Huskies Survive Beavers and Rain, Advance to Pac-12 Title Game
CORVALLIS, Oregon — An hour before the Washington-Oregon State football game began, the dam broke, threatening to put the entire Willamette Valley underwater.
A heavy downpour soaked everything and everyone, turning Reser Stadium on Saturday afternoon and into the night into a relentless carwash.
The fifth-ranked Huskies, with a team that every week has found a way to win, showed they could play in a monsoon as well as in the middle of the Arizona desert, and captured its extremely soggy showdown with the No. 10 Beavers 22-20.
The outcome sent the UW (11-0 overall, 8-0 Pac-12) into the Pac-12 championship game on Dec. 1 in Las Vegas, possibly against Oregon, following next week's regular-season-ending Apple Cup against Washington State.
The Huskies, who have won 18 consecutive games, should have plenty of time to dry out and hit the holidays running.
"It was up to us," said UW linebacker Carson Bruener, who had a game-high 14 tackles, of the latest victory. "The season was up to us. Our goals we set in January, up to us."
In the face of inclement weather, Kalen DeBoer's team didn't change a thing at the outset, taking the opening kickoff and quickly moving for what the Huskies do best — a 12-yard touchdown pass from Michael Penix Jr. to Rome Odunze in the back of the end zone.
The drive covered 63 yards in 10 plays, with Odunze getting a healthy step on Oregon State cornerback Jaden Robinson and hauling in the Penix throw with little trouble.
It got the UW off on a positive note in a difficult environment and the outcome capped what has been an arduous stretch of games.
"We just played three back-to-back teams that were ranked, two of them on the road. and different styles. ... I'm sure there's someone with a schedule as tough as ours here on the back half," DeBoer said. "We're just playing ball against some really good opponents and getting it done."
Because of the weather, Penix throttled back some from his usual all-out passing assault, completing just 13 of 28 passes for 162 yards and 2 scores, while running for a touchdown. The passes attempted and caught and yards were UW lows for him. He did what was necessary.
"It wasn't too bad," Penix said of the wet stuff, compared to what his Tampa home has to offer. "It wasn't like a heavy Florida rain."
Similar to recent outings, the Husky defense, depleted in ranks coming in, wasn't all that stout to begin with and gave the points right back.
The Beavers (8-3, 5-3) covered 75 yards in 10 plays, choosing mostly to keep it on the ground and finding big holes. Sophomore running back Damien Martinez, the Pac-12's leading rusher with 1,024 yards coming in, capped the drive by running 3 yards up the middle and bowling over UW cornerback Elijah Jackson. With 5:09 left in the quarter, the teams were tied at 7.
Martinez would lead all rushers with 123 yards on 16 carries and score twice.
The game next came down to a matter of who would blink first in the rain and pay for it — and it was the Beavers.
Rome Odunze scored on a 12-yard touchdown pass on the UW's first drive in Corvallis.
Soobum Im/USA TODAY Sports
Forced to punt on its second possession, Oregon State watched as long snapper Dylan Black sent one over the head of punter Josh Green, who was left to kick the ball off the ground in the opposite direction and through the end zone. That bit of sloppiness resulted in a safety and a penalty. With 1:17 left in the first quarter, the Huskies led 9-7.
Into the second quarter, both teams traded strip fumbles, with the Huskies benefitting the most from this slippery exchange.
UW running back Dillon Johnson broke free up the middle and it looked like he might outrun everyone to the end zone. However, Beavers safety Kitan Diadapo caught up with Johnson just short of the goal line and stripped him from behind, with OSU teammate Akili Arnold falling on the ball on the 5.
The Beavers had possession for just two plays. One good strip deserved another. A flat pass to Anthony Gould was slapped out of his hands by Bruener and cornerback Jabbar Muhammad recovered it on the 19.
The UW made its hosts pay for this sudden generosity after it had squandered that potential Johnson touchdown. Four plays later, Penix ran around the right side from 5 yards out, following a blocking convoy of tight ends Devin Culp and Jack Westover into the end zone. With 9:33 left in the half, the Huskies led 16-7.
Michael Penix Jr. scurries into the end zone on a 5-yard run in the second quarter.
Soobum Im/USA TODAY Sports
Oregon State responded by driving to the Husky 20, where Muhammad knocked away a third-down DJ Uiagalelei pass in the end zone, his third break-up of the half. The Beavers settled for Atticus Sappington's 38-yard field goal to pull within six points at the 4:57 mark.
As the rain showed no let-up, the Huskies still had plenty of time to zip down the field for another first-half touchdown.
They needed nine snaps for Penix to lob a 32-yard scoring strike to Odunze as nickelback Ryan Cooper Jr. slipped and fell down in the end zone, leaving the Husky receiver wide open. With this play, Odunze, who finished with 7 catches for 106 yards, had his 11th TD catch and his 13th score overall on the season. The Huskies led 22-10 with 47 seconds left before intermission.
Muhammad capped a superlative opening half with an interception off a tipped pass in the closing seconds. He wasn't done either.
Following the break, the Oklahoma State transfer stole another pass, gathering in a tipped ball that he returned to the Beavers 22. The Huskies couldn't capitalize, though, with Grady Gross missing a 40-yard field goal.
Muhammad would finish with the 2 pass thefts and 4 pass break-ups, easily his best outing at the UW or in his Big 12 stop.
"I would say it was probably the biggest game I've had," the junior corner said.
Oregon State next decided to go methodical and held the football for nearly 10 minutes, moving 78 yards for Martinez's second TD run, this one from 5 yards out, and keeping the UW offense off the field for most of the third quarter. With 1:20 left, the Beavers had closed to within 22-17.
Along, the way, the Huskies had defensive tackle Tuli Letuligasenoa, safety Dom Hampton and Muhammad each leave the field with various ailments or fatigue, though all were able to come back.
The UW didn't have linebacker Alphonzo Tuputala because of an unspecified injury leading up to the road trip, and Ralen Goforth got shaken up and sat out considerable time, forcing Bruener to pull most of the snaps. Edge rusher Zion Tupuola-Fetui likewise went out and didn't return until late.
Into the fourth quarter, the rain continued unabated and Oregon State just wouldn't go away. The Beavers drove to the 15 before the UW stiffened and they settled for Sappington's second field goal, this one coming from 35 yards out. With 10:40 left to play, the Huskies were clinging to a narrow 22-20 advantage.
It held up after a big defensive stop at midfield with 2:08 left in the game. By then, the rain had finally stopped, as well.
While outsiders continue to pick at the Huskies and point to their various shortcomings, their coach offered a rebuttal as he sat in a nice warm and dry interview room.
"Let's talk about what we do well," DeBoer said. "We've showed we do a lot of things well as a football team. I think that's going to continue to be the case. There's so many types of teams we've played and we've found a way win them all."
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