BOONE – A goal line stand and late interception sealed a dramatic fourth quarter as the App State Mountaineers held off the Oregon State Beavers 27-23 in front of a capacity crowd at Kidd Brewer Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The Mountaineers (3-2) welcomed their farthest-traveling opponent in stadium history and built a commanding 17-0 first-quarter lead before weathering a furious Oregon State comeback attempt. The Beavers (0-6) threatened to score on three separate possessions in the final period but came away empty each time, undone by a suffocating App State defense that made plays when it mattered most.
Oregon State's best scoring opportunity came late in the fourth quarter after the Beavers drove to a first-and-goal at the App State 3-yard line. Four consecutive carries by Anthony Hankerson gained just one yard total. On third down, officials initially signaled a touchdown, but replay review showed Ronnie Porter and Myles Farmer had stopped Hankerson inches short of the goal line with 1:58 remaining. On fourth down, Farmer tripped up Hankerson behind the line of scrimmage, and Colton Phares finished the tackle for a 2-yard loss to preserve the four-point lead.
The stop gave App State possession at its own 3-yard line, but the Mountaineers couldn't run out the clock. On second down, Rashod Dubinion fumbled at the goal line. Starting quarterback JJ Kohl recovered the loose ball in the end zone, conceding a safety rather than allowing Oregon State to score a go-ahead touchdown. The unintentional safety made it 27-23 with 1:40 left and forced App State to execute a free kick from the 20-yard line.
Oregon State moved quickly into scoring range following the safety, reaching the App State 25 for a first down with 25 seconds remaining. But Rondo Porter sacked Maalik Murphy for a 13-yard loss, backing the Beavers up to the 38. On the next play, Murphy found receiver Trent Walker crossing in front of the App State bench, but Juan Berchal delivered a shoulder hit that jarred the ball loose. The ball popped into the air, where Zyeir Gamble bobbled it four times before securing the game-sealing interception.
The defensive heroics capped a game that started with App State dominating. The Mountaineers forced a three-and-out on Oregon State's opening drive, then marched 55 yards in 10 plays to set up a 49-yard field goal by Dominic De Freitas.
The lead grew to 10-0 when Farmer forced a fumble on the ensuing kickoff return. David Wells Jr. fumbled at the Oregon State 14, and Porter recovered at the 18. Four plays later, Kohl scrambled 6 yards for his first touchdown as a Mountaineer.
App State struck again before the first quarter ended. After a 68-yard reception by Davion Dozier moved the ball to the Oregon State 5, Dubinion punched it in from 2 yards out with 3:38 left in the period. The 17-0 margin represented the Mountaineers' largest lead of the game.
Oregon State finally broke through early in the second quarter. After missing a 28-yard field goal attempt, the Beavers capitalized on an App State punt. Murphy hit Walker for 37 yards, then Wells Jr. broke free for a 30-yard touchdown run to cut the deficit to 17-7.
The Mountaineers drove into Oregon State territory on the next possession but couldn't extend the lead. A dropped deep pass at the 13-yard line forced a punt, and Oregon State seized momentum. The Beavers marched 93 yards in eight plays, with Murphy connecting with Wells Jr. on a 3-yard touchdown pass to make it 17-14 at halftime.
Kohl, making his first career start in place of injured regular starter AJ Swann, answered with a strong third quarter. App State converted a fourth-and-1 from their own 33-yard line early in a 13-play, 76-yard drive that consumed more than six minutes. Kohl capped the possession with a 28-yard touchdown pass to Dozier, who made four catches for 140 yards in just his second career game.
Oregon State responded immediately. Murphy led a seven-play, 75-yard drive, finding Cornell Hatcher Jr. for a 15-yard touchdown pass to pull within 24-21.
De Freitas added a 45-yard field goal with 50 seconds left in the third quarter to push the lead back to six points at 27-21, setting up the tense fourth quarter that featured three Oregon State scoring threats and three defensive stands.
Phares opened the fourth-quarter dramatics with an end-zone interception on third-and-goal early in the period. Oregon State had driven to the App State 6 before Phares stepped in front of Murphy's pass to end the threat.
Kohl completed 13 of 28 passes for 218 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions in his first start. Dubinion led the ground game with 98 yards on 19 carries and one touchdown.
Murphy completed 30 of 45 passes for 358 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. He was sacked once and faced consistent pressure throughout the game. Walker caught 13 passes for 179 yards, representing more than half of Oregon State's receiving production.
Hankerson carried 19 times for 64 yards for the Beavers, who managed just 98 yards rushing as a team on 25 attempts. Oregon State outgained App State in total yardage 456-354 but committed two turnovers to App State's one and went 0-for-1 in the red zone in the fourth quarter.
Phares led App State's defense with 10 total tackles, one interception, and a tackle for loss. Emory Floyd added six tackles, while Elijah Mc-Cantos contributed six tackles and broke up a key fourth-quarter pass.
App State returns to Sun Belt Conference play next Saturday with a road game at Georgia State, with kickoff scheduled for 3:30.
Key Performers
App State:
- Davion Dozier: 4 receptions, 140 yards, 1 TD
- JJ Kohl: 13-of-28 passing, 218 yards, 1 TD
- Rashod Dubinion: 19 rushes, 98 yards, 1 TD
- Colton Phares: 10 tackles, 1 interception
Oregon State:
- Trent Walker: 13 receptions, 179 yards
- Maalik Murphy: 30-of-45 passing, 358 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs
- Anthony Hankerson: 19 rushes, 64 yards
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