FORT COLLINS, Colo. - Oregon State didn’t just beat Colorado State on Saturday at Canvas Stadium. It ran away with the game, 56-26, and left with a pile of takeaways that point to just how far the Beavers have come.
The biggest one is simple: this was a mauling.
During fall camp, offensive coordinator Mitch Dahlen said “violence will be celebrated.” Oregon State backed that up in every phase.
The Beavers were physical from the opening snap to the final whistle, winning at the line of scrimmage and creating movement on the perimeter. Even the second and third team offensive linemen were getting push.
It wasn’t only a physical edge, either. Oregon State also controlled the game mentally. Jim Mora parting ways with Tyson Summers during the first quarter may have added some short-term chaos to an already rough defensive situation, but Dahlen was the one calling the shots all night, and he showed it.
Braden Atkinson took another step forward, too. He worked the easy throws that were there and piled up numbers with a lot of yards after the catch.
The more meaningful sign for Oregon State was the way the Beavers handled the operation. They leaned less on tempo and let the play clock wind down more, which matters when in-helmet communication is turned off.
The skill talent around him keeps flashing. Eric Olsen looks like the kind of matchup problem Pac-12 defensive coordinators will have to spend real time on. His size alone makes him difficult to handle at this level, and that was already apparent earlier in the season.
Jesse Legree may be the most dangerous piece of all. His speed is hard to deal with even when he’s double-covered, and Oregon State has enough around him to make defenses pay for overcommitting.
The Beavers can also move him around and use him on sweeps, screens and underneath routes. The freshman looks like he is on pace to rewrite program records.
There were defensive positives, even if Colorado State’s current state has to be part of the conversation. The Rams are trending in the wrong direction, so it would be too much to call this a total statement about Oregon State’s defense. Still, limiting explosive plays was no small feat.
That mattered even more because Oregon State was thin at corner. Mel Brown went out early, RJ Vick limped off late, and Hauss Hejny was unavailable. Even so, the Beavers kept Colorado State from hitting deep shots.
The cornerback room was stretched almost to the breaking point when Isaiah Houi left briefly three plays into the game. Trey Glasper was already playing through a foot injury from the previous week, and Oregon State was left with only three corners. The group held up well enough in this game, but long term, Sailasa Vadrawale III may need to shift from safety, where the Beavers have much more depth.
Dahlen also kept finding ways to stress the Rams with unbalanced formations. Colorado State looked lost on multiple snaps, and Oregon State used that edge to hit big plays in different ways. Legree’s first touchdown, a third-down run by Cornell Hatcher Jr. and a pass to DeCorion Temple all came out of that kind of schematic pressure.
There was also a moment worth noting for Gabe Milbourn. It was already a life-changing week for him and his wife, and his rushing touchdown made it even better. Oregon State’s staff deserves credit for finding a way to get him that opportunity, and the sixth-year senior got an early keepsake for his newborn son.
As impressive as the performance was, it comes with a warning label. Oregon State’s offense looks explosive and loaded with weapons that can challenge almost anyone in the Pac-12, but the last two games have come against possibly the worst team in the FBS and possibly the worst defense in the FBS. The real tests are coming, most likely at Fresno State and Boise State.
Even so, the bigger picture is hard to ignore. Boise State has separated itself at the top, and after that, the conference doesn’t look especially intimidating. Oregon State and Fresno State sit next in the standings, which could make the Oct. 31 matchup pivotal in deciding who gets a shot at the Broncos for the conference championship.
For a program that finished last season in a very different place, even being in that conversation is remarkable.
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