CORVALLIS, Ore. — Sean Mannion added to his considerable legacy at Oregon State Saturday night without throwing for a touchdown.
Mannion threw for 275 yards to set a new Oregon State passing record, but the Beavers’ four TDs came on runs in their 28-7 victory over San Diego State.
Mannion’s passing yards gave him 11,339 for his career, pulling him in front of Derek Anderson atop the Beavers’ career list, and into third on the Pac-12 all-time list behind leader USC’s Matt Barkley (12,274) and fellow Trojan Carson Palmer (11,818).
Humble as always, Oregon State’s senior quarterback was honored to have set the mark.
“More than anything I’m just happy that we won, though,” he said.
Terron Ward and Storm Woods each rushed for two touchdowns for the Beavers, who open the season 3-0 for the fifth time since 1999. They’ll visit USC next week to open the Pac-12 season.
Oregon State coach Mike Riley understands why Mannion doesn’t want to talk about history right now.
“It’s a great record. He won’t talk about it and he probably shouldn’t right now. It will be something he’ll reflect on,” Riley said. “But it’s a great achievement. There’s been a lot of great quarterbacking here.”
Mannion now has 903 yards passing and four touchdowns this season. The senior threw for 300 yards and three TDs in Oregon State’s last outing, a 38-30 victory at Hawaii on Sept. 6.
San Diego State (1-2) was also coming off a bye after a 31-27 loss at North Carolina. Quinn Kaehler threw for a career-high 341 yards with a touchdown and led the Aztecs to a first-and-goal from the North Carolina 3 in the final minute — but he was picked off looking for Lloyd Mills in the end zone.
Donnel Pumphrey rushed for 89 yards and the lone touchdown on the opening series for the Aztecs. Kaehler threw for 106 yards but had two interceptions against the Beavers.
“You can’t win in today’s college football if you only score seven points,” San Diego State coach Rocky Long said. “I thought the offense other than the first drive of the game was average to poor.”
Pumphrey’s 2-yard scoring run came on the opening drive. The Beavers evened the score on Ward’s 12-yard touchdown run, capping a drive that started when Steven Nelson intercepted Kaehler on Oregon State’s 30.
The Beavers were hurt in the second quarter when receiver Victor Bolden left the field, accompanied by trainers. Later Oregon State announced he had a dislocated right pinkie finger and would not return.
On the final drive of the half, Mannion hit sophomore Rahmel Dockery with a 49-yard pass to put the Beavers on San Diego State’s 2-yard line. Ward popped in for the touchdown to make it 14-7 at the break. It was Dockery’s first career reception, but he left in the second half because of a hip pointer.
Woods ran for a 5-yard touchdown on Oregon’s State’s opening series in the second half. He added a 2-yard scoring run as the third quarter came to a close.
“I think it’s a good picture of what we can do when we put it together both ways,” Riley said.
The Aztecs were without senior wide receiver Ezell Ruffin, who broke his collar bone in the loss at North Carolina and will miss six to eight weeks.
Last season at San Diego State Mannion led a come-from-behind 34-30 victory.
“We just have to keep improving,” Mannion said. “I thought we took some strides today but there is still work to be done.”
The two teams split the previous four games in the series. San Diego State hadn’t visited Corvallis since a 35-3 loss in 2000.
In their last 22 games against the Pac-12, the Aztecs have won only once: a 42-24 victory over Washington State on Sept. 17, 2011.
San Diego State opens Mountain West play next weekend against UNLV.
“Any time you only put up seven point your chances of winning are very slim,” San Diego State receiver Lloyd Mills said. “We just have to get back to the drawing board because we start conference next week and I would like to see us go to the conference championship.”
