Despite Loss to Tulsa, Tristan Ti’a Emerged Late for Oregon State
In this story:
STAT LINE (Gabarri Johnson): 6/14 (43%) 44 yards
STAT LINE (Maalik Murphy): 5/11 (45%) 56 yards
STAT LINE (Tristan Ti’a): 8/11 (73%) 141 yards, 2 TDs
GAME NOTES
The long, disappointing season for Oregon State continued this past Saturday with a blowout loss to the Tulsa Golden Hurricane. In this contest, three different quarterbacks saw playing time for the Beavers. Gabarri Johnson started the game before being pulled for Maalik Murphy late in the second quarter. Murphy went on to start the second half and finish out the third quarter. Between Johnson and Murphy, there were no turnovers, but also no production worth noting.
MORE: Oregon State Dominated in Tulsa, Falling To 2-9 in 2025
Heading into the fourth quarter, still having yet to score a point, the Beavers turned to freshman quarterback Tristan Ti’a, seemingly the lone bright spot of the entire game for Oregon State. In the fourth quarter, Ti’a completed 73% of his passes for 141 yards and two touchdowns.
Ti’a’s performance now begs the question: as Oregon State heads into their second bye week of the season, will there be a third quarterback in the mix to start or at least play ahead of the rematch against Washington State in the season finale?
MORE: 3 Takeaways from the Pac-12’s Media Rights Deals
BEST PLAY BREAKDOWN
At the 5:22 mark in the video linked below, Tulsa brings a six-man blitz. Oregon State has a double-slant and flat combination dialed up out of a trips formation. Ti’a calmly waits for the inside slant to clear and open the window for the outside slant, then delivers the touchdown pass to the back of the end zone with impressive ease for a freshman.
More Reading Material From Oregon State Beavers On SI
Have You Checked Out State of the Beavs?
Each week, veteran sports broadcaster and writer Matt Bagley examines the news and storylines at play for Oregon State University Athletics. Occasionally joined by contributors for On SI's coverage of the Beavers, as well as the occasional guest spot from Beavers past, present, and future. Get caught up with the playlist below. New episodes are typically released on Tuesday mornings.
Want to interact with the show? Talk to Matt: mbagleyradio@gmail.com
Subscribe on Apple
Subscribe on Spotify
