CORVALLIS, OR. – Owen Eshelman made the most of his first career start at quarterback, but Washington State couldn’t overcome an early deficit in a 48-30 loss to Oregon State on Saturday in Corvallis.
The Cougars (1-6, 0-3 Pac-12) turned in one of their best offensive performances of the season outside of their showing against Duquesne, totaling 459 yards of offense. But Oregon State (5-2, 3-0) scored 17 points in the first quarter and never relinquished control.
Eshelman finished 32-of-49 passing for 289 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. He also led Washington State in rushing with 136 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries, showcasing his dual-threat ability in his first collegiate start.
Oregon State set the tone early, scoring on its opening drive when Jake Reichle punched in a one-yard touchdown run. The Beavers followed with an explosive play as quarterback Braden Atkinson connected with Jesse Legree for a 90-yard touchdown, giving Oregon State a 14-0 lead.
A 48-yard field goal from Caleb Ojeda made it 17-0 after the first quarter. The Beavers added another field goal and an 88-yard touchdown pass from Atkinson to AJ Newberry in the second quarter to extend the lead to 27-3.
Washington State responded with its first touchdown late in the first half. Eshelman found Branden Ganashamoorthy for a 40-yard score, capping a 75-yard drive and cutting the deficit to 27-10.
Oregon State answered with another touchdown early in the third quarter, as Atkinson connected with Legree from five yards out. The Cougars responded with a nine-play drive that ended with Julian Dugger’s three-yard touchdown run, making it 34-16 after a failed two-point conversion.
The Beavers extended their advantage to 41-16 early in the fourth quarter with Reichle’s second one-yard touchdown run.
Washington State continued to battle. Eshelman connected with Daniel Blood for a six-yard touchdown, then added a 20-yard rushing score with 1:37 remaining. Ganashamoorthy caught the ensuing two-point conversion pass, bringing the Cougars within 11 points at 41-30.
However, Oregon State answered almost immediately, as Cornell Hatcher Jr. scored on a 16-yard run just 21 seconds later to seal the victory.
Ganashamoorthy led the Cougars’ receiving corps with 11 catches for 147 yards and a touchdown. Blood also caught a touchdown pass, while Dugger added a rushing score.
Atkinson finished with 347 passing yards and three touchdowns for Oregon State. Newberry recorded 120 receiving yards and a touchdown, while Legree hauled in the 90-yard score and added another touchdown.
The Beavers finished with 555 total yards and committed no turnovers. Washington State recorded 25 first downs and went 3-for-3 on fourth-down attempts, but its slow start proved costly.
Despite the loss, Eshelman’s performance provided a bright spot for a Cougars offense that showed its ability to move the ball against a conference opponent. Washington State will look to build on that production as it searches for its first Pac-12 win of the season.
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