Chapter Twenty-Three: Check Cashed
I stood on the sideline and watched the fans pour from every possible avenue out of the stands and onto the field, as the Boise State players desperately tried to escape to the visiting locker room before being enveloped in the chaos unfolding. Before I knew what was happening, Ka’eo and Jalen had me in the air, one leg on each of their shoulders carrying me into the middle of the scrum as the students and players on the field became one.
Instead of joining the scrum on the field, Jessica and the kids had retreated to the tunnel where I finally emerged from the fracas thirty minutes later to fulfill the obligatory post-game press conference. Tara Lydia immediately ran into my arms with a million questions, finally settling on the one she felt was most important:
“Daddy, is everyone happy cause you won the championship like last year?” she asked, a grin already spreading regardless of the answer. “Not yet, Lydiabug,” I whispered into her ear, “But maybe soon. For now, we’re the best tonight.”
“Had me worried there for a minute, Flyboy,” Jessica teased as she pulled me in for a hug, “I was looking up how to start an OnlyFans subscription to pay off your debt.”
“Please,” I scoffed, “I’d sell my own kidney before I let that happen. Who you think I am, Adam22?”
The kids exchanged confused glances before deciding it was worth a laugh as their own laughs layered with our own.
The post-game press conference was a blur of questions, prideful statements, and heartfelt acknowledgement.
By the time we got home, we were all drained, physically and emotionally. Instead of getting the kids into their PJs and going through the rigamarole of a bedtime ritual, we quickly rearranged the pair of sectionals in our living room into a makeshift, king-size bed. As we tucked the kids in between ourselves, Tara Lydia questioned through the onset of sleep if we were sleeping on the couches tonight.
“This is what we call a comfy couch,” Jessica soothed as she shushed them to sleep.
“We can celebrate more tomorrow,” I whispered to Jessica, quiet enough not to wake the now sleeping children, “But come Monday? It’s back to the grind.”
“I wouldn’t expect any less,” she answered back, carefully lifting herself over the children to give me a long, passionate kiss, before quickly settling back to her side as AJ startled.
True to my word, Monday morning was back to the grind. I arrived an hour early to the facility just to make sure I was ready to go, with Coach Smith already in his office on his second cup of coffee.
He quickly signaled me into his office as I passed by, first energy drink of the day already half gone.
“Let’s chat real quick, Mando,” he said as I took the seat across from him, before tossing me a king-sized package of Tic-Tacs.
He let the silence stretch for a moment as I raised a questioning eyebrow at him, taking another long pull of his coffee before speaking.
“Those are for all the shit you’ve been talking lately, figured you needed to freshen your breath.
“I love the intensity, we all do. But, promising to reimburse five million dollars worth of tickets? That’s risky. And then you get the gray area of are you just reimbursing the tickets, or the mandatory donation to Our Beaver Nation as well?” He let the moment hang in the air, lengthening the scrutiny I wasn’t prepared to face after the biggest win for the program in four years.
“Lucky for you, the Board of Trustees liked the bravado. They were already prepared to offer discounts for next year’s tickets and host a fundraiser to cover the rest of the funds, in the event we lost.
“We’ve got your back, Armando. But you’ve got to have ours too. The more times you stick your neck out on a guarantee like that, the more likely it’s going to bite you in the ass. I’m not saying to be Bill Belichick in the media, but if you could not put a target on our back going against the top-rated team in the conference? We’d all appreciate it.”
“I hear you, Coach,” I said after a minute, “And I understand. I don’t usually come off the cuff like that, but seeing the disappointed faces in the crowd after Fresno State?” I scoffed and shook my head, driving the point home.
“And that’s why I didn’t have this conversation two weeks ago. ‘Cause I knew it wasn’t a foolhardy ego-driven boast, it came from a passion for your craft and wanting to put the best foot forward for the ones who support us the most. I’m not saying you were in the wrong, just exercise a tad more caution in the future, alright?”
With that he gave me a nod that signified he’d made his point. As we stood to shake hands, I paused.
