Without Braden Atkinson, Oregon State Falls Short Against Boise State 46-41
Without star quarterback Braden Atkinson - who left last week's loss to Texas State with a hand injury - Oregon State fought valiantly, but failed to upset #24 Boise State. When the dust settled, the Broncos emerged victorious 46-41.
The official box score can be viewed at this link, and our game recap can be read below.
Entering today's contest, doubts swirled around Oregon State quarterback Maalik Murphy. Last season's starting passer struggled with accuracy, completing only 58% of his pass attempts in 2025. While Murphy's numbers were markedly improved so far this season (84% entering today), they came with extremely limited snaps, often at the end of games.
Covering for the injured Braden Atkinson, Murphy alleviated concerns on the game's opening drive, marching the Beavers down field with an array of pinpoint passes. After young playmaker Jesse Legree hauled a Murphy lob across the flat, Murphy had his 4th completion of the day. In the blink of an eye, Legree juked the lone blue jersey in front of him, and raced to the end zone. In less than three minutes of elapsed game time, the underdog Beavers led 7-0.
Following a Boise State three and out, Murphy and the Beavers got a chance to extend their lead. Behind a flurry of short, tough runs, Oregon State moved 42 yards across 10 plays. After an incomplete pass intended for their star wide receiver Legree, the Beavers settled for a Caleb Ojeda 44 yard field goal. Unfortunately, a bobbled snap threw off the kick's timing, and the pigskin missed the posts wide to the right.
Boise State responded with an aggressive strike 44 yards down field to freshman wideout Terrious Favors. Following a heave through traffic to Baker City native Rasean Jones, the Broncos tied the game with 3:52 remaining in the first quarter.
Before the quarter ended, Boise State stormed ahead on a back-breaking interception. First, defensive back Travis Anderson chased down a deep throw by Murphy. Anderson proceeded to sprint up the sideline 58 yards for a pick six. Then, Boise State went for two, with Broncos running back Zeke Martinez succesfully finding tight end Matt Wagner on a throw to the end zone. As the first quarter clock struck zeroes, the hosts led 15-7.
Partly thanks to a DeCorion Temple 26 yard catch - thoroughly reviewed due to perception that the tight end bobbled the ball - Oregon State answered. After Cornell Hatcher Jr. dashed up the middle, the Beavers pulled within two. A failed two-point try kept the favorites ahead 15-13 with 12:22 until halftime.
Boise State counter-punched with another deep strike, this time snagged by their freshman phenom Jones, who shook past Oregon State corner Isaiah Houi for a 49 yard catch & run. Three snaps later, Broncos' quarterback Maddux Madsen faced a house blitz, and found Jones hot in the flat. After bursting free from senior safety Jaheim Patterson, the hosts extended their lead to 22-13.
Before halftime, Boise State added more points with a 4 play, 50 yard drive capped off by Sire Gaines' short burst across the goal line. With 2:19 left, the Beavers trailed 29-13. Oregon State roared back with an inspiring two minute drill, highlighted by three plays: an explosive 40 yard pass to Mercer transfer Adonis McDaniel, a 22 yard sweep by running back Kourdey Glass, and Jake Reichle's decisive 1 yard touchdown plunge. Following a late field goal, the halftime score saw Boise State on top 32-20.
Halfway through, Maalik Murphy completed 15-of-22 passes (68.1%), while Jesse Legree led all Beavers' receivers with 5 catches for 50 yards and a touchdown, and 4 Oregon State runners combined for 81 yards and 2 touchdowns on 20 called run plays. Ojeda's missed field goal and Murphy's pick six proved costly, as the orange & black outgained their heavily favored hosts in total offense, earned more first downs, and held the edge in time of possession. Still, they trailed by 12 points, and Boise State could add more at the start of the second half.
After Trey Glasper & Aiden Sullivan combined to recover a Boise State fumble, the Beavers had hope of a comeback early in the third quarter. Those hopes swelled after a 10 play, 76 yard drive which featured several Legree catches, and three consecutive punishing runs by Reichle. On the last of those runs, the Wilsonville native plunged into the end zone, inching the Beavers closer.
Boise State answered with one of the biggest plays of their season. On 3rd and 6 from their own 40 yard line, Madsen stepped up and launched deep up the seam to his freshman phenom Jones, who out-fought two Oregon State defensive backs for a 35 yard catch. Two plays later, the Broncos reached the red zone. At the end of the third quarter, Boise State held on to a 32-27 lead. Less than a minute into the fourth quarter, Madsen fired between the hashmarks to his tight end Wagner, pushing Oregon State's deficit back to two possessions.
Oregon State's next drive saw their freshman phenom Legree cross 10 catches on the night. An outstanding night for Oregon State's passing game added another chapter on 2nd & 6 from Boise State's 12 yard line, when Cynai Thomas faked out a defensive back and lured a perfect go ball from Murphy for a touchdown. The catches also pushed Legree past 100 receiving yards on the night, the first time he crossed triple-digits since the win over Washington State last month.
Boise State responded with a gut punch. On 4th and short from Oregon State's 26, the Broncos passed up a potential field goal that could have pushed their lead to 8 points. Instead, Madsen spotted an aggressive Oregon State blitz call, found his star wideout Jones hot on an out route towards the sideline, and the Baker City native did the rest. After breaking a tackle from Patterson, then driving through tackles from Jabari Odoemenem and Drake Vickers, Boise State's impressive freshman lifted the favorites back up 46-34 with 6:16 left. With that catch, he eclipsed 207 receiving yards, and earned his 3rd touchdown of the night.
The following Oregon State drive saw Legree break Ohio State wideout Jeremiah Smith's NCAA record for the most receiving yards by a freshman in one season. Thanks to his efforts, the Beavers reached the red zone, where Murphy heaved to tight end Eric Olsen for a touchdown. With 4:25 remaining, Oregon State trailed 46-41.
On a crucial 3rd and 8 with 3:34 remaining, Madsen found Jones up the sideline for 23 yards, but the play was reversed by a holding penalty. The next 3rd down try featured more heroics from Jones, and no yellow flags to negate it. Three snaps later, the Boise standout took an end around run up the alley to seal the win.
Maalik Murphy finished with 31-of-39 completed passes for 396 yards, 3 touchdowns, and crucial 1 interception returned for a touchdown. After an early injury to AJ Newberry, 4 Oregon State running backs combined for 110 yards and 3 touchdowns on 27 called run plays. Jesse Legree led all Oregon State wideouts with 12 catches for 140 yards and 1 touchdown, while Adonis McDaniel finished right behind him with 4 catches for 92 yards. On the other side, Boise State freshman Rasean Jones put up an incredible showing with 11 catches, 230 yards, and 3 touchdowns.
The loss drops Oregon State to 5-5 overall, and 3-3 in Pac-12 play. It also marks the Beavers' third consecutive defeat, which represents the longest losing streak of the JaMarcus Shephard era.
Next Saturday, Oregon State plays its final home game of the regular season, welcoming the Utah State Aggies to Reser Stadium in Corvallis. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 PM PST, and the game will be televised on CBS Sports Network.
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Matt fell in love with radio during his college days at Oregon Tech, and pursued a nine year career in sports broadcasting with Klamath Falls' and Medford's highest-rated sports radio stations. He currently lives in McMinnville wine country and is excited to talk about the Beavers again.