CORVALLIS, Ore. — Oregon State pulled out a close win against a lower-tier underdog on Saturday, but coach Gary Andersen said his squad would enjoy the victory nevertheless.
“They’re hard to come by,” Andersen said.
Isaiah Hodgins caught a 17-yard touchdown pass from Jake Luton with about a minute left as Oregon State came back to defeat FCS-member Portland State 35-32.
Luton threw for 235 yards, one TD and one interception and had six completions in a row on the last drive for the Beavers (1-1), who bounced back from a season-opening loss at Colorado State.
Fellow signal-caller Darell Garretson ran for 29 yards and a TD as Oregon State used two quarterbacks, sometimes changing multiple times on the same drive.
Luton praised Hodgins, a wide receiver who finished with five catches for 59 yards. “He had a big catch near the end and then obviously the touchdown,” Luton said. “He’s a heck of a player and he’s just going to keep getting better.”
Tight end Noah Togiai led the Beavers in receiving with five catches for 95 yards.
Portland State backup quarterback Josh Kraght came in during the fourth quarter and scored on a one-yard run with 2:43 left to give Portland State to a 32-28 lead.
He led the Vikings to within field goal range on a final drive, but a 46-yard attempt was wide right to end the game.
Kraght also had 82 yards receiving and two receiving TDs before starting QB Jalani Eason departed the game.
Eason threw for 164 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions and zig-zagged his way to 95 yards rushing and two TDs for the Vikings (0-2).
Portland State coach Bruce Barnum said postgame that he wasn’t sure about the health or injury issue that forced Eason out, and that he was only notified that his freshman starting QB couldn’t play the rest of the contest.
Barnum liked how his team fought and competed. “We turned the ball over. We juggled the ball in the red zone and we made some young mistakes. We’re young,” he added.
The Vikings outgained the Beavers 515 yards to 389 yards, but the lack of a quality kicker proved costly.
Portland State has missed all three PATs this season, including two on Saturday. The team made one of three two-point conversions against Oregon State.
Za’Quan Summers finished with 106 yards rushing for the Vikings.
Oregon State linebacker Manase Hungalu scored on a 21-yard interception return and had nine tackles, including two for loss.
THE TAKEAWAY
Portland State: The Vikings opened their season with two straight FBS teams, and fell 20-6 against Brigham Young last week.
Oregon State: Perhaps it was the 90-degree heat or the 11 a.m. start, the program’s earliest ever. But the home crowd, officially listed at 34,737, looked sparse, and a lackluster effort against Portland State might not help matters.
UP NEXT
Portland State: The Vikings host UC Davis on Sept. 16.
Oregon State: The Beavers host Minnesota on Sept. 9.
