Down 27-14 against the winless San Diego State Aztecs, the Oregon State Beavers needed everyone to come together. Sean Mannion rallied the team, and the defense did the rest as the Beavers came back to steal one at Qualcomm Stadium.
Oregon State 34, San Diego State 30
Analysis: Trailing by 13, Sean Mannion drove the team 65 yards in 10 plays, hitting Kevin Cummings to cut the lead to 6. The Beavers got the ball back, but Brandin Cooks was stripped by Damontae Kazee, and the Aztecs extended the lead to nine, 30-21. Mannion then led a brilliant 8 play, 81-yard drive, finding Terron Ward from 10 yards out to get Oregon State within 2. On the following drive, a false start penalty and a run stuffed for a loss put San Diego State with a 2nd and 19. Forced into a passing situation instead of burning time off the clock, Quinn Kaehler's pass was picked off by Steven Nelson who returned it for the game-winning touchdown.
Players:
Sean Mannion: A
Mannion did everything the Beavers needed him to do, rallying the team in the fourth quarter to bring them within striking distance. He finished 38 of 55 for 367 yards and three touchdowns, and showed tremendous poise on the 81-yard drive, moving the team downfield in just under three minutes.
Brandin Cooks: B+
Cooks spent the day shredding the Aztec secondary, catching 14 balls for 141 yards and two scores, but his late fumble nearly cost the team the game. Ball security will become increasingly important as the Beavers enter Pac-12 play against more opportunistic defenses.
Beavers Defense: C+
While the defense came through when it mattered most, they also allowed 259 yards passing to a walk-on quarterback making his first career start, and were gashed early by an 80-yard bomb from Kaehler to Colin Lockett. This was against a team that got blown out at home by FCS team Eastern Illinois, and few would say that Oregon State is less talented. The defense needs to step their game up now, or the Beavers will find themselves in a bad place in the Pac-12.
#17 Washington 56, Idaho State 0
Analysis: In a week in which many of the Top 25 teams feasted on cupcake teams, the Huskies blew the Idaho State Bengals out of Husky Stadium. Washington led 21-0 after one quarter and 42-0 at halftime. Most of the Husky starters were out of the game by the second half, and the Bengals were outgained 680-164.
Players:
Keith Price: A
Price did everything right against an overmatched defense, throwing for 213 yards and three touchdowns and running for another in just one half of play.
Washington State 42, Idaho 0
Analysis: The Idaho Vandals fared no better than their in-state brethren in Pullman, as the Cougars led 28-0 by halftime. The Cougars won a sloppy game, committing four turnovers including two interceptions by Connor Halliday. Halliday finished with 369 yards passing and four touchdowns, but the four turnovers are a cause for concern for Cougar fans.
Players:
Washington State Running Backs: D
While the Cougars offense is oriented around a pass-first mentality, they were facing a Vandals defense that had allowed 356 yards rushing to Northern Illinois and 262 to Wyoming. But the Cougars wound up with just 71 yards rushing, with the Vandals actually outgaining them 79-71. Part of it can be contributed to few carries (Cougars running backs only carried 14 times), but the Cougars need to see some semblance of a threat on the ground to take pressure away from Halliday.
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