Oregon State tips off a new era Monday night, and it starts right where the Beavers have grown comfortable: at home.
Weber State comes to Gill Coliseum for the season opener, with Oregon State set to begin the year in front of its own crowd for the 17th straight season. The Beavers have also won 12 consecutive season-openers, a streak they’ll try to extend as they launch a schedule that carries plenty of change.
This is Justin Joyner’s first season at the helm, and he arrives with a national championship on his resume after serving as an assistant coach with Michigan last season. Oregon State’s roster has been turned over almost entirely, featuring one returning player and 12 newcomers.
That lone holdover is Josiah Lake II, the guard who earned All-WCC First Team honors last season.
The Beavers are back in the Pac-12 after spending the previous two seasons in the WCC. The conference’s new lineup also includes Gonzaga, Boise State, Washington State, Utah State, Colorado State, Texas State, Fresno State, and San Diego State.
Oregon State’s nonconference slate also includes a home date with former league rival Arizona State, and 22 regular-season games will be shown on linear television.
The Beavers have already logged three games this summer on a foreign tour in Canada, opening with a win over Trinity Western before sweeping a pair of games against the University of Victoria. Monday will offer the first real look at what this rebuilt roster looks like in game action.
In Other News...
Oregon State Heads Into Fresno State With One Big O-Line Question
Oregon States offensive line should be close to whole again coming out of the bye week, a welcome development as the Beavers turn their attention to Fresno State. Josiah Timoteo and Carter Guillaume are both back in the mix, giving the front a better chance to stabilize after a stretch of shuffling, and coach JaMarcus Shephard has stressed that the lines growth has to show up in practice and in the way the group works together.
Timoteos presence matters most on the edge, where he has recently been sharing work at right tackle, while Guillaumes return helps at center and guard by bolstering the depth the Beavers need across the interior. Even with the health picture improving, there is still a little sorting out left to do up front, and how the coaches handle that spot will be one of the more important subplots heading into the Fresno State game. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma State Faces A Big 12 Test Fans Should Watch Closely
Oklahoma State heads into Halloween night in Ames with the kind of Big 12 road test that can shake up the upper tier of the league. The Cowboys are tied for second in conference play at 3-1, while Iowa State is trying to claw back after a 1-3 start, and the matchup has enough familiar tension to make it worth watching even before the kickoff arrives.
A big reason is how tightly these two teams have tended to play each other, with third-down execution likely to matter again in a game that could swing on a handful of possessions. Iowa State also brings a backfield threat in Aiden Flora, who has been a steady problem for opposing defenses, giving the Cyclones a different kind of danger than their record suggests. [Read more 🡒]
What Oregon State Fans Should Notice About Fresno State Right Now
Fresno State arrives with a few things Oregon State has to account for, and the clearest one starts up front. The Bulldogs have been dealing with offensive line injuries, and beat reporter Anthony Galaviz said that has affected quarterback Jayden Mandals ability to push the ball downfield. Even so, there is still a red-zone connection worth watching between Mandal and receiver Josiah Freeman, which gives Fresno State a way to stay dangerous when the field shrinks and the game tightens.
On the other side of the ball, Galaviz pointed to Kvion Thunderbird as one of the names helping the defense hold together, while also noting the groups knack for creating turnovers. That part of the equation may be under a little more pressure now, especially after the takeaway streak ended against Boise State, and Galaviz did raise concerns about how Fresno States defense will handle this matchup. From Oregon States perspective, the opportunity is there if the Beavers can make Fresno State play from behind and test a defense that no longer looks as disruptive as it did a few weeks ago. [Read more 🡒]