Oregon State’s 42-21 loss to Texas State left JaMarcus Shephard looking for fixes, and fast.
In his postgame press conference, the Oregon State coach said, “we have some significant things that we need to be fixed.”
The Beavers have dropped two straight and now sit at 5-4 overall and 3-2 in Pac-12 play. They’ll try to stop the slide Saturday at No.
18 Boise State, a 3 p.m. matchup on USA Network. Oregon State leads the series 6-5, but Boise State won the last meeting, 34-18 in 2024.
Shephard said the challenge now is not only correcting the issues on the field, but restoring the confidence that took a hit over the last two weeks.
“We still have a lot to play for. We have a ton to play for. And if we can find a way to flush these last couple games and just get ready for the next one the right way, you’ll be right where we want to be at the end of the season,” Shephard said.
Oregon State’s defense was overwhelmed by Texas State’s run game, which piled up 346 yards and five rushing touchdowns. Torrance Burgess Jr. ran for 146 yards, Davian Jackson added 184, and Texas State scored on its opening 13-play, 75-yard drive. That set the tone for a long night for the Beavers.
Shephard pointed to the absence of safety Sailasa ’Adhraha xxx as part of the problem. He was injured last week in a collision with a defensive teammate. It was an unfortunate accident that is going to result in ’Adraha being out for a couple of weeks.
“He does a really good job of getting us lined up and things of that nature. So we got to be able to fix that in the back end in our safety room to make sure our guys are getting lined up where they need to going forward into our next game,” Shephard said.
The Beavers were also without defensive lineman Tevita Pome’e. He was a game-time decision Saturday and ultimately did not play.
But those absences alone don’t explain giving up 346 yards on the ground. The Bobcats controlled the line of scrimmage, creating lanes for runners and making the Beavers chase all night.
Texas State has the top running game in the conference, but Boise State is close behind at 215.7 yards per game. Oregon State’s run defense, ranked seventh in the Pac-12 with 126 rushing yards allowed per game, will be tested again.
That makes this week a big one for Oregon State’s preparation, whether it’s for Boise State or the stretch beyond it.
“There are three areas that need to be fixed if that is going to happen,” Shephard said.
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Oregon State Has A Bigger Problem Than One Ugly Loss
The loss to Texas State was ugly enough on its own, but the bigger concern for Oregon State was how thoroughly the defense was carved up in a 42-21 defeat. The Beavers gave up 600 yards of offense, the most they have allowed since 2019, as Texas State controlled the game with balance and tempo behind Brad Jackson and Davian Jackson.
Oregon State did move the ball some, finishing with 356 yards, but the offense never did enough to keep pace after Braden Atkinson threw an interception and later gave way to Maalik Murphy in the fourth quarter. It left the Beavers with more questions than answers after a game that exposed issues on both sides of the ball, and the kind of defensive performance that tends to linger well beyond one September night. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon State Suddenly Has A Run Defense Problem Fans Cant Ignore
Oregon States loss to Texas State was ugly for a lot of reasons, but the most alarming part was what happened on the ground. The Beavers were gashed for 386 rushing yards in a 42-21 defeat, a number that stood out not just because of the score but because it exposed a defense that had no answer for the way Texas State wanted to play. The Bobcats kept leaning on their run game, and Oregon State kept coming up short in the same places.
JaMarcus Shephard did not sugarcoat the performance afterward, acknowledging that the defense has to be better against the run. For Oregon State, the concern is bigger than one bad afternoon, because a game like this can linger if it turns into a pattern. The Beavers now have to show that this was a breakdown they can fix, not a warning sign that opponents will keep targeting. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon State Just Walked Into Boises Biggest Game In Years
Saturday in Boise already had the feel of a major moment, and the spotlight only got brighter when ESPNs College GameDay chose the matchup between Boise State and Oregon State. It is the first time the show has come to the city since 2010, a sign of how much is riding on a game that has turned into one of the biggest on the Pac-12 calendar.
Boise State brings an eight-game winning streak into the matchup, with running back Dylan Riley powering the ground game, while Oregon State counters with quarterback Braden Atkinson, who has been one of the nations most productive passers. For the Beavers, it is the kind of road setting that can tell you plenty about where a team stands, even before the final whistle settles the bigger questions hanging over the night. [Read more 🡒]