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Oregon State coaches celebrate as cornerback Steven Nelson, bottom right, intercepts Washington State quarterback Connor Halliday during the second half of Saturday's win at Washington State.

(AP Photo/Dean Hare)

CORVALLIS -- Shortly after hauling in a Connor Halliday pass Saturday, Washington State running back Marcus Mason collided with five Oregon State defenders. The football squirted past the scrum of Beavers bodies, eventually landing in the grasp of a Cougars offensive lineman.

The fourth-quarter blunder may seem a relatively nondescript play. After all, it arrived during a stretch of five consecutive WSU turnovers. But OSU coach Mike Riley pinpointed the highlight while reviewing the

with his staff Sunday. The message was clear: interceptions give a team momentum, which can ultimately trigger an opposition's unraveling.

OSU cornerback Rashaad Reynolds ran a pick back 18 yards about a minute before Mason’s fumble, setting the Beavers up for a quick touchdown. The Cougars, suddenly facing a 14-point deficit early in the fourth, appeared frazzled. Reynolds nabbed his second interception of the night moments later, and a Sean Mannion-led group marched 39 yards into the end zone.

“All of this other stuff was going positive for us … and then we just absolutely nail their running back and the ball comes out,” defensive coordinator Mark Banker said of Mason’s miscue. “It just seems like that deflated them a little bit.”

Within five minutes of Reynolds’ first pick, a narrow Beavers lead ballooned to a 45-24 advantage. The squad had effectively ensured its fifth straight win, a notable achievement for a crew that suffered a season-opening loss to Eastern Washington.

Yet they were hardly finished. OSU tallied two more interceptions and a fumble recovery before leaving Martin Stadium with the 28-point blowout. On the evening, the Beavers won the turnover battle 6-2.

“Just (forcing turnovers) is good for momentum and it’s good for the energy,” Banker said. “It’s just the opposite of what happened to us in the first game of the season.”

Interceptions are a key reason OSU is one win shy of bowl eligibility. The Beavers have picked off a Pac-12-high 12 passes, which is more than they grabbed in two of their past three campaigns. Reynolds has three interceptions, while cornerback Steven Nelson boasts an FBS-co-leading five.

Such thievery offers the ideal complement to Mannion, who has tossed only three picks despite throwing the ball about 48 times a game. OSU, ranked eighth nationally in turnover margin, is 46-9 when committing fewer turnovers than its opponent over its past 118 games.

“The game comes down to points and turnovers,” secondary coach Rod Perry said. “If you’re not turning it over and you’re taking it away, you have a great opportunity to win.”

Beavers coaches rarely stress interceptions in practice or meetings. The way they see it, picks are a byproduct of solid fundamentals: proper positioning, keen awareness, textbook technique.

And the secondary is hardly the only position group responsible for the highlight-caliber plays. Interceptions tend to come when the front seven rattles an opposing quarterback, Banker explained. The off-kilter player often misses his target or hurries a pass, allowing a defender to tip the football. From there, it’s “just guys running to the ball.”

“It’s kind of a simple thing,” Banker said.

Simple but critical. OSU understands that its top-ranked passing attack is the Beavers’ chief asset. So they want to get the offense on the field as quickly as possible. They want to give Mannion every chance to find a bevy of talent receivers in the end zone. And what better way than force turnovers?

“Just what it does is you’re scoring more points than the other team,” Banker said. “You’re keeping them off the board.”

The Beavers hope to continue their turnover-causing ways at 1-5 California on Saturday. Of course, the Golden Bears figure to offer little resistance. Their pass-heavy offense has coughed up the ball 18 times, which ranks 117th out of 123 FBS teams.

If California can’t defy the statistics, it could leave OSU fans experiencing déjà vu. The Beavers could unravel an opponent for the second straight week.

Notes:

Left guard Josh Andrews, who missed time at WSU with a quad contusion, was a full participant in Monday's practice. ... Safety Zack Robinson (concussion) and wide receiver Richard Mullaney (turf toe), and tight ends Connor Hamlett (knee) and Tyler Perry (sprained shoulder) sat out of the session. Mike Riley said on his Sunday night conference call that Hamlett and Robinson are the only players from that group doubtful for Saturday's matchup at California. ... A Jacksonville Jaguars scout watched practice. ... Kickoff time for the Beavers' Oct. 26 game against Stanford has been set for 7:30 p.m., the team announced Monday. It will be OSU's third straight 7:30 game, and will air on ESPN.

-- Connor Letourneau