“One question, Coach. Is it free game when we’re the best team in the conference?” I asked with a grin.
That drew genuine laughter from him, before he clapped me on the shoulder. “That’s why we love you, Armando. You believe you’re going to be the best and then you prepare like you won’t.”
Just before I turned back into the hall, angling toward my own office, he called back over his shoulder for me.
“Mando, almost forgot. Did you check the AP report this morning?” When I shook my head no, a grin spread across his face. “Number twenty-five, you better believe it.”
The message from Coach Smith wasn’t just for me, he was making it clear the expectation he wanted me to set to the rest of the defense going forward. There was still business to take care of.
“Listen up!” I yelled as I walked into the film room a few hours later with the rest of the defensive staff. “Party time is over boys. We won, we celebrated. But if we think that Washington State gives a flying fuck we beat Boise State, we’re already counting another loss.
“I made a guarantee, you guys backed it up. And let me be clear, I fucking loved it. You boys played your hearts out two days ago and that kind of effort is going to be remembered by those fans long after the final whistle blows on this season.
“But we didn’t just win a game. We put a target on our own backs. Winning is just as dangerous as losing. The more you win, the more you think it’s always going to be this way. It’s easy to make guarantees, it’s harder to back them up. It’s easy to say we’re going to do something, it’s a lot harder to put in the work to make it happen. You guys did that once. Nah, check that. You’ve done it all season. But the grind don’t stop, not now, not ever. Not if you want to be great.
“I don’t want to hear one more word about the win over Boise State. The only thing that should be on the mind of every single person’s in this room? Washington State. Nine wins. Taking that #25 that sits beside our name and keeping it scrolling up, not back down.”
A few cheers arose from the team at the mention of our new ranking, the first time Oregon State had been ranked since that 2022 defeat of Oregon. “We aren’t trying to be the 25th-ranked team in the nation,” I quickly added, quieting the growing enthusiasm, “We’re trying to be #1. Who’s on board?”
The chorus of cheers reverberated throughout the small conference room, echoing down the hallway.
“Let’s get to work boys,” I finished, cutting the lights off to begin the film session.
As the players all stored their things, each pulling out legal pads that were thick with notes, some on their second or third notepads since the season started, I cracked another energy drink. Looking over the rim while taking a long, measured sip I surveyed the room.
Not one person sneaking glances at their phone, no one in the back whispering in hushed tones. Every single player, locked in and focused.
“I like this feeling,” I thought to myself before grabbing the laser pointer to get to work.
The check was cashed, deposited, and spent. The next week of work awaited.
No Father's Son
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redsox907
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ShireNiner
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No Father's Son
Smart by the coach to pull the reigns a bit and bring you back in. Ranked teams don’t lose to the feeble pac12, better be ready to go now.
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redsox907
Topic author - Posts: 3781
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No Father's Son
ShireNiner wrote: ↑30 Jan 2026, 06:51Smart by the coach to pull the reigns a bit and bring you back in. Ranked teams don’t lose to the feeble pac12, better be ready to go now.
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redsox907
Topic author - Posts: 3781
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No Father's Son
2026 Week Thirteen Preview - #25 Oregon State (8-3) @ Washington State (3-8)
Ricky McKinley // Dam Daily • Published: November 27th, 2026
After last week's massive Senior Day clash against the Boise State Broncos, the stage is set for a spectacular letdown as the Beavers hit the road to finish out the 2026 regular season in Pullman, Washington against the 3-8 Cougars.
That being said, after how this team stepped up last week under the weight of Coach Mando's prediction, I just don't see them suddenly losing focus and looking past Washington State to the Pac-12 conference championship game. It would be completely out of character from everything we've seen not only from this coaching staff, but frankly the entire team.
Let's see how our 25th-ranked Beavers stack up against the Cougs before getting into our final regular-season edition of "Leon's Lowdown."
