CORVALLIS — Cornell Hatcher Jr. has an Oregon State heritage. Two of his uncles, Armon and Charles Hatcher, played for the Beavers in the 1990s.
With a breakout performance last Friday against Houston, Hatcher Jr. jumpstarted his own legacy.
Hatcher, a redshirt freshman, exploded for 93 yards and a touchdown in the overtime loss to the Cougars. His performance led an offense that appeared to find a ground-game identity, with Hatcher providing a counterpunch to starter Anthony Hankerson.
“That was the best feeling ever, to be able to get out there and go out and work and just play football again,” said Hatcher, who had 24 career yards prior to his breakout performance against Houston.
Hatcher Jr.’s parents, girlfriend, and uncle Charles were in the stands watching him run through a Houston defense that entered the game giving up just three yards a carry.
“It was fantastic to see him play,” said Charles, who has lived in Corvallis since his Beavers career ended nearly 30 years ago and now works as a drug and alcohol counselor for Benton County. “This was really the first time I’ve gotten to see him play live, because he’s from California. It was really exciting to see him do as well as I thought he could do. I was really proud of him.”
According to family lore, Hatcher wanted to play for the Beavers since a trip to Corvallis with his parents more than a decade ago.
“I’m excited for his prospects, because he’s a smart and hard-working kid, he’s talented, and I think he can do great and wonderful things,” Charles said. “I was telling everyone around me: ‘that’s my nephew out there.’”
Hatcher’s uptick in carries came after Hankerson’s top backup Salahadin Allah was injured against Oregon two weeks ago. The Beavers entered the Houston game wanting to establish a running attack but questioning where they could find Hankerson some help.
Enter Hatcher, who provided an answer.
“It meant the world to me to be able to go out there and just know all my work that I put in meant something,” Hatcher said.
Oregon State offensive coordinator Ryan Gunderson said he was pleased with the way his team ran the ball effectively, and with violence in the close loss against the Cougars.
“I think we need to run the football to be a winning football team,” Gunderson said. “We’ve got good players on the offensive line and good running backs. We need to have an identity of toughness to where we will run the ball.”
There were signs of Hatcher’s future emergence to those inside the Oregon State locker room all along. He voluntarily joined the offensive line for extra conditioning drills, bear crawls at the end of practice meant to foster toughness. Hatcher’s willingness to join in impressed O-lineman Tyler Voltin.
“He was grinding with us,” Voltin said. “It was great to see Cornell have some success. He runs downhill. I love it.”
Voltin ran down the field to celebrate Hatcher’s longest run Friday against Houston, an 18-yard scamper that resulted in a touchdown. On that play, Hatcher took the handoff angled to the left side of the line, made a cut to the middle of the field, and accelerated through the defense untouched.
“Something I try to do with my game when I’m playing is fully commit to a cut,” Hatcher said when asked about his running style. “Make a decision, and make it full speed.”
OSU running backs coach Ray Pickering tells his backs to understand their individual roles and where they fit in to help the team. For Hatcher that has been patiently working and waiting for a chance at playing time while following Hankerson’s example.
“[Hankerson] is the guy,” Hatcher said. “He’s a great running back. I felt like my role is try to chase Hank constantly, try to catch up to him. The way he works, the way he watches film as he prepares for games.”
Next game: Oregon State (0-5) at Appalachian State (2-2)
When: Saturday, Oct. 4
Time: 12:30 p.m. PT
Where: Kidd Brewer Stadium — Boone, North Carolina
TV Channel: ESPN+ (Not available on traditional broadcast TV, only streaming on ESPN’s live sports streaming platform. Here’s a look at how you can watch ESPN+ live on your TV.)
How to watch streaming live: You can watch a live stream of this game for less than $12 on ESPN+ (It’s just $11.99/month or $119.99/full year subscription, and you can cancel anytime.)
Odds (9/29): Oregon State by 1.5; over/under 54.5 (Action Network)
Hankerson, a senior who played his first two seasons at Colorado, led the Beavers with 1,082 yards and 15 touchdowns last year and has 302 yards and two scores on the ground this season.
In addition to Hatcher Jr., Oregon State has other running back options behind Hankerson. Redshirt senior Marquis Crosby, who transferred from Louisiana Tech, caught a touchdown pass against Houston, his first score with the Beavers. Redshirt junior Jake Reichle, who has gotten some short-yardage carries, scored a one-yard TD on the ground against the Cougars.
“[Hankerson] is going to be a better back when we’re not asking him to carry the ball 30 times a game,” Gunderson said. “Getting other guys involved, we saw how advantageous that can be for us the other night.”
One day, with the two rooming together, Hatcher Jr. noticed Hankerson spending his free time studying plays and notes.
“I was like ‘man, I’ve got to catch this guy and keep working to try to be him,’” Hatcher Jr. said.
Appalachian State is up next for Hatcher Jr. and the Beavers. Hatcher Jr.’s parents, DeNina and Cornell Sr., plan on making the long trip to North Carolina.
Charles and the rest of the family will be watching on TV, hoping for more bragging rights.
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