CORVALLIS — Even if it was a miss, it was a sign of progress.
New Oregon State quarterback Maalik Murphy took a deep shot on the very first play of Saturday’s spring game, overthrowing a wide open Darrius Clemons on a would-be touchdown.
While Murphy wants it back, knowing he has the touch to finish those plays off, the Beavers are encouraged. After a 2024 season of mostly subpar quarterback play with limited downfield success, they can actually draw up those explosive plays now given the Duke transfer Murphy’s arm talent.
Execution is expected to come with time.
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“The competitive part of you wishes you hit more of those vertical throws,” OSU offensive coordinator Ryan Gunderson said. “That has been a major point of emphasis for us this spring. There was some good stuff on offense last year, but we were not explosive. We need to hit bigger shots down the field, we need to win, we need to break tackles on long runs just every now and then to be more explosive.”
Murphy was efficient and showcased quick decision-making on short and intermediate throws, particularly up the middle of the field. He took and missed a few other deep shots, and eventually connected with a wide-open Cooper Jensen for a 30-yard touchdown — the only trip to paydirt on the day for the Beavers’ offense as Murphy faced constant pressure behind a banged-up offensive line.
Murphy also utilized his legs, finding gaps to scamper for a pair of quarterback keepers in the second quarter. That won’t likely be a regular thing for the 6-5 Murphy in the fall, particularly with fleet-footed Gabarri Johnson expected to contribute on the ground as the presumptive backup quarterback, but it was a good wrinkle for the Beavers to test regardless.
“Gabarri has had a heck of a spring, and Gabarri is going to play,” OSU head coach Trent Bray said. “Whether he’s QB1 or not, we’ve got two really great quarterbacks who can both be in the game — even at the same time. We’ve got a lot of ways to utilize them, which is exciting in how our playbook can grow with the two of them.”
Murphy’s leadership in the spring was mentioned by both Bray and Gunderson as a positive. His success last season at Duke — including a 9-3 record, nearly 3,000 yards and 26 touchdowns to 12 interceptions — appears to have created a foundation of confidence as well.
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But it’s a calm confidence, Gunderson explained.
“As you guys can tell with Maalik, big smile, good mood, but when you’re in that huddle, it matters. He is super competitive,” Gunderson said. “He’s got a great personality and great leadership ability, which I thought was an issue for us on offense (last year). I don’t want to be the leader for us on offense. We want to be player-led, and he’s got a spirit about that.”
Murphy acknowledged that the spring game wasn’t perfect, and spoke more about his misses than his hits. He expressed a desire to keep putting in extra work with his new receivers to build a rapport this summer, throwing at night on their own time after completing required work in the weight room.
The line to get autographs and photos with Murphy stretched more than 20 yards on Saturday, even as most players, family and fans had already cleared the field. He made time for each person with an air of humility and kindness, his family looking on while wearing orange and black No. 6 jerseys.
The offense is still a work in progress, but the starting point for OSU’s quarterback position feels much further along and on more solid ground with Murphy.
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“Everything takes reps, and of course as spring goes on, I’ve gotten more and more reps,” Murphy said. “I feel like I’ve gotten better, the people around me have gotten better, and the whole offense has gotten better. These last two practices have been our best practices of the spring. Today wasn’t perfect, but we did a lot of good things, and I’m excited for what we can do this fall.”
— Ryan Clarke covers college sports for The Oregonian/OregonLive. Reach him at RClarke@Oregonian.com or on Twitter/X: @RyanTClarke. Find him on Bluesky: @ryantclarke.bsky.social.
PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) – Starting in 2026, a new law in Oregon requires all non-motorized boats, regardless of size, to buy and carry a waterway access permit. That includes paddleboards and kayaks.
But there has been some push back from one organization.
Ben Roche is part of Let Us Paddle. The organization aims to repeal the updates to the waterway access permit.
“It’s Oregonians constitutional right to free access to our waterways. And human powered watercrafts are the best way to do that, and the least environmentally impactful,” said Roche.
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According to the Oregon State Marine Board, permit fees range from $6 to $35.
If you’re caught without a permit, there’s a $115 fine.
The state agency says the funding goes directly to two programs.
One supports aquatic invasive species watercraft inspection stations and the other improves access points to the water that specifically serve paddlers.
“There is a need for inspection and we support that. What we don’t support is charging recreational paddleboarders for cleaning of motorboats that enter our state,” said Roche.
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Roche adds, the state is only funding a few dozen access points.
Let Us Paddle has collected at least 20,000 signatures, and they want about 130,000 more by July 2.
