Beavers Head To El Paso To Close Out September Slate

Saturday, September 26

El Paso, Texas

6:00 PM

Oregon State

UTEP

Buy Tickets

Photo by: Karl Maasdam

September 21, 2026 | Football

Oregon State Game Notes

By: Athletic Communications

Game 4: Oregon State vs UTEP

Sept. 26, 2026 · El Paso, Texas · Sun Bowl Stadium (45,971) · 6:00 p.m. PT · MW+

Broadcast Information
Network	MW+
Play-By-Play	Andy Morgan
Analyst	Cole Freytag

Radio Information
Network	Beaver Sports Network
Play-By-Play	Mike Parker
Analyst	Jim Wilson
Sideline Reporter	Ron Callan
Pre-Game	Steve Preece
Streaming	Varsity Network
SiriusXM Channel	262 · 972 (SXM App/Online)

Oregon State Concludes September Action Saturday in El Paso

Oregon State plays its last game in the month of September Saturday when the Beavers visit UTEP in El Paso at Sun Bowl Stadium.
Saturday's game kicks off at 6 p.m. PT (7 p.m. local time in El Paso). It will air live on MW+, which is available for smartphones and tablets in addition to providers like Roku and Apple TV, among others.
Andy Morgan will call the play-by-play while Cole Freytag will serve as the color analyst.
The game can also be heard live on the Beaver Sports Network. Download the Varsity Network app to listen to the game on your smartphone or tablet. Mike Parker and Jim Wilson are on the call with Ron Callan on the sideline.
The matchup is the first ever meeting between the teams.
Oregon State, however, is 2-1 at Sun Bowl Stadium due to having played in the 2023, 2008 and 2006 Sun Bowl bowl games. The Beavers won in their 2006 and 2008 matchups versus Missouri and Pittsburgh, respectively, while dropping the 2023 contest against Notre Dame.
Braden Atkinson's 1,122 passing yards this season are second nationally. He only trails USC's Jayden Maiava, who has thrown for 1,173 over four games.
Atkinson is the first OSU signal caller to surpass 1,000 yards over the first three games of a season since Sean Mannion in 2013.
Jesse Legree also leads the nation with 476 receiving yards. Oregon State is the only team in the nation with a top-10 passer and top-10 receiver.
Legree has three straight 100-yard efforts, the first Beaver wideout to do so since Brandin Cooks in 2013.
Fifteen Beavers have already caught at least one pass; six have caught at least one score.
OSU enters the game 13-10 in the month of September since 2020.

Sun Bowl History

Oregon State is playing its first ever game against UTEP, but the Beavers are no rookies when it comes to playing in El Paso.
The Beavers won the 2006 and 2008 Sun Bowl games, defeating Missouri, 39-38, and then Pittsburgh, 3-0. Oregon State also played in the 2023 Sun Bowl, losing 40-8 to Notre Dame.
Here's a look at notables from each of those three games.
2006 - Yvenson Bernard scored on a 2-point rush after a 14-yard touchdown pass to Joe Newton with 23 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter to send Oregon State to the 1-point win. Future NFL signal caller Matt Moore threw for 356 yards and four touchdowns.
2008 - A Justin Kahut field goal with 2:18 remaining in the second quarter accounted for the only points in Oregon State's 3-0 win over Pittsburgh. The teams combined for 20 punts and 10 sacks, and the Beavers limited the Panthers to 178 yards total. Victor Butler had four sacks in the game, the lowest-scoring bowl since a scoreless tie between TCU and Air Force in the 1959 Cotton Bowl.
2023 - Jimmy Valsin III scored the Beavers' lone points on a 33-yard pass midway through the fourth quarter. He was followed by a 2-yard rush by Tyler Voltin on the point after. Voltin, Karson Boschma, Jake Reichle, Drake Vickers, AJ Winsor, Jhae Drummer, Takari Hickle, Tyree Blake, Clive Pond, Tiger Black, Jacob Anderson, Ben Hartman, Nathan Elu, Gabe Milbourn, Harlem Howard and Noble Thomas Jr. remain on the team from that bowl appearance, which also happens to be OSU's last to date.
Aaron Butler, meanwhile, is the lone Beaver who has ever played UTEP, appearing in Texas' 27-10 win over the Miners on Sept. 13, 2025.

