked in the first half. Luke Loecher boomed a 55 yard punt over the head of the Sun Devil's DJ Taylor. Taylor mishandled the catch, Skylar Thomas pounced on the resulting loose ball, and 4 plays later, Hayes hit the 26 yard field goal that produced the 31-7 final.
Oregon State out-rushed Arizona State, out-passed them, possed the ball to the tune of a time of possession advantage of over 8 1/2 minutes, and shortened the game to be the quickest game to completion of the season.
It was Oregon State's first win in Tempe since 2009, in their first visit in 4 years, and only their second, in 21 tries, in 53 years. Given the decimated depth chart the Beavers were operating with, the 8th win of the season, already the most, with still 2 games to go, since 2012 was one of Coach Smith's better checklist checkoff efforts of the season. The win, in Oregon State's first day game in Tempe in at least decades improved the Beavers to 8-3, and 5-3 in the Pac-12, heading home for next Saturday's regular season finale against Oregon.
Arizona State dropped to 3-8 for the year, and just 2-6 in conference. But the Devils do own a win over Washington, something Oregon State could not accomplish. And givven their history of poor performances on the road, and particular lack of success in the desert, it was an unexpectably good day to be a Beaver.
The win assures the Beavers of back to back winning seasons for the first time since 2012-13, and back to back onference winning records for the first time since 2008-09, and only their 2nd 8 win season since 2009.
Having secured a Smith signature type performance win, the Beavers do expect several of the missing players to be able to return for the showdown against the Ducks.
Andy_Wooldridge@yahoo.com
(AP Photos via Ross Franklin)