•••
#25 Oregon State Beavers (8-3) | Description | Washington State Cougars (3-8) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 77 Overall // 76 Offense // 79 Defense | Team Rating | 66 Overall // 66 Offense // 66 Defense Jonathan Smith (51-53) | Head Coach | Jimmy Rogers (11-13) Pro Style | Offensive Scheme | Power Spread 3-3-5 | Defensive Scheme | Base 4-3 31.3 (40th) | Offensive Points Per Game | 26.0 (95th) 22.8 (28th) | Defensive Points Per Game | 31.3 (104th) 340.2 (117th) | Offensive Yards Per Game | 350.3 (107th) 331.5 (12th) | Defensive Yards Per Game | 404.4 (91st)
Oregon State Beavers | Description | Washington State Cougars --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 61-60 | Combined Record | 66-55 @ Houston (5-6) W 41-39 | Week One | @ Kansas State (9-2) L 29-27 Texas Tech (10-2) L 47-13 | Week Two | FCS W 47-0 @ San Diego State (3-8) W 21-7 | Week Three | Washington (7-4) L 38-10 @ Stanford (2-9) W 23-20 | Week Four | Arizona (5-6) L 29-21 Montana W 59-14 | Week Five | @ NC State (9-2) L 34-6 BYE | Week Six | BYE Oregon (9-2) L 23-7 | Week Seven | Texas State (6-5) L 41-37 @ Texas State (6-5) W 32-27 | Week Eight | @ Utah State (1-10) W 52-24 Utah State (1-10) W 45-10 | Week Nine | @ Fresno State (6-5) L 41-7 Fresno State (6-5) L 30-24 | Week Ten | San Diego State (3-8) L 38-37 @ Colorado State (5-6) W 48-14 | Week Eleven | @ Boise State (7-4) L 45-14 Boise State (7-4) W 31-20 | Week Twelve | Colorado State (5-6) W 28-25
Oregon State Beavers Washington State Cougars --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DT JoJo Johnson (79) Dislocated Elbow (1 Week) | Injuries | DE Isaac Terrell (85) Broken Femur (34 Weeks) LT Jayden Tuia (70) Dislocated Ankle (4 Weeks) | Injuries | G Noah Dunham (82) Broken Collarbone (7 Weeks) N/A | Injuries | CB AJ Davis (75) Broken Collarbone (4 Weeks) N/A | Injuries | LT Nathan Pritchard (73) Broken Hand (4 Weeks) N/A | Injuries | G Nick Bakken (76) Torn Labrum (2 Weeks)
Oregon State Beavers | Pos | Washington State Cougars --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SO(RS) Kallen Gutridge (72) 154/262 (58%), 1,961 Yds, 20 TD, 7 INT | QB | JR(RS) Gabarri Johnson (79) 189/350 (54%), 2,438 Yds, 20 TD, 6 INT JR Salahadin Allah (84) 248 Att, 1,272 Yds, 7 TD | HB | SR(RS) Robert Briggs (84) 172 Att, 872 Yds, 5 TD JR(RS) Zachary Card (79) 40 Rec, 517 Yds, 7 TD | WR | JR(RS) Taeshaun Lyons (84) 60 Rec, 888 Yds, 6 TD SO(RS) Malachi Durant (73) 32 Rec, 395 Yds, 7 TD | WR | SR(RS) Devin Ellison (85) 41 Rec, 586 Yds, 5 TD JR(RS) CB Sailasa Vadrawale 66 Tkl, 10 TFL, 3 Sacks, INT | DEF | JR MLB Dallas Pritchard (73) 78 Tkl, 5 TFL SR(RS) DE Ka'eo Akana (78) 32 Tkl, 19 TFL, 12 Sacks | DEF | SR(RS) DT Bryson Lamb (76) 29 Tkl, 10 TFL, 7 Sacks SR(RS) MLB Jalen Woods (79) 43 Tkl, 20 TFL, 5 Sacks | DEF | SR DE Isaac Terrell (85) 17 Tkl, 7 TFL, 3.5 Sacks SR SS Kyle Chen (78) 82 Tkl, 8 TFL, Sack | DEF | SR(RS) CB Kai Rapolla (75) 40 Tkl, 2 INT
Pac-12 Week Thirteen Schedule
► Show Spoiler
► Show Spoiler
•••
Leon's Lowdown
RM: "I'm going to get it out of the way early, Coach. This game has "trap" written all over it. How do you keep the team from walking into the quicksand?"
