The two remaining members of an abandoned conference and founding members of what will become the new PAC-12 fought it out at Reser Stadium in Corvallis this last Saturday. The Cougars came in with an 8-3 record and having just lost any remote opportunity of landing an at-large spot in the 12-team national playoff when they lost by three points to an unranked New Mexico team the prior week. The Beavers came in with a 4-6 record and just two games left to become bowl eligible and gave it everything they had—and with an Everett Hayes 55 yard field goal with just 20 seconds left in the game to break a 38-38 tie and win it 41-38, it was just enough.
Holding Washington State to a three-and-out to get the party started, the Beavers took it down field in the hands of their talented RB Anthony Hankerson and arm of their starting QB Ben Gulbranson before handing it off to Freshman QB Gabarri Johnson to run it into the end zone from 15 yards out and take a 7-0 lead half-way through the 1st Qtr. The Cougars would do the same on their next possession in half the time, tying it up 7-7 on a 28 yard TD pass from Sophomore QB John Mateer to WR Carlos Hernandez with over four minutes left in the quarter. Both teams would score twice more before the break with the Cougars picking up three points on a Dean Janikowski 33 yard field goal and a John Mateer 3 yard TD run with just a minute left in the half. The Beavers would score back-to-back TD’s on their two possessions with the last one in that remaining minute on a Ben Gulbranson run into the end zone to go up 21-17 at the break.
Oregon State got the ball to start the second half and extended their lead to 24-17 on an Everett Hayes 46 yard field goal at the end of a 9 play 46 yard drive. Just four plays later Washington State would tie the score at 24 each on a couple of runs by Mateer for 26 yards coupled with a 57 yard TD pass from Mateer to Senior WR Kyle Williams. Gulbranson would get picked off on the Beavers next possession but Washington State was held to a three-and-out and couldn’t capitalize on the opportunity, 9 plays and 91 yards later, Gulbranson made up for his mistake by connecting with Jermaine Terry for a 43 yard TD to go out in front 31-24. But the Cougars were determined and came right back to tie it at 31 a piece on another John Mateer run into the end zone—this time from four yards out. Gulbranson would get picked off again on the Beavers’ next possession but this one was more costly—a pick six putting Washington State up 38-31 early in the 4th Qtr. But with the home crowd rocking in the very loud Reser Stadium in Corvallis the Beavers weren’t going to give up and tied it back up 38-38 on a Gulbranson TD pass to Darrius Clemons at the end of a 16 play 75 yard drive. Two plays later the Cougars would fumble the ball just 16 yards outside of their own red zone. The subsequent Oregon State drive would stall at the Cougar 37 yard line, but Everett Hayes would come in and kick a field goal from 55 yards out to go up 41-38 with just 20 seconds left in the game.
Let hope for the Cougar’s sake next year that their talented Sophomore QB John Mateer comes back. After all Cam Ward, who leads the nation in total passing yards, used to be the starting QB for the Cougars before he entered the portal and left for Miami. With one game remaining Mateer has thrown for 2,957 yards and 28 TD’s against just 6 interceptions while also setting a Washington State record with 14 rushing TD’s by a starting QB. He was brilliant in their loss against the Beavers while connecting on well over 70% of his passes for 250 yards, 2 TD’s and no interceptions while also leading the team in rushing with 14 carries for 75 yards and their only two TD’s on the ground. Together with Freshman RB Wayshawn Parker the two combined for 123 of the teams 135 total yards on 23 attempts—an average of better than five yards per carry.
For Oregon State their starting Junior QB, Ben Gulbranson, connected on 22-of-34 for 294 yards, 2 TD’s—one to Senior TE Jermaine Terry II and the other to Junior WR Darrius Clemons—and 2 interceptions while also rushing five times for another 11 yards and a TD on the ground. Junior RB Anthony Hankerson led the Beavers with 83 rushing yards on 23 carries while collectively they ran 43 times for a 170 yard total with Freshman QB Gabarri Johnson and RB Salahadin Allah picking up a TD each on the ground to go along with Gulbranson’s. The Beavers led in first downs, 27-to-20; passing, rushing, and total yards of offense with 484 to 385; had possession of the ball for seventeen more minutes; and making it clear all night long that they came to win went for it on fourth down five times and made it 80% of the time. Up next for Oregon State is a trip to No. 12 Boise State and at 5-6 overall their last chance to become bowl eligible.