CORVALLIS, Ore. — Damien Martinez ran for 146 yards and a career-high four touchdowns to lead No. 12 Oregon State to a 62-17 victory over Stanford on Saturday.
Martinez, the Pac-12 freshman Offensive Player of the Year last year, surpassed 1,000 yards for the season and did most of his damage in the first half with 136 rushing yards and all four touchdowns, including a 59-yard score in the first quarter.
“O line did their thing, allowing me to do my thing,” said Martinez, who had just 15 carries.
The Beavers (8-2, 5-2 Pac-12, No. 12 CFP) kept their Pac-12 championship game hopes intact and extended their home winning streak to nine games.
Stanford (3-7, 2-6), which was coming off a 10-7 win at Washington State and played No. 5 Washington close at home two weeks ago, couldn’t keep up with the Beavers’ big-play offense.
“It’s tough to win in this league and we came out from the start. These guys were prepared and ready,” Oregon State coach Jonathan Smith said.
While Martinez set the tone, Oregon State was by no means one-dimensional offensively.
DJ Uiagalelei completed 12 of 19 passes for 240 yards and two touchdowns.
The Beavers’ defense was led by end Andrew Chatfield Jr., who had two sacks, a forced fumble and an interception. Safety Kitan Oladapo had two of the Beavers’ four interceptions.
“Just the way we practice,” said Chatfield, who has five sacks in the past two games. “We came in and had a dominating mindset.”
A 61-yard catch and run by wide receiver Anthony Gould set up Martinez’s third touchdown of the first half, a 15-yard run for a 21-7 lead early in the second quarter.
A 40-yard touchdown pass to wide open tight end Jermaine Terry II extended the lead to 28-7 at 10:17 of the second quarter.
Martinez scored again from 5 yards out with 15 seconds left in the second quarter to give the Beavers a 34-10 lead at halftime.
Deshaun Fenwick scored on a 13-yard touchdown reception on the opening drive of the third quarter for a 41-10 lead.
Stanford quarterback Ashton Daniels ran for a 7-yard touchdown late in the first quarter, cutting the lead to 14-7. But Oregon State was dominant the remainder of the game.
HALL OF FAME CLASS HONORED
Former athletes and coaches from the 2023 Oregon State Athletic Hall of Fame class representing numerous sports were honored during the game. The loudest ovation went to Steven Jackson, a running back for the Beavers from 2001-2003 who was a three-time Pro Bowl selection during an 11-year NFL career.
Former football coach Mike Riley, who led the Beavers to eight bowl games in 14 seasons, was among the honorees.
THE TAKEWAY
Stanford: All three of the Cardinal’s wins this season have been on the road, but they weren’t competitive for long at Oregon State.
Stanford has shown improvement after a slow start under first-year coach Troy Taylor, but even if the Cardinal win their last two games they will not be bowl eligible.
Oregon State: The Beavers were balanced offensively with 277 yards on the ground and six rushing touchdowns, and 321 yards through the air and three scores. The defense produced four interceptions, four sacks and 11 tackles for loss.
Oregon State will need to beat No. 5 Washington and No. 6 Oregon in the regular season finale and get some help to reach the Pac-12 title game Dec. 1 in Las Vegas.
POLL IMPLICATIONS
Oregon State likely will hold steady in next week’s rankings.
UP NEXT
Stanford: The Cardinal will be at home against California.
Oregon State: Oregon State plays its final home game of the season against No. 5 Washington.
