Joyner Runs Hog Wild On Beavers In Lopsided Tech Victory
Ricky McKinley // Dam Daily • Published: September 12th, 2026
After a shocking 41-39 victory in Houston to kickoff the 2026 season, many in Corvallis were optimistically hopeful the Beavs could keep the momentum rolling when the Texas Tech Red Raiders rode into town. Reser Stadium was packed for the home opener, fans quietly expecting the Beavers to rattle off a second upset over a Big 12 opponent.
Hate to say I told you so...but I told ya so. And boy, it got ugly quick.
However, instead of Brendan Sorsby unloading his six-shooter on the Beavers' secondary like we expected, it was sophomore running back Quinten Joyner who gashed the Oregon State defense for 139 yards in the first half alone as Tech took a 31-10 lead into the halftime break.
The killer? Trailing 24-10, the Oregon State defense came up with a clutch red zone interception by Exodus Ayers, keeping the Raiders out of the end zone and giving Kallen Gutridge a chance to cut into the lead before halftime.
Instead, Gutridge threw a pick-six to Macho Stevenson on his very first pass after the turnover.
Oregon State never recovered in the eventual 47-13 shellacking.
The defense did generate pressure with two sacks, 15 tackles for loss, and Ayers' interception. But being on the field for 42 of 60 minutes left them gasping for air by game's end.
Here is a snippet of the post-game press conference with Beavers' DC Armando Leon.
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Question One: "Coach Leon, Olivia LeRusso with Oregonlive. After the win in Houston, there was real buzz in Corvallis about this team. What was the message to the locker room after a loss like this to keep them focused on the rest of the season?"
Armando Leon: "Great question, Olivia. It starts with being realistic. As much as I believe in this team and the work we do, the fact is there's a reason Texas Tech was heavy favorites. They've got the higher rated team, with higher recruited players, and a roster they paid big money for. We wanted to put a better showing than what we did on the field, but I can promise you we're going to work our asses off to make sure this type of performance doesn't become the norm. We have a standard we expect to play at, win or lose, and this certainly wasn't it."
Question Two: "Danny Marks with CW Sports. Coach, Quinten Joyner gashed you for 139 yards in the first half alone. What adjustments did you make at halftime, and in hindsight, should you have adjusted sooner?"
Armando Leon: "We were prepared to defend an aerial assault from a team that has a reputation to throw the ball a lot. So the early commitment to the run game did catch us off-guard, not going to lie or try to save face. But we were also on the field for 24 of the 30 minutes of the 1st half alone. Quinten ran hard and didn't shy away from contact, it would be wrong to discredit his strong performance, but we were gassed. We started to turn things around right before the half, when Exodus skied for the interception, but even so going into the half down 31-10 it was going to be an uphill climb even if we kept them off the scoreboard for the remainder of the contest. Honestly, we didn't make many adjustments in the second half, I just think we finally had a chance to catch our breath and get our bearings again after being on the field for so long in the first 30 minutes of the game.
Question Three: "Last one, Coach. Hank Baron from The Daily Toreador. You mentioned the massive differential in the time of possession, which ended with Texas Tech's offense controlling the ball for 42 of the 60 minutes in the contest. Was there ever a point where you had a conversation with Coach Smith, or offensive coordinator Mitch Dahlen, about trying to run some clock to keep your guys off the field a bit longer?"
Armando Leon: "I stay in my lane, Hank. When we went into the half, Coach Smith and Mitch told me they were going to keep airing it out, trying to get some momentum. I told 'em the defense would be out there until we ran out of breath. We rotated guys out a lot more frequently in the second half, try and keep them fresh, but when the offense is struggling sometimes you're stuck between a rock and a hard place. But ultimately, I coach the defense. My job is to make sure this unit gets stops when we need them, not look for excuses."
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The loss stings, there's no way around it. After Houston, it felt like maybe we had something. But getting blown out at home is a brutal reality check. The offense fell completely flat after a superb effort in Houston, generating only 198 total yards and 11 first downs, essentially hanging the defense out to dry with the multitude of three-and-outs.
It's a harsh reminder that while here in Corvallis, we feel like Oregon State is on the rise, we've still got a mountain to climb. There were flashes—Ayers' red zone pick, the 15 TFLs showing the defense can disrupt—but not enough, and not consistently.
