CORVALLIS, Ore. (AP) — DJ Uiagalelei passed for 284 yards and a touchdown, ran for a touchdown for the third consecutive game, and 16th-ranked Oregon State's defense had six sacks in a 26-9 win over San Diego State on Saturday.
In his third game as the Beavers' starting quarterback after transferring from Clemson, Uiagalelei completed 14 of 30 passes and had two interceptions.
Damien Martinez anchored Oregon State’s running game with 102 yards.
The Beavers (3-0) kept the Aztecs out of the end zone until the fourth quarter.
San Diego State running back Jaylon Armstead scored on a 7-yard run with 9:01 remaining. The 2-point conversion pass failed and Oregon State maintained a two-score lead at 19-9.
The Beavers quickly responded.
Wide receiver Anthony Gould turned Uiagalelei’s short pass into a 75-yard touchdown and a 26-9 advantage.
The Aztecs (2-2) weren’t finished.
Quarterback Jalen Mayden led a drive inside the Beavers’ 10-yard line, but safety Akili Arnold’s interception in the end zone at the 5:40 mark helped seal Oregon State’s victory.
Wide receiver Silas Bolden came up big on an 84-yard scoring drive that extended the Beavers lead to 19-3 at 7:40 of the second quarter.
Bolden caught a 31-yard pass, ran 18 yards on the next play on a fly sweep to the 1, setting up Uiagalelei’s 1-yard touchdown run.
A 31-yard pass to tight end Jack Velling and a 35-yard strike to wide receiver Rhewa Munyagi Jr. set up the game’s first touchdown midway through the second quarter.
Uiagalelei tossed a backward pass to left tackle Joshua Gray, who scored untouched on a 3-yard run that made it 12-0. It was the first rushing touchdown by an Oregon State offensive lineman since 1996.
Jack Browning kicked a 52-yard field goal for the Aztecs with 44 seconds left to make it 12-3 at halftime.
Uiagalelei’s early fourth-quarter interception was the Beavers’ first turnover of the season.
The Beavers have won seven games in a row for the first time since the 2000 season. That team went 11-1, defeated Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl, and finished No. 4 in the final Associated Press poll.
Oregon State and San Diego State had not met since playing in consecutive seasons in 2013 and 2014.
FAMILIAR VENUE
Sixth-year San Diego State coach Brady Hoke is familiar with playing games in Corvallis. He was an assistant coach for the Beavers from 1989-94 when Oregon State home games were played at then-Parker Stadium, which had a name change in 1999 to Reser Stadium.
THE TAKEAWAY
San Diego State: After being dominated at home last week by UCLA, the Aztecs were competitive in their first road game of the season. The defense played well enough to stay in the game, but not enough offensive consistency took away any hope for an upset.
Oregon State: For the first time this season the Beavers were challenged for four quarters, and that should be good experience heading into the Pac-12 schedule. The defense and running game have been Oregon State’s strengths thus far. Uiagalelei is still finding his way operating a new offense.
POLL IMPLICATIONS
Oregon State likely will hold steady in next week’s rankings.
UP NEXT
San Diego State: Hosts Boise State on Friday.
Oregon State: At No. 23 Washington State on Saturday, Sept. 23 in the Beavers’ Pac-12 opener.
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AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll
