CORVALLIS, Ore. — Steve Sarkisian had one word on his mind after the Washington Huskies dropped their third straight game. He used it over and over.
“The best way to describe the game and tell you how I feel is frustrated,” the Husky head coach said. “It was a frustrating, frustrating game.”
Sean Mannion threw for 339 yards and two touchdowns and Jovan Stevenson ran for three more scores as Oregon State beat Washington 38-21 Saturday.
The Beavers (3-8, 3-5 Pac-12) beat the Huskies for the seventh time in their last eight meetings. The Huskies have been reeling since starting 5-1. They have lost four of their last five heading into next week’s Apple Cup.
Nick Montana struggled in his first career start, amassing 79 yards on 11 for 21 passing for the Huskies (6-5, 4-4), necessitating Price to relieve him in the fourth quarter.
Oregon State went up 24-14 with 11:14 left in the game after Mannion connected with Obum Gwachum for a 58-yard pass that set up a Stevenson touchdown. Montana fumbled on the next drive deep in Husky territory and Stevenson scored again to put the Beavers up by 17.
“It didn’t go the way I wanted it to go,” Montana said about his first start. “I wanted to play better, but it didn’t happen.”
Price relieved Montana and promptly led the Huskies on a 10-play, 58-yard touchdown drive capped by a 20-yard touchdown pass to Devin Aguilar to get Washington within 31-21. The Huskies appeared to be in business after Beaver Brandin Cooks fumbled the kickoff, but Price was intercepted by Ryan Murphy on the first play. The Beavers went 99 yards on a time-consuming drive and Stevenson scored his third touchdown to seal the game.
“I’m frustrated for our players, coaches and fans because I know we can be better than this,” Sarkisian said. “We need to know what we can do to fix that.”
Montana, son of NFL legend Joe Montana, started in place of Price, who injured his left knee in a 40-17 loss to USC last week. Washington coach Steve Sarkisian played coy for most of the week before announcing Thursday on Twitter that Montana would start.
Oregon State receiver James Rodgers caught four passes, including a 6-yard touchdown pass, to become Oregon State’s all-time leader in receptions. However, he left the game in the second quarter with a sprained ankle.
Markus Wheaton had seven catches for 125 yards and also ran for 66 yards for the Beavers.
Freshman tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins caught two touchdowns in the first half for the Huskies. Mannion connected with Rodgers and Micah Hatfield for touchdown passes. Trevor Romaine made a 24-yard field goal and the Beavers took a 17-14 lead into the fourth quarter.
Now both teams look forward to rivalry week. The Huskies are bowl eligible and can clinch a winning record by beating Washington State. The Beavers have a tough test against No. 4 Oregon. There will be no bowl game for Oregon State.
“What better way to go out than by beating the Ducks?” safety Lance Mitchell said.
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