Recap and highlights: Anthony Gordon sets Pac-12 records, Washington State beats Oregon State

PULLMAN – After Washington State let an 11-point fourth-quarter lead turn into an 11-point deficit, the Cougars capped a comeback of their own with a 2-yard Max Borghi touchdown run with 2 seconds left and earned a 54-53 victory over the Oregon State Beavers on Saturday night at Martin Stadium.

After Jermar Jefferson’s fourth touchdown of the game gave the Beavers a 53-42 lead with 4:17 left in the game, Anthony Gordon led a 7-play, 75-yard touchdown drive to cut into the lead, 53-48.

The Cougars missed the 2-point conversion and failed to recover the ensuing onside kick with 2:10 remaining.

But the Beavers gained just six yards on three plays, and Jake Luton’s fourth-down pass sailed high, giving the Cougars the ball with 70 seconds left.

Borghi scored the game-winning touchdown one week after guaranteeing the Cougars would beat the Beavers. The sophomore running back finished with 84 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns.

Senior Anthony Gordon threw for a season-high 606 yards on 50 of 70 attempts for six touchdowns and three interceptions. In the process he set single-season Pac-12 records for yardage (4,920) and touchdowns (45).

Washington State (6-5, 3-5 Pac-12) becomes bowl eligible with the win, while denying the Beavers (5-6, 4-4) their own such eligibility.

– Dan Thompson, For The Spokesman-Review

Pac-12 Networks / YouTube

First quarter

9:16 – OSU 7, WSU 0: Oregon State goes 99 yards in five plays to open the scoring in Pullman.

Jermar Jefferson capped the drive with a 54-yard touchdown run.

The Beavers kept the ball on the ground and slashed right through a porous Washington State run defense.

Jefferson had 59 yards on the drive and Artavis Pierce added 33 rushing yards on one carry.

The Beavers started near their goal line after John McCarten intercepted Anthony Gordon’s pass.

2:17 – WSU 7, OSU 7: Anthony Gordon connects with Dezmon Patmon for a 12-yard touchdown pass and the Cougars have tied the score.

Patmon caught a shot pass over the middle and then beat the Beavers defender to the pylon.

Gordon nearly threw an interception at the goal line again, but OSU safety Shawn Wilson couldn’t make the catch. Gordon is 10-of-15 passing for 120 yards.

The Cougars started the drive at their own 38 after forcing an incomplete pass by the Beavers on fourth down.

Second quarter

12:36 – OSU 14, WSU 7: Champ Flemings hauls in a 46-yard touchdown pass from Jake Luton and the Beavers make the Cougars pay for a missed field goal.

The Beavers started at their own 31 after WSU kicker Blake Mazza missed his first field-goal attempt of the season.

Luton has thrown for 90 yards on 6-of-10 passing. He has one interception and the TD pass.

9:24 – WSU 14, OSU 14: The Cougars tie the game as Anthony Gordon connects with Renard Bell on a 10-yard touchdown pass.

Bell was left wide-open on a short crossing route and was able to run in untouched after making the catch short of the goal line.

Gordon completed all seven of his pass attempts on the drive as the Cougs quickly responded to OSU’s go-ahead touchdown.

Gordon is up to 208 yards passing on 19 of 26.

Easop Winston Jr. leads the receivers with 52 yards on 5 receptions.

4:51 – WSU 21, OSU 14: Reserve running back Deon McIntosh takes a shovel pass 33 yards and the Cougars have the lead.

McIntosh took the pass from Anthony Gordon and then stepped on the gas, racing away from the Beavers defenders for his third TD of the season.

Renard Bell also made a big play for the Cougs during the drive. The receiver took a short pass from Gordon and weaved his way 41 yards down the field.

Gordon has 279 yards passing and three touchdowns.

Bell is up to 61 yards receiving on four catches.

2:20 – WSU 21, OSU 21: The Beavers find the end zone for the third time in the half as quarterback Jake Luton hits Noah Togiai with a 18-yard touchdown pass.

Luton is 11-of-17 passing for 186 yards and two touchdowns.

