RECAP: Oregon State Offense Languishes in 44-7 Defeat At Cal
Saturday's loss at Cal was, objectively, Oregon State's worst performance of the year. OSU fell behind almost immediately in a 44-7 loss to a Cal Bears team that ends their own four-game losing streak.
As OSU continues to feel the effects of injuries and missing players throughout their roster, they struggled in most aspects of the game. The Beavers totaled just 200 yards of offense in the loss, 109 fewer yards than their previous worst performance.
Starting quarterback Gevani McCoy completed two passes on five attempts for three yards and an interception before getting pulled. Ben Gulbranson played the majority of the game, starting in the second quarter. He completed 11 passes on 20 attempts for 131 yards and a touchdown. The Beavs rushed for a combined 60 yards, with Anthony Hankerson totaling 49 yards on 16 carries.
On the opening possession, the Beaver defense appeared to have a stop in the backfield, but Jaivian Thomas pitched to Fernando Mendoza as he was being brought down and Mendoza ran in for a nine-yard score.
Oregon State barely avoided a safety on the ensuing possession, giving Cal excellent field position for a two-play, 42-yard scoring drive. Mendoza found Nyziah Hunter for a 20-yard passing touchdown. That gave Cal a 14-0 lead that they would take into the second quarter.
The Golden Bears added a 33-yard field goal in the opening minute of the second quarter. On the ensuing possession, the Beavers were further stifled as Craig Woodson picked off Gevani McCoy at midfield.That turned into another 46-yard field goal for the Bears.
With 5:09 remaining in the game, Cal further extended the lead with a six-play, 70-yard touchdown drive. Thomas punched it in from two yards out and Mendoza connected with Mikey Matthews on the two-point conversion.
Down 28-0 at that point, the Beavers made a move at quarterback, pulling McCoy and switching between Gabarri Johnson and Ben Gulbranson. That provided enough spark to get the Beavers into field goal range, but Everett Hayes’ 38-yard attempt was blocked. Cal would then add one more field goal with a few seconds remaining in the first half to make the lead 31-0.
Oregon State ended the first half with four drives of less than five yards.
Oregon State opened the third quarter with a turnover on downs after traveling seven yards in four plays. The Bears continued to pour it on in the second half, with yet another field goal at the end of a nine-play, five-minute drive. Oregon State tried to get something going with a long drive of their own, but that ten-play, four-minute endeavor ended in another turnover on downs. Cal drove back down the field and added Jamaal Wiley's first college rushing touchdown to their total for the day.
OSU's Zachary Card fumbled the ensuing kickoff, setting up Cal at the Oregon State 23-yard line. At that point, Mendoza's day would end with Chandler Rogers taking over at quarterback for Cal to start the fourth quarter. Rodgers got Cal back into the red zone, where the Beavs tacked on their fifth field goal and making it 44-0.
OSU avoided the shutout in the fourth quarter, with a 17-play 75-yard touchdown drive that lasted over nine minutes. Gulbranson connected with Trent Walker for a two-yard score, his second touchdown catch of the season, with five minutes remaining. Cal mercifully ran out the clock from there to end the day in Berkeley.
The Beavers fall to a 4-4 start on the year. They'll head home for a bye week this next week then face another Bay Area team in the San Jose State Spartans in Corvallis on November 9.
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Joe Londergan joined the SI brand in 2023 with G5 Football Daily. With over 15 years of experience in covering and working directly in college and pro sports, Joe's expertise has been featured in Front Office Sports, SB Nation, and XRAY.FM. He is a member of both the Football Writers' Association of America and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers' Association. Joe holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Louisville and a master's degree in sports administration from Seattle University. Outside of his writing career, Joe enjoys golfing, although he admits that while he hits driver decently, his short game is a liability.