Oregon State's Biggest Bright Spots From Texas Tech Loss
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While the Oregon State Beavers gave a strong effort against a ranked Texas Tech squad this past weekend, OSU fell to 0-2 to start the season with a 35-24 loss. Entering the weekend as underdogs by nearly four touchdowns, it was an encouraging sign of things to come for JaMarcus Shephard's team.
There were the Beavers' top contributors for that contest.
Aiden Sullivan - Inside Linebacker
The standout senior was all over the field against the Red Raiders last Saturday night, making plays and helping OSU stay in it with a top 15 team to the very end. Sullivan not only was a staple in the run defense, he was also a menace in the pass rush, batting down multiple will Hammond pass attempts on third down. Sullivan finished the game with 11 tackles, one sack and numerous QB hurries.
Daniel Matagi - Defensive Line
Sullivan wasn't the only Beaver defender who had a great night up front. Despite going down with an injury in the first half, the Portland State transfer came back strong and was able to be a consistent force against the Texas Tech front seven. Matagi was able to pressure the Quarterback a couple of time, recorded a sack, and was excellent in stopping the run.
Aeryn "Bubba" Hampton - Wide Receiver
The Alabama transfer has proven effective through his first couple games, totaling eight receptions in the past two weeks against a couple of ranked opponents. Hampton was an important target for the Beavs on Saturday, bringing in a couple of big third-down receptions and providing an alternative to Jesse Legree, who might start getting double-teamed. He ended the night with four catches for 50 yards.
Braden Atkinson - QB
Though the sophomore would probably tell you that he missed a couple of throws, the Beaver signal caller still had a good outing overall against a very talented secondary. His completion percentage was a bit down, but he connected on 29 passes for 399 yards and two TDs. Atkinson found himself under pressure at certain times against a strong defensive line, but showed his ability to escape the pocket and make plays on the run, such as with his huge 4th and 7 TD hookup with Legree. There may be a lot of room for improvement, but the sophomore has been quite impressive through his first two games with the Beavs, especially considering they've been playing really good opponents.
Jesse Legree - Wide Receiver
The phenom true freshman is now the nation's leader in receiving yards with 376. Through two games in black and orange, the Baltimore native has been an absolute nightmare for top 25 secondaries. On Saturday night against the Red Raiders, he got things started with an incredible run-down catch on a perfectly thrown ball from Atkinson, which Legree took to the house to tie the game. This was only the start, as Legree was there to make a lot of big plays against #13 Texas Tech. He finished the contest with eight receptions for a remarkable 240 yards and two touchdowns. With only two games of experience playing together so far, the chemistry between Atkinson and his freshman star should only continue to grow.
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Ben Pahl is a sportswriter and broadcaster based in Portland, Oregon. His work covering college and professional sports has been featured by the Orange Media Network at Oregon State University as well as KBVR.fm. His other career stops in sports include the Portland Pickles baseball club and the NBA G-League's Rip City Remix.