Conner Weigman doesn’t fit neatly into the usual mobile-quarterback box, and that’s exactly why Oregon State is treating Houston’s fifth-year passer like a problem with a few extra layers.
Weigman brings a rare blend of arm talent and run threat, but what really changes the equation is how willing he is to absorb contact. He threw for 2,705 yards last season, completing 65.2% of his passes with 25 touchdowns and nine interceptions, and he added 700 rushing yards and 11 scores on the ground.
“He’s a tough son of a gun,” Oregon State coach JaMarcus Shephard said. “He runs the ball tough. He makes people miss (and) he tries to run people over.”
That combination is part of what makes Saturday’s matchup against Houston at 9 a.m. PT on ESPN such a difficult one for the Beavers.
While 14 other FBS quarterbacks rushed for more yards than Weigman, only seven of them also topped 2,700 passing yards. A number of those players are no longer in college football this season, which only underscores how uncommon this challenge is.
Oregon State has spent the week trying to prepare its defense for the kind of quarterback who won’t slide if there’s a few more yards available. Shephard had the Beavers’ scout team quarterbacks take live contact in practice so the defense could get a better feel for a passer who will lower his shoulder.
Defensive coordinator Mike MacIntyre said Weigman forces adjustments before the snap and changes the way Oregon State thinks about calls on a play-by-play basis.
“We have to get an extra guy there,” MacIntyre said. “Make sure when they’re pulling (blockers) we have everybody in the right fits because basically they’re going to make you end up having to make a one-on-one tackle. ... We’ve worked on understanding there’s different calls you would make with him at quarterback in some situations more than you would other quarterbacks that wouldn’t run it as much.”
The good news for Oregon State is that it handled Weigman well last season. He finished with minus-one net rushing yard, though he did score a touchdown, and he went 20 of 36 through the air for 270 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.
Still, the Beavers know the job hasn’t gotten any easier.
“We got to keep him contained and force him to make those hard throws that relies on us to be able to make those plays,” defensive back Sailasa Vadrawale III said. “We got to be able to run to the ball and get as much hats to the ball as possible when he does break.”
In Other News...
Oregon State Is Waiting On A Court Fight That Could Shape Fall
Oregon States fall plans may end up being shaped as much by a courtroom as by the practice field. Two players, Patterson and Van Wells, are pushing a legal challenge against the NCAA after returning to Corvallis following attempts to pursue professional opportunities, a reminder that roster building in college sports now runs through more than just coaching decisions and depth charts.
The case, filed in Benton County Circuit Court, accuses the NCAA of breach of contract and intentional interference with contractual relations and asks for damages as well as permission to compete without penalties. For the Beavers, the immediate issue is whether those players will be available this season while the broader eligibility dispute keeps winding through the system, leaving one more layer of uncertainty hanging over a roster that would rather be focused on football. [Read more 🡒]
Tulsas Portal Overhaul Puts Early Pressure On Oklahoma States New Offense
Tulsa spent the offseason remaking itself through the portal, bringing in 25 transfers and ranking third in the American Athletic Conference in added talent. For an Oregon State reader, that kind of overhaul is worth watching because it shows how quickly a roster can be reshaped, especially on the offensive side where the Golden Hurricane went after help in the backfield with additions like Malachi Preciado, Damari Alston, Seth Davis and Trequan Jones.
The new-look depth chart should give Tulsa more options right away in the run game, and the secondary still has veteran names such as JD Drew, Tyson Williams, Zach Williams and Ashton Williams to lean on. The wrinkle is that the group is trying to sort out those new pieces while also dealing with a key absence at corner, leaving one part of the defense less settled than the rest as the season opener approaches. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon States 2026 Bowl Path Just Got More Complicated
The Pac-12s newly announced bowl structure for the 2026 football season gives Oregon State a clearer picture of the road ahead, but not a simpler one. The conference laid out tie-ins for both its former members and its newer additions, creating a setup that reflects the leagues changing identity while still giving the Beavers a path to postseason play if they put together the right season.
For most of those bowl opportunities, Oregon State and Washington State are classified as legacy members, lined up in a separate order behind the conferences traditional postseason options. But the arrangement gets a little more unusual at the SDCCU Poinsettia Bowl, where the Beavers will be considered a new member and paired in a matchup that is designed to pit a former Pac-12 school against one from the conferences next era. [Read more 🡒]