{"id":258307,"date":"2025-09-27T08:45:11","date_gmt":"2025-09-27T08:45:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/258307\/"},"modified":"2025-09-27T08:45:11","modified_gmt":"2025-09-27T08:45:11","slug":"what-trent-bray-said-after-oregon-states-devastating-loss-to-houston","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/258307\/","title":{"rendered":"What Trent Bray said after Oregon State\u2019s devastating loss to Houston"},"content":{"rendered":"

CORVALLIS \u2014 Everything fell apart for Oregon State<\/a> football late Friday night.<\/p>\n

Despite leading 24-10 in the fourth quarter and never trailing, the Beavers (0-5) lost 27-24 to the Cougars<\/a> (4-0) in overtime.<\/p>\n

Facing more pressure than at any point in his coaching career, Trent Bray took the podium quickly at Reser Stadium as media still made their way into the room. Here is a transcript of his remarks:<\/p>\n

Opening statement:<\/b><\/p>\n

Dominated that game until the last six minutes, and it totally flipped. We\u2019ve got to finish. Bottom line.<\/p>\n

On the decision to run a sneak with Gabarri Johnson instead of Maalik Murphy:<\/b><\/p>\n

Maalik couldn\u2019t \u2014 his hand was injured and he couldn\u2019t hold the ball. So, that\u2019s what happened.<\/p>\n

On what broke down on the two blocked field goals:<\/b><\/p>\n

Everything. (Expletive), four guys \u2014 excuse my language \u2014 but four guys could have blocked it. We\u2019ve got a chance to win it, we\u2019ve got to blow up and protect it. That was really disappointing.<\/p>\n

On going for it on 4th down instead of kicking the field goal in overtime:<\/b><\/p>\n

It was part of it. The analytics, third and one and fourth and one, your percentage of getting one of those is good. But, yeah, that weighed on my mind too. Absolutely.<\/p>\n

On this being the third game that special teams mishaps cost them the game:<\/b><\/p>\n

To me, it\u2019s just pride in your job. Starter on offense, starter on defense, starter on field goal. You\u2019ve got to go in there and play. And we\u2019ve got to protect. That had nothing to do with scheme, nothing to do with anything. We\u2019ve got to protect.<\/p>\n

On whether he is considering making staffing changes:<\/b><\/p>\n

I can\u2019t answer that right now.<\/p>\n

On why Maalik Murphy wasn\u2019t in the game because of an injured hand:<\/b><\/p>\n

He couldn\u2019t take it under center.<\/p>\n

On his message to the team after the game:<\/b><\/p>\n

It came down to, like I said, with six-something left in the game, we\u2019re completely dominating on both sides of the ball. And we didn\u2019t finish it. That\u2019s what it is. We need to finish. We need to finish against good teams. This team was a really good team, and we knew we had to play four quarters. We played three and a half.<\/p>\n

On allowing seven yards in the third vs. 180 in the fourth quarter:<\/b><\/p>\n

Ball got thrown over our head. We did a good job all night, and the last six minutes the ball was just thrown over our head.<\/p>\n

On whether he expects difficult conversations with Scott Barnes in the coming days given the 0-5 start:<\/b><\/p>\n

I can\u2019t answer that right now with any kind of truth or knowledge because I\u2019m in the heat of the moment, and I don\u2019t want to say something I don\u2019t mean or regret.<\/p>\n

On how this impacts him as someone who cares for and has put time in for this university:<\/b><\/p>\n

My feelings are insignificant in my mind. I feel for the players. They\u2019ve done what we\u2019ve asked them to do, they\u2019ve worked hard, they\u2019ve stayed positive, they played a really good football game against a really good team. And to let it slip away at the end, I\u2019m disappointed for them, not myself.<\/p>\n

On the two-minute drills and communication issues in the huddle:<\/b><\/p>\n

Some of it is the device in the helmet and him not being able to hear it clearly. That is part of the problem, and I\u2019ve got to talk to Gundy (offensive coordinator Ryan Gunderson) on the other stuff tonight that caused that.<\/p>\n

On whether he feels Maalik Murphy is still engaged in the offense:<\/b><\/p>\n

Oh yeah. I don\u2019t doubt anyone in that locker room at all. I think that showed tonight, the way they came out and played for a long time.<\/p>\n

On why Cameron Smith was kicking at the end:<\/b><\/p>\n

Yeah, Caleb (Ojeda) got hurt.<\/p>\n

On Cornell Hatcher Jr.\u2019s performance:<\/b><\/p>\n

I thought Cornell ran great. He got vertical, ran hard, he was a big part of us getting those last two scores. Those were big time runs.<\/p>\n

On whether the team was on too big of a high before the fourth:<\/b><\/p>\n

I don\u2019t think us being up had anything to do with it. We made too many mistakes at the end. We let the ball get thrown over our head, which hadn\u2019t happened all night, and then we have some opportunities. We drop a pass at the end of the game that would have put us down there, never even giving them another chance to get the ball to begin with. Mistakes at the end that cost us.<\/p>\n

Next game: Oregon State (0-5) at Appalachian State (2-1)<\/b><\/p>\n