Associated Press Photo
CORVALLIS, Ore. (Sports Network) - Storm Woods had two first quarter touchdowns and Cody Vaz threw three touchdown passes as No. 16 Oregon State destroyed Nicholls State, 77-3.
Vaz passed for 190 yards on 14-of-17 attempts while Sean Mannion added 231 yards and two scores on 20-of-23 passes for the Beavers (9-3), who were coming off a 48-24 loss to Oregon in the Civil War last week.
Markus Wheaton had 12 catches for 123 yards and a touchdown and also had a rushing touchdown in the win.
Landry Klann passed for 161 yards with two interceptions on 19-of-32 attempts for the Colonels (1-10), who dropped their final eight games of the season after their only win on Sept. 22 against Evangel.
This contest was supposed to be the season opener for both teams on Sept. 1, but it had to be rescheduled due to Hurricane Isaac.
Oregon State led this game from the opening possession as the team went 72 yards in 10 plays and an 8-yard run into the end zone from Woods gave the team a 7-0 lead with 9:50 left in the first.
Following a short possession from Nicholls State, the Beavers again marched the length of the field for another touchdown. On the 12th play of the 91-yard drive, Woods got into the end zone from a yard out for a 14-0 lead with 55 seconds left in the first quarter.
Oregon State blew the game open in the second quarter with three more TDs, the first of which was a 10-yard run into the end zone by Wheaton with 11:09 to play.
A three-and-out from the Colonels saw Oregon State start the possession with the ball at its own 38 and Terron Ward capped the six-play drive with a 15- yard run for a 28-0 lead with 7:40 left in the half.
Wheaton's 2-yard touchdown catch from Vaz with 1:14 left until halftime gave Oregon State a 35-0 lead at the break.
Things didn't get better for Nicholls State after halftime as Klann was picked off on the first snap, and Oregon State turned that into seven more points on a 4-yard TD catch by Richard Mullaney from Mannion.
Kevin Cummings caught a 22-yard score from Mannion later in the third while Nicholls State countered with its first points of the game on a 26-yard field goal by Andrew Dolan with 2:40 left in the third.
Obum Gwacham caught a 7-yard score from Vaz on the first play of the fourth quarter and Jordan Jennings had a 20-yard TD catch from Vaz later in the final quarter.
Nicholls State fumbled on the ensuing kickoff and Malcolm Agnew carried the ball into the end zone from 11 yards out with seven minutes to play.
Michael Balfour had a 4-yard score after another Nicholls State turnover to cap the scoring in the game.