To get things started in ’22, Beavers buck Broncos
Tight end Luke Musgrave caught six passes for 89 yards, including a 27-yard touchdown reception. (Courtesy OSU sports communications)
Updated 9/13/2022 1:50 AM
CORVALLIS — I liked the attitude of those in the Oregon State program after the Beavers’ season-opening 34-17 victory over Boise State Saturday night at Reser Stadium.
Senior safety Jaydon Grant summed the feeling up this way:
“We’ll enjoy the win, because they’re hard to come by. We took a step, but we’re nowhere close to where we want to be, nowhere near where we’re capable of being.”
Boise State has been one of the most consistent programs on the West Coast for many years, and the Broncos came to Corvallis expecting to win. They had a tornado waiting for them.
The Beavers jumped to a 24-0 halftime lead, survived a pasty offensive third quarter and then took care of business as a sellout throng of 27,732 in being-renovated Reser provided lusty support.
Oregon State’s defense was dominant, holding Boise State to 311 yards total offense and winning the turnover battle with five takeaways off three interceptions and two fumble recoveries.
“Turnover margin is the No. 1 stat related to winning,” said Grant, who had a first-quarter pick. “To see those ones come early and to give us that momentum and the confidence boost is big for our defense. I’m glad we continued to make plays throughout the night.”
Said Boise State coach Andy Avalos: “When we go into a game like this, we can’t turn the ball over like we did. This is football, and the whole deal is ball security.”
It wasn’t just turnovers. OSU’s defensive front stuffed the run. Boise State’s backup quarterback, redshirt freshman Taylen Green, scrambled 74 yards down the left sideline for a third-quarter touchdown. On the Broncos’ other 30 carries, they totaled 52 yards.
“This win was definitely led by the defense,” OSU coach Jonathan Smith said. “I was really pleased with the effort, the physicality, the tackling and the turnover piece. I couldn’t have been more happy with that. Great job on that side of the ball — challenging things, getting around the quarterback, creating some havoc.”
Boise State’s starting QB, Hank Bachmeier, was benched in the second quarter after committing three turnovers — two interceptions and a fumble. In his place came the 6-6, 220-pound Green, who looked a little like Cam Newton, especially with his feet. Green connected on 19 of 28 passes for 155 yards and ran for 102 yards on 11 carries.
The Broncos had 116 yards total offense — 23 on the ground — in the first half. They got 113 yards total offense in the final quarter as Oregon State’s veteran defense, protecting a big lead, played softer in coverage.
“With all the experience we have, there’s nothing we haven’t seen before,” said OSU’s senior utility player, Jack “Hammer” Colletto. “Everybody was comfortable once they get out there. We weren’t over-amped. It showed.”
Colletto offered a plug for Trent Bray, in his first full season as defensive coordinator.
“Coming in, we knew Coach Bray had us dialed in,” Colletto said. “With the schemes and how simple it is and by allowing us to play fast, it’s really night and day. The sky is the limit for our defense. We just need to be able to finish games.”
Oregon State gained 470 yards in total offense, thanks in no small part to quarterback Chance Nolan, who completed 14 of 23 passes for 251 yards and two touchdowns and ran four times for 28 yards. He was particularly sharp in the first half, hitting on 11 of 16 passes for 223 yards, with two drops.
The redshirt junior's purported weakness a year ago was the deep ball. Nolan cranked it up and sent it out Saturday night, first laying in a perfectly placed bomb that went through the hands of Tre’Shaun Harrison on what could have been a 53-yard scoring play.
Undaunted, Nolan launched a 27-yard TD pass to tight end Luke Musgrave, then found Anthony Gould for a 74-yard strike off of play-action from the OSU 5. Nolan was also involved in another big play, tossing the ball to receiver John Dunmore, who threw a streak to Trey Lowe that carried 39 yards to the Boise State 2.
“Chance has always had the ability to throw downfield,” Colletto said. “That’s what makes him such a good quarterback — he can stretch defenses.”
Nolan also had two interceptions. One came on a tipped ball. The other was on a sideline pass in which he intended the throw the ball away out of bounds.
“We had a deep concept on that play and I had a little inside pressure,” Nolan said. “I got my eyes downfield, (a pass rusher) got in my face and I just chili-dipped it. I have to get it out of bounds on those plays. Didn’t get enough on it that time and left it inbounds. That’s a big mistake that I just can’t make.”
Smith gave Nolan a positive review.
“He did some really good things,” the fifth-year OSU coach said. “We have asked him to create some explosive plays. He was accurate on the deep ball — he had a couple dropped. He got us in the right run plays. And there were some errors he knows he can clean up.”
Oregon State rushed for 187 yards, 152 of them in the second half. The Beavers used four running backs, and they all contributed (Colletto 3 for 44, true freshman Damien Martinez 11 for 40, Deshaun Fenwick 10 for 39 and Lowe 7 for 32).
Colletto, the Beavers’ not-so-secret weapon, played quarterback, running back, fullback and linebacker to go with special team duties. He made three tackles, recovered a fumble and had perhaps the biggest play all night for the Beavers on offense.
Boise State had drawn within 27-17 early in the fourth quarter, and the natives — along with Smith — were growing restless. On third-and-one, Colletto busted up the middle and raced 41 yards to paydirt, taking the wind out of the Bronco sails.
Said Smith: “I expect Jack to make some plays, and he did again tonight.”
Smith didn’t like everything he saw from the Beavers. There were 10 penalties for 100 yards. There were several opportunities to score points that didn’t get cashed.
“Some self-inflicted stuff on the offensive side,” the coach said, “but we did enough to win the game.”
The Beavers snapped a six-game losing streak in season openers and extended their home win streak to nine in games played before fans. The last time they lost at Reser with spectators in the stands was 19-7 to Washington on November 8, 2019.
What’s more, a win over Boise State means something.
“That was a really good team we beat,” Colletto said. “They’re disciplined and physical up front. They’re going to have a good year.”
Grant said the players talked before the game about the ramifications.
“The only thing that would matter when we laid our heads down at the end of the night is that we won,” he said. “Now all 100 of us get to really look in the mirror, reflect and see how good we can be. We’re all looking forward to improving.
“So we get a check mark for this, but you don’t just work for the first game. It’s a long season.”
The Beavers move on to a lion’s den next Saturday — a road game against Fresno State, which took care of Cal Poly 35-7 in Saturday’s season opener, with senior QB Jake Haener completing 36 of 42 passes for 377 yards and a pair of scores. Haener threw for 4,096 yards and 33 TDs last season.
“We know who we’ve got next week,” Nolan said. “We’re going to get back to the basics (Sunday), watch the (video), digest all of it and talk over some things, because there is a lot to clean up. There are a bunch of plays (in which) we have to get better. I have to get better. I have to be smarter with the football. We know we didn’t play to our full potential offensively tonight.”
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