Oregon State gets its first look against outside competition Friday afternoon when the Beavers face Michigan in an exhibition matchup in Ann Arbor, Mich.
The game is set for Big 10+, with a pay-per-view stream available. There will be no radio broadcast.
This is the first of Oregon State’s two exhibitions. The Beavers will return home for their second on Oct. 24 against California at Gill Coliseum, then turn their attention to the regular season opener Nov. 2 against Weber State.
Justin Joyner leads Oregon State into the matchup in his first season as head coach. Joyner comes into the job after winning a national championship with Michigan as an assistant coach in Ann Arbor last season.
The roster looks nothing like last year’s group. Oregon State has just one returning player and 12 newcomers on the 2026-27 team. Josiah Lake II is the lone holdover from the 2025-26 squad, after earning All-WCC First Team honors a season ago.
The Beavers are also back in the Pac-12 after spending the previous two seasons in the WCC. The reshaped league now includes Gonzaga, Boise State, Washington State, Utah State, Colorado State, Texas State, Fresno State, and San Diego State.
Nonconference play brings a few notable tests beyond Michigan. Oregon State’s schedule includes a marquee meeting with Oregon at Moda Center in Portland, along with a home game against former conference rival Arizona State.
Before the season starts, the Beavers already put in some work this summer on a foreign tour in Canada. Oregon State played three games there, opening with a win over Trinity Western and then beating University of Victoria twice.
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Oregon State Is Pushing Back Hard In Its Fight With Keith Heyward
Oregon States legal fight with former defensive coordinator Keith Heyward is still moving through the courts, with the university pressing ahead on its claim over an unpaid buyout and relocation allowance. Heyward, who spent time on the Beavers defensive staff, has pushed back with his own lawsuit, turning what began as a contract dispute into a broader standoff between the two sides.
The case now has a court conference set for Feb. 10 in Benton County Circuit Court, keeping the matter active as both parties dig in. Heywards filing adds accusations of breach of contract, defamation and retaliation, while Oregon State denies the key assertions at the center of his complaint, leaving the dispute headed toward another procedural checkpoint before anything is resolved. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma State Suddenly Has A Secondary Concern Oregon State Should Watch
Oklahoma States injury report ahead of its game against Houston offered a little more than the usual pregame housekeeping, and it matters to anyone keeping an eye on the Beavers old conference foe. The biggest name on the list is safety Mose Phillips, who is listed as doubtful with a shoulder injury after starting the past four games, a sign the Cowboys could be short-handed in the back end as they try to sort out their defensive rotation.
There is more movement elsewhere on the depth chart, too, with defensive tackle Landon Dean ruled out and freshman receiver Dayvon Standard probable to play. For a team already managing availability issues, those are the kinds of details that can shape how a game is played before the first snap. It also gives Oregon State a reminder that the margins in the Big 12 can shift quickly when one side starts to lose pieces on defense. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon State Should Be Watching This Oklahoma State Receiver Closely
Justin Bowick has become one of the more interesting early-season receivers in college football, and that should matter to Oregon State fans because the Beavers already have a firsthand look at what he can do. The Oklahoma State transfer has bounced through multiple schools, but his game has clearly taken a step forward this fall, with the kind of size, ball skills and athletic traits that can make a wideout hard to handle once he settles in.
That progression is now drawing national attention, too. Draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. recently pointed to Bowick on ESPN as a name to know in the 2027 NFL Draft conversation, citing the way he has performed against quality opponents and the development he has shown from one stop to the next. For Oregon State, it is another reminder that Bowick may already be playing like a receiver worth tracking closely, even if the full ceiling of his game is still unfolding. [Read more 🡒]