Oregon State has been a stand-in for mediocrity in the Pac-12. The Beavers have not had a winning record since the 2013 season. In 2018, Oregon State finished 2-10 and expectations heading into 2019 were at an all-time low, and it seemed liked Oregon State was destined to be the bottom feeder of the Pac-12 North indefinitely. But Oregon State has turned their fortunes around — they’re one of the two top teams in the North. Now, Oregon State will square off against the Ducks at Autzen Stadium in a suddenly intriguing matchup.
This is not the same Beavers team as in years past. Under second-year head coach Jonathan Smith, Oregon State is only one win away from its first bowl since the 2013 season. Despite that, though, it hasn’t been all positive for the Beavers. Their defense is sitting at No. 10 in points allowed in the conference, but at 5-6, the Beavers have taken serious strides.
Oregon State dropped a marquee non-conference game with a loss to Oklahoma State 52-36. But the Beavers suffered a far more troubling loss to Hawaii, a Mountain West foe, the following week. With the Beavers failing to beat Group of Five teams, it was reasonable to assume that Oregon State would struggle once again in conference play. An inconsequential win against Cal Poly in Corvallis did little to improve Oregon State’s reputation.
The turnaround began against Stanford. Down 21-0 to the Cardinal, the Beavers launched a comeback and tied the game at 28. However, last-minute defensive mistakes cost the Beavers and they lost 31-28. Although far from ideal, the Beavers got their mojo back.
Jake Luton and Isaiah Hodgins showed the strength of their connection against UCLA as Luton threw for a career-high five touchdowns — three of which were caught by Hodgins. The Beavers earned a conference win on the road, 48-31.
After that, the Beavers suffered a 52-7 loss to Utah. It was a game that displayed Oregon State’s worst characteristics: poor defensive play and an inability to compete with elite competition.
Oregon State then went on the road and defeated Cal 21-17, winning back-to-back road games for the first time since 2013.
The Beavers have trended upward in the last five games and have leaned heavily on their offense, which ranks fifth in the conference in points per game. Their offensive explosiveness was on full display against Arizona in a 56-38 victory, when running back Jermar Jefferson ran for 105 yards and three scores.
The Beavers then outdueled Arizona State in Corvallis for their first conference home win of the season. Luton threw for four touchdowns and the Sun Devils missed a critical two-point conversion, leading to 35-34 win for the Beavers.
Oregon State’s shot at a bowl game dimmed last weekend, as the Beavers lost on a last-second touchdown to Washington State, 54-53. Luton’s 400-yard, five-touchdown performance and Jefferson’s 132 rushing yards were not enough, as Oregon State’s defensive woes came back to haunt them.
Oregon State’s biggest issue this season is defense. The Beavers are ninth in the conference in total defense giving up 453 yards per game. They are especially bad against the run, ranking 10th in the Pac-12, giving up 167 yards per game. The issues cost the Beavers a bowl game berth last weekend when they gave up 54 points to Washington State.
The Beavers have a lot to play for on Saturday. Although they can no longer play spoiler to Oregon’s national championship hopes — as Arizona State beat them to it — they still have an opportunity to earn a signature win for the program. A bowl game, regardless of destination, would be a massive achievement for Oregon State as a program.
Oregon will need to play with urgency against Oregon State, as they cannot afford a post-loss hangover against a motivated Beavers squad.
