Oregon State thoroughly dismantled Stanford, leaving no doubt and setting up a possible top-10 showdown in Corvallis next weekend.

Led by a monster day from tailback Damien Martinez, the 12th-ranked Beavers (8-2, 5-2 Pac-12) beat the visiting Cardinal 62-17. It marked the most points Oregon State had scored in a conference game since the Beavers scored 66 against Washington State in 2008.

Here are three takeaways from the game.

Ground game hammers Stanford

A week ago, Damien Martinez hit for 115 yards on 21 carries. It was his first 100-yard rushing performance since Sept. 16. But he didn’t find the endzone and he had a bit of a fumble issue.

Against Stanford on Saturday, Martinez rumbled for 146 yards on 15 carries. He had runs of 59, 15, 11, and 11 on the day. He also tied the school record for rushing touchdowns in a game with four.

Stanford’s defense is among the poorest in all of college football, but it had no answer for Martinez or the Oregon State ground game. And the Beavs kept going back to the well. They ran for 277 yards and six scores as a team.

Deshaun Fenwick, who had five carries for 61 yards and a score, had the run of the night.

A blistering offensive day

Yes, Oregon State was exceptional on the ground, but the offense was balanced. The Beavs put up 598 yards of offense as DJ Uiagalelei threw for 240 yards and two touchdowns without a pick. The rotation with Aidan Chiles continued, as the youngster got most of the second quarter and threw for 75 yards with one touchdown through the air and one on the ground.

Oregon State scored touchdowns on eight of its first nine possessions. Only one of those drives (to open the third) lasted more than three minutes.

The 598 yards of offense were the most by Oregon State in any game since 2019. (That one also happened to be against Washington State.)

Beavs handle business to set up a special night

ESPN’s College GameDay won’t be coming to Corvallis next Saturday when No. 5 Washington visits. But that doesn’t cheapen what the weekend will mean to Oregon State.

With Washington winning against Utah at home in Week 11, Penn State losing, and Ole Miss getting handled, Oregon State could very well push its way into the top 10 nationally. That would set up a massive showdown with the unbeaten Huskies at Reser Stadium.

They might be on the outside of the Playoff picture, but the Beavers still have a shot at the Pac-12. They control their destiny at this point with games against Washington and Oregon to close out the regular season.

Coach Jonathan Smith couldn’t ask for anything else. Oregon State has handled its business all year. The Beavs breezed through nonconference play. They tripped in Pullman, but that Washington State team was night and day different from the one now. They also lost on the road to a good Arizona team. Everything else has gone as Oregon State would have hoped.

There’s a massive opportunity ahead of the program.

With the future uncertain, Oregon State has put itself in a position to make a resounding statement.