JaMarcus Shephard is already playing a little mind game with Texas Tech.
After Oregon State’s 73-play loss to No. 23 Houston, the Beavers’ offensive coach said the version of the offense the Red Raiders see next week won’t look anything like what showed up in that game. His message was blunt, if delivered with a wink.
“If they’re watching the film from this past game, I’m going to tell you, we’re not running any of that past stuff going into this next game,” Shephard said. “It’s going to be a completely brand new package of plays. What we ran this past week is not going to help you.”
Maybe that’s not meant to be taken literally, but the point was clear enough: Oregon State wants Texas Tech guessing. And if that means dressing up the same core ideas in a different wrapper, so be it.
The Beavers are 26.5-point underdogs against the No. 12 Red Raiders, so anything that creates a little uncertainty figures to help.
The players, though, will be the same ones Texas Tech just spent time studying. Braden Atkinson and Jesse Legree were the names that popped off the film from the Houston game.
Atkinson threw for 376 yards, the most Houston had allowed since 2023. Legree was responsible for 136 of those yards and a touchdown, and he looks like a sure bet to be named Pac-12 freshman of the week on Tuesday.
Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire noticed.
“The way they attack the defense, our young secondary, the safeties are going to get tested,” McGuire said. “They’re going to throw the football. That’s going to be good for us to see ... how they’re going to respond to somebody that’s going to throw the ball and throw it down field.”
Oregon State’s problems in the opener weren’t limited to the passing game. Houston rolled up 228 rushing yards and three touchdowns, and even if you strip out the Cougars’ 56-yard score - which came after a missed tackle - they still averaged 4.3 yards per carry.
The Beavers also struggled to get off the field, allowing Houston to convert 7 of 13 third downs. On downs with eight yards or fewer to go, the Cougars were 7 of 8.
Texas Tech had its own issues finishing drives on the ground in a 173-yard, two-touchdown rushing effort against Abilene Christian. Still, McGuire is looking ahead to the atmosphere in Corvallis and, in particular, the noise.
“I’ve heard they have some really loud chainsaw on third downs,” McGuire said. “I’m anxious to be a part of that.
Hopefully we don’t hear it a lot and we’re not on third down a lot. And if we are, it’s a short-yardage third down.”
In Other News...
JaMarcus Shephard Signals What Oregon State Must Fix Before Texas Tech
JaMarcus Shephard spent part of the week trying to steady the conversation around Oregon States loss to Houston and turn the focus toward Saturdays home opener against Texas Tech. The Beavers are still sorting through the aftereffects of that game, and Shephard said the staff is working through both performance issues and the injury picture as the schedule tightens. He pointed to the run defense and the teams leadership as areas that need to sharpen up quickly if Oregon State wants a better showing in Corvallis.
The availability report remains part of the story, with several players still working their way through the week and the roster picture not yet fully clear. Shephard said some situations are more immediate than others, and the Beavers will keep monitoring who can get back on the field in time for the Red Raiders. For a team trying to reset in a hurry, the difference between being short-handed and getting a few key bodies back could matter just as much as the matchup itself. [Read more 🡒]
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 🡒]