Oregon State Buffalos Colorado
Oregon State buffaloed Colorado Saturday night. The Beavers pulled away to the 42-9 win that achieved bowl eligibility before heading into their bye week, and then November.
It was a 1-2 punch of another solid performance by Trent Bray's defense, and another strong rushing performance, this one led by a career night by Damien Martinez, above. With Deshaun Fenwick dinged up after last week's OSU win over Washington State, it was Martinez that litterally carried the load offensively for the Beavers. Martinez had a game and career high 178 yards on a game high 22 carries, and that resulted in a game and career high 3 touchdowns.
Fenwick probably could have played, but with Martinez running in dominating fashion of late, and Jam Griffin spelling him as needed, with 7 carries for 49 more yards, the Beavers were just fine with getting Fenwick on the track to being healthy again.
Both teams had to rely on backup quareterbacks, with Ben Gulbranson getting (and winning) his 3rd career start for Oregon State in place of Chance Nolan, who was still out with concussion issues suffered in the Beavers' loss to Utah, while Colorado went with J.T, Shrout, who took over for an injured Owen McCown in the Buffs win over California last week.
Gulbranson, above, got the upper hand, completing 14 of 22 passes, for 202 yards and 2 touchdowns, while Shrout completed 13 of 29, for 206 yards, but no scores. And Gulbranson avoided throwing any interceptions, while the Beavers picked off Shrout twice, both at critical points.
Alex Austin snagged a pick-6 early in the 3rd quarter, above, to make it 35-3 Beavers, this on the first play after Gulbranson had connected with TE Jack Velling for a 60 yard catch and run, below, the longest play of the game.
Oregon State's other interception, by Jadon Grant in the Beavers' emd zone, below, thwarted Coloradp's late scoring threat, and effectively ended the game.
After having played a 2-2-2-5 base defense most of the season, Bray changed things up against what was expected to be a run-heavy Colorado attack, going with 3 down linemen besides the edge rushers most of the night, in either a 3-3-5 or 3-4-4 alignment. The result was the Buffs being held to 84 net rushing yards.
Meahwhile, Oregon State rolled up 270 yards on the ground, on 44 carries, even including sack yardage, and a couple of kneel downs, by Tristan Gebbia, who took over for the last Beaver drive. It was the first action for Gebbia in nearly 2 years, after suffering a severe hamstring injury in the Rivaly Game win over Oregon in 2000.
The dominant Beaver ground game coverd up the lack of any semblance of a deep passing game. Aside from Veilling's mostly yards after catch 60 yard score, Tyjon Lindsey, above, was Oregon State's top air threat, and he had only 4 catches, for just 45 yaards. All of Gulbranson's completions other than the Velling score went for under 20 yards.
The game was close early, with the Beavers going up just under 7 minutes into the game, on Martinez's first touchdown. Oregon State opened a 2 touchdown lead a minute and a half into the 2nd quarter, on Gulbranson's 16 yard touchdown toss to Silas Bolden, but Colorado answered with a 44 yard field goal by Cole Becker. It was Becker who beat the Beavers with a field goal in the second overtime last year in Boulder.
But things changed entirely in the 5 minutes before and after halftime, as Martinez scored his 2nd TD 1:45 before the break, and then the 2 touchdowns 11 seconds apart early in the 3rd quarter turned an 11 point game into a 35-3 Beaver lead.
Martinez capped the scoring with his third TD midway in the 4th quareter, to cap a 17 play, 87 yard drive.
As 3 touchdown favorites, Oregon State was expected to cruise to victory over the now 1-6 Buffalos, who have given up more than 40 points in 5 of their losses. And that's exactly what happend.
It was party-on night at Reser as soon as Austin took Shrout's off-target toss to the house, and it didn't take much more to extend Oregon State's winning streak to 3 games.
Oregon State (6-2, 3-2 in the Pac-12) will take next weekend off, and enjoy earning bowl eligibility for a few hours, before returning to action, and the road, for a trip to Seattle for a Friday game. The equally 6-2, 3-2 Huskies also have next weekend off to prepare for the renewal of the northwest rivalry, after defeating California 28-21 tonight in Berkeley, for their first road win of the season.
Meanwhile, cue the fight song, and most of the other numbers in the OSUMB band folder, long into the night.
Andy_Wooldridge@yahoo.com
(Photos by Andy Wooldridge)