Oregon State heads to El Paso on Saturday night still chasing its first road win of the Jamarcus Shephard era, and the matchup with UTEP comes with a warning label attached. The Beavers are favored by two scores, but the Miners have already shown they can hang around with a heavyweight after leading No. 15 Michigan at one point in the second quarter last Saturday.
That means Oregon State’s defense needs to be ready for a little bit of everything. UTEP knows it’s outmatched at the line of scrimmage, so the Miners could lean into creativity to try to make the Beavers uncomfortable. That could mean disguised DB blitzes, aggressive linebacker pressure, or unusual coverage looks aimed at speeding up sophomore Atkinson and throwing off Oregon State’s timing.
The same unpredictability could show up on the other side of the ball, too. The Beavers will need to stay alert for trick plays and anything else UTEP uses to try to steal a possession or a score.
On offense, balance will matter. One way Oregon State can keep the Miners from keying in is by rotating multiple running backs through the game plan.
Having two or three ball-carriers involved forces a defense to keep track of more moving pieces and helps keep it honest. The Beavers showed that depth in last week’s lopsided win, and that approach should matter again.
Newberry is expected to remain a fixture on Saturday, but getting Hatcher and Reichle involved would only strengthen the ground game and keep the offense moving.
Special teams could also be part of the equation if UTEP tries to make this ugly. In Monday’s presser, Shephard said special teams has been “a little up and down thus far,” and he wants more consistency there. Oregon State’s punt unit had a costly scare last week when it fumbled a punt in the final minute against Montana, and those are the kinds of mistakes that can swing a game.
UTEP already showed what a special-teams break can do after cashing in on a Michigan muffed punt in Ann Arbor. For Oregon State, the assignment is simple: be sharp on kickoff coverage and protect the ball on returns.
In Other News...
Oregon State Has 4 Emerging Names Worth Watching Against UTEP
Oregon States offense spread the ball around in a big way during its 52-17 win over Montana, with nine different players hauling in passes and a few new names making the most of their chances. True freshman Garrison drew particular praise from head coach JaMarcus Shephard for the way he played through contact, while sophomore Aeryn Hampton continued to look like more than just another option in the passing game. Add in senior running back Aj Newberrys efficient work last weekend, and the Beavers suddenly have a deeper pool of players who can help keep drives moving.
On the other side of the ball, senior defensive back Vickers has also been a steady riser, showing better tackling and giving Oregon State another experienced presence as it heads into the matchup with UTEP. For a team still sorting out what its full offensive and defensive rotation looks like, those kinds of emerging roles matter just as much as the final score. The next step is seeing which of those recent gains hold up when the competition changes and the game plan tightens. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon States First Road Test Could Expose A Big UTEP Problem
Oregon States first road trip of the season lands Saturday at 6 p.m. in the Sun Bowl, where the Beavers will get a closer look at a UTEP team still trying to settle in under coach Scotty Walden. A Q&A with UTEP beat reporter Bret Bloomquist painted a picture of a program in transition, with quarterback EJ Colson facing growing pains and running back Tavorus Jones still needing to be featured more consistently as the Miners sort out what they want their offense to be.
Bloomquist also pointed to the chess match on the other side of the ball, where UTEP will have to decide how much attention to devote to Oregon States Jesse Legree and the rest of the Beaver attack. The matchup comes with the kind of uncertainty that can make an early road game tricky, and it has enough moving parts that even a game that looks manageable on paper still carries some tension before kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma State Faces A Road Test That Could Expose Everything
Oklahoma State heads into its Big 12 opener with a road trip that should tell plenty about where the Cowboys stand early in conference play. West Virginia brings a physical identity that starts with the run game and is amplified by quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr., while the Mountaineers also have shown they can get after opposing passers and force offenses to stay on schedule.
For Oklahoma State, that means the challenge is as much about discipline as it is about talent. The Cowboys defense will need to slow the ground game and avoid giving West Virginia easy momentum, while the offense has to be efficient enough to make the Mountaineers pay when they overcommit. There is room to create chances, though, because West Virginia has also been prone to giving up explosive plays, and that could end up being the swing factor if Oklahoma State can hold up long enough to find them. [Read more 🡒]