More importantly, the coaching staff is saying all the right things. Leon's accountability, his refusal to make excuses—that matters. But saying the right things can turn into hot air quickly. The Beavers need to show they can compete next week when they travel to Snapdragon Stadium to open Pac-12 play against the San Diego State Aztecs. No more moral victories. Time to get a real one.
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| Team | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final |
| #17 Texas Tech (1-0) | 14 | 17 | 10 | 6 | 47 |
| Oregon State (1-0) | 0 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 13 |
| Q | Team | Time | Play | Texas Tech | Oregon State |
| 1st | Texas Tech | 6:43 | Coy Eakin, 3 Yd Pass From Brendan Sorsby | 7 | 0 |
| 1st | Texas Tech | 3:14 | Leyton Stone, 1 Yd Pass From Brendan Sorsby | 14 | 0 |
| 2nd | Oregon State | 9:22 | Logan McCreery, 38 Yd FG | 14 | 3 |
| 2nd | Texas Tech | 6:26 | Stone Harrington, 46 Yd FG | 17 | 3 |
| 2nd | Texas Tech | 3:59 | Quinten Joyner, 34 Yd Run | 24 | 3 |
| 2nd | Oregon State | 2:40 | Cooper Jensen, 11 Yd Pass From Kallen Gutridge | 24 | 10 |
| 2nd | Texas Tech | 0:51 | Macho Stevenson, Returned Interception 23 Yds | 31 | 10 |
| 3rd | Texas Tech | 5:15 | Kelby Valsin, 14 Yd Pass From Brandon Sorsby | 38 | 10 |
| 3rd | Texas Tech | 2:24 | Stone Harrington, 53 Yd FG | 41 | 10 |
| 3rd | Oregon State | 0:00 | Logan McCreery, 37 Yd FG | 41 | 13 |
| 4th | Texas Tech | 3:10 | Stone Harrington, 39 YD FG | 44 | 13 |
| 4th | Texas Tech | 1:50 | Stone Harrington, 46 Yd FG | 47 | 13 |
Texas Tech Oregon State
Passing | Stats Passing | Stats
----------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------
Brendan Sorsby | 21/29, 164 Yds, 3 TD, INT Kallen Gutridge | 10/19, 106 Yds, TD, 2 INT
Nick Evers | 1/4, 2 Yds James Rowe | 3/16, 36 Yds, INT
Rushing | Stats Rushing | Stats
----------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------
Quinten Joyner | 12 Att, 140 Yds, TD Salahadin Allah | 14 Att, 64 Yds
Jalen Dupree | 12 Att, 41 Yds Kallen Gutridge | 5 Att, -8 Yds
Receiving | Stats Receiving | Stats
----------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------
Chase Sowell | 5 Rec, 55 Yds David Wells Jr | 3 Rec, 40 Yds
Kelby Valsin | 3 Rec, 37 Yds, TD Malachi Durant | 4 Rec, 36 Yds
Coy Eakin | 6 Rec, 27 Yds, TD Cooper Jensen | 1 Rec, 11 Yds, TD
Defensive | Stats Defensive | Stats
----------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------
DT AJ Holmes Jr | 4 Tkl, 2 TFL, Sack FS Kodi DeCambra | 10 Tkl, 2 TFL
DE Braylon Rigsby | 2 Tkl, TFL, Sack MLB Jalen Woods | #2 Tkl, 2 TFL, Sack
CB Macho Stevenson | 2 Tkl, INT, TD DE Ka'eo Akana | 2 Tkl, 2 TFL, Sack
SS Brenden Jordan | 2 Tkl, INT CB Exodus Ayers | 8 Tkl, INT
Pac-12 Week Two Results
10 FCS @
Colorado State (1-2) 47
42 #8 Indiana (2-0) @ Utah State (1-1) 31
17 San Diego State (1-1) @
IUCLA (2-1) 38
38 UTSA (2-1) @ Texas State (0-2) 35
16 FCS @
Fresno State (1-1) 56
27 Memphis (2-1) @ Boise State (0-2) 24
0 FCS @
Washington State (1-1) 47
Notable Week Two Results
31 #4 Oklahoma (2-0) @ #16 Michigan (1-1) 12
48 #13 Iowa State (3-0) @ Iowa (1-1) 7
44 #12 Tennessee (2-0) @ #21 Missouri (2-1) 24
24 #20 Notre Dame (2-1) @
Florida State (1-1) 31
55 #1 Georgia (2-0) @ Louisville (2-1) 14
27 #14 Ohio State (2-1) @
#6 Texas (2-0) 35