Tenino alum Takari Hickle is no stranger to getting after the quarterback.
In his All-Area MVP campaign in 2021, the former Beaver shined as a two-way star, rushing for more than 2,000 yards, but he also posted nine sacks and 16 tackles for loss to lead the Tenino defense.
At Oregon State University, that love for breaking through into the backfield has continued.
Now in his fifth season in Corvallis, Hickle has emerged as one of the most dominant defensive linemen in the Pac-12, and on Saturday, he tallied a career-best 2.5 sacks to help lead the Beavers to a 48-30 victory over Washington State.
It’s the Beavers’ fifth straight victory, the program’s longest winning streak in a single season since 2013.
“Fifth straight win to me means a lot,” Hickle said postgame. “It’s just a testament to how hard we’ve worked and the places that we can go. We’re just gonna continue to build off what we have already displayed.”
The performance puts Hickle at 6.0 sacks on the year, a career-high and a mark that lands him atop the Pac-12 and in the Top-15 nationally. His 10.5 tackles for loss is also a career-high and the best mark in the Pac-12, four more than any other defender in the conference.
After redshirting his freshman year, Hickle recorded 2.0 sacks and 2.5 tackles for loss in eight games in 2023, and he posted 2.0 sacks and 5.0 tackles for loss in 2025 after missing the 2024 season with an injury. He’s also tallied 38 tackles.
This season, he’s posted a TFL in six of Oregon State’s seven games, and he’s recorded at least one sack in four.
“I feel like I’ve made the changes and critiques that I needed to make to get to this point,” Hickle said. “But I’m trying to constantly improve. Being in a state of that and consistently working on this or that to elevate myself and my game. I feel like the rest of the D-Line has that mentality as well. Just try to consistently get better. Our coaches say all the time, you either get better or you get worse. Just trying to continuously perfect my craft, no matter what I do, is most important.”
Hickle isn’t the only area alumni on the Oregon State defensive line.
Tumwater alum Jacob Schuster finished with two tackles and a quarterback hurry, and W.F. West alum Daniel Matagi didn’t record a stat, but he was one of the captains that walked out for the coin flip ahead of the opening kickoff.
Matagi has tallied 10 tackles, including 2.0 for loss, and 1.5 sacks this fall, while Schutster has posted eight tackles, including 0.5 tackles for loss.
Early in the game, Schuster and Hickle made back-to-back tackles on 2nd and 3 and 3rd and 1, and Washington State opted to punt on fourth and 1 from the Oregon State 48 instead of going for it.
The punt was a good one, as it pinned the Beavers back at their own 10, but OSU quarterback Braden Atkinson hit standout freshman receiver Jesse Legree for a 90-yard touchdown pass on the next play.
It was Oregon State’s first 90-yard passing play since 2011, according to the Oregon State athletic department.
It wasn’t a perfect day for the Oregon State defense, though.
Making his first career start, Washington State quarterback Owen Eshelman threw for 289 yards and two touchdowns, and he was also able to run for 136 yards on 15 attempts, often scrambling out of the pocket and evading defenders en route to multiple chunk plays with his legs.
“The unknown is what made him so tough,” Hickle said. “We knew from the scouting that we did that he was gonna be mobile and he was a bit more of an active quarterback. I’m not that surprised, but it’s different being able to hear and see a little bit and actually going against somebody. He was a tough competitor.”
Eshelman’s play helped keep Washington State in the game, even when the Cougars were down 27-3 at one point in the first half and 41-16 in the fourth quarter.
““I thought we had some really good opportunities to have some explosive defensive plays and just let the quarterback get out of the pocket a couple of times,” Oregon State head coach JaMarcus Shephard added. “That really hurt us, and really would have given us a better chance to really make the game even further out of reach than what it was.”
Though the Oregon State defense struggled to contain Eshelman, their own quarterback and offense did more than enough for the Beavers to maintain a comfortable lead.
After failing to score on their first drive of the game, OSU scored on each of its next five, and they added three more touchdowns in the second half.
Atkinson finished 23 for 38 through the air with 347 yards and three touchdowns, and Legree finished with eight catches for 108 yards and his touchdown.
AJ Newberry was a threat on the ground and through the air, as he posted 105 rushing yards on 11 carries while also catching five passes for 120 yards, including an 88-yard touchdown on a screen pass where he hurdled the last WSU defender before breaking free.
It’s the first time that a Beaver has tallied 100-plus rushing and receiving yards in a game since 2003, when Steven Jackson did so in a game against Fresno State, according to the OSU athletic department.
“He played like he didn’t want to get tackled,” Shepherd said. “He played like he was frustrated and wanted to find a way to play better for this football team. I always want our guys to have a little chip on our shoulders … That was a special experience watching him play the game that way.”
On the other sideline, former Oregon State head coach Trent Bray, now Washington State’s defensive coordinator, watched on.
Shepherd admitted that as a competitor, he did use the fact of Bray being on the other sideline as motivation, but Hickle admitted that for himself, the focus was more on himself and his teammates.
“Bray being on the other side doesn’t really make me feel one way or the other,” Hickle said. “I hope that he’s happy and he’s enjoying his time at Washington State. To me, it’s really about us and what we have going on.”
In addition to Hickle, Matagi, and Schuster, Washington State also had a few area alumni on the field.
Black Hills’ alum Jack Ellison posted a tackle, and both W.F. West alum Gavin Fugate and North Thurston alum Sean Bures saw the field on special teams.
Tumwater alum Malijah Tucker is also on the WSU roster, but did not make an appearance in Saturday’s game.
Washington State (1-6, 0-3 Pac-12) will look to snap a four-game losing streak next Saturday, Oct. 24, at home against No. 21 Boise State.
Oregon State (5-2, 3-0 Pac-12) will have its bye week next week before heading to Fresno State on Saturday, Oct. 31.
