Oregon walked out of its opener with a win, but not the kind that quieted questions. Now the Ducks head into Saturday’s 11 a.m. matchup at Boone Pickens Stadium against Oklahoma State, a team that looked very different from the one Oregon dismantled last year.
The Ducks beat Boise State 34-27, then slid from No. 2 to No. 6 in the AP Poll. Even with the tighter-than-expected final, Oregon still piled up 497 yards of offense, including 378 through the air and 119 on the ground.
That matters because Oklahoma State enters this one with a reset roster and a reset reputation. Last season’s meeting in Eugene was a blowout, with Oregon rolling to a 69-3 victory while the Cowboys’ offense managed only 144 total yards. A few weeks later, Mike Gundy was out, and the roster turnover that followed led to the overhaul under new coach Eric Morris.
But Oregon’s players made it clear on Tuesday that last year’s result isn’t driving their preparation.
“It’s a whole different team,” running back Jordon Davison said. “Whole new roster.
I believe they have like 90 new players, so we’re not in that mindset of, ‘Oh, this is gonna be like last year.’ We’re in a mindset of we’re playing a really good team and a really good coach.”
The Ducks’ offensive line is one of the group’s biggest strengths, and left tackle Ziyare Addison said Oregon is focused on the challenge in front of it, not the old score line. Addison, a redshirt freshman and four-star recruit in the 2025 class, took visits to UCLA, Georgia and Florida before committing to Oregon.
“They kind of remind me of Boise State, with the stems and the pops they have,” Addison said of OSU’s defense. “I feel like this offensive line group is really special, and (offensive line) coach (A’lique) Terry and coach (Dan) Lanning are always gonna put us in position to win, so I’m just trusting in the game plan that they have, and I feel like we’re gonna execute like we did against Boise State.”
The matchup had been framed as a major test for Oregon’s defense against the Cowboys’ offense led by Morris and quarterback Drew Mestemaker. That buzz faded some after Oklahoma State scored only 10 points against Tulsa.
The Cowboys still outgained Tulsa 368-337. Mestemaker completed 49 passes for 241 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions, while Oklahoma State’s run game produced 127 yards on 37 carries. Caleb Hawkins led the way with 79 yards on 18 attempts.
For Oregon linebacker Dylan Williams, the focus stays on the basics, especially after what the Ducks saw last week.
“I feel like that just comes down to doing my job, making sure my eyes are on point, I’m aligned, looking at my keys and just doing my job,” Williams said. “Respectable running back, for sure. He’s a bigger-bodied power back, so like I said, coming from corrections from last game, our defense feels like we really need to fix up tackling, so we’ve been working on that every single week, just to make sure we’re nitpicking our tackling.”
In Other News...
Texas Tech Already Has One Problem Oregon State Could Expose
Texas Tech opened its season with a 33-10 win over Abilene Christian, taking a 17-0 lead by halftime and otherwise keeping the Wildcats out of the end zone until a late kickoff return touchdown. Even in a game it controlled, though, the Red Raiders left some points on the table in the red area, and offensive coordinator Mack Leftwich pointed to aggressive play-calling and third-down issues as part of the reason.
That is the sort of opening Oregon State will have noticed while sorting through its own 33-20 loss at Houston, where the Beavers had trouble establishing the run and protecting the quarterback. Coach JaMarcus Shephard has already stressed the need for improvement, and if Oregon State can make Texas Tech work for every yard, it may be able to turn one of the Red Raiders' early-season concerns into a much bigger issue. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma State Keeps Learning The Same Painful Lesson Against Oregon
Oklahoma States recent football history against Oregon keeps circling back to the same frustration, and the latest meeting only added another rough chapter. The Ducks have had the upper hand in the series, and the Cowboys were left with plenty to sort through after their 2025 loss, a result that stood out even more in a season already marked by turbulence.
The first time these teams met came in the 2008 Holiday Bowl, when Oklahoma State jumped in front early before Oregon settled in and took control. Since then, the Beavers have had a front-row view of a matchup that never seems to tilt their way, and the aftershocks have only grown louder with Oklahoma States subsequent loss to Tulsa and the firing of its head coach. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon State Faces A Texas Tech QB Twist That Changes This Matchup
Texas Techs quarterback picture has become one of the more interesting wrinkles in Oregon States prep work this week, with both Will Hammond and Thomas Castellanos expected to be part of the plan. Hammonds return from a knee injury has added a passing element the Beavers have to account for, while Castellanos, the Florida State transfer, is settling into the offense and giving the Red Raiders another look to prepare for. Oregon State defensive coordinator Mike MacIntyre has already pointed to the different strengths each brings, which only makes the tape session more complicated.
For Oregon State, the issue is not just identifying who takes the first snap but understanding how Texas Tech may use both quarterbacks to stress a defense in different ways. Hammonds accuracy stood out after his recent return, and Castellanos growing comfort in the system gives the Red Raiders a second layer of flexibility. Even before kickoff, the matchup has taken on a different feel because the Beavers may have to defend two distinct styles rather than one settled answer. [Read more 🡒]