AL: "To be honest, Ricky? We haven't done much. That speaks to the buy-in from these young men. From defensive captains like Aiden Sullivan and Jalen Woods, down to true freshmen preparing for next season, every single person has bought in. No 'come to Jesus' meeting with the team, no constant reminders. We talked about it one time before we started film session on Monday, and that was it. These guys know what's at stake. Lose this weekend and everything we've worked to build is easily taken away."
RM: "Let's talk rankings for a minute, Coach. Oregon State cracked into the top 25 after the win against Boise State. Does that have the program thinking about potentially crashing the Playoff if you can secure one of the five automatic bids?"
AL: "It's something we as a staff have discussed, but not directly with the players. And even the staff discussion was more, 'okay this is a possibility, let's put it on the back burner until it's reality.' 'Cause that's the thing. Yes, we're ranked. Yes, we're going to play for a conference championship. But that's two games away. Two games where any team can put you on your ass and suddenly that pipe dream a month down the line is gone. So we acknowledge there is an outside shot if things get crazy in the upper conferences, but we're not concerning ourselves with the potential outcome until it is in front of us."
RM: "Let me just make a note of that...do not book tickets for the National Championship in Vegas just yet.
"Final question, Coach. Recent reports have come out that Washington State was prepared to make an offer to Brett Vigen to succeed Jimmy Rogers if he left Pullman this offseason. Rogers ultimately stayed, so it's unclear if Vigen was ever officially offered the job. But recent speculation is that if that had happened, Vigen would have tried to bring you to Pullman with him. What are your thoughts on how the decision by Rogers to stay in Pullman led to you landing here in Corvallis?"
AL: "The rumor mill works in mysterious ways, Ricky. To answer your question, I was not aware of any offer made to Coach Vigen. At least, not that he informed me of. If he had gone to Pullman, it's possible he would have brought me with. It's just as possible Montana State tries to keep me in-house to replace him, making the point moot. Love Coach Vigen, loved coaching for him, but I'm happy with how the tables turned. My family and I love Corvallis and the community and are happy to be a part of Beaver Nation."
RM: "We usually keep these to three questions, but now I gotta ask a follow-up. Are you committing to Corvallis long-term?"
AL: raises hands in self-defense gesture "Way to put me on the spot, Ricky. I'm not going to be that guy that promises to stay, just to leave. I can't predict the future. That doesn't take away the joy I have for this job, program, or environment. But you also have to do what is best for your own career and family. But I will say I'm going to enjoy every minute of my time here, regardless of how long it lasts."
•••
Dang it, I thought we had him on the hook. 'Cause if I know one thing about Coach Mando, if he makes a promise, he keeps it. But true to form, he stayed calm and collected, found the best plan, and executed with that answer.
Back to business, however, the team is saying all of the right things and I simply don't see this coaching staff letting our boys go sleepwalking into Pullman to get blindsided.
Oregon State 35, Washington State 14. See you boys for the Pac-12 Championship Game.
#BuildTheDam
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redsox907
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Cougars Refuse To Die With Go-Ahead Touchdown In Final Minutes To Stun Beavers
Ricky McKinley // Dam Daily • Published: November 28th, 2026
Well...shit. Sorry Beaver Nation, but that's the best I got. After spending the week talking about how the Beavers weren't going to fall into the trap game, they went full swan dive into it as the Washington State Cougars knocked off the 25th-ranked Oregon State Beavers 33-27 behind four interceptions, a pick-six by their defense, and an explosive 48-yard run by Robert Briggs to retake the lead for good in the final four minutes of play.
It was clear, despite the prep all week stating otherwise, that the Cougars cared just a little more in this one. After an encouraging field goal drive to open the game for Oregon State, things went sideways in a hurry.
