The Oregon State Beavers Football team held off the visiting Arizona State Sun Devils by a final score of 35-34 on Nov. 19, 2019. It was a classic shootout that pulled the Beavers to 5-5 on the season and within one win of bowl eligibility. 

The Beavers and Sun Devils had only met twice since the upset win OSU pulled off against ASU at Reser Stadium back in 2014. Arizona State had since taken revenge by winning the last two meetings prior to the 2019 showdown.

In the first quarter, the Beavers took the opening drive right down the field going 80 yards in eight plays and punctuating it with a 24-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Jake Luton to wide receiver Jesiah Irish. Arizona State answered with a touchdown of their own a couple possessions later on a 2-yard run by running back Eno Benjamin to tie the game at seven. The Beavers added a late score in the first on a 5-yard pass and catch with wide receiver Trevon Bradford as the beneficiary. Arizona State responded very quickly, scoring less than two minutes later to even the score at 14 heading into the second quarter.

The second quarter brought nearly as much scoring as the first as the Beavers struck, going through the air for the third time as Luton found wide receiver Isaiah Hodgins for a 5-yard score to reclaim the lead. Arizona State then got a lift from their special teams unit as wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk returned a punt for 63 yards for a touchdown to tie the game at 21. OSU head coach Jonathan Smith managed the clock on the Beavers final possession of the half as running back Jermar Jefferson ran in for a touchdown from 4-yards out with 33 seconds remaining in the half to give the Beavers a 28-21 lead at halftime.

The first score of the second half came on an outstanding hurdle by tight end Noah Togiai, which ended up being one of the highlight plays from the season. Togiai caught the ball in the flat and jumped over an Arizona State cornerback on his way to the endzone. The Sun Devils added a late score in the third quarter to pull back to within seven at 35-28 heading into the final quarter. 

The only points of the 4th quarter came with 1:40 left as ASU wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk got loose for a 12-yard touchdown catch. ASU head coach Herm Edwards did not take the risk of overtime as he left the offense on the field attempting a two-point conversion, which ultimately decided the game as the Beavers denied the Sun Devils’ conversion.

Luton shined for the Beavers as he threw for 288 yards and four touchdowns en route to a gutsy home win. This win gave the Beavers a real shot at advancing to play in a bowl game while it denied the Sun Devils from achieving postgame eligibility on that night.