Home Football Oregon State @ Washington State (Game Week)

Oregon State @ Washington State (Game Week)

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I don’t have a strong feeling about this game either way. The idea the Beavs should be able to move the ball easily, yet that our D won’t be able to stop WSU easily, seems the most accurate to me.

Just not sure what kind of score that results in. I don’t see us getting many turnovers or sacks. I’ll say that keeps it close. I actually have a bad feeling about this game. Final prediction later this week as I read up on WSU.

427 COMMENTS

  1. 3
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    This was from the last thread:

    It’ll be interesting to see how Tibs adjusts to de Laura based on last year’s experience. I think one adjustment is to have the DE’s straight bull rush the QB and force him to roll out. I think last year the DE’s went too far upfield, and de Laura was able to step up in the pocket and run untouched for 10 yards.

    Also, who does Tibs put as a spy on de Laura? Should we run a 3-3-5 scheme this game?

    • 3-2-6 or 4-2-5 with Avery Roberts as the QB spy and the other LB spying the RB. Question is, do we run man, zone, or safety zone and the CB’s man?

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        The mismatch throughout the game will be Borghi, unless we put someone like Grant on him. We don’t have a great coverage LB.

          • Borghi reminds me of a guy who would have been an effective role player for NE patriots/brady…

            I think it might be more beneficial to put a spy on him than the QB? If its grant, he’s going to have to wrap up instead of just run into him like he tried on a failed wildcat run “tackle” v. UW.

  2. Number one argument to win this weekend is the Beavs are playing like they believe they can win any game. With the talent they have coupled with that confidence they should win by at least two scores.

  3. For the love of all things beaver please review de Laura’s pump fake predilections. When he came in last year without any tape he froze our guys atleast 5 times.

  4. Like NBA ball, this could be more about number of possessions. OSU should continue to emphasize its run game, but maybe play at a faster pace? Not quite “hurry up” all the time, but deliberately faster. I’m sure they could eat clock and run, but WSU is going to try and score quickly.

    Tibs might want to keep things in front of his D and then when the field is compressed look for the TO or TFL as others have suggested.

    • Beavs have not had a positive time of possession under Smith until this year. I’d say it helps the defense as the opposing team has less chances to exploit holes in the defense.

  5. The wsu game vs Utah looks like the beavs game plan. Run run run and throw only when needed.

    Pretty much the same game plan I said vs UW. Attack the edges with speed and power in the middle. Let Nolan complete high percentage throws and then pick spots to throw down field. Having a speed guy in motion at the snap has really thrown off defenses. At it’s core a triple option since Nolan can run too. Rotating in Fenwick gives the beavs a fresh power back to wear down defenses.

    One adjustment beavs need to make is to run deep routes to open up space for underneath routes. Most routes seemed short in the last game where the UW corners were all over the wrs. Safeties started to creep down to the line. I think only one deep ball in the game? The one that should have been a pi. And it was a TD if Nolan threw it further.

    So keep doing what they do and make wsu stop the run. If they can dictate the run game, beavs should come away with a win. Nolan should have a bounce back game. Not to the USC level but not anywhere near the UW game level.

    • I wonder if we see Colletto take the quick handoff when lined up as the FB. I saw it faked by Nolan a few times but Colletto always just ended up lead blocking. Could be a wrinkle. Attack the edges with quick outs and fly sweeps please.

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      I think it’s a non issue at this point. He said he would follow the mandate which means he thinks he qualifies under an exemption. I’ll take him at his word since people do have legitimate reasons not to get vaccinated. He doesn’t seem to express anti vax stances so can’t assume anything there.

      But I’ll assume anti vax backers will take up his cause on cable news in the next week or so.

  6. 5
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    Hopefully JS does not channel his inner Riley and fall in love with the pass early like in the UW game.
    Their best defense will be keeping the WSU O on the sideline. Use the power run game with selective shots and east/west run plays.
    In other words, the USC game plan.

    Who else thought we would miss the FG at the end LOL? I’ve been conditioned to expect the worse.

  7. 1
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    WSU presents a unique challenge for the Beavs only because of Tibs unwillingness to adapt his base defense.

    This is a game where we should play a ton of dime and even quarter to matchup in the passing game.. Roberts and Speights should not see nearly as many snaps as usual but rather they should rotate in as down and distance dictates. Not sure why Jones has received little burn as this would be a great matchup for him if he were integrated into the team better.

    I’d like to see Julian as primary Spy on JDL in Nickle and dime with

    Austin – CB1
    Wright – CB2
    Oladapo – SS
    Grant – FS
    Jones (dime)

      • I have him in there as the primary DB. I think Julian is the key to the game plan and should be used as the spy / rover in the box on JDL and in run support. Roberts and Speights don’t have as much sideline to sideline speed and that will be crucial.

    • I wonder if any other P5 schools have 2 former walk-ons as their starting safeties. I could be wrong that they were walk-ons but both were what 2 stars? And both in state guys. Pretty amazing how much they’ve improved and aren’t just playing because they are the best of the worst options.

      • From what I can tell our staff is very good at evaluating. We offer guys very early (often their first P5) and its not weird for their ratings to go waaaayyyy up before they commit.

