Oregon State Likely Without the Nation's Top Passer as Braden Atkinson's Hand Injury Clouds the Trip to Boise

Oregon State's best player may be watching from the sideline on the biggest Saturday of its season. Quarterback Braden Atkinson, who leads the country in passing yards, is doubtful for Saturday's game at Boise State because of a hand injury, according to The Oregonian/OregonLive and the Pac-12 availability report cited by RotoWire.

ESPN's Pete Thamel reported Wednesday night that Atkinson is not expected to play. The Beavers (5-4, 3-2 Pac-12) and the league-leading Broncos (8-1, 5-0) kick off at 3 p.m. Pacific on Saturday at Albertsons Stadium, with the game on USA Network.

Atkinson hurt his throwing hand in the third quarter of last Saturday's loss to Texas State when it struck a helmet as he tried to pass, according to Newsweek; he went to the locker room and did not return. Before leaving, he had completed 20 of 36 passes for 192 yards with an interception, his first in more than four games and his first in conference play.

Early this week, coach JaMarcus Shephard said he hoped Atkinson would be able to play, ESPN reported. The doubtful designation suggests the Beavers are now preparing for the alternative. If Atkinson sits, it will be his first missed game of the season.

Maalik Murphy, the former Texas and Duke quarterback, is the likely starter, with Brady Jones also a possibility. Murphy has completed 16 of 19 passes this season for 156 yards, a touchdown and an interception, and he has also caught a touchdown pass.

The Beavers have other health concerns. Offensive tackle Jacob Anderson and outside linebacker Will Haverland are also doubtful, while Boise State lists quarterback Maddux Madsen, backup running back Sire Gaines and defensive back Travis Anderson as questionable.

The sophomore transfer from Mercer has been one of the best stories in the sport in his first season in Corvallis. Through nine games he has thrown for a nation-leading 3,169 yards with 25 touchdowns and three interceptions while completing 65.8% of his passes. He also leads the country in total offense at 351.3 yards per game and has three 400-yard games, including 413 yards against Texas Tech in Week 2 and 427 yards with five touchdown passes against Colorado State. Under coordinator Mitch Dahlen, Oregon State has the No. 1 passing offense in the country.

On Tuesday, ESPN reported that Atkinson had signed a deal to return to the Beavers for the 2027 season; the length and value were not disclosed. Jesse Legree, the nation's leading receiver, agreed to stay earlier in the season, making Atkinson the program's second major in-season re-signing.

College football has changed so fast that the word "re-signs" now sits comfortably next to a college quarterback's name. I don't love everything about the new money era. But I'll say this for Atkinson: the nation's leading passer could have waited for the transfer portal and a bigger bidder, and instead he committed again to the coaches and teammates who gave him his shot after Mercer. That's loyalty, and these days it's rarer than a 400-yard game.

Now comes the real test of what Shephard has built. Good programs don't fold when the star goes down; they rally behind the next man up. Murphy has waited his turn behind a record-setting season. Saturday, with a conference title race on the line, the job is likely his.

Oregon State sits tied for second in the Pac-12 and plays the league leader. Boise State is chasing a conference title and its second College Football Playoff trip in three seasons, and ESPN's College GameDay is headed to Boise, the show's first visit there since September 2010. The math is simple: a Beavers win would cut Boise State's league lead to one game, while a loss would leave Oregon State three games back in the loss column against a 6-0 Broncos team with the season winding down.

For Atkinson, the bigger picture is already settled. He'll be the Beavers' quarterback next fall. The question this week is whether his teammates can keep their season alive while his hand heals.