Difference makers: Running back Anthony Hankerson lifts Beavers late

Anthony HankersonThe standout senior running back provided the vast majority of offense for an Oregon State team that struggled mightily to move the ball for most of the game. But Hankerson came in clutch on the Beavers’ go-ahead scoring drive early in the fourth quarter. He broke off a 37-yard run, then capped the series with a 1-yard touchdown to fashion the final score. Hankerson finished with 134 yards and a TD on 25 carries (the Beavers finished with 175 total yards). Hankerson, a second-year Beaver who began his college career at Colorado, has been the bright spot for the Beavers during an otherwise rough year. He’s up to 805 yards and seven TDs on the year.

Jaheim PattersonOregon State’s junior safety picked off two Zevi Eckhaus passes during the defensive battle. On a third-down play during WSU’s first drive, Eckhaus heaved a pass deep down the field into double coverage, and Patterson had ideal positioning for the interception, the first of his Division I career. Late in the second quarter, with WSU at the Beavers’ 25-yard line, Eckhaus didn’t see the second-year Beavers safety creeping over the middle. Patterson jumped the pass for another interception, returning the pick 36 yards to stop one of WSU’s few scoring chances in the game. Patterson also finished third on the team with seven tackles.