On This Date

Oregon State has played on Sept. 26 13 times previously, posting a 4-9 all-time record.
The Beavers last played on the date in 2025, dropping a 27-24 overtime matchup to Houston.
Saturday's game marks just the third time OSU will play on Sept. 26 this century, and it's the first away from home since a 24-3 loss at Arizona State in 1998.

JaMarcus Shephard's First Season

JaMarcus Shephard was named Oregon State's head coach this past November.
He came to Corvallis after spending two seasons at Alabama, most recently as the Crimson Tide's assistant head coach, co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach.
He arrived at Oregon State with a reputation as one of the nation's premier developers of wide receivers, having coached a consensus All-American, a first-team All-American, multiple NFL draft picks and a string of nationally ranked passing offenses across stops at Alabama, Washington, Purdue, Washington State and Western Kentucky.
Shephard coached in the 2023 national title game while with the Huskies. Washington's passing game ranked second nationally at 343.7 yards per game while the Huskies scored 36.0 points per game. The unit featured one of the nation's top wide receiver corps with a pair of 1,000-yard seasons from first team All-American Rome Odunze, who recorded 92 receptions for 1,640 yards and 13 touchdowns, and Ja'Lynn Polk, who caught 69 passes for 1,159 yards and nine scores.
The duo went on to be selected in the first and second rounds, respectively, of the 2024 NFL Draft.

Beavers Win Notes

Eric Olsen caught his first touchdown as a Beaver in the first quarter. It was also his fourth career score.
Aeryn Hampton's first quarter score marked the first of his collegiate career.
DeCorion Temple caught his first touchdown in an Oregon State uniform in the second quarter. It also marked his third collegiate touchdown.
Cornell Hatcher Jr. rushed for his first touchdown of the season and second of his career in the fourth quarter.
The Beavers' first drive of the game went for 67 yards on five plays. It marked Oregon State's first opening drive to result in a touchdown this season.
Drake Vickers set a career-high with eight tackles.
The Beavers' 21 points in the third quarter marked the team's most since scoring 21 against Lafayette in the third quarter of the eighth game of 2026. OSU also scored in every quarter for the first time since that Lafayette win.
Jarrel Comer and Cynai Thomas both made their first starts as Beavers.

Atkinson Hits 1K

Braden Atkinson threw for 333 yards against Montana and enters Saturday's game with 1,122 on the year. He's just the second Oregon State quarterback to throw for over 1,000 yards in the first three games of a season since 2001, following Sean Mannion in 2012 and 2013.
A look at each of their first three games.
Sean Mannion (1,088 yards in 2012) - 276 yds, 1 TD vs. Wisconsin; 379 yds, 2 TD at UCLA; 433 yds, 3 TDs at Arizona.
Sean Mannion (1,237 yards in 2013) - 422 yds, 3 TDs vs. Eastern Washington; 372 yds, 4 TDs vs. Hawai'i; 443 yds, 5 TDs at Utah.
Braden Atkinson (1,122 yards in 2026) - 376 yds, 1 TD at Houston; 413 yds, 2 TDs vs. Texas Tech; 333 yds, 5 TDs vs. Montana.

Super Six

Braden Atkinson threw for five touchdowns and rushed for one more in the win against Montana, becoming the fifth player in Oregon State history to account for six touchdowns in the same game.
Here's the company he joins.
Terry Baker, Sept. 22, 1962 vs. Iowa State - 3 pass, 3 rush
Derek Anderson, Sept. 14, 2002 vs. UNLV - 5 pass, 1 rush
Sean Mannion, Sept. 28, 2013 vs. Colorado - 6 pass
Jake Luton, Oct. 5, 2019 vs. UCLA - 5 pass, 1 rush
Braden Atkinson, Sept. 19, 2026 vs. Montana - 5 pass, 1 rush

