Shephard after first win: ‘There’s something going on in Corvallis’
Braden Atkinson threw for 333 yards and five touchdowns in little more than a half in Saturday’s 52-17 rout of Montana (courtesy Karl Maasdam/OSU sports communications)
CORVALLIS — Hey, Beaver Nation. Before the season, if you’d been told that Oregon State would stay with nationally ranked opponents Houston and Texas Tech right to game’s end, then blow out FCS powerhouse Montana in Game 3, would you have taken it?
Probably. As OSU linebacker Dylan Layne told the media last week, “There are no moral victories.” But close losses to the Cougars and Red Raiders showed promising signs, and the Beavers put it all together in a 52-17 drubbing of the Grizzlies in a Saturday nightcap performance at Reser Stadium.
Oregon State (1-2) next heads to El Paso, Texas, for a matchup with UTEP, a team that, like the Beavers, went 2-10 last season. The Miners have a 51-10 win over FCS foe Texas Southern sandwiched between routs by Oklahoma (51-0) and Michigan (52-17). It is a game that the Beavers should win, just as was Saturday’s against a Montana team that was 3-0 and No. 2 in the FCS ranks coming in.
A crowd announced at 34,030 that included a packed student section of 8,637 — eighth-largest OSU student crowd ever — drew raves from coach JaMarcus Shephard as he addressed the media afterward.
“You fans, you showed up, you were rowdy, and we appreciate that,” Shephard said. “And we gotta do it again.
“Our expectations continue to rise for our team. I am proud of the first step we have taken, the first of many. I can’t wait to get ready for the next one. Everybody needs to start paying attention, because there is something going on in Corvallis.”
By the time athletic director Kevin Griffin presented Shephard with the game ball in the OSU locker room after his first victory as a head coach, the players “were already going nuts,” Shephard said with a smile. “I was so excited to get (the game ball) from him. We have a similar vision in terms of challenging the status quo and competing at a high level. … (the players) played their rear ends off. They have done it from the first snap of the opener until the end of tonight’s game. Our coaches coached to the end, too. Hats off to them. (The game ball) really goes to (all of) us.”
Shephard told the media the victory wasn’t about him, but to his players, that part of it was rewarding, too.
“We love Shep,” senior defensive end Takari Hickle said. “He has done nothing but love us and allow us to grow and excel as players, while also challenging us when we need to be challenged. I was happy for us to win, but it was very good for us to get him that ‘W’ as well.”
Oregon State took away any potential drama early by jumping on Montana from the start, building a 35-3 lead at halftime. On the first play from scrimmage in the third quarter, quarterback Braden Atkinson went deep on a 48-yard pass to Jesse Legree. Two plays later, he found Aaron Butler for 27 yards, a touchdown and a 42-3 lead just 41 seconds into the period.
“I told our players (at halftime) that the second half of the game would speak toward the culture of our team,” Shephard said. “I was excited about our offense on that first drive, and we were still trying to be explosive. Then our defense came back and kept scrapping all the way to the end. I couldn’t be more happy coming out being up like that. We had not been in that situation. They passed that test really well.”
That was it for Atkinson, who gave way to backups Brady Jones and Maalik Murphy for the rest of the game.
Atkinson continued to build on stats that put him atop the country through the first two games of the season. The 6-foot, 210-pound sophomore transfer from Mercer, who went into the weekend leading the nation in passing yardage per game (354.5), completed 22 of 30 passes for 333 yards and five touchdowns, one shy of the school record six set by Sean Mannion against Colorado in 2013.
On Saturday, Beaver QBs spread the ball around to nine receivers who caught at least one pass. Atkinson’s five TD strikes went to a different receiver each time.
“I liked that the ball was getting distributed around,” Shephard said. “That’s a sign of an offense that can continue to be productive throughout the year. You can’t pinpoint one person and try to shut him down, and that will shut the whole offense down.”
“Hats off to (offensive coordinator Mitch) Dahlen and Shep in the recruiting aspect,” Atkinson said. “We are explosive in the pass game. For me, it is about giving (receivers) the chance to make a play — putting the ball up, and I already know they are going to make the play.”
