Oregon State’s five-game winning streak is gone, and JaMarcus Shephard didn’t waste time explaining why.
After the Beavers fell 38-22 at Fresno State on Saturday, the Oregon State coach treated the game like a pop quiz his team didn’t pass. “$@>6E:>6D J@F =:<6 H92E 92AA6?
D H:E9 E96 E6DE 2? 5 D@>6E:>6D J@F 5@?’
E,” Shephard said.
This one, he said, belonged in the latter category.
“This week, Fresno State passed the test and Oregon State didn’t.”
Shephard said Fresno State brought the kind of urgency his team lacked. “uC6D? @ $E2E6 A=2J65 2 8C62E 82>6 E@?:89E 2?
5 x’== E6== J@F H92E[ @FC E62> 24EF2==J H2D E2F89E 2 E@F89 =6DD@? 2?
5 H6’C6 8@?? 2 =62C?
7C@> :E,” he said.
The Beavers were still searching for answers well after the final whistle, and the loss left them at 5-3 overall. Oregon State still has a shot at bowl eligibility, but the margin for error is shrinking fast.
Shephard pointed to two issues that doomed the Beavers: missed red-zone chances on offense and too many big plays allowed on defense.
“Red zone offense has been one of the team’s strengths this season. Coming into the game against Fresno State, the Beavers had scored touchdowns on 20 of 31 red zone possessions and had kicked four goals, for an overall success rate of 81 percent.
On Saturday, Oregon State had six red zone possessions and turned them into just 19 points: two touchdowns, two field goals and two drives that resulted in no points.
“(We) got to make plays down there in the red zone and we didn’t do that. That’s the reality of it. We had plenty of opportunities throughout the game to give ourselves a chance to really jump up on the opponent,” Shephard said.
Defensively, the Beavers were burned by explosive plays. Fresno State opened the game with a 3-and-out, then hit Oregon State with a 33-yard touchdown run on its next possession. Star receiver Josiah Freeman also caught passes of 24 and 31 yards.
“They made some explosive plays and that’s what it boiled down to,” Shephard said.
Fresno State’s offense had been one of the team’s strengths this season. Coming into the game against Oregon State, the Bulldogs had scored touchdowns on 24 of 33 red zone possessions and had kicked four goals, for an overall success rate of 88 percent.
On Saturday, Fresno State went 6-for-6 in the red zone and turned them into 19 points: two touchdowns, two field goals and two drives that resulted in no points.
The Beavers’ defense also had to deal with a Fresno State team that, in Shephard’s view, played with more urgency and more edge. He said the Beavers need to “play more like ourselves.”
“I don’t feel like we played like ourselves today,” Vadravale said.
Up next is a first-ever meeting with Texas State, followed by a road game against conference-leading Boise State and a home game against Utah State. The final regular-season game is a flex game, with the Beavers currently expected to play a rematch against Washington State in Pullman.
Texas State is 4-4, 2-2 Pac-12 and is three points away from being 6-0 in Pac-12 play. The Bobcats lost 30-18 at San Diego State in a game in which the Aztecs had both a special teams touchdown and an interception return for a touchdown.
Then on Saturday, Texas State rallied from a 26-7 halftime deficit to go up 27-26 in the fourth quarter. But the Broncos scored three touchdowns in the final nine minutes to take a 34-27 victory.
Will the Bobcats feel the hangover of that loss next week or will they bounce back?
That’s the same question facing the Beavers.
“It’s up to you to figure out what’s next,” Shephard said.
A trip to the College Football Playoff, as unlikely as it might have been, is now off the table. The team’s hopes of playing in the PAC-12 championship game are still alive, but the Beavers can’t afford any more stumbles.
This week’s test has been graded. The next one will be handed out on Saturday night.
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JaMarcus Shephard Sends Clear Message As Beavers Try To Reset
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Texas State is next, and Oregon State will be looking to turn the page in the first meeting between the programs while chasing a sixth win. For Shephard, the message has been less about style points than about urgency and cleaner execution, especially after a game that exposed how quickly small mistakes can snowball. The Beavers still have time to steady themselves, but the margin for error is shrinking. [Read more 🡒]