Legree Joins Some Company

Jesse Legree joined exclusive Oregon State company when he totaled 100 yards receiving against Montana. He reached the 100-yard plateau for the third consecutive game to open the 2026 season.
He is the fifth player in program history to reach or surpass 100 yards in three straight. A look at that company below.
Jesse Legree, 2026 - 3 straight: 9/5 at Houston (136), 9/12 vs. Texas Tech (240), 9/19 vs. Montana (100).
Brandin Cooks, 2013 - 3 straight: 9/14 at Utah (210), 9/21 at San Diego State (141), 9/28 vs. Colorado (168).
Mike Hass, 2005 - 5 straight: 9/3 vs. Portland State (155), 9/10 vs. Boise State (178), 9/17 at Louisville (136), 9/24 at Arizona State (174), 10/1 vs. Washington State (161).
Mike Hass, 2004 - 3 straight: 11/6 vs. USC (119), 11/13 at Stanford (110), 11/20 vs. Oregon (154).
James Newson, 2003 - 3 straight: 9/13 vs. New Mexico State (135), 9/20 vs. Boise State (208), 9/27 vs. Arizona State (124).
Reggie Bynum, 1985 - 3 straight: 9/7 vs. Idaho (152), 9/14 vs. California (100), 9/21 vs. Fresno State (154).

Oh, and He Leads the Nation, Too

Don't forget, Jesse Legree also leads the nation with 476 receiving yards on the season.
He's doing so despite ranking 36th nationally with just under six receptions per game. He is fourth with 28 yards per catch.
He has nine catches of 20 or more yards, with five going 30-plus. He ranks in the top two in both categories.

Hickle Goes Seven Straight

Takari Hickle recorded an 11-yard sack against Montana and has now gone seven straight games with at least half a TFL.
Hickle has 32 tackles with 6.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks and a forced fumble over that stretch.
He's gotten off to a strong start already in 2026, posting 16 tackles with 3.5 tackles for loss and two sacks totaling 20 yards over the first three games.

Atkinson's 300-Yard Efforts

A look at the 11 300-yard passing efforts in Braden Atkinson's career.

Year	Opponent	Cmp-Att	Yds	TD
2025 (Mercer)	Wofford	26-37	311	1
2025 (Mercer)	at The Citadel	28-34	304	4
2025 (Mercer)	Samford	22-35	365	5
2025 (Mercer)	at Princeton	27-42	347	3
2025 (Mercer)	VMI	29-35	533	5
2025 (Mercer)	at Furman	28-49	426	4
2025 (Mercer)	at Western Carolina	23-39	443	3
2025 (Mercer)	Chattanooga	28-37	321	5
2026 (OSU)	at Houston	29-48	376	1
2026 (OSU)	Texas Tech	31-51	413	2
2026 (OSU)	Montana	22-30	333	5

One More Atkinson Note

Braden Atkinson has surpassed 300 yards passing in each of the first three games of the season. He's now the sixth quarterback in Oregon State history to hit the 300-yard plateau in three straight.
Atkinson is looking to become just the second Beaver to go four straight of 300-plus, following Sean Mannion, who did so in seven consecutive games in 2013.
Here's a look at the six QBs who have thrown for at least 300 in three or more straight games.
Braden Atkinson, 2026 - 3 straight games: at Houston (376, 9/5), vs. Texas Tech (413, 9/12), vs. Montana (333, 9/19).
Sean Mannion, 2013 - 7 straight games: vs. Eastern Washington (422, 8/31), vs. Hawai'i (372, 9/7), at Utah (443, 9/14), at San Diego State (367, 9/21), vs. Colorado (414, 9/28), at Washington State (493, 10/12), at California (481, 10/19).
Sean Canfield, 2009 - 3 straight: at USC (329, 10/24), vs. UCLA (305, 10/31), at Arizona State (342, 11/7).
Derek Anderson, 2004 - 3 straight: vs. USC (330, 11/6), at Stanford (334, 11/13), vs. Oregon (351, 11/20).
Jonathan Smith, 2000 - 3 straight: at Washington (314, 10/7), vs. Stanford (324, 10/14), at UCLA (351, 10/21).
Erik Wilhelm, 1987 - 3 straight: vs. Akron (461, 10/10), at Arizona (318, 10/17), vs. Arizona State (339, 10/24).