Washington State struck back with a 58-yard missile from Gabarri Johnson to Devin Ellison, who toasted Exodus Ayers in press coverage, then consecutive interceptions by Kallen Gutridge resulted in a pick-six, then a short field that the Dam held to a field goal. 17-3 at the end of the 1st quarter was not in anyone's media guides this weekend.
Oregon State's defense continued to bend, not break, as they were continuously tasked with defending short fields, but a late touchdown drive by the Beavers cut the deficit to 20-10 going into the half.
Washington State would hit on a 35-yard out to start the second half, but were once again thwarted by the Beaver's defense and held to another field goal.
After the Cougars pushed the lead to 23-10, the Beavers' defense forced four straight punts, biding enough time for the offense to finally surge back with back-to-back touchdown drives, retaking the lead on Salahadin Allah's six-yard touchdown run with just five minutes remaining. With how well the Beavers' defense had played out of the break, it felt like they'd survive another close contest.
Three plays was all it took for the Cougars to respond \ after Robert Briggs slid his way out of a logjam of defenders, eventually hitting green grass on a 49-yard touchdown run to quickly retake the lead for Wazzou. Then Gutridge folded, tossing his third interception.
Oregon State held firm again, despite another short field, but the ensuing field goal widened the lead enough that when the Beavers faced fourth down with 30 seconds remaining, they opted for the field goal, then a prayed for an onside kick.
The field goal was good; the onside was not. And just like that, the Beavers short-lived time in the AP Rankings was gone.
Let's cut to the post-game press conference to hear exactly what happened on that final touchdown run from Coach Armando Leon himself.
•••
Question One - Sean Cypress (The Daily Evergreen): "Heartbreaking loss for your club after last week's hard-fought win over Boise State, Coach. Can you walk me through what happened on that 49-yard touchdown run by Briggs?"
Armando Leon: "From what I can gather, everyone else around the ball-carrier thought the other person was going to make the tackle. We had five defenders within three yards of the ball carrier, yet he slips past and jaunts 49 yards for the go-ahead touchdown. Don't ask me what I said to the boys after hearing that explanation, 'cause it'll get these press conferences pulled off the air real quick.
"I'll just say it was an embarrassing showing in a crucial moment. We're better than that; we train harder than that, and we're going to address it internally so I don't see that lackadaisical effort from one of my guys again. I'll leave it at that."
Question Two: Chip Swarley (CW Sports): "What would you say to doubters who point to this loss and say the team isn't as focused as previously stated by yourself and other members of the Oregon State football program?"
Armando Leon: "Chip, you've been around this game enough. No matter what I say, the media train is going to keep rolling, picking up stories whether they're sensible or not. To say we lost this game with a lack of focus is a disservice to the athletes in the other locker room. They came in and executed and proved that tonight, they wanted it more."
Question Three - Olivia LeRusso (Oregonlive): "With the loss, the team is likely to drop out of the top-25 rankings, thus ending their short potential Cinderella bid for the Playoff. Is that a burden lifted off your shoulders, or are you truly living game by game?"
Armando Leon: "Insert Jim Mora joke, Olivia. We're as worried about it now as we were before the game. Unbothered. I'm more bothered by the fact we only gave up 294 total yards, tallied 18 tackles for loss, five sacks, an interception, yet a pair of big plays is what did us in. If it had been simply turnovers putting us in bad field position, I can explain that as bad circumstance. Touchdowns of 53 and 49 yards, however? Unacceptable."
•••
If coach won't say it, I will. The offense HAS to do more here. This is yet another game where we wait until the final quarter to kick it into gear, then expect the unit that's been carrying the load all day to not be gassed. Five times in this contest, the Cougars' offense started at or around midfield. That simply can't happen if you want to keep winning at a high level.
That isn't complementary football and isn't going to win you squat in this league, as we clearly saw today. This loss stings; it's supposed to. But the bad times make the great ones all the sweeter. We're still in the Pac-12 Championship. We've still won more games in a single season than the last two depressing years combined. Let's focus on the positive, keep the good energy flowing, and get ready for that Championship Game.