0:26 – OSU 24, WSU 21: Oregon State takes advantage of Anthony Gordon’s second interception of the game with a field goal before the half.

The Beavers needed to go just 23 yards to get into Everett Hayes’ range as the kicker drilled a 47-yard field goal.

For the second time Gordon underthrew a corner route and the Beavers snagged the pass. Nahshon Wright picked this one, starting the Beavs at their own 48 with just over 2 minutes left in the half.

Halftime

Third quarter

8:06 – WSU 28, OSU 24: Washington State takes the lead as Anthony Gordon throws his fourth touchdown pass of the game, this one to Calvin Jackson Jr.

Jackson went 36 yards for the score. After catching the ball in stride on a slant route, he ran away from the Oregon State defense.

The Cougars again made the Beavers pay for a drop on fourth down near midfield. WSU started its drive at the OSU after 36 Tyjon Lindsey couldn’t hang onto Jake Luton’s pass.

After throwing incomplete on first down, Gordon completed his next three passes and the Cougs took the lead.

The Cougars scored a touchdown in the first quarter after the Beavers turned the ball over on downs at their own 36.

1:44 – WSU 35, OSU 24: Washington State quarterback Anthony Gordon has set the Pac-12 record for touchdown passes in a single season with a 10-yard strike to Renard Bell.

Gordon has 433 yards passing and five touchdowns tonight.

Bell is up to 100 yards receiving on seven catches.

Fourth quarter

13:41 – WSU 35, OSU 32: The Beavers trim the Cougs lead to 3 with a touchdown and two-point conversion.

Teagan Quitoriano elevated over three WSU defenders to bring in Jake Luton’s 28-yard touchdown pass. OSU made it to a field-goal game when Artavis Pierce plunged in on the two-point try.

Luton is 17-of-32 passing for 297 yards. He has three touchdowns and one interception.

9:52 – WSU 42, OSU 32: Washington State extends its lead to 10 as Max Borghi slips into the end zone on a 1-yard touchdown run.

On the drive, Cougs QB Anthony Gordon broke the Pac-12 and WSU record for passing yards in a season. He surpassed former teammate Gardner Minshew.

Gordon has 498 yards and five touchdowns.

Borghi has 42 yards on nine carries.

7:32 – WSU 42, OSU 39: Jermar Jefferson scores on a rushing touchdown from 5 yards out for his second rushing TD of the game.

Oregon State went 69 yards in six plays to answer WSU’s touchdown and get it back to a one-score game.

Jefferson has 101 yards on 14 carries.

Oregon State went with an unconventional onside kick following the score and recoverd it. OSU kicker Jordan Choukair blasted a low kick at WSU up men, got the ball to bounce off a Coug and the Beavs fell on it.

6:45 – OSU 46, WSU 42: Jake Luton connects with Jermar Jefferson out of the backfield and the Beavers take the lead.

Jefferson got behind his defender and Luton lofted a pass right into his stride for 39-yard touchdown pass.

The Beavers needed just three plays and 45 seconds to score after recovering an onside kick.

4:17 – OSU 53, WSU 42: Oregon State makes WSU pay for another turnover with a touchdown to extend its lead to 11.

The Beavers started their drive at the WSU 27 after Anthony Gordon threw his third interception of the game.

Jake Luton found Jermar Jefferson open in the flat for a 2-yard touchdown pass, his fifth of the game.

2:10 – OSU 53, WSU 48: Washington State finds the end zone on a 14-yard touchdown pass from Anthony Gordon to Dezmon Patmon.

The Cougars failed to convert a two-point conversion and also couldn’t recover the ensuing onside kick.

WSU has two timeouts remaining so the Beavers just need a first down to close out the game.

0:02 – WSU 54, WSU 53: Max Borghi powers in from 2-yards out and the Cougars have the lead with 2 seconds left.

The Cougars got the ball back after Oregon State failed to convert on a fourth down from near field for the third time in the game. And for the third time in the game the Cougs capitalized on OSU coach Jonathan Smith’s bizarre decision making to march down the short field for a touchdown.

The Cougars went 58 yards in 1-minute, 9-seconds for the go-ahead score.

Pregame