  8. 2
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    Two comments: Loved to see fans run out of the field Saturday night but hated that our players were out there too possibly getting exposed to covid. Also, why are we not in the top 25 ?

    • Nation and pollsters want to see one more good road win to not set up the Beavs for a 1 and done Top 25 entrance. As long as they beat Wazzu they will enter the Top 25 and be ranked for Utah when we meet them at home on Oct 23 after they bye. Up to the team now to beat the Cougs and make the country and pollsters take notice. I am thinking a 23 ranking if we beat Wazzu.

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      From what someone said on Twitter, everyone entering had to show they were vaccinated. Can anyone confirm this? Else, yeah, if fans mingling with players results in a forfeit I’m going to be pissed.

      • 11
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        vaccinated doesn’t mean you’re immune to Covid. You can still get and spread Covid while vaccinated. So honestly, the people who opted with the negative testing 3 days prior to the game to get in are the ones who won’t be spreading Covid; it would be a person vaccinated who doesn’t show much if any symptoms, but may still have Covid.

      • Or had a negative test within the last 72 hours. Someone could have been tested on Thursday and been negative but then still have been positive come Saturday so it’s possible. I had to show my card and ID to match it.

      • 2
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        All the students are vaccinated since OSU made the vaccine mandatory for all in person class attendance which includes the athletes. So that shouldn’t be a huge deal.

        Didn’t see many adults going onto the field. 95 percent were students.

        • Daughter of a freind of mine attends Boise State. She came home this past weekend with covid. She is vaccinated also.

        • 5
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          The chance of outdoor spread is extremely low. So is the chance of getting Covid with just brief contact with someone who is shedding and blowing the Covid. Combine those two things and the team will be fine.

    • Love clicking through the games on Saturday and coming upon a Big 10 or SEC game in the midwest or south – 100K+ stadiums filled with screaming fans and not a mask in site. The ‘vid seems to be primarily an west coast and east coast phenomenon.

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    I suppose at the end of the day, a dumpster fire win is better than the dumpster fire losses of the Gary Andersen years.

    I thought Lindgren left his QB out to dry by not remaining true to the running game early- that’s where you need to set a damn tone. I think that Nolan may be smart enough to change things up at the LOS.

    Or maybe that’s just me.

    Defense is keeping us in games and I think even the Anti- Tibs people can admit that despite how we get torched through the air our run defense is better than it’s been in a while and making a team one dimensional usually wins the game. I hope we have a good plan for this game.

    Either way I’m only mildly grumpy, but Nolan needs to get back to 70% of his passes for 175 yds and 2 of so TD’s with running game at 225+ yds and 2 or so td’s to make things comfortable for the defense.

    • Aside from that 44 yard score on the first drive, Morris only passed for 98 yards. OSU made Washington one dimensional last game.

    • Dumpster fire win? Really, as I predicted it would be a defensive game and that turned out to be the case. It might not have been the prettiest of games but it certainly wasn’t ugly IMO.

      • I suppose there’s something about defensive battles that make me question if it’s the defensive being amazing or if it’s offense shitting the bed. In this case I hope this isn’t a precursor to defenses figuring out Nolan and turning him into a non-factor. I could just be a pessimist due to previous seasons

        Either way, I’m enjoying this season even if I’m grumpy about one game I’m excited for the next.

    • OSU was one dimensional because they didn’t execute. Some of it was on Nolan for not being accurate on a few throws and some was on a few drops. When you are only throwing 15-20 passes in a game it doesn’t take many screw ups to show up poorly in the box score.

  10. Did anyone else notice Tongue absolutely blow up two Washington blockers on the kickoff return? I think it was after we kick the FG to make to make it 17-10. He is very passionate about hitting people. Unfortunately, I didn’t record the game.

  11. Trying to find tickets and hotels for my wife and I and out 2 year old son. Anyone have tips on hotels? Or tickets for that matter.

    The beavs website is showing only a couple areas left to get tickets, and hotels look booked also? Good sign hopefully for the game, bad sign to join the party though

          • You are correct. I did a horrible job of asking that question. The Utah game in Corvallis 23rd. Looks like hotels are the biggest issue, with 2 night minimum. $550 is the cheapest I can find thats a decent hotel

          • That issue should be mentioned to the Sara gal who has been pushing tickets. That’s ridiculous for a hotel. No idea if Albany would be any better or if that would be a solution. Maybe a VRBO for the weekend?

          • Yeah, don’t spend $550 lol

            My suggestion is either Airbnb, or look at staying in Salem, Independence, or Monmouth for a night. Parking relatively close to the stadium may be a struggle but I’ve had luck near 30th and Harrison

          • Oh yeah, hotel situation in Corvallis isnt good. I ran into the same issue fpr the Hawaii game. Several of the decent options require a 2 night minimum stay on game weekends. Depending on the direction youre coming from, Eugene or Albany/Salem may have something. I habe no idea if oregon plays that weekend too?

          • Oh, and a game with a 2 year old sounds like a recipe for disappointment, I’m sorry to say. You’ll spend more time trying to entertain your kid and miss most of the game. At least that’s been my experience

          • Very good advise. Something we were really debating. Low enough cost we wanted to make it down for one game this year. We’re in sw Washington and scooting him both ways in a day is a bit too much

          • Yeahhhhh. I’ve done two games with kids under 6 and I think we had a combined 18 minutes of clock.

