Oct. 17—Oregon State quarterback Braden Atkinson
The sophomore transfer continued his remarkable debut season at the FBS level, completing 23 of 38 passes for 347 yards with three touchdowns and no turnovers. Atkinson, who won the Jerry Rice Award (FCS freshman of the year) at Mercer last season, entered the game leading the FBS in passing yards and TD throws, and he boosted his numbers on the season to 2,604 yards and 24 TDs with only two interceptions. Atkinson connected on seven completions of 15 yards or more, including a 90-yard scoring bomb in the first half to star freshman receiver Jesse Legree. Atkinson completed eight straight passes during one stretch in the second half, two for TDs, as the Beavers put the game away.
Oregon State running back AJ Newberry
A senior Vanderbilt transfer, Newberry had the most productive game of his collegiate career, producing 225 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown. The 6-foot-1, 200-pound Texas native was a problem for Cougar tacklers, averaging 9.5 yards on 11 carries for 105 yards on the ground, with long rushes of 30, 26 and 19 yards. He was also a threat in the passing game, recording five receptions for 120 yards. On a screen pass late in the second quarter, Newberry outraced everyone and hurdled the last WSU tackler on his way to an 88-yard touchdown, which extended Oregon State's lead to 27-3, an insurmountable deficit for a Cougars team that found some offensive success with a new quarterback, but is still searching for consistency.