BOONE, N.C. — No opponent has ever traveled farther to face App State at The Rock. The Mountaineers' defense made sure Oregon State didn't go the distance at any point during a dramatic, stifling set of red zone stands in the fourth quarter.
Welcoming a Pac-12 opponent that crossed the continent to play in the High Country, App State built an early lead and never trailed despite being challenged by three late scoring threats from the Beavers in a 27-23 victory Saturday with a sold-out crowd of 35,021 filling Kidd Brewer Stadium. It was the Mountaineers' first-ever home victory against a traditional Power conference program — teams with long-standing ties to the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and SEC.
The Beavers traveled more than 2,200 miles to Boone, only to repeatedly be stopped a yard short.
Colton Phares,
Ronnie Porter,
Myles Farmer,
Rondo Porter,
Juan Berchal and
Zyeir Gamble all made key contributions — with Berchal's big hit on an intended receiver precipitating Gamble's last-minute interception — as
DJ Smith's defense kept Oregon State's offense from scoring during a nailbiting end to their first-ever meeting.
"Today, we showed what this place is about and who these kids are," first-year head coach
Dowell Loggains said. "They played with all their heart."
The Mountaineers (3-2) held a 27-21 lead when Phares came down with an end-zone interception on a third-and-goal pass early in the fourth quarter.
The Beavers regained possession after a three-and-out punt and had a first down at the App State 3 before being stuffed on four straight runs from Anthony Hankerson. The officials initially ruled a touchdown on the third-and-goal Wildcat carry from the 1 with 1:58 left, but a review showed that
Ronnie Porter and Farmer had stopped Hankerson short of the goal line. Hankerson took another direct snap on fourth down, and Farmer tripped him up behind the line before Phares finished off the play for a 2-yard loss.
Oregon State (0-6) had all three of its timeouts left as App State took over at its own 3 with 1:49 left, so the Mountaineers weren't going to be able to run out the clock without a first down, bringing the possibility of App State taking an intentional safety into play.
Disaster nearly struck when the Beavers forced a fumble on a second-down carry. With the bouncing ball unclaimed in the end zone, starting quarterback
JJ Kohl jumped on it to prevent Oregon State from scoring a go-ahead touchdown.
Instead, the Mountaineers allowed an unintentional safety that still left them with a four-point lead and the ability to execute a free kick from the 20-yard line rather than a punt from their own end zone.
The Beavers quickly moved into scoring range and had a first down at the App State 25 before
Rondo Porter's sack for a 13-yard loss backed up Oregon State with 25 seconds left. Maalik Murphy hit standout receiver Trent Walker in stride on a crossing route in front of App State's bench, but Berchal jarred the ball loose by delivering a shoulder-led hit to Walker's chest. The ball popped into the air, and Gamble bobbled it four times before securing a game-sealing interception.
App State jumped ahead 17-0 and never relinquished the lead, although there were plenty of nervous moments. Making his first start at quarterback in place of a sidelined
AJ Swann, Kohl followed a 49-yard field goal from
Dominic De Freitas with a 6-yard touchdown run midway through the first quarter, and
Rashod Dubinion (98 rushing yards) scored on a 2-yard run with 3:38 left in the period.
Kohl's first touchdown pass in an App State uniform was a 28-yard connection in the third quarter with
Davion Dozier, who made four catches for 140 yards in his second career appearance for the Mountaineers. Kohl completed 13 of his 28 pass attempts for 218 yards.
Farmer's forced fumble on a kickoff return that followed De Freitas' early field goal and
Ronnie Porter's recovery set up App State's first touchdown, and Dozier's 68-yard gain to the Oregon State 5 preceded the second touchdown. De Freitas also made a 45-yard field goal, which turned a 24-21 edge into a 27-21 advantage late in the third quarter.
Trailing 17-0 in the second quarter, Oregon State missed a 28-yard field goal but followed an App State punt with a two-play drive that included a 37-yard pass and a 30-yard touchdown run. The Mountaineers moved into OSU territory on the next series, but instead of potentially building the margin to 24-7, App State's lead was quickly cut to 17-14, with a drop at the 13 on a deep throw preceding a punt by the Mountaineers.
Oregon State responded by driving 93 yards on eight plays, with the big moment occurring when
Caleb Sandstrom's pressure forced Murphy to send a wobbly, high throw downfield into heavy traffic. The ball went through the hands of a camped-out defender and ended up as an improbable 22-yard reception to the App State 34, and a long run on the next play set up Murphy's 3-yard touchdown pass.
App State missed a field goal late in the half but had possession to start the third quarter and converted a fourth-and-1 run from their own 33 early in a 13-play, 76-yard drive that lasted more than six minutes.
Oregon State answered with a touchdown of its own, and De Freitas' field goal in the final minute of the third quarter set the stage for a low-scoring but memorable final quarter.
App State is back in action next Saturday with a Sun Belt Conference game at East Division opponent Georgia State. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.