            I may go to a game next year with my oldest (5).

          • The only advice I can give you is take turns entertaining the kid and get concessions at regular intervals to help pass the time.

            My 3 year-old lasted through the 3rd quarter of a HS game we went to recently, so it’s not impossible to see most of it. I’m sure the OSU games have more kid distractions than a HS game, too.

          • Stubhub is always a good option for tix. Many times you’ll find better seats for cheaper than the school is selling them.
            Room situation is terrible as others have mentioned. I’d just start increasing your radius towards your home until you find something in your budget. It’s not bad to drive up to Albany after the game. Grab some dinner at an uncrowded restaurant (or grab an Abby’s pizza and take it back to tour room) and get a good nights sleep before heading home the next morning.
            I’ve even driven up to Salem to accomplish exactly what you’re doing.

    • Good ‘effing luck. I have done Dad’s Weekend in Pullman and was lucky to stay with the kid in the fraternity house…you may have to stay in Spokane and commute down and maybe as far away as Walla Walla or down the hill in Lewiston. Finding someplace to stay at any event in Pullman is difficult to say the least.

  12. Beavs win if they can run ball, limit TOs, and hold WSU to <30 points. Nolan should play better. Red zone defense is critical. WSU should move ball quite easily but I like our matchup in the red zone. 38-27 Beavs

  13. Tibs needs to address the wildcat this week in practice and get the team ready to defend it. I could definitely see the cougs using borghi in that formation after how they were exploited by it against Washington.

    Defending de Laura will be key to the defense’s success in this game. They’ll need to find a way to pressure him without allowing him to scramble. I think Rolovic has been the team’s worst enemy with playcalling and personnel situations. This team can be dangerous offensively if Rolovic gets out of his own way. They can’t be taken lightly as I could see de laura, Borghi, and Jackson presenting big problems for our D. Tibs will have his hands full in this game. He’ll need to do a good job of confusing de Laura with zone blitzes and coverages. They need to get him to the ground when they get to him which the Beavs have struggled with at times.

      • FWIW I “deleted” it rather than “suspended” it, years ago. I’m sure they didn’t retain my info….

        Drew Magery has a new piece up about new sunglasses that play music. AND take pics, and all the creepy uses they’ll get. And, photos link to FB page…

        Keep your legs crossed gentlemen…

      • This is the only reason I haven’t deleted it. HS friends. But, I’m not sure I even like those people. It’s more to just stay in the loop. Need to look in the mirror and figure out if it’s worth it.

        • Dump it angry. I spent years not having it and was finally convinced to give it a try. 6 months later I got out and that was 8 years ago. It was a huge waste of my time.

        • It’s not. Deleted it 5 years ago when I realized the only old friends I actually care about are the ones I still text with.

    • 7
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      I’ve never had one, and never will. People ask me how I stay in touch with friends form over the years. Easy answer, if I want to hear from you you’ll have my number.

    • 10

      Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Reddit, MySpace… every second spent on those platforms is a second not reading a book or working on a cool home improvement project.

      • 2
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        I have no problem with people not liking Facebook, I just think it’s silly that they get triggered and pissed by what is posted. I mean, you control your friends list. Don’t like someone? Unfriend them. Pretty simple to keep your feed a very positive and encouraging environment.
        But I also understand that some people are just anti-social in general. For them, a social environment isn’t comfortable so of course FB isn’t in their best interest.
        In the end, if you only have people that you love and respect as your FB friends, and who only post positive ideas, or even simple humor that makes you laugh, then it’s a pretty cool addition to your life isn’t it?
        But I also agree that reading a book occasionally is rarely a bad thing.

        • That’s how I use it. Maybe 5 minutes per day. But they still monetize me and my data. I’m not sure that’s cool in light of things.

    • I got rid of mine years ago when I realized that I started thinking differently about people that I loved.
      I miss the connections to my family in Italy but I try to keep up in other ways.

    • He still has visits to take, and at one point Michigan was a dream offer for him. They are on his future visit list, so I think it will come dow to whether or not they have room for him

      • Impressive every player has graduated since smith arrived. Sounds like he wanted to commit but Smith always wants recruits to take visits and only commit when they are done with those. That was a perfect weekend with nice fall weather and an exciting crowd for recruits.

    • Awesome. Idk if it’s Covid year or what but that feels like a big and early pickup for us. That guy will end up being a high 3 star by signing day.

      Melvin Jordan was our first pickup and f the 2022 class and that was in April. Picking up a comparably rated player 6 months earlier feels like a recruiting step change. Even more so if he isn’t related to someone involved in org the program.

  14. UW blog the sky is falling reaction –

    “Upon his hiring, Jimmy Lake’s most exciting quality was his youthful energy and supposed desire to aggressively pursue UW’s loftiest goals. We had taken this to mean an earnest pursuit of big time coordinators and assistants, star recruits, and an edge to the team. However, since his hiring, we have been largely underwhelmed by internal promotions, unimpressive recruiting, and an uncertain program identity that is struggling to retain remnants of the Petersen era culture and develop its own unique identity under Lake.

