Oregon State’s home opener arrives Saturday afternoon with No. 12 Texas Tech coming to Corvallis, and JaMarcus Shephard spent his game-week press conference pointing to both the challenge ahead and the areas his team has to clean up after last week’s loss to No. 23 Houston.
Shephard said the Red Raiders have “violent players” on defense in A.J. Holmes Jr. and Ben Roberts, setting the tone for what OSU is walking into at 4:30 p.m. on CBS. He also said the Beavers have room to keep shaping the roster, noting there are still spots available on the team’s 105-man roster and that the door remains open to additions.
Injury-wise, Oregon State is still juggling several key names. Carter Guillame is “day to day.”
Harlem Howard is as well. Jameson Powell, who is dealing with a hamstring issue, could return soon.
T’Andre Waverly and Jeremiah Ioane are out for the season. Jesse Myers is long-term, possibly late October or November, at best.
Jeremiah Brown is still in the process of being cleared.
Shephard also addressed Jesse Legree, saying, “We knew that he’s got a mentality about himself.”
A few other moments from the Houston trip stuck with him. He said he told the team, “we’re better than that” after they got off the plane, adding that they simply weren’t fast enough early. He also noted that Van Wells’ grandmother fell ill and passed away on Sunday, and that Wells’ family is in Houston and he was able to visit her.
On the field, Shephard said Oregon State’s run defense has to tighten up after “a few explosive runs” were created by missed tackles. He added that running on contact also needs to improve.
Still, he pointed to some positives the Beavers can carry forward. Shephard said the game gave them a chance to build on creating opportunities for themselves, but the next step is finishing those chances. He said contributions came from across the roster, and that leadership showed up from both coaches and players at Houston.
He also praised the quarterback play, saying, “Our quarterback was a guy who I felt like controlled the game very well.” Shephard added that the execution came with “a lot of precision.”
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Beavers Return To Reser With One Early Test Fans Care About
Reser Stadium gets its first look at Oregon States 2026 season on Saturday, when the Beavers open the home slate against Texas Tech in a 4:30 p.m. PT kickoff on CBS and the Beaver Sports Network. It is the kind of early test fans circle right away, especially with the program back in Corvallis after a stretch away from home and ready to find out how this group settles in under head coach JaMarcus Shephard.
Shephard brings a background that already gives this matchup a little extra context, and Oregon States history in home openers adds another layer to the day. The Beavers have had plenty of memorable first games at Reser over the years, and this one figures to offer an early read on where the new era stands before the season really starts to take shape. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon State Faces Its First Real Test Against No. 12 Texas Tech
Oregon State gets its first real measuring-stick game of the season Saturday, when No. 12 Texas Tech comes to Reser Stadium in Corvallis for a September 12 matchup that should reveal a lot about where the Beavers stand early in the year. It will be televised on a major network and carries the kind of attention that comes with a ranked opponent, especially one that brings a defense that was among the nations best a season ago and a roster loaded with veteran talent.
For Oregon State, the challenge goes beyond simply matching up at the line of scrimmage. The Beavers will need to navigate a game in which Texas Tech arrives with the look of a team built to stay in the conference race all fall, and that level of experience usually shows up quickly once the ball is kicked off. Even with Reser Stadium providing a home-field edge, this is the sort of game that can expose what still needs work while also showing whether the Beavers are ready for the kind of test that defines a September schedule. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon State Faces A Passing Game Test It Can't Afford To Lose
After the loss to Houston, Oregon State is already looking for answers in the passing game, and assistant coach JaMarcus Shephard made it clear the Beavers wont be rolling out the same approach when they face Texas Tech. The offense is preparing a different set of plays for a matchup that now carries extra weight, especially with the Beavers trying to get more comfortable throwing the ball and finding something that travels better on the road.
Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire has noticed the challenge on the other side, pointing to Oregon States passing attack as one of the more interesting parts of the game. The Red Raiders are also coming off their own tune-up against Abilene Christian, so this one is less about early-season novelty and more about whether Oregon State can settle in quickly enough to keep a difficult environment from exposing its young secondary. [Read more 🡒]