Oregon State ready to rise in second half of season
A week off couldn’t have come at a better time for Oregon State.
The Beavers (1-5, 0-3 Pac-12) dropped four straight games prior to their bye and getting outscored 143-75 in their three conference games. Since missing a game-winning field goal as time expired at Nevada on Sept. 15, they had been moving in the wrong direction, something coach Jonathan Smith hopes he and his staff were able to correct during the break.
“I think we accomplished some things,” Smith, in his first year as a head coach, said Monday during his weekly press conference. “Took a deep breath.”
Oregon State’s return to action — Saturday at 1 p.m. PT at home against California — coincides with its most winnable remaining game. The Golden Bears (3-3, 0-3) have dropped three straight, most recently losing 37-7 at home to previously winless UCLA.
Cal comes to Corvallis with a 14-game conference road losing streak, something OSU can empathize with. The Beavers haven’t won anywhere on the road, Pac-12 or not, in more than four years, and they’ve also dropped 12 consecutive league games and 16 straight against FBS opponents.
Despite the vulnerability of Cal, Smith doesn’t consider this game any more important than the other five remaining on the schedule.
“I kind of feel like every game is a must win,” Smith said.
Among the things OSU worked on during the bye was improved tackling. A combination of missed tackles and poor positioning has contributed greatly to the Beavers being second-to-last nationally in total defense, allowing 541.3 yards per game, and third-worst in scoring defense (47.0 points allowed per game).
“The goal is to get guys on the ground, in a timely fashion,” Smith said.
As for the offense, which is producing 31.5 points per game, there’s still uncertainty as to who will be leading that unit. Both senior Jake Luton (ankle) and sophomore Conor Blount (shoulder) are dealing with injuries, with Luton missing the last three games and Blount exiting OSU’s last game against Washington State.
If neither can go, it will be sophomore Jack Colletto, who has appeared in three games and was 3 of 5 for 49 yards against WSU.
OSU will be wearing its “Retro Benny” helmets that feature the original version of the Beavers mascot. It’s only the second time since that logo was phased out in 1998 that they’ve worn it.