    Smith, on the other hand, moved quietly to assemble his staff and rebuild the program from the ground up. His staff was filled out with relatively anonymous names, but they were coaches who had an understanding of the challenges that OSU faced and the winning blueprint. All of his assistant HCs and coordinators are either from or went to school in the Pacific Northwest, their coaching experiences were at programs with a strong developmental culture (Wisconsin, Nebraska, Montana), and they share the roles and responsibilities to create a more collaborative environment (pass game coordinator, run game coordinator, and an OC). Smith had to rebuild from scratch, but he had a vision and was given a clean canvas to project his vision onto.”

  15. I saw that article. It’s funny because it talks about how Smith wasn’t liked as a coordinator and lake was. Then goes on to show how both hires have turned out. It’s also kind of validating.

      • The fan base basically blamed Niner for their offense. Hindsight being 20/20, they realize he was making lemonade out of lemons and their offense has been relatively garbage everywhere since he has left. At one point, Niner was the only coach to only get a 1-year extension, while everyone else got 2-year deals. This was a very public gesture that was embarrassing for him. The fan base wanted him fired. It is actually quite refreshing to see their message boards now, as they admit how wrong they were about him.

        Jake Browning and others have been on the record about despite all the outside noise, Niner had the team’s back and always took the blame himself. Even when the team wasn’t executing or performing as they should have been.

        Like any good leader, Niner didn’t make excuses and just focused on building the best product he could.

    • The fan base basically blamed Niner for their offense. Hindsight being 20/20, they realize he was making lemonade out of lemons and their offense has been relatively garbage everywhere since he has left. At one point, Niner was the only coach to only get a 1-year extension, while everyone else got 2-year deals. This was a very public gesture that was embarrassing for him. The fan base wanted him fired. It is actually quite refreshing to see their message boards now, as they admit how wrong they were about him.

      Jake Browning and others have been on the record about despite all the outside noise, Niner had the team’s back and always took the blame himself. Even when the team wasn’t executing or performing as they should have been.

      Like any good leader, Niner didn’t make excuses and just focused on building the best product he could.

    • This week’s games are up!

      Just noticed i had a nice little comeback week, tied for 1st in week 5. I ain’t done yet…..I ain’t done yet….

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    This is the first week I took the Beav’s opponent in the CBS pool. I think the Beavs could win, but I don’t think it will be a +3.5 win. Should be a pick ’em game IMO. We’re good, but this game has a weird feeling, and I’m not sure we match up great vs their QB.

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      There should be no shortage of motivation for the Beavs this game. We’ve lost 7 straight to the Cougs, and I don’t think the OSU staff likes Rolovich very much.

      My prediction is 38-24 OSU, but I’m hoping for something like 66-0

      • It really is a weird one. All my beaver instincts say we lose cause we have had success and were due to get spanked and feel despair. Logic says its not a close game. I think I will make my predictions based on the coaching staff. I think WSU has a pretty bad coaching staff and I don’t see that team being all that resilient. Our coaching staff is nothing but resilience sometimes.

        • I don’t know how bad Wazzu’s staff is, but bad coaching staffs sometimes pull flukes and win games they shouldn’t.

          This looks like a good Wazzu team defense. I’d be surprise if they don’t come ready to play on Saturday.

          • Even that blind ass, cheer leader molesting, big boy pant wearing, Rudolph the red nosed beav coach managed a fluke win vs the ducks, so yeah, bad coaches can get lucky…don’t overlook any opponent.

        • The MOST important question for the entire NW right now is whether Rolovich takes ‘the shot’ or not. I’m not kidding, this is all the press will focus on at the moment – wondering if he will be terminated on October 18th. Football appears to be a secondary concern in Pullman which may work to the Beavs advantage.

    • I thought we played well against the running QB style so far this year. WSU is not good. Beating an always inconsistent Cal team does not make them a good team. I think our offense gets the passing game back on track this week and the running game keeps rolling. 38-24 good guys.

  17. 8
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    Got my second shot today. I was hoping to be able to do calculus in my head after the firmware update, but I’m still only able to do algebra. Pretty lame!

  18. I keep hearing it get brought up that oregon is dealing with significant defensive injuries currently, which is partially the excuse for their recent loss.
    Correct me if I’m wrong, but hasnt OSU been without 4 of their projected defensive starters all year? (Gumbs, McCarten, Hodgins, Elijah Jones) Playing well despite missing 4 of your staters seems significant, no?

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    The key to the game is Nolan. Which one shows up?

    Vs USC or vs UW? It does feel like he’ll make a turnover or two regardless. Avg 2 in the last two games. He needs the play calling to help him out, make wsu defend sideline to sideline to open up passing lanes.

    Good Nolan, helps keep the ball with the offense and keep the defense from getting tired or exposed.

    Bad Nolan, might turn into a slugfest where he’ll have to win the game with his arm.

    I don’t think the team will be lacking any motivation. The only danger is becoming over confident. Helps that wsu won last week. So beavs won’t look down on them.

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        I agree. I also don’t think he was all that bad against Washington. By my count there was 5 dropped receptions that definitely should have been catches. Nolan only threw 15 times. If those are catches he has 12/15.

