Houston Cougars vs Oregon State Beavers: Box Score, Live Updates - Houston Completes the Comeback
In this story:
After a week of patiently waiting, the Houston Cougars finally get a chance to sink their teeth into another opponent following the team’s Week 4 bye.
The Coogs are set to resume play with a late Friday night game against the Oregon State Beavers in Corvallis, Oregon with kickoff scheduled for 9:30 p.m. Central. The Coogs have a chance at extending their win streak to four before resuming Big 12 play against the No. 12 Texas Tech Red Raiders at TDECU Stadium.
Once the game kicks off on Friday night, follow along here for live updates as the action unfolds.
Houston Cougars vs Oregon State Beavers
The Cougars enter this one as one of the hottest teams in college football. They are one of the few undefeated teams remaining, and the Beavers are ready to end that. Houston is in an elite group of teams that have not surrendered a turnover on offense.
”The first component of the plan to win is to win the turnover-takeaway margin,” head coach Willie Fritz said before the game. “When I’ve been plus one or better, all these different stops for 31 years as a head coach, we’ve won 91 percent of our games… Last year we won four games, and in the four games we won, we were plus in the turnover takeaway margin. In all the games we didn’t win, we were minus. I harped on that throughout the spring and summer and how important that statistic is.”
Quarterback Conner Weigman has been instrumental in Houston’s success in 2025. So far on the season, he has recorded 569 passing yards and four touchdowns and 142 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns. He has been almost flawless for the Coogs.
On the other side, quarterback Maalik Murphy was a massive name coming out of high school and was even commited to the Texas Longhorns before spending two seasons with the Duke Blue Devils. Now with the Beavers, he is putting his cannon of an arm to good use. Through four games, Murphy has accumulated 964 passing yards, six passing touchdowns and five interceptions. He has also rushed for a touchdown.
With the Cougars picked as 13.5-point favorites, Vegas seems to think this game is going to be somewhat one-sided. As the action unfolds, follow along here for drive-by-drive and scoring play updates to find out if Vegas had this one right.
Box Score
Team/Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Houston Cougars | 0 | 10 | 0 | 14 | 3 | 27 |
Oregon State Beavers | 7 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 24 |
Live Updates
Houston won the opening toss and will defer to the second half.
First Quarter:
The Beavers take over on their own 25 following a touchback on the opening kickoff. Oregon State running back Anthony Hankerson picks up eight yards on a second down rush to make it third and two. The Beavers convert on a fullback dive.
Hankerson rushes for 14 yards and a first down to push the Beavers into Houston territory. Hankerson loses five on a fumble before QB Maalik Murphy misfires on third and 12. Oregon State punts.
Change of possession - Q1 11:04
Houston takes over on its own 14-yard line. Running back Dean Connors picks up four on first down. Weigman sacked to bring up fourth down. Houston punts from its own 13.
Change of possession - Q1 9:49
Oregon State takes over on Houston’s 45. Coogs hold strong and force a three-and-out. Oregon State punts.
Change of possession - Q1 8:49
Houston drive starts on its own 12-yard line. Weigman picked off by Trey Glasper, Beavers take over on the Houston seven.
Change of possession - Q1 8:39
Tight end Bryce Caufield fights to the two-yard line but can not punch it in on first down. Fullback Jake Reichle rushes for the two-yard touchdown. PAT is good.
Oregon State 7, Houston 0
Change of possession - Q1 8:12
Houston takes over on its own 28. Connors carries for five yards on first down. The Coogs go back to Connors on second and picks up three. On third, they go right back to Connors again and he picks up eight and a first.
A holding call derailed the drive before the defense recorded a tackle for loss. The Coogs can’t get back to their starting line and punt.
Change of possession - Q1 5:03
Beavers take over on their own 30. Cornell Hatcher Jr. picks up a total of nine yards on two runs before Murphy picked up the first on a QB keeper.
Hatcher picks up five on a first-down rush. Quarterback Gabarri Johnson picks up three on a read option before Hankerson picks up the first on third and short.
Murphy finds Caufield on a play action pass for 30 yards, pushing the Beavers to the Houston 18. Hankerson picks up three on a first-down outside zone.
End of the first quarter: Oregon State 7, Houston 0.
Second Quarter
Murphy keeps it himself to set up first and goal from the five after a 10-yard rush. Murphy hits Marquis Crosby in the flat for a five-yard touchdown. PAT is good.
Oregon State 14, Houston 0
Change of possession - Q2 13:47
Houston takes over on its own 15 yard-line. Connors muscles ahead for five yards and picks up three on second down. Weigman finds tight end Tanner Koziol for a gain of 15 and a first.
Connors picks up five with a no-huddle halfback dive. Weigman finds Koziol for another first down, this one good for seven yards.
Weigman finds Connors on for a 13-yard first-down reception.
Connors carries for a gain of three on first down. DJ Butler picks up 11 and a first down on a second-down carry.
Butler gets the nod again and picks up four on first. Weigman finds wide receiver Stephon Johnson to move the Cougars to the two-yard line.
