CORVALLIS — What does rock bottom look like?

It can’t look much worse than a cloudy October day in Reser Stadium, where Oregon State fans booed, then bailed on the Beavers in a 39-14 loss to Wake Forest.

The Beavers (0-7) withered in every crucial moment, and some players appeared to have given up on this OSU coaching staff under head coach Trent Bray.

The Demon Deacons (4-2) were without starting quarterback Robby Ashford, but it didn’t matter against an OSU defense that surrendered big play after big play.

Special teams woes continued to plague the Beavers, including poor punt coverage and a blocked field goal nearly returned for a touchdown.

Maalik Murphy played his worst game at the helm of a sputtering OSU offense, completing 13 of 30 passes for 130 yards and an interception while occasionally sharing snaps with backup Gabarri Johnson.

Oregon State has lost 13 of its last 14 games.

The Beavers fell behind, 8-0, early in the first quarter. Wake Forest backup quarterback Deshawn Purdie found a wide open Chris Barnes — slicing through the middle of the OSU secondary — for a 36-yard touchdown, and the Demon Deacons added a two-point conversion on the ground.

Wake Forest blocked a Caleb Ojeda field goal attempt on the next OSU possession. Groans echoed throughout the stadium as worry seeped in among the Beavers faithful.

Wake Forest quickly found the end zone on a 52-yard pass from Purdie to a wide open Micah Mays Jr., making it 15-0.

The OSU offense remained entirely unproductive, and Murphy received heavy criticism on the broadcast from former Washington State quarterback Ryan Leaf for his apparent lackadaisical approach in the pocket.

A fumble by OSU running back Cornell Hatcher Jr. set the Demon Deacons up at the Beavers’ 29. Wake Forest finished it off with an 11-yard touchdown pass to Barnes to take a 22-0 lead.

As the first half expired, a 43-yard field goal made it 25-0. Bray came off the field and told The CW that Wake Forest “(hadn’t) earned anything.”

With the Beavers flat once again in the third, the Demon Deacons added to their lead with a 55-yard touchdown pass to Barnes — his third score of the day — to make it 32-0.

Oregon State did show a burst of life in the fourth, as Hatcher let out a game’s worth of frustration on a blistering 29-yard touchdown run to cut the lead to 32-7.

But all that energy disappeared in a flash, as the Beavers’ defense surrendered a 66-yard touchdown run to Demond Claiborne essentially untouched. OSU trailed, 39-7.

The Beavers tacked on a pity touchdown late in the fourth with Johnson leading the offense, a 4-yard pass from Johnson to David Wells Jr. that made it 39-14 with 4:10 to go.

Next game: Oregon State (0-7) vs. Lafayette (5-2, FCS)

When: Saturday, Oct. 18Time: 7 p.m. PTWhere: Reser StadiumTV Channel: The CW (Channel 32 in Portland)

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