        The fumble was awful. The interception was also a bad reaction to contact. Both are things he will learn from.

    • “He needs the play calling to help him out, make wsu defend sideline to sideline to open up passing lanes. “
      That’s the real key, work the edges with sweeps and power runs, keep the rush/pass ratio around 60/40, maybe 65/35.

      • We’ve been at 70%+ run the last 2 games. Why stop now? Keep pounding the ball til they stack the box, then start running a full back and pound it more. We’ve shown we can punish defenses this way. Eventually they will create a mismatch in the secondary by them trying to stop the run at all costs and we can exploit that over the top.

          • Yeah. RUTM works very well because there are so many types of run plays that can be called, but it’s very important to attack the edges and the perimeter to remove the safeties out of the box.

            WR screens do this, as well. We have the personnel to do it lol

          • Seemed like there was opportunity for him to have scrambled more vs Washington. I’m sure he’s being told to pass first and scramble as a last resort but I think there were some times where he could’ve done some damage with his legs. Also, doesn’t seem like we move him out of the pocket on passing plays…usually straight drop backs. He’s a legitimate run threat, would be nice to see us create a little more doubt on the defensive if they had to prepare for more rollouts and account for that mobility. But offense has been scoring and moving the ball so guess it’s best if I continue to sit in my chair and let the professionals do their thing.

          • They were all over him on the roll out/play action plays (that’s when the fumble happened). They needed more sideline to sideline plays to ease the pressure off of him. I’d also like to see some quick outs to WR, especially when the backfield is empty and the defense knows it’s going to be a pass play and there is zero protection help.

    • WSU is not USC or Washington. USC and Washington are down compared to their past and still tougher teams than WSU. I was surprised at the over the top reaction to many fans after the USC game but even more surprised after the win against UW that everyone thinks the sky is falling. I don’t think Nolan was horrible against UW. He wasn’t sharp but when you only throw 15 times a few drops tanks your accuracy percentages. I hope the team isn’t over-confident but we as fans don’t impact the outcome of the game by expecting the Beavs to win when they should win. I know as Beaver Fans we have been conditioned to expect the shoe to drop at any moment but c’mon enjoy the ride.

      I think the bigger fear for us all should be the world coming to an end after a year where OSU Basketball makes the elite eight and the football team is legit and beats USC in LA and the Huskies in the same year.

  20. Isn’t WSu generally quick ut undersized on the d-line? No way WSU has 2 monsters like UW to slow down inside runs. I think this is the simple key to the game: WSU is forced to be overly aggressive to compensate for the lack of size, Beavs will have their way running all day and exploisve plays breaking through to the second level will deflate the first quarter hype for the home team.

    Beavs have face a variety of primarily passing offenses through 5 games. De Lauria may be the best runner of the bunch at qb, but I expect the D to key on Borghi and bring pressure to slow down the passing attack.

    WSU is a classic front-runner program and cannot even handle a little success, Beavers resilience exhibited at its finest as WSU jumps out early but Beavs steamroll through the 2nd half. Beavs 42-24

    • I tend to agree. I think WSU offense works best when they can use tons of routes to dink and dunk and then maybe get someone wide open on a big route. If the running games gets them in the midnset that they have to score quick it puts a ton of pressure on some QBs that have histories of making costly turnovers. De Laura is definitely their better QB in terms of turnovers but he still runs about 2:1 td to int.

    • I hope I’m wrong, but I see this as a close game won by turn-overs. Our D have been turnover machines over the last stretch of games. WSU will air it out and score quickly, Beavs will run the ball and milk the clock.
      Wouldn’t be suprised to see OSU have the signficantly higher Time of Possession at the end of the game. No TO’s, it’ll be within a FG. A couple of TO’s where the offense can capitalize, I am guessin it would be a 2-3 TD game.

  21. Rolovich has had Smith’s number the last 2 seasons (Hawaii amd WSU)
    That and the fact DeLaura is back are the only things that give me pause. But I do think Smith and OSU are going to prepared and want to go into the Bye week with a 5th consecutive win under their belt(which I really didnt think was possible this season)

    • After the gut check against washington I think this team will be very focused against WSU and Utah. My big worry is the week after they secure a winning season.

    • I remember that recruiting debacle in 2019 (?) with Rolovich when he was at Hawaii. I don’t think he holds Smith and his crew in high regard. This is a game Wazzu is motivated to win.

      Beaver Nation shouldn’t think that they can waltz into Pullman and come away with an easy win.

  22. So Moorehead at Oregon had some sort of surgery sat morning before the game. Sounds like he’s still in the bay area at a hospital. Anybody hear what it was?

  23. Saw on Twitter that OSU vs WSU is a game of importance for the Game Day crew. Potential to come to Corvallis on the 23rd and I assume that would be dependent on a win this week. That would be insane.

    • We only have two ranked opponents left and they’re our last two games. Seems a little far off, if it’s possible at all.

      Most likely scenario seems like a Civil War that’s played to decide the North.

      • The 23rd was the date thrown out by one of the Game Day crew. If utah gets a few more wins and the Beavs take care of business on Saturday it could be an interesting matchup for sure. Plus, if there aren’t too many higher ranked matches that week i could see it being an option for them.