Through three games, Atkinson has connected on 82 of 129 passes (64 percent) for 1,122 yards (374 average) and eight scores with one interception.
“That kid is playing unafraid,” Shephard said. “I love that about him. He is not afraid to take chances and push the ball vertically up the field. He has a tremendous grasp of what we are trying to do each week. We are changing the plays, doing something different, every week. When the guys show up on Tuesday, there will be a new install the guys will have to learn. He handles it like it’s written on the back of his hand.
“I am proud of him and how he has continued to let the (receivers) know that they can be confident about what they’re doing, because he is confident in getting them the ball in the right position.”
Said Atkinson: “It has definitely been installs early in the week. I’m a late-nighter here, always with coach (Zach) McBride, going through walk-throughs and talking about the plays. That helps me out a lot.”
Atkinson worked like a surgeon, slicing and dicing the Montana secondary while locating open receivers. He moved around the pocket with poise and an almost unerring ability to escape danger. He wasn’t sacked once Saturday, though he took several hits after unloading a pass. In the second quarter, he got rocked just as he rifled a throw between two defenders to Legree for a 23-yard touchdown and a 21-3 lead.
“Mitch always talks about leadership throws — what are you going to do when someone is in your face and you gotta get the ball out?” Atkinson said. “I pride myself in being tough and being able to deliver the ball no matter the circumstances. My job is to get the ball to the playmakers. If I get hit, I still have to do my job.”
Legree entered the game leading the nation in receiving yardage per game (188 average). The 5-10, 170-pound quicksilver had another big game with four catches for 100 yards. Through three games, he has 17 receptions for 476 yards (158.7 average) and four scores.
Aeryn Hampton hauled in six passes for 94 yards, including a 28-yard TD, and AJ Newberry came out of the backfield for four catches for 55 yards. The 6-1, 200-pound senior transfer from Vanderbilt also rushed seven times for 45 yards as Oregon State compiled 144 yards rushing after netting only 142 in the first two contests.
“Newberry was running the ball a little tougher in the first half, and in the second half Trey (Garrison, 14 carries, 55 yards) was running the ball hard,” Shephard said. “He was lowering his shoulder and driving for extra yards. We have to keep cleaning things up in the run game, but our guys are dedicated to it.”
Coach JaMarcus Shephard said Atkinson handles “new installs like it’s written on the back of his hand”
Atkinson also rushed for a sixth TD on a second-quarter one-yard sneak.
“Always cool to have a rushing touchdown, even if it’s a sneak,” Atkinson noted with a grin.
The Beavers were 6 of 12 on third down and 2 of 2 on fourth down. On their first possession, they faced fourth-and-two at their 41-yard line. They went for it, and Atkinson found Newberry on a pass play that covered 40 yards. It set an aggressive tone for the game.
“We are going to keep betting on ourselves,” Shephard said. “We are going to keep going for it on fourth down. That’s betting on ourselves. The guys had a look in their eyes. I said, ‘Guys, let’s go for it. Let’s put our foot on the gas.’ ”
Oregon State finished with 28 first downs, 366 yards passing and 510 yards total offense. Its defense held Montana to 338 yards total offense and kept FCS All-America running back Eli Gilman in check. Gilman, who rushed for 328 yards and seven touchdowns through the first three games, managed 81 yards and a TD on 18 attempts.
“We want to create problems for the other team,” Shephard said. “Our defense is doing a great job of creating problems, forcing teams to rethink about how they are going to run their offense.”
“I feel very confident in the defense and in the players around coach Mac (coordinator Mike MacIntyre),” said Hickle, who had four tackles, an 11-yard sack and two quarterback hurries. “We have some areas to improve on, but each week we grow. We are trending in the right direction.”
Beaver edge Takari Hickle had four tackles, a sack and two quarterback hurries against the Grizzlies
The Beavers also got a 29-yard punt return and a 46-yard kickoff return from 5-6, 170-pound junior Xayvion Noland.
It was only one victory, and it came against an opponent in a lower division, but against a storied program that won 13 games and reached the semifinals of the FCS playoffs a year ago.
“It was very important,” Atkinson said. “Getting our first win of the season, bouncing back from 0-2 — a really big win for us. Now we have to have the snowball effect and carry it on to next week.”
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