Reser Stadium
Wazzu keeps Reser Stadium in one place: 3 stories so far. The section currently leads with “Eshelman gives Cougs hope, but D can't stop Oregon State”, “Eshelman finds the end zone, but Beavers build a big lead”, and “Oregon State looms as Cougs head south still searching for first win”. Oregon State's offense did what everyone feared it would do. 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 unofficial read for people who left Pullman and stayed Cougs. The list below is every Reser Stadium story on Wazzu, newest first.
:fill(white)/media.spokesman.com/photos/2026/10/17/6ad438ae6aedf.hires.png)
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.
:fill(white)/media.spokesman.com/photos/2026/10/17/6ad2c51d17015.hires.png)
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.
Oregon State looms as Cougs head south still searching for first win
Owen Eshelman gets the keys. First start of his college career, and he's walking into Corvallis against an Oregon State team that looks like it's been shot out of a cannon. The Beavers are on a four-game win streak, leading the country in passing yards per game, and just hung 66 points on San Diego State. Meanwhile, the Cougs are still hunting for their first FBS win, sitting at 1-5, and just watched a halftime lead evaporate into a 17-16 loss to Utah State. That Utah State game stung. Two fumbles turned into touchdowns. The offense put up 64 yards in the second half. Caden Pinnick took the brunt of it, and Moore made the call this week. For more on how Moore handled the aftermath, check out our piece, "Moore won't throw his QB under the bus after Utah State loss." Eshelman has a tough task. He's facing a Beaver defense that's rolling, and he's doing it with an offensive line that just lost left tackle Ashton Tripp to an ankle injury. The good news? WSU's defense is still showing up. They held Utah State's quarterback to 150 yards and one touchdown pass. They'll need that same effort, and then some, against Jesse Legree and that OSU passing attack. This is a gut-check game. The Cougs are 17.5-point underdogs for a reason. But it's also a chance to see what the offense looks like with a new hand on the wheel. Go Cougs.