    • It could be in the running… They have not come west at all this year. They haven’t gone west of the Rockies in the regular season since 2018.

      In all the locations they have chosen, it’s been ranked vs ranked. As of right now, there aren’t any ranked vs ranked that week unless a couple teams win in both weeks. If beavs win, they’d be near or in the top 25 for sure since they have the bye. Utah would likely not be ranked even with 2 wins.

    • The only other two games I could see that might impact Game Day going to Corvallis is USC @ ND or Oregon @ UCLA.

      This week:
      Oregon BYE (BYE wins)
      Utah @ USC (Toss up)
      UCLA @ Arizona (UCLA moves to 4-2(2-1) )
      Washington BYE
      OSU @ WSU (Beavs move to 5-1(3-0) or 4-2(2-1) to be tied with Oregon after the BYE week with a loss to WSU)

      Next week:
      CAL @ Oregon (Oregon moves to 5-1(2-1))
      ASU @ Utah in a night game (I have Utah winning this game going to 4-2(3-0) or 3-3(2-1) )
      USC BYE
      UCLA @ Washington (UCLA 5-2(3-1) or 4-3(2-2))

  24. OT: so urban meyer’s credibility shot w/team, who, after he tried to explain himself, allegedly burst out laughing after he left the room. If that wasn’t enough, he canceled regular Monday team meeting as he tried to deal with the fallout.

    I can’t bring myself to watch a video if the tacky incident, but the repercussions for him are kinda funny. Unless your his wife and/or family…

    • 8
      5

      Scene 1: The grind.
      Scene 2: The oil check.

      Hey…the last Prez was Ok with grabbing by the pussy, why not Urban?

      And before you Trumplicans get all your downvotes warmed up…I’m on record that this shit isn’t acceptable whether it’s the Pope, Obama, Clinton, Reagan, or my Dad.

      Urban—the myth, the man, the legend.

          • Urban Meyer is married with three kids, and claims to be Catholic. Sorry, if you have those commitments in your life and get a lap dance at a bar, you’re a fraud.

            Businesses don’t hire frauds.

          • 8
            1

            Sure, morally wrong and i’m not defending him, but that wont get most people fired from their jobs. Lots of dirtbags out there who do just find carrer wise

          • Sure they do, all the time.

            Its his poor judgement that should be the issue, and you can skip the whole issue of whether of whether or not its immoral or somehow disingenuous given his faith and family. His team lost its fourth straight game. He should have returned with them, went back to work the next day, and never put himself in that position (tee hee).

            I don’t think its productive to open the door on morality when you’re talking about the NFL (drugs – PEDs, recreational, pain killers, parties, exploitation of women – cheerleaders, Robert Kraft getting handjobs at strip mall massage parlors, league knowing and attempting to marginalize the likely health impacts of concussions, etc). It’s a business that makes money because people will watch and ads and naming rights can be sold. I don’t like Urban Meyer, but he should bring up the Robert Kraft example and call out the double standard in play right now before he loses his job. Which I hope he does.

  25. WSU coach Rolovich had to comply w/Inslee mandate yesterday I think. Wonder if that will be a distraction this week or finally become a non-issue.

      • The problem is there are no medical exemptions or religious exemptions being accepted by the State of WA’ period. It has been insane and I have never seen anything like this in my lifetime. There was a WA State Patrol exec that had a bout with cancer and his doctor wrote an exemption for him saying that to take the shot would literally kill him; the guy was terminated. As a taxpayer, I can see millions being paid out on unjustifiable discharge claims in the coming months-years.

  26. It occurred to me that with the game Jaxson Dart of USC had against WSU, its possible that a reset Nolan could have an effective day with both his own mobility and ability to throw the ball.

    I don’t expect this game to be necessarily easy, but I think there’s a good chance OSU wins and is in control for much of the game with effective running and a return-to-form of efficient throwing (20 attempts or less). And I get that its about matchups, and OSU has matched up poorly with WSU these past several years (particulary with young mobile QBs) but OSU has a mobile QB that can throw well too for 3/4 games so far.

    Also, saw a note from a Spokesman Review article that mentioned WSU “has a good D,” but the problem is “the inconsistent O.” I hadn’t seen where they’d been a good defensive team this year? Is their D considered better than their O?

    Saturday is likely to be pretty nice for outdoor activity, so I’ll likely miss the game and catch up on the highlights and the game thread.

      • From Beaversedge:

        “ The Cougar defense enters the week tied for second in the Pac-12 and No. 12 in the country with 11 takeaways while the 30 tackles for loss are fourth-most in the league.

        WSU enters the week leading the Pac-12 with six fumble recoveries, seventh-most in the country.”

        • If they got most of those takeaways vs Pac12 teams it’s a concern. If it was non league vs little sisters of the poor not so much.

          • Curious so I looked it up

            Turnovers forced by Wazzu: USC-3, Utah-3, Cal-1, Utah State-2.

            I wish Wazzu was still playing the Tennessee transfer at qb…

          • So it’s a concern.