•••
| Team | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final |
| Oregon State | 3 | 7 | 00 | 17 | 27 |
| Washington State | 17 | 3 | 3 | 10 | 33 |
| Q | Team | Time | Play | Oregon State | Washington State |
| 1st | Oregon State | 7:50 | Logan McCreery, 44 Yd FG | 3 | 0 |
| 1st | Washington State | 7:06 | Devin Ellison, 58 Yd Pass From Gabarri Johnson | 3 | 7 |
| 1st | Washington State | 3:43 | Andre Jordan Jr, Returned Interception 13 Yds | 3 | 14 |
| 1st | Washington State | 0:44 | Jack Stevens, 54 Yd FG | 3 | 17 |
| 2nd | Washington State | 6:30 | Jack Stevens, 33 Yd FG | 3 | 20 |
| 2nd | Oregon State | 4:16 | Jack Reichle, 17 Yd Run | 10 | 20 |
| 3rd | Washington State | 7:10 | Jack Stevens, 46 Yd FG | 10 | 23 |
| 4th | Oregon State | 8:37 | Zachary Card, 11 Yd Pass From Kallen Gutridge | 17 | 23 |
| 4th | Oregon State | 5:04 | Salahadin Allah, 6 Yd Run | 24 | 23 |
| 4th | Washington State | 3:18 | Robert Briggs, 49 Yd Run | 24 | 30 |
| 4th | Washington State | 2:16 | Jack Stevens, 29 Yd FG | 24 | 33 |
| 4th | Oregon State | 0:33 | Logan McCreery, 48 Yd FG | 27 | 33 |
Oregon State Washington State Passing | Stats Passing | Stats ----------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------ Kallen Gutridge | 10/19, 142 Yds, TD, 3 INT Gabarri Johnson | 16/25, 192 Yds, TD, 3 INT Rushing | Stats Rushing | Stats ----------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------ Salahadin Allah | 25 Att, 162 Yds, TD Robert Briggs | 15 Att, 92 Yds, TD Jack Reichle | 1 Att, 17 Yds, TD Gabarri Johnson | 8 Att, -6 Yds Receiving | Stats Receiving | Stats ----------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------ David Wells Jr | 7 Rec, 100 Yds Taeshaun Lyons | 6 Rec, 53 Yds Zachary Card | 2 Rec, 30 Yds, TD Devin Ellison | 3 Rec, 98 Yds, TD Jackson Bowers | 1 Rec, 12 Yds Beau Baker | 2 Rec, 29 Yds Defensive | Stats Defensive | Stats ----------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------ DT Tygee Hill | 3 Tkl, 2 TFL, 1.5 Sacks CB Andre Jordan Jr | 3 Tkl, 2 INT, TD LB Hasson Manning Jr | 4 Tkl, 3 TFL, 1.5 Sacks DT Bryson Lamb | 5 Tkl, TFL, Sack FS Harlem Howard | 4 Tkl, TFL, INT LB Gage Jones | 4 Tkl, TFL, 0.5 Sack
Pac-12 Week Thirteen Results
17 Boise State (7-5) @ Colorado State (6-6) 23
31 Fresno State (7-5) @ San Diego State (3-9) 21
17 Utah State (1-11) @ Texas State (7-5) 48
Notable Week Thirteen Results
17 Michigan @ #6 Ohio State (11-1) 41
21 North Texas (9-3) @ #7 Tulane (10-2) 49
33 #16 Penn State (9-3) @ #20 Washington (8-4) 34
35 #11 Notre Dame (10-2) @ #4 USC (11-1) 52
37 #18 (9-3) @ #25 Auburn (8-4) 42
Additional Media
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Deuce2223
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No Father's Son
Wow.. Beat the Broncos but fall to the Cougars.. Tough way to end the regular season.. At least it doesn't impact the Pac-12 title bout.
