Top 10 Oregon State Football Games Since 2000: #8

When Arizona State rolled into Corvallis on November 16 of 2014, their season was on a much different track than Mike Riley's Beavers.

Fresh off of a rout of top-ten Notre Dame, the Sun Devils were ranked sixthth in the country. OSU, on the other hand, was coming off of four straight losses, and was fighting for bowl eligibility. Nevertheless, Beaver fans packed Reser on that chilly fall evening, hoping that the Sean Mannion era had one more upset victory in store.

First Half

Oregon State would have to get off to a strong start if they wanted a chance to hang with the Sun Devils. The Beaver defense set the tone on the very first possession, forcing a three-and-out after a big tackle for loss on second down. OSU couldn't do anything on their opening offensive drive, but they once again forced Taylor Kelly and the ASU offense to punt on three plays. Mannion and the Beavers took over at their own 22.

With three minutes gone in the first quarter, Storm Woods ignited the Corvallis crowd and officially got the upset bid underway. The senior halfback took an RB stretch 78 yards to the house, giving Oregon State the start they very much needed.

The fireworks weren't done yet. After OSU's defense worked hard to hold the Sun Devils to a field goal, it was Terron Ward's turn to get in on the action. Sprinting through a crease on the left edge of the offensive line, Ward broke one off 66 yards for a TD, giving the Beavers a 14-3 lead.

But the seventh-ranked Sun Devils were able to respond, and they completely flipped the game on its head in the second quarter. After orchestrating a 10-play, 75-yard TD drive to get within four, ASU came up with a big stop on their own 35. After three straight completions to star wideout Jaelen Strong, QB Taylor Kelly floated a pass over the top of the OSU secondary that found the arms of Kody Kohl for a 46-yard touchdown connection.

ASU's momentum didn't stop there. On third-and-five from midfield, Arizona State's pass rush got to Sean Mannion and knocked the ball out. It was scooped up by Antonio Longino, who returned the fumble 36 yards to cap off a 24-0 Sun Devil run. The remainder of the first half was filled with sloppy possessions from both teams, and it went into the half with seventh-ranked ASU leading by 10.

Second Half

Trailing by two scores, Oregon State couldn't convert on a huge 4th and 1 in the red zone, sucking the life out of their home crowd.

But just as it seemed like their hopes of an upset were fading away, OSU showed their grit and got Reser to start believing again. After getting the ball back deep in their own territory, the Beavers put together a crucial 87-yard TD drive. This drive was anchored largely by the carries of Terron Ward, but it ended with Mannion finding Victor Bolden for a 20-yard TD pass. It was a three-point ball game, halfway through the third quarter.

Both defenses held steady for a while after this, with the teams trading punts. ASU started out with great field position after a Beaver penalty, but the OSU defense came up big and held them to a field goal. It was now 27-21 ASU with 13 minutes left in the fourth.

With time winding down in the football game, Oregon State's offense found yet another spark. On third-and-eight from their own 33, the Sun Devils brought a heavy blitz. Despite him being well-covered downfield, Mannion lofted a perfect pass right into the arms of Jordan Vilamin in stride. The big 6'4" wide receiver then broke a tackle at the ASU 35-yard line, and scampered into the end zone. Reser roared to life, as the Beavers took a 28-27 lead after the extra point.

Leading by a point with three minutes left, Riley decided to punt instead of rolling the dice on fourth down. This turned out to be the right decision. Feeling desperation with 98 seconds left in the contest, Kelly tried forcing a pass over the middle. It was read perfectly and intercepted by Michael Doctor, who returned it 35 yards for a pick six.

It wasn't over quite yet, as the Sun Devils got the ball back one more time, now trailing by eight. With the home crowd behind them on 4th and 2, future NFL starter DJ Alexander came off the edge and sacked Taylor Kelly, sealing OSU's first win over a ranked opponent since 2012. Final- Oregon State 35, #6 ASU 27.

It was a great night for the Beavers' defense, who held the high-powered Arizona State offense at bay. Kelly was held to just 22 of 44 through the air, and the Sun Devils averaged less than 3.5 yards per carry on the evening. Ward and Woods both finished with over 100 yards on the ground, and Villamin had 127 receiving yards. In a season that didn't see a lot go right for OSU, this win over a top-ten team was a moment to remember.

Top 10 Oregon State Football Games Since 2000

#10 - 2013 OT Win At Utah
#9 - 2021 Beavs Outgun USC in Los Angeles

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