            6 fumbles (seems kinda flukish). Having that many fumbles/recoveries makes you wonder if they’re trying harder to strip the ball than wrap up and tackle. Great if it works, not so great otherwise.

            Leaves 5 INTs.

          • On cals TD where he broke like 6 tackles they were trying to strip the ball pretty hard. Just everyone needs to be very aware and extra careful.

          • Had seen the fumbles and int by Wazzu. Their offense has made up for those, so they’re net 0. The three TOs vs USC were via Jaxson Dart. @Utah, the Utes played one of the sloppiest games I’ve seen in a while and fumbled 7 times officially that game. There’s a threat there, but it seems muteable. Wazzus defensive ypc and ypa are average for the conference. They are something like 96th in defensive scrimmage plays over 10 yards though.

  27. 42-24 Beavs

    Offense: 250 yds pass, 220 yds rush, no sacks
    Defense: Under 100 rushing, 3 sacks, 2 turnovers
    Overall: Beavers come in and do the work. Don’t play down to the opponent.

  28. Nice to see Baylor atop the PAC. Fenwick, now with 35 carries, up to 5.5 YPC @ #19. Nolan sneaks into the top 25 @ #24.

    https://www.espn.com/college-football/stats/player/_/stat/rushing/group/9

    I saw that Oregon’s Verdell had a “significant leg injury.” Too bad for him, that guy was quick and fast. I don’t like seeing players get injured, but it seems like the reverse Luck o’ Da Beavers continues this year.

    You have to go down to the #22 player on the list to see a RB who isn’t over 4 YPC. Says a lot about today’s game.

    • What I like is the questions aren’t softball questions. They’re solid questions about him, the RB’s and how Fenwick is doing in practice and in the games. How many years have we griped about the different news outlets not asking good questions?

      With that said, I like his honesty. Being honest and true to himself. This team feels different, acts different, talks different, and is different. All for the better. We are building something and We ain’t done yet.

  29. What’s Anthony Gould’s story? I think I saw he was from Kansas originally? How did he wind up in Oregon?
    He’s well spoken (intellectual intelligence) and fast…maybe should be playing more. Someone needs to take all of Champ’s reps.

  30. Nuc per your question earlier:
    Shippen has 20 snaps this year. Reichner has 0. Sandberg has far and away been the most used.

    Sandberg 225
    Schad 136
    Rawls 129 (top rated “starter)
    Anderson 102
    Lolohea 60 (top rated overall)
    Skelton 55
    Sio 50
    Shippen 20

    • Do you have a Dline snap count for week 5? Or weeks 4-5?

      Schad missed a game and probably got worked in gradually when he came back- wouldn’t surprise me if he and Sandberg are getting similar reps now and moving foward.

      • The most interesting part of this breakout is the two big dt that we have been the most concerned with are combined only playing about 35% of the overall snaps. Or 1.75 games total so far. Seems the dends have really stepped up and defense overall to not be in a 3-4 very often

  31. Interesting PFF notes:
    -Nolan is now the top rated passer in the P12 (Daniels moved into the top QB overall due to his running ability). Nolan is the #6 rated passer and didn’t really drop much after UW. PFF must be taking the stance that he didn’t get much help from his receivers.
    -Baylor is the #2 RB in the P12 behind Charbonnet, but his scores in everything other than running (receiving, blocking) are horrible.
    -Lowe actually has more snaps than Fenwick, which surprises me (Baylor still has 2x what Lowe has).
    -Top rated OSU receivers:

    Lindsey
    Bradford
    Gould
    Tongue
    Harrison
    Champ
    Beason

  32. I’m not sure how Gould isn’t a full-time starter at this point. He’s had pretty minimal opportunities but he’s been perfect whenever he’s had a shot. It was very strange how he went right back to the bench after his huge breakout vs Hawaii. And then the next thing we saw from him he gave us a critical spark to beat UW. From what I’ve seen so far in a standard 3 WR set I’d go Gould, Harrison, Lindsay/Bradford.

    Lindsay has the most upside but also the most downside (drops, mental mistakes, soft play). He could probably use a sports psychologist lol. Want to see him get more consistent and more aggressive.

      • I wouldn’t call any of the wr disappointments yet, their production has been a product of circumstance.

        It would be nice to see one wr take over as the lead.

        • It isn’t just lack of production with him- he’s had drops, has looked tentative and uncertain, and has seemed to be making mental mistakes. And again, I had really high expectations. Thought he played great last year especially for a true freshman and he was the star of spring ball. Nuc is right – there’s a lot of football left and he could turn it around.

          But so far he’s had lots of chances and has done absolutely nothing with them. He’s like the opposite of Gould, who’s had very few chances and always looks like our best WR.

  33. 2
    1

    So now that we have a better idea of what we have on the team there’s some really interesting holes to fill next year with graduation.

    Top of the pile is Nous sand Eldridge on the OLine. 2 open spots on the line is a big deal for the guys looking for playing time but also those are some very experienced holes to fill. Normally I would be worried but it’s likely that the players that get the start have 2-4 years in the system already.

    Next on the impact list is AHM. He’s our most productive pass rusher the last two years and a leader on the defense. On the bright side EDGE is our most loaded position.