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redsox907
Topic author - Posts: 3781
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No Father's Son
yeah the loss to Wazzou was a big let down after we pulled out the W against Boise State. But I liked it better that way. Didn't want an outside change that we get an automatic bid into the dance in S1
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redsox907
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No Father's Son
2026 Conference Championship Preview - Oregon State (8-4) @ Texas State (7-5)
Ricky McKinley // Dam Daily • Published: December 11th, 2026
This isn't the way we wanted to head into the Pac-12 Championship Game, still licking our wounds after a brutal mauling by the Washington State Cougars. But you know what they say, the best way to get over a loss is with a win.
The Pac-12 Championship Game returns to Allegiant Stadium after a two-year hiatus with an electric matchup, pitting the top-ranked defense of Armando Leon and the Oregon State Beavers against the top-ranked Texas State Bobcats offense.
Let's see how these two teams stack up again five weeks after their last confrontation, before we get to a Championship edition of "Leon's Lowdown."
•••
Oregon State Beavers (8-4) | Description | Texas State Bobcats (7-5) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 77 Overall // 76 Offense // 79 Defense | Team Rating | 64 Overall // 66 Offense // 61 Defense Jonathan Smith (51-54) | Head Coach | GJ Kinne (30-21) Pro Style | Offensive Scheme | Veer and Shoot 3-3-5 | Defensive Scheme | 4-2-5 30.9 (45th) | Offensive Points Per Game | 39.6 (8th) 23.7 (32nd) | Defensive Points Per Game | 35.6 (130th) 340.0 (118th) | Offensive Yards Per Game | 495.2 (3rd) 328.3 (10th) | Defensive Yards Per Game | 470.9 (133rd)
Oregon State Beavers | Description | Texas State Bobcats --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 79-77 | Combined Record | 87-69 @ Houston (5-7) W 41-39 | Week One | @ Texas (11-1) L 56-31 Texas Tech (10-2) L 47-13 | Week Two | UTSA (8-4) L 38-35 @ San Diego State (3-9) W 21-7 | Week Three | North Texas (9-3) L 49-35 @ Stanford (2-10) W 23-20 | Week Four | FCS W 56-42 Montana W 59-14 | Week Five | @ Kentucky (5-7) W 45-27 BYE | Week Six | Boise State (7-5) W 35-24 Oregon (10-2) L 23-7 | Week Seven | @ Washington State (4-8) W 41-37 @ Texas State (7-5) W 32-27 | Week Eight | Oregon State (8-4) L 32-27 Utah State (1-11) W 45-10 | Week Nine | @ Colorado State (6-6) L 41-34 Fresno State (7-5) L 30-24 | Week Ten | BYE @ Colorado State (6-6) W 48-14 | Week Eleven | Fresno State (7-5) W 34-29 Boise State (7-5) W 31-20 | Week Twelve | @ San Diego State (3-9) W 54-35 @ Washington State (4-8) L 33-27 | Week Thirteen | Utah State (1-11) W 48-17
Oregon State Beavers Texas State Bobcats --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- N/A | Injuries | N/A
Oregon State Beavers Texas State Bobcats --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SO(RS) Kallen Gutridge (72) 164/281 (58%), 2,079 Yds, 21 TD, 10 INT | QB | SO(RS) Brad Jackson (81) 323/494 (65%), 4,330 Yds, 32 TD, 6 INT JR Salahadin Allah (84) 273 Att, 1,434 Yds, 8 TD | HB | SO Greg Burrell (84) 212 Att, 962 Yds, 18 TD JR(RS) David Wells (80) Jr 38 Rec, 594 Yds, 2 TD | WR | SR Tiaquelin Mims (79) 72 Rec, 1,183 Yds, 15 TD JR(RS) Zachary Card (79) 43 Rec, 547 Yds, 8 TD | WR | SR Beau Sparks (86) 79 Rec, 1,134 Yds, 4 TD JR(RS) Sailasa Vadrawale III 72 Tkl, 10 TFL, 3 Sacks, INT | DEF | SR(RS) SS Javis Mynatt (73) 91 Tkl, 2 TFL, INT SR(RS) DE Ka'eo Akana (78) 36 Tkl, 21 TFL, 13 Sacks | DEF | JR DT JP Deeter (72) 45 Tkl, 6 TFL, 3 Sacks SR(RS) MLB Jalen Woods (79) 49 Tkl, 22 TFL, 5 Sacks | DEF | JR(RS) DT Kyran Bourda (73) 32 Tkl, 5 TFL, 4 Sacks SR SS Kyle Chen (78) 90 Tkl, 10 TFL, Sack | DEF | JR CB Elijah Green (79) 65 Tkl, 2 INT
Conference Championship Matchups
