Oregon State downs Montana State 68-28; Nolan throws 4 TDs.
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Chance Nolan threw for 276 yards and four touchdowns and Oregon State remained undefeated with a 68-28 victory over Montana State at Portland’s Providence Park on Saturday night.
Anthony Gould caught a pair of touchdown passes and returned a punt for another score for the Beavers, who are 3-0 to open the season for the first time since 2014.
“It was fun,” Gould said. “But it’s even better when you get to enjoy it with your team. Getting a quality team win, it’s fun to be able to go out there and get it.”
Providence Park is normally home to Major League Soccer’s Portland Timbers and the Portland Thorns of the National Women’s Soccer League. Oregon State hadn’t played in Portland since 1986.
Montana State is using a two-quarterback system this season, with Tommy Mellott and Wyoming transfer Sean Chambers. Mellott threw for 101 yards with three interceptions, while running for 135 yards. Chambers ran for 35 yards and three touchdowns.
The Bobcats (2-1) — who haven’t defeated an FBS team since 2006, when they beat current Pac-12 member Colorado 19-10 — were coming off a 63-13 victory over Morehead State in Bozeman.
“We wanted to come in here and compete, and we didn’t do that,” Montana State coach Brent Vigen said.
Deshawn Fenwick gave the Beavers the early lead with a 25-yard scoring run up the middle. Montana State answered with Chambers’ 7-yard keeper on the Bobcats’ first series of the game.
Nolan hit Tre’Shaun Harrison with a 6-yard scoring pass to give the Beavers a 14-7 lead.
Mellott was intercepted on Montana State’s subsequent drive and Oregon State took advantage, scoring on Nolan’s 1-yard keeper. But Marqui Johnson scored for the Bobcats on a 98-yard kickoff return to close the gap to 21-14.
Silas Bolden scored for the Beavers on a 24-yard pass from Nolan midway though the second quarter. Nolan added a 9-yard scoring pass to Gould to make it 34-14 going into halftime.
Gould returned a punt 80 yards for a touchdown early in the second half.
Chambers had and 8-yard run to close the gap to 40-21, but Damien Martinez ran for a 7-yard score and Gould caught a 17-yard TD pass from Nolan to extend the lead to 54-21.
Jam Griffin ran for 23 yards for another Oregon State touchdown early in the fourth quarter, after the Beavers pulled many of their starters.
Chambers added a 1-yard keeper for the Bobcats with 7:55 left but Kanoa Shannon ran for a 3-yard Beavers touchdown in the final minutes.
“The multiple quarterback thing is not easy, especially when they’re capable of really throwing it,” Oregon State coach Jonathan Smith said. “And some of the stuff they were giving us was unique in regards to motion from the backfield. But we’re going to continue to face good quarterbacks and we’ve got to be ready for it.”
THE TAKEAWAY
Montana State: Freshman running back Jared White injured his lower leg in the game against Morehead State and won’t be available for at least a couple of months. Isaiah Ifanse, who racked up 1,623 yards and 10 touchdowns last season, also missed Saturday’s game.
Oregon State: Oregon State was without tight end Luke Musgrave and running back Trey Lowe will miss Saturday’s game because of unspecified injuries. … The game at Providence Park was a sellout. … Gary Payton II, who played at Oregon before winning an NBA title last year with the Golden State Warriors, was at the game. Payton signed with the Portland Trail Blazers in the offseason. … Gould’s touchdown on a punt return was Oregon’s first since 2015.
UP NEXT
Montana St: The Bobcats visit Eastern Washington next Saturday.
Oregon State: The Beavers host the USC Trojans next Saturday night.
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