They need at least 120,000 verified signatures to put the repeal before voters on the November ballot.
But even if they don’t meet the requirement, Roche says he’ll keep pushing for change.
“I think it’s really a poorly crafted bill that collects a small drop in the bucket of revenue but impacts thousands of recreational kayakers across the state,” said Roche.
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FOX 12 reached out to the Oregon State Marine Board to ask more questions, but have not yet to heard back.
Oregon DMV temporarily paused dispersing new undercover vehicle license plates starting April 15.
FILE – The U.S. Department of Justice seal is seen on a podium before a news conference, May 4, 2026, in Washington.
Julia Demaree Nikhinson / AP
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The Justice Department is suing four states after they refused to issue confidential license plates to federal law enforcement agencies, despite having done so in the past.
The lawsuits, filed Wednesday in Oregon, Washington, Massachusetts and Maine, seek to force states to resume what the federal government describes as long-standing, routine policies.
The scope of the combined litigation raises questions about ways the federal government has aggressively carried out immigration enforcement since President Donald Trump’s reelection, and whether the Constitution grants states the power to deny federal law enforcement agencies license plates that effectively conceal officers’ identities.
“Oregon’s DMV policy illegally discriminates against the United States, violates the Supremacy clause, and is unconstitutional,” attorneys for the federal government argued in court filings.
Oregon DMV temporarily paused disbursing new undercover license plates to all federal agencies starting April 15.
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“The DMV is currently evaluating the undercover vehicle registration program to ensure the program complies with Oregon law,” Oregon DMV Administrator Amy Joyce explained in a May 22 letter to Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate.
A recent lawsuit filed against Oregon State Police alleges the state is providing personal information to federal immigration authorities through databases, including Oregon’s DMV.
“If the DMV process for issuing undercover plates could be questioned under Oregon law, the State is at risk for additional litigation,” Joyce explained in the letter to Shumate.
The state’s review of the undercover license plate program doesn’t prevent federal vehicles from legally driving on Oregon roads.
“State and local law enforcement are unaffected by this pause and the federal agencies that participate in the program are able to continue to use their existing unexpired plates,” Kevin Glenn, a spokesperson for Gov. Tina Kotek wrote in a statement.
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Immigration officers have relied on these license plates for enforcement, including during Operation Black Rose in Oregon. According to U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement, officers arrested more than 1,498 people between September and March, which led to 1,057 removals.
The lawsuits filed Wednesday argue the states’ DMV policies undermine ongoing federal investigations.
“Federal law enforcement agencies should not be subject to the challenged DMV policy, which is unconstitutional and recklessly disregards officer safety, public safety, and federal operational needs‚” the Justice Department’s lawsuit states.
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Thursday is shaping up to be another active weather day across the region, with the potential for strong to severe thunderstorms developing this afternoon and evening. The greatest severe weather threat is expected across southeast Oregon, where the Storm Prediction Center has issued a Slight Risk for severe storms. Portions of southwest Idaho remain under a Marginal Risk, meaning isolated severe storms are possible. Boise and much of the Treasure Valley are mainly under a general thunderstorm threat, but storms could still bring gusty winds, blowing dust, lightning, and brief heavy rain later today.
Idaho News 6
Storms are expected to first develop across southeast Oregon and near the Nevada border this afternoon before tracking north and northwest through the evening hours. The strongest storms will likely stay west of Boise, especially across areas of Malheur County, western Owyhee County, and parts of the west-central Idaho mountains.
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Impacts
The biggest impact today will likely be strong outflow winds. Some storms could produce wind gusts between 40 and 60 mph, with isolated gusts near 70 mph possible in the strongest storms across eastern Oregon. Winds of that strength can blow around patio furniture, trampolines, garbage cans, and other loose outdoor objects, bring down tree limbs, and cause isolated power outages.
Blowing dust may also become a major issue in open desert and agricultural areas, especially across eastern Oregon and southwest Idaho. Visibility could quickly drop on roads and highways, creating dangerous travel conditions for drivers.
Some storms may also produce hail capable of damaging vehicles and outdoor property, while brief heavy downpours could lead to ponding on roads and reduced visibility. Frequent lightning will also make outdoor activities dangerous through the afternoon and evening.
Even though Boise is not currently in the higher severe weather categories, residents should still stay weather aware because any thunderstorm that moves through the Treasure Valley could produce sudden gusty winds and localized blowing dust.
Looking ahead
Storm chances continue Friday with additional showers and weaker thunderstorms before conditions gradually dry out heading into the weekend. Temperatures will cool closer to normal on Saturday before another warming trend develops next week.
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