AJ Newberry
3 stories filed under AJ Newberry on Wazzu. The newest of them: “Eshelman gives Cougs hope, but D can't stop Oregon State”, “Braden Atkinson keeps slinging it, now tops in the FBS”, and “Eshelman finds the end zone, but Beavers build a big lead”. Oregon State's offense did what everyone feared it would do. Braden Atkinson threw a 90-yard touchdown in the first half and never looked back. The unofficial read for people who left Pullman and stayed Cougs. The list below is every AJ Newberry story on Wazzu, newest first.
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Eshelman gives Cougs hope, but D can't stop Oregon State
Oregon State's offense did what everyone feared it would do. The Beavers hung 48 points and 555 yards on WSU's defense, which had its worst game of the season. That's the headline, and it stinks. The Cougs are 1-6, winless against FBS teams, and next week brings No. 23 Boise State to Pullman. No rest for the weary. But there was a real bright spot, and it's worth talking about. Owen Eshelman should be the guy. The redshirt freshman threw for 289 yards and ran for 136 more, accounting for all six of WSU's runs of 10-plus yards. He made savvy decisions on the RPOs and gave the offense a pulse it's been missing. Branden Ganashamoorthy was open all day, catching 11 passes for 147 yards. If you want to feel a little better about what's happening, read "Owen Eshelman and Branden Ganashamoorthy made the scoreboard hurt a little less." The defense, though. Yikes. Tackling was an issue. Oregon State averaged 6.3 yards per carry. Running back AJ Newberry made a WSU defender look silly with a juke and a hurdle on an 88-yard screen pass. The Beavers scored on five of their first six possessions and led 27-3 late in the second quarter. WSU punted on its first four possessions. That's how you lose a game before halftime. It's painful to watch Oregon State become one of the best stories in the Group of Six while the Cougs search for an identity.
Braden Atkinson keeps slinging it, now tops in the FBS
Braden Atkinson threw a 90-yard touchdown in the first half and never looked back. The Oregon State quarterback, a sophomore transfer from Mercer, is now the FBS leader in passing yards and touchdown throws. He went 23 of 38 for 347 yards, three scores, and zero picks against Washington State. That brings his season totals to 2,604 yards and 24 touchdowns with just two interceptions. The guy won the Jerry Rice Award as the FCS freshman of the year last season. He looks like he belongs at this level. The Cougars could not stop him, and they could not stop AJ Newberry either. The Oregon State running back, a Vanderbilt transfer, put up 225 total yards and a touchdown. He ran for 105 yards on 11 carries, averaging 9.5 a pop, and caught five passes for 120 more. His 88-yard screen pass touchdown in the second quarter made it 27-3. That was more than WSU could climb back from. The Cougars found some offensive rhythm with a new quarterback, but consistency is still missing. If you want the full picture, check out "Kirby Moore finally had something to say, and it wasn't about a tie" for the head coach's take on this stretch. Go Cougs.
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Eshelman finds the end zone, but Beavers build a big lead
Owen Eshelman found the end zone for the first time in his college career Saturday, and that's about the only good news the Cougars got in Corvallis. The redshirt freshman connected with Branden Ganashamoorthy for a 40-yard touchdown late in the second quarter, but by then the Beavers had already built a lead too big to ignore. Oregon State put up 27 points before Washington State could answer with a field goal. The Beavers came out swinging. Jesse Legree is every bit the problem we worried he'd be, the star freshman hauled in a 90-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter, and he hasn't been held under 100 receiving yards all season. That's not a stat you see often. Oregon State's offense kept rolling with an 88-yard screen from AJ Newberry, who piled up 159 scrimmage yards on the day. Washington State's offense stalled near the goal line in the second quarter, settling for a 19-yard field goal from Jack Stevens. Meanwhile, Caleb Ojeda added two field goals for the Beavers, including a 48-yarder to stretch the lead early. This one got away fast. The Cougars are still searching for their first FBS win of the season, and the defense, stout as it's been, had no answer for Legree and company. If you want to know how Eshelman earned the starting job in the first place, check out our earlier piece, "Eshelman walked in asking why, and WSU coaches took notice.