The Oregon State Beavers were left to confront their fourth straight defeat after San Jose State staged a comeback in the final quarter to take home a 24-13 victory. In an attempt to shift the tide, Oregon State introduced a change at quarterback, but the alteration in their lineup failed to deliver a break in the losing streak that has shadowed them this season.
Rallying from a three-point shortfall, San Jose State turned the tables in the showdown with a pick-6 that flipped the lead early in the fourth quarter, as documented by KOIN. While the Beavers' defense tried to wrest control of the field, the Spartans marched forward, taking advantage of an interception to pad their lead. According to Statesman Journal, the decisive moment where Oregon State turned it over on downs at their own 46, the Spartans needed just six plays to find the end zone thanks to Floyd Chalk's 11-yard scamper.
Oregon State had generated hope prior to halftime with a touchdown complemented by a blocked field goal. The trajectory seemed positive post-break as the team clinched a field goal to lead 13-10. However, San Jose's resurgence in the final stages put a damper on the Beavers' early gains. OSU's offense sputtered near the goal line, were stifled with a turnover on downs and couldn't overcome the interceptions that plagued their final quarter.
Ben Gulbranson, standing in as Oregon State's new helmsman, concluded the game with a stat line of 24-of-37 for 292 yards, as mentioned by OregonLive. Despite the two interceptions he threw, one of which was returned for a touchdown, his connections with Trent Walker, who hauled in 11 catches for 151 yards, emerged as a silver lining in a match fraught with turnovers. For San Jose State, Justin Lockhart's noteworthy performance included five receptions amounting to 128 yards.
With this victory, the Spartans improve their position as Oregon State grapples with questions surrounding their form and strategy going forward. The Beavers now have to regroup and focus on rectifying the errors that led to their downslide as they look toward the remaining games of the season, seeking to end on a positive note.