SAN DIEGO (AP) — Jam Griffin and Anthony Hankerson each ran for a touchdown, Gevani McCoy threw a 21-yard scoring strike to Bryce Caufield and Oregon State beat San Diego State 21-0 Saturday night.
McCoy, a redshirt junior transfer from Idaho, was 16-of-26 passing for 181 yards. Griffin finished with 18 carries for 89 yards and Hankerson added 71 yards rushing. Trent Walker had eight receptions for 92 yards for Oregon State (2-0).
The Beavers recorded their first shutout since September of 2021, when they beat Idaho 42-0 (McCoy, a freshman at the time, did not play for the Vandals) and Oregon State's first road shutout since a 0-0 tie with Oregon in 1983.
San Diego State (1-1) went three-and-out on the opening drive and Griffin scored on a 16-yard run to give the Beavers a 7-0 lead about 3 minutes into the game.
Jack Kane forced a fumble by quarterback Danny O'Neil and Oregon State's Nikko Taylor recovered it at the 2 before Hankerson's 15-yard TD run on the first play of the fourth quarter capped a 13-play, 98-yard drive that took more than 8 minutes off the clock and made it 14-0.
McCoy, on third-and-3, faked a hand off and rolled to his right before firing on the run and hitting a wide-open Caufield in the end zone to cap the scoring with 4:36 to go.
O'Neil was 11-of-24 passing for 107 yards for San Diego State. Marquez Cooper had 54 yards rushing on 14 carries.
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San Diego State wide receiver Louis Brown IV, left, watches a passed ball go past him chased by Oregon State defensive back Jack Kane during the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in San Diego. Oregon State won 21-0. (AP Photo/Raul Romero Jr.)
The New England Patriots showed in Week 2 why they are sticking with Jacoby Brissett at quarterback over first-round draft pick Drake Maye.
Not because Brissett is moving the offense with his arm, or even his legs.
But because it’s not yet safe for Maye to line up behind the Patriots’ offensive line.
Brissett was sacked three times and hit a handful of others in the 23-20 overtime loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday. One left the caretaker quarterback favoring his shoulder, another twisted his knee.
And the Patriots have invested too much in Maye — the No. 3 overall pick in the draft — to put the former North Carolina star at risk.
“You never want your quarterback to get hit,” coach Jerod Mayo said. “We have to do a better job with our pass (protection) up front, and we have to keep him clean. Because even when he’s not getting hit, or any quarterback, if they’re back there and they feel people around him, it always is going to affect you a little bit.”
Although the Patriots came into the season with low expectations — they were the biggest underdog in the league in Week 1 — Brissett managed the offense well enough to come away with an upset of the Cincinnati Bengals. Mayo crowed that his offensive line had been unfairly maligned.
But the problems the blockers showed in the preseason — Brissett hurt his right shoulder in the finale against Washington — reappeared against the Seahawks.
One key turning point came after Antonio Gibson broke free for a 45-yard run to the Seattle 25 with about seven minutes left and New England holding a 20-17 lead. After two runs that took almost two minutes off the clock, Brissett was sacked for a 9-yard loss, dropping the Patriots from the 21 to the 30.
The 48-yard field goal attempt was blocked, setting the Seahawks up on a short field for the tying field goal that sent the game into overtime.
The defense — especially the run defense — has been solid. The Seahawks managed just 46 yards on 19 carries.
The passing game has been slow to develop over the first two games, with Brissett totaling 30 completions for 270 yards and one touchdown so far this season. He has thrown only one pass downfield, according to Sportradar — the fewest attempts of 20 or more yards in the league. Only the Commanders (0-2), the Panthers (0-6) and the Bears (0-10) also have failed to complete a deep pass.
Tight end Hunter Henry caught eight passes, matching a career high, for a personal-best 109 yards.
After managing the season opener well enough to beat the Cincinnati Bengals, Brissett completed just 15 of 27 passes for 149 yards.
Linebacker Ja'Whaun Bentley, a defensive captain, left the game in the first quarter with a shoulder injury. Center David Andrews missed practice on Monday with a hip injury.
19 – Brissett completed three passes for 19 yards to wide receivers in the game. It’s the eighth time since the merger that Patriots wide receivers have picked up fewer than 20 passing yards in a game. Brissett has two of them, also connecting with wide receivers for just 16 yards in a 16-0 loss to Buffalo on Oct. 2, 2016, the final game of Tom Brady’s Deflategate suspension.
The Patriots travel to the Meadowlands to play the Jets on Thursday night.
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New England Patriots place kicker Joey Slye, right, kicks a field goal in front of punter Bryce Baringer, left, in the first half of an NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo adjusts his microphone in the second half of an NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson, right, celebrates after his touchdown with tight end Hunter Henry, left, in the second half of an NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
New England Patriots quarterback Jacoby Brissett, left, and Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith, greet one another in the center of the field following an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
New England Patriots quarterback Jacoby Brissett speaks with reporters following an NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
New England Patriots quarterback Jacoby Brissett (7) is brought down by Seattle Seahawks linebacker Boye Mafe, center, in the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
New England Patriots quarterback Jacoby Brissett, right, is brought down by Seattle Seahawks linebacker Boye Mafe, left, in the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
New England Patriots quarterback Jacoby Brissett, right, is sacked by Seattle Seahawks defensive end Leonard Williams, center, in front of Patriots guard Michael Jordan, left, in the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