C-USA: Kennesaw State (9-3) @ Liberty (10-2)
Mountain West: UNLV (6-6) @ Nevada (9-3)
Big 12: #14 Texas Tech (10-2) @ #9 Kansas State (10-2)
Mid-American: Ball State (6-6) @ Western Michigan (8-4)
Sun Belt: Georgia Southern (7-5) @ Louisiana-Lafayette (9-3)
American: USC (7-5) @ #7 Tulane (10-2)
SEC: #3 Texas (11-1) @ #1 Oklahoma (12-0)
ACC: #8 Duke (11-1) @ #5 Miami (11-1)
Big Ten: #4 USC (11-1) @ #6 Ohio State (11-1)
•••
Leon's Lowdown
RM: "Alright, Coach. This is it. Pac-12 Championship Game back in Vegas after a two-year hiatus. Safe to say, this is the biggest game of your career so far?"
AL: "I mean, I've coached in two FCS National Championships and won one...but it's definitely up there. More than anything, we're just excited to get the taste of that loss in Pullman out of our mouths. It's been two long weeks of hell for my defense, preparing to atone for that mistake, and I think they're as ready as they'll ever be to proudly represent Corvallis and Beaver Nation in Las Vegas."
RM: "At the time of your last showdown with Texas State, some criticized how effective the Bobcats offense was against your defense, personally calling your abilities into question. Is it more validating that when the final stats are counted, Texas State is a top-10 offense nationally, proving that you held your own against one of the best squads in the country this season?"
AL: "Don't take offense to this, Ricky, but at this point I just block out the media to a degree. If we won by 30, they'd talk about the points we gave up. If we win by 3, they talk about how we almost lost it. The peripheral stats that cement the work we're doing are nice, but we only count dubs around here."
RM: "Final question before I let you get back to it, Coach. How difficult is it to beat a team a second time in the same season?"
AL: "Luckily, I have a bit of experience with that the past few years with Montana State. The tricky thing, is it's like the old Seinfeld joke about an ex. You know all of each other's tricks at this point. It comes down to who can make the adjustments and catch the other off-guard for who wins the game. It should be a fun one, no doubt."
•••
We faced the Bobcats once already and despite some big plays in the 4th quarter, our boys held on. I have faith we're going to atone for that brutal loss in Pullman, make a few adjustments to keep the Bobcats' prolific offense off-balance, and win the first conference championship of a new era in the conference.
With how this season has gone, the ballers we have on the defensive side, I just don't see two losses in a row. The only thing that gives me pause is if our defense can't hold, we aren't winning a shootout with these guys.
Hopefully they put a few Band-Aids on the Dam after Pullman.
Oregon State 20, Texas State 17.
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ShireNiner
- Posts: 1180
- Joined: 29 Sep 2025, 10:06
No Father's Son
What a fraud, get ranked and then lose. And because of the coaches defense. And this journalist comes at you what softball questions!?
Here’s a question Coach - Is it true your head coach had to give you an attitude check since your head got so big? Why the arrogance when your defense continues giving up points?
And I know you didn’t just compare the FCS to the PAC12 Championship. I’m about to write a newspaper article about your disrespect for the PAC and comparing it to the FCS.
Here’s a question Coach - Is it true your head coach had to give you an attitude check since your head got so big? Why the arrogance when your defense continues giving up points?
And I know you didn’t just compare the FCS to the PAC12 Championship. I’m about to write a newspaper article about your disrespect for the PAC and comparing it to the FCS.
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djp73
- Posts: 11475
- Joined: 27 Nov 2018, 13:42
No Father's Son
At least you didn’t bet the farm against WSC