CORVALLIS, Ore. — Chance Nolan passed for 302 yards and two touchdowns, and B.J. Baylor ran for 171 yards and three scores to lead Oregon State to a 45-27 victory over Hawaii on Saturday night.
Nolan replaced starter Sam Noyer late in the third quarter of the Beavers’ season-opening loss at Purdue last week and provided a spark. Coach Jonathan Smith opted to stay with the hot hand against Hawaii (1-2, 0-0 Mountain West).
Good decision.
Nolan completed his first 13 passes as the Beavers (1-1) took a 24-7 halftime lead at the break. He finished 21 of 29 and also ran for 36 yards.
It didn’t take long for Oregon State to retain control in the second half.
Linebacker Riley Sharp intercepted Chevan Cordeiro’s short pass over the middle on the first play of the third quarter at the Hawaii’s 30-yard line.
Baylor’s 30-yard touchdown run up the middle on the ensuing play gave OSU a 31-7 advantage.
But Hawaii responded with consecutive touchdowns to get back in the game.
Calvin Turner Jr. scored on a 1-yard run. Baylor’s fumble at the Beavers’ 36-yard line set up a 10-yard touchdown pass to Nick Mardner, and Hawaii trailed 31-20 at 3:46 of the third quarter.
Hawaii linebacker Darius Muasau was called for targeting tackling Nolan on an 11-yard run, and that penalty helped ignite a drive that culminated with a 13-yard touchdown pass to Anthony Gould on the first play of the fourth quarter, giving the Beavers a 38-20 lead.
Nolan served notice early in the game that he was in command of the Beavers’ offense.
He completed all three of his passes on the game’s opening drive, which culminated with Jack Colletto’s 2-yard touchdown run on a direct snap.
The Beavers went up 14-0 on their next possession following Baylor’s 66-yard scamper down the right sidelines, and a 6-yard touchdown pass to Zeriah Beason increased the lead to 21-0 with 22 seconds left in the opening quarter.
Hawaii found some offensive rhythm early in the second quarter, scoring on a 12-yard pass from Cordeiro to Turner, cutting the lead to 21-7.
THE TAKEAWAY
Hawaii: Hawaii’s defensive struggles continued against Oregon State. After giving up 44 points in the opener at UCLA and 35 points to FCS opponent Portland State last week, the Rainbow Warriors were scorched for 558 total yards by Oregon State.
Oregon State: Nolan gives the Beavers a dual-threat at quarterback and he took advantage of his opportunity to supplant Noyer, a senior transfer from Colorado who was a second team All-Pac-12 selection last season.
Wide receiver Anthony Gould emerged as a major target in a breakout game.
NOTES
Hawaii: Cordeiro didn’t complete a pass in the first quarter, misfiring on three attempts.
Linebacker Darius Muasau, Hawaii’s leading tackler in the first two games, was called for a targeting penalty late in the third quarter and was ejected. He’ll miss the first half of next Saturday’s game against San Jose State.
UP NEXT
Hawaii: Home vs. San Jose State next Saturday.
Oregon State: Home vs. Idaho next Saturday.