Oregon State’s offense has grabbed most of the spotlight during its turnaround, but the defense has been every bit as important to the Beavers’ rise.
As the Beavers head into Saturday’s matchup with Washington State, they sit atop the Pac-12 in pass defense, total defense and sacks, and they rank second in the conference in scoring. That kind of production hasn’t happened by accident. It’s been built through weekly work, buy-in and a staff that’s pushing the right buttons.
“They’ve really done an outstanding job throughout the season to this point,” Oregon State coach JaMarcus Shephard said. “Tremendous amount of credit needs to be given to (defensive coordinator Mike) MacIntyre.
He’s done an outstanding job of managing it all. Mark Hagen really getting the defensive line up to speed alongside Joe Seumalo.
Dan Rowe and Cort Dennison are doing a phenomenal job behind the scenes of ensuring that we have enough information data points and new scheme to give us a chance to be successful on Saturday.”
The Beavers’ defensive surge is matching the kind of jump the offense has made under coordinator Mitch Dahlen. Through half a season, Oregon State is giving up more than seven fewer points per game and more than 50 fewer yards per game than it did a year ago, while also doubling its sack rate.
MacIntyre said the biggest reason is the players’ response to the coaching staff.
“They know we care about them,” MacIntyre said. “They also know we’re going to hold them accountable.
I think when you do that, you see things come together. Hopefully everybody keeps doing that and we keep pushing.”
There’s still a long way to go, and the Pac-12 schedule has tougher offensive tests waiting down the line. Washington State, though, is not one of them.
For the players, the approach is simple: keep the focus narrow and keep stacking good days.
“I believe that’s how you keep that going: focus on the small moments and the small details day by day,” defensive tackle Daniel Matagi said. “It’ll eventually lead to good things on Saturday.”
This week brings an added layer of preparation for Oregon State because the Cougars are making a quarterback change, going from Caden Pinnick to Owen Eshelman. There’s barely any college film available on Eshelman, a pocket passer, so the Beavers have had to dig back into his high school tape from a few years ago.
Still, linebacker Jabari Odoemenem said the Beavers are keeping their eyes on their own work.
“We’re just worried about our process,” Odoemenem said. “We’re not really worried about what they have going on over there.
We’re worried about going 1-0. In terms of what they have going on, we’re sticking to our script, our plan.”
In Other News...
Oklahoma State Suddenly Has A Secondary Concern Oregon State Should Watch
Oklahoma States availability report for its game against Houston brought a new wrinkle into focus, one Oregon State fans will note because it reflects how quickly a defense can shift during a stretch run. Safety Mose Phillips is listed as doubtful with a shoulder injury, and that comes after he started the past four games. Defensive tackle Landon Dean is also out, while freshman receiver Dayvon Standard is probable to make his college debut.
For Oregon State, the interest is in how the Cowboys manage those absences if the report holds through game time. A secondary missing a starter can change the way an opponent handles coverage and run support, and Oklahoma State is already dealing with a thinner look up front with Dean unavailable. Houston has its own issues on defense, but the biggest question for the Beavers to track is whether Oklahoma States back end can hold up without Phillips available. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon State Freshman Is Forcing His Way Into A National Debate
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What makes the start even more eye-opening is the consistency. Legree has topped 100 receiving yards in every game this season while working with quarterback Braden Atkinson, who has been piling up passing yards at a historic pace of his own. The result is a Beavers offense with a rookie star pushing his way into a debate most expected to be led elsewhere. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon State Faces A Real Threat To Its Four-Game Surge
Washington State is spending the week trying to figure out how to slow down a surging Oregon State team that has suddenly become one of the Pac-12s most difficult matchups. The Cougars, now under first-year coach Kirby Moore, are looking at a few pressure points as they prepare for the league co-leader, including how to handle the Beavers' passing game and how to keep Oregon States defensive line from dictating the action.
On the other side, Washington State knows it needs more efficiency from its own offense if it wants to turn this into a game. The Cougars are weighing ways to get their quarterback situation moving in the right direction and leaning on outside-zone run concepts to create space, but the challenge is obvious: Oregon State has already put together a four-game surge, and breaking that rhythm will take more than just a decent plan on paper. [Read more 🡒]