A false start backs the Coogs up to the six. Defensive pass interference call on Oregon State and moves Houston up to the two. Another false start nullifies a touchdown and moves the Cougars back to the seven. Oregon State makes a stand and forces a field goal. Attempt is good.
Oregon State 14, Houston 3
Change of possession - Q2 5:47
The Beavers take over on their own 25. Tight end Trent Walker picks up eight on an RPO reception. Holding call backs Oregon State up to its own 23. Murphy sacked on third down to force a punt.
Change of possession - Q2 3:12
Coogs take over on their own 45. A dropped deep ball and tackle for loss brought up third and 11. Weigman finds Amari Thomas running down the seam for a 36-yard gain and a first down, moving the chains and setting Houston up at the 20-yard line.
Weigman sneaks into the end zone after getting moved up thanks to penalties. Touchdown, Coogs. PAT is good.
Oregon State 14, Houston 10
Change of possession - Q2 1:24
Oregon State takes over from its 25. Crosby gains three on first down. Hankerson gains one and brings up third and six. Murphy finds Walker for a first down.
Murphy finds Walker, who takes it to Houston’s 40-yard line and into field goal range. Oregon State attempts a 49-yard attempt. Kick is blocked.
Change of possession - Q2 0:11
Houston takes over on its own 35, Weigman is sacked to end the half.
Halftime: Oregon State 14, Houston 10
Third Quarter
Houston takes over on its own 22. Connors is dropped for a loss of three on first down. Weigman stumbles and loses three on second down. Houston is held to a three-and out.
Change of possession - Q3 12:54
Oregon State will start its drive on its own 28. Houston forces a three-and-out of its own. Oregon State punts.
Change of possession - Q3 10:53
Houston takes over on its own 20. A holding penalty takes the air out of the drive before it even starts and the Coogs are forced to punt.
Change of possession - Q3 9:10
Beavers take over at their 39. Murphy finds Walker on a similar RPO play from earlier for a gain that takes the Beavers across the Houston 40.
Hatcher picks up nine on a first down rush. On the very next play, Hatcher recorded another rush for 14 yards and another first to push the Beavers into the red zone. Houston stands tall and forces a 31-yard field goal attempt. Kick is good.
Oregon State 17, Houston 10
Change of possession - Q3 5:31
Houston starts its rebuttal drive at its own 37. Oregon State forces a three-and-out. Houston punts.
Change of possession -Q3 4:28
Hatcher picks up nine on a first-down run from the Beaver’s 20 and picks up a first down on his next carry.
Hackerson carries for eight yards and a first down.
End of the third quarter: Oregon State 17, Houston 10.
Fourth Quarter
Hatcher rushes for eight to set up third and short, before moving the chains with a three-yard rush. Murphy hits Melbourn for a gain of ten and a first down.
Hatcher takes an 18-yard rush right up the gut of the Houston defense for a touchdown. PAT is good.
Oregon State 24, Houston 10
Change of possession - Q4 12:34
Houston takes over on its own 17. Oregon State forces yet another three-and-out.
Change of possession - Q4 11:14
Beavers start at their own 41. Hatcher runs right and picks up four on first down. Hankerson picks up seven for a first down.
Oregon State continues to ground-and-pound and run out the clock. Houston holds strong and forces a punt.
Change of possession - Q4 8:17
Cougars take over from their own 24. Weigman finds Thomas for a gain of 13.
RB Stacy Sneed rushes for a bunch and moves the Coogs past midfield. Weigman finds Thomas to bring up 4th and 4. The duo connects again to convert.
Weigman hits Johnson for a 27-yard touchdown. PAT is good.
Oregon State 24, Houston 17
Change of possession - Q4 5:59
Oregon State takes over at its own 25. Houston forces a much-needed three-and-out. Oregon State punts.
Change of possession - Q4 4:31
Weigman and company take over on their own 36 and begin chipping away. Weigman hits Tanner Koziol for a 50-yard touchdown. PAT is good.
Houston 24, Oregon State 24
Change of possession - Q4 3:40
Beavers take over shy of their own 20. The Beavers pick up a hard-earned first. Houston forces a punt.
Change of possession - Q4 1:45
Houston takes over on its own 28. Thomas takes a pass 18 yards touchdown push the Coogs up the field but they can not sustain the drive. Houston punts.
Change of possession - Q4 0:56
Oregon State picks up another hard-earned first down. Walker takes a pass across the 40 before going down. Murphy hits Walker to push them into field goal range with five seconds left. Beavers’ kicker Cameron Smith attempts a 46-yard attempt. Kick is blocked.
End of Regulation: Houston 24, Oregon State 24
OT
Oregon State takes over on the UH 25. Taz Reddicks catches an eight-yard pass to move the Beavers to the 16. Houston holds on third down. On fourth and one, the Beavers do not convert.
Change of possession
Houston takes over on the 25. The Coogs gave the rock to Connors three plays in a row before tossing it to him to pick up a 12 yard gain and moves within the 10.
Another Connors rush moves Houston within the 5 before centering up the field goal attempt. The Coogs attempt a 24-yard attempt. Kick is good.
Houston 27, Oregon State 24, Final, OT
