PASADENA, Calif. — Oregon State built a 14-point lead and shut down UCLA running back Johnathan Franklin to continue building a considerable postseason resume with two victories in two games each coming over ranked teams.
Sean Mannion threw for 384 yards and two touchdowns as the Beavers beat the 19th-ranked Bruins 27-20 at the Rose Bowl on Saturday.
The victory was the 74th at Oregon State for coach Mike Riley, matching the school record set by Lon Stiner, the Beavers’ coach from 1933 to 1948.
“That’s a staff deal. I love it. I love it because it means we’ve been there a while and it means a lot to me that way,” Riley said in a TV interview immediately after the game. “I’m very thankful for the time we’ve had at Oregon State. We’re just going to make it longer.”
The Beavers (2-0) busted the game open in the second quarter with a pair of big plays from Mannion. He hit sophomore wide receiver Brandin Cooks for a 75-yard touchdown with 12:48 to play in the quarter and on the next possession connected with senior wide receiver Markus Wheaton on a 42-yard touchdown.
Mannion finished the game with 384 passing yards and completed 25 of his 36 passes. At the midpoint of the second quarter, he had 273 yards.
While Mannion carved up the Bruins’ defense, it was Oregon State’s run defense that played a starring supporting role.
Franklin, the second-leading rusher in school history, entered Saturday as the top rusher in the nation with 541 yards and an 8.20-yard average in three games. He had 12 carries for 45 yards against the Beavers, who were ranked fifth in the nation in run defense. Oregon State, which previously knocked off a ranked Wisconsin team built on the power rushing attack led by onetime Heisman hopeful Montee Ball, kept him bottled up until late in the third quarter. Franklin had runs of 11 and 13 yards but failed to find the room for the big plays that helped the Bruins thrive to start the season.
“It was an awesome job by our defense,” Riley said in the TV interview. “I like this team. They’ve been working real hard. I thought this was a great win to come down here to the Rose Bowl. These guys were undefeated had some big wins. I really liked how our team played today.”
It was a far cry from UCLA’s dominant running game last season, when the Bruins rolled to a win behind 211 rushing yards.
With Franklin spinning his wheels, UCLA freshman quarterback Brett Hundley did his best to keep the Bruins in the game with 10 points in the fourth quarter. Hundley completed 26 of 41 passes for 362 yards and a touchdown and had 10 carries for 32 yards.
Wheaton caught nine passes for 150 yards and Cooks finished with 175 yards on six receptions.
Oregon State had its season opener against Nicholls State postponed. After finishing 3-9 last season, the Beavers are in position to be one of the surprise contenders in the Pac-12. They’re in a first-place tie with No. 9 Stanford and No. 3 Oregon entering the Ducks’ home date with No. 22 Arizona later Saturday.
Oregon State plays at Arizona next week.
NOTES: Oregon State improved to 66-7 under Riley when leading after three quarters. … Wheaton caught nine passes to move into a tie for fifth (Phil Ross) on OSU’s career list with 153 receptions. … Cooks had his first 100-yard receiving game.