In the middle of November, the Oregon State Football team defeated the No.6 Arizona State Sun Devils on November 15, 2014 by a score of 35-27. It was one of several milestone wins against ranked opponents in recent years for the program. 

There was one thing on the Beavers’ mind that night: revenge. During the 2013-2014 season, the Sun Devils defeated the Beavers by a score of 30-17 in Tempe, Ariz. With a four-game losing streak, a win for the Beavers against the Sun Devils would not only be a confidence booster for the team, but would also put the team back on the conference radar. Over 40,500 people packed Reser Stadium to see the Beavers and the Sun Devils face off. 

In the first quarter, after receiving a handoff from quarterback Sean Mannion, running back Storm Woods ran 78 yards to earn the first touchdown of the night for the Beavers. Running back Teron Ward ran 66 yards and scored another touchdown not long after. The Beavers took the lead at 14-10 heading into the second quarter. 

The Sun Devils started to storm back in the second quarter, as Arizona State tight end Kody Kohl and linebacker Antonio Longino would score two touchdowns for the Sun Devils. Kohl completed a pass from quarterback Taylor Kelley, and Longino collected the ball after Mannion was sacked by defensive linebacker Marcus Hardison. The Sun Devils led the Beavers 24-10 at halftime. 

In the third quarter, the Beavers were able to stop the bleeding, as wide receiver Victor Bolden earned a 20-yard touchdown reception, making the score 24-21, with the Beavers only being down by three points. 

The matchup came down to the final quarter. Kicker Zane Gonzales scored a field goal for the Sun Devils, increasing their lead to 27-21. The Beavers had a quick answer where wide receiver Jordan Villamin scored a touchdown for the Beavers, now making the game 28-27 with 11 minutes left in the fourth quarter. 

The Beaver defense held back the Sun Devils, waiting for one slip up from Arizona State. And sure enough, with a minute thirty left in the game, OSU linebacker Michael Doctor intercepted a pass thrown by ASU quarterback Taylor Kelley for a pick six, increasing the Beavers’ lead to 35-27. 

The Sun Devils tried to rally back, but OSU linebacker D.J. Alexander sacked Kelley during a fourth down play. The sack secured the victory for the Beavers, giving them their first win over a national top-10 opponent since the 2008-2009 season, where the Beavers defeated the #1 University of Southern California Trojans. 

While the Beavers finished the 2014-2015 season with a record of 5-7, missing out on the chance to compete in a bowl game, they proved to the PAC-12 and the rest of the nation that they could prove to be a serious threat in football.