Oregon State is getting ready for a Texas State offense built around Brad Jackson, and the Beavers know exactly what kind of problem they’re facing.
Jackson has been one of the most dangerous quarterbacks in the country this season, and the numbers back it up. He’s completed a conference-best 67.2% of his passes for 1,933 yards with 18 touchdowns and five interceptions. He’s also added 436 rushing yards and six touchdowns on the ground, both of which lead Pac-12 quarterbacks.
That mix of passing efficiency and run threat is what has Oregon State’s defense on alert.
“He’s a little magician,” Oregon State defensive coordinator Mike MacIntyre said. “A lot of their stuff comes off of their run, play-action, RPO scheme.
Then a lot of it is the quarterback creating back there, staying alive and making throws on the run because he can run well but he also is very accurate on the run, especially if he’s moving to his right. He can make them to his left too, but he makes some pretty amazing plays moving to his right on the run.”
Jackson’s playmaking has helped Texas State lead the country in plays of 40 or more yards, exactly the kind of explosive production Oregon State has been trying to clean up. Even while the Beavers have won five straight, JaMarcus Shephard has kept pointing to the same issue: the defense has been vulnerable to big gains, and the fix has to come through better coverage and better tackling.
“With the quarterback being able to throw the ball to the field, throw it vertically, throw perimeter throws, it makes it so that every single player on our defense, they have to be executing at the highest level possible,” Shephard said. “That’s the only way that I think we can do a really good job of handling those explosive plays, is that each person has to take a responsibility for their job at the highest level possible.
“Our safety position, our corners, our nickel position, every single one of them are going to have to play their best game to date in order for us to keep them from having explosives.”
The Beavers have already had trouble with mobile quarterbacks this year. Fresno State’s Jayden Mandal and Washington State’s Owen Eshelman both found the end zone on the ground, and keeping Jackson from doing the same figures to be a major key on Saturday night.
“Have to not let him scramble out,” nose tackle Tevita Pome’e said. “It’ll probably hurt us if he goes outside of us. That’s our whole mentality: keep him in there, get to him as fast as we can.”
Texas State’s speed doesn’t stop with Jackson, either. Chris Dawn Jr. and Beau Sparks give the Bobcats more weapons on the outside, and that puts even more pressure on Oregon State’s secondary. If Jackson extends plays, those receivers can turn a broken snap into a chunk gain in a hurry.
“They want to get those chunk plays,” cornerback TJ Crandall said. “So if we can be top down that’ll help us a lot.”
In Other News...
Oregon States Offense Is Facing A Tough Internal Challenge
Fresno States defense found enough tells in Oregon States offense to keep the Beavers out of the end zone as often as they had been all season, and that has turned into a self-scouting issue in Corvallis. Fresno State coach Matt Entz pointed to tendencies that helped his group stay ahead of the Beavers, while Oregon State coach JaMarcus Shephard pushed back on the idea that the offense was too static, saying the staff does have checks in place to keep opponents from getting a clean read.
The bigger concern now is less about the game plan and more about how quickly Oregon State can clean up the execution around it. Offensive coordinator Mitch Dahlen said the group needs faster quarterback decisions and better effort after the loss, a sign the Beavers are treating this as more than a one-game stumble. For an offense trying to find its footing, the challenge is not just adding answers, but making sure the answers show up before a defense can take them away. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma State's Defensive Problems Just Got Bigger Before Oregon State
Oklahoma States defense comes into the Oregon State game with some real questions after last weeks loss to Iowa State, when the unit turned in its worst outing of the season. The Cowboys allowed a season-high 8.1 yards per play and surrendered 15 big plays, the kind of breakdowns that leave little room for comfort this late in the week. Coach Eric Morris and linebacker Isaiah Chisom both pointed to tackling and execution as the biggest fixes needed before another test.
Chisom is one of the players who could be pressed into a bigger spotlight, especially with Tate Romneys injury situation still hanging over the depth chart. For a defense already trying to clean up its missed assignments, any uncertainty at linebacker only adds to the challenge. Oregon State will be watching closely to see whether Oklahoma State can tighten things up fast enough to avoid another long afternoon. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma State Faces A Series Problem It Cant Let Grow
Oklahoma State heads to Manhattan this weekend for a 12 p.m. kickoff against Kansas State, with both programs meeting for the first time under new head coaches. The Cowboys still own the better overall series record, but this matchup has tightened in recent years, and it arrives with a little more weight than a typical early-season Big 12 trip.
Kansas State has taken the last two meetings, a stretch Oklahoma State would prefer not to see become a longer trend. For a program trying to establish itself quickly in a new era, this is the kind of series marker that can start to matter beyond one Saturday, especially with the Cowboys looking to keep the Wildcats from building any more momentum in the matchup. [Read more 🡒]