If Washington State is going to hang around with Oregon State, the Cougars may need a different kind of Saturday than the one they’ve had for much of the season. Through six games, defense has been the unit keeping WSU afloat. Now the pressure shifts to an offense that has to do more, because the Beavers arrive with a scoring machine.
Oregon State enters the week ranked 10th in FBS in scoring at 41.8 points per game under first-year coach JaMarcus Shephard, and the Beavers don’t sound remotely satisfied. Offensive coordinator Mitch Dahlen made that much clear when he said, “We want more. We want more every single week.”
For WSU, that means the spotlight falls on quarterback Jerry Eshelman, who is being handed his first start in a hostile environment after Moore had seen enough of Caden Pinnick’s passing inefficiency and turnover-making ways. The Oklahoma product comes into the job with the trust of the staff and teammates, who rave about his presence and call him a natural leader.
On the field, Eshelman has to do two things at once: get the ball out on time and avoid the mistakes that have hurt the Cougars. He can also run, though he is more of a battering ram than a quick, elusive threat. In a game that figures to tilt toward points, Washington State needs him to keep drives alive and keep the ball out of Oregon State’s hands.
That challenge gets even tougher against a Beavers team throwing it as well as anyone in the country. WSU brings the conference’s No. 2 pass defense into the game, allowing 203.9 yards per contest and only nine passing touchdowns in six games. But Saturday’s test is a major one, with Oregon State averaging 391.2 passing yards per game behind quarterback Braden Atkinson and wide receiver Jesse Legree, a Heisman Trophy candidate.
The secondary will have to be sharp from the start. Cornerbacks Khamari Terrell, Jamarey Smith, CJ Solis-Lumar, Ishmael Gibbs and Tucker, along with safeties Jaylen Thomas, Jeremiah Bernard and Jackquintin Bal, all figure into a game that demands cleaner communication than the group showed earlier against Arizona and Fresno State.
Tucker, in particular, has a little extra attached to this one. He played 10 starts for Oregon State in 2025 before transferring to Pullman, so there’s a revenge-game edge to his matchup.
Washington State’s best shot at staying in the fight may also depend on whether its run game can pop a few explosive plays. Oregon State coaches are said to be worried about how well Moore has blended outside-zone, or “stretch,” run concepts from his Missouri play-calling days into the offense.
Last week against Utah State, Leo Pulalasi broke loose for a career-long 54-yard touchdown run to give WSU its only score of the first half. Two other outside-zone runs that could have been chunk gains were wiped out by holding calls.
That kind of damage will be hard to manufacture again against a stout Beavers defensive front, especially for an offensive line that struggled badly last week. WSU will need its front to move bodies and create space, then hope a back like Woods can find a crease and turn it into a long score.
In Other News...
Oregon State Is Pushing Back Hard In Its Fight With Keith Heyward
Oregon States legal fight with former defensive coordinator Keith Heyward is still moving through the courts, with the university pressing ahead on its claim over an unpaid buyout and relocation allowance. Heyward, who spent time on the Beavers defensive staff, has pushed back with his own lawsuit, turning what began as a contract dispute into a broader standoff between the two sides.
The case now has a court conference set for Feb. 10 in Benton County Circuit Court, keeping the matter active as both parties dig in. Heywards filing adds accusations of breach of contract, defamation and retaliation, while Oregon State denies the key assertions at the center of his complaint, leaving the dispute headed toward another procedural checkpoint before anything is resolved. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma State Suddenly Has A Secondary Concern Oregon State Should Watch
Oklahoma States injury report ahead of its game against Houston offered a little more than the usual pregame housekeeping, and it matters to anyone keeping an eye on the Beavers old conference foe. The biggest name on the list is safety Mose Phillips, who is listed as doubtful with a shoulder injury after starting the past four games, a sign the Cowboys could be short-handed in the back end as they try to sort out their defensive rotation.
There is more movement elsewhere on the depth chart, too, with defensive tackle Landon Dean ruled out and freshman receiver Dayvon Standard probable to play. For a team already managing availability issues, those are the kinds of details that can shape how a game is played before the first snap. It also gives Oregon State a reminder that the margins in the Big 12 can shift quickly when one side starts to lose pieces on defense. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon State Should Be Watching This Oklahoma State Receiver Closely
Justin Bowick has become one of the more interesting early-season receivers in college football, and that should matter to Oregon State fans because the Beavers already have a firsthand look at what he can do. The Oklahoma State transfer has bounced through multiple schools, but his game has clearly taken a step forward this fall, with the kind of size, ball skills and athletic traits that can make a wideout hard to handle once he settles in.
That progression is now drawing national attention, too. Draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. recently pointed to Bowick on ESPN as a name to know in the 2027 NFL Draft conversation, citing the way he has performed against quality opponents and the development he has shown from one stop to the next. For Oregon State, it is another reminder that Bowick may already be playing like a receiver worth tracking closely, even if the full ceiling of his game is still unfolding. [Read more 🡒]