    Bradford graduates this year and looks like he might be our leading receiver at the end of the year. They said it’s by far our most loaded position so I expect to see a pretty big push by guys to fill that role. Tongue, Dunmore and Gould would be my top guys at this point.

    Jones is a senior in the secondary but has not redshirted. If I was him I would ask Smith if he could redshirt and come in next year healthy for a big push to get in the NFL. My other worry at that position is Wright going early. His brother did it and arguably RW is having a better year than NW.

    Sam Noyer will be heading out of the qb room but with Gebbia, Gulbranson, Vidlak and the incoming Thockmorton I’m not very concerned about finding a quality backup. I would also not be very surprised if Gebbia looks to transfer out with Nolan locking in the starting job and some hungry talented guys coming up behind him.

    Guys who may leave early: Avery Roberts, Kipper, Wright and BJ Baylor. We have the talent waiting in the wings to step up for both of these guys. I wouldn’t really consider Roberts to be replaceable though. He should have a nice career in the NFL. Wright is our best corner but we also have some good depth of injuries can get cleaned up. Baylor is a great player but I feel good about Lowe and Fenwick. We also have Newell, Collins and the incoming Martinez who all look to have impressive potential.

    Experienced Transfers: There’s a few guys I could see transferring for playing time. Gebbia, Flemings, Irish and Fisher are the ones I’d watch out for. They are all probably kinda lost on the depth chart. Irish would be the one I really want to stay. He’s got potential but just can’t seem to make it on the field much.

    At the end of the day we are going to be returning a very strong and experienced team in 2022.

    • I’m curious who steps in at center. We have good alternates waiting in the wings in Brewer and Fuaga, but it seems like they might move Levengood to center because of his experience. Coach M said he liked the group’s versatility, so shuffling spots shouldn’t be much of an issue.

      • Ya they have Miller a former walk on as 2nd on the depth chart but I would think they would shuffle the line before starting him.

    • I’d be surprised to see Baylor go early with only one year of substantial playing time under his belt. It would really depend on how the rest of year plays out and what his performance looks like on the field now that Fenwick is getting more snaps.

      • If a RB has a good year and their
        Draft stock goes up they should leave. It’s one of the highest injury and low cost positions in the NFL. If he can get money he should cause a mediocre follow up year could mean nothing. RB is never a weak class in the draft. Always tons of talent that you can pick up in late rounds or free agency.

        • I think I generally agree with that. RB is the most intuitive position in the NFL, and talent generally makes the transition pretty quickly. And as you mentioned, it’s the most brutal position in football with the most injuries and the shortest average career length.

          The only caveat I’ll add: make sure you’re a grade-A pass protector before you go pro. Otherwise take that last college year and work on that skill set. If you’re not a dominant pass protector at the college level, your odds of making it on the field vs NFL defenders are pretty slim. And you may not get a lot of chances to learn on the run. The team is counting on you to protect their most valuable investment (QB).

          At every other position though, the old wisdom still applies. If you’re not broadly considered a first round pick, don’t leave early. You need to work on your craft with the “free” reps you have available, and being drafted higher will get you way more money, guaranteed money and opportunities to succeed (practice and game reps). Plus

  34. Pretty sure Tanner Miller has taken snaps at C in games this season, seems he’d need added lbs to play full time C.
    I like Brewer, he’s been at both T and G as I remember.
    Has Fuaga taken any game snaps?
    I’m comfortable that Coach M has a plan…….or two.

    EDIT: meant in response to Beav in OH above

  35. Ducks top misery index on USAToday.

    “In the immediate aftermath of Oregon’s ghastly face-plant against Stanford on Saturday, losing a 31-24 overtime game that the Ducks seemingly had wrapped up, it was unclear which party had the right to be angriest.

    Perhaps it was Oregon fans with the referees, who ejected star defensive lineman Kayvon Thibodeaux for targeting and called three penalties on the Ducks to help Stanford mount a game-tying drive in the final two minutes.

    Or maybe it was the Pac-12 office, which saw its best chance to put a team in the College Football Playoff for the first time since 2016 go up in smoke. Then again, maybe the most aggrieved should be all the suckers who didn’t see this coming given that Mario Cristobal’s Ducks have had a habit of vomiting away winnable games, including in 2019 when they were on track for the Playoff and lost in late November to a mediocre Arizona State team.

    But no matter who you’re mad at, the bottom line is that Oregon couldn’t close the deal despite numerous opportunities to do so and won’t reach the next level as a program until it ends this habit of losing at least one game a year to inferior teams.”

    https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/columnist/dan-wolken/2021/10/03/oregon-ducks-lose-hurt-college-football-playoff-hopes-misery-index/5979270001/

    Ahhhh. One more time?

    “….the most aggrieved should be all the suckers who didn’t see this coming given that Mario Cristobal’s Ducks have had a habit of vomiting away winnable games…”

    Thank you.

  36. Pac-12 Network showed a 2 hour replay of the UW game tonight. Then followed that up with “Football in 60” of the UW game immediately after. I wonder what they were thinking?

  37. 15
    2

    Good day. One of my songs got accepted as the soundtrack for an upcoming video on a popular YouTube channel that I love. Stoked! Here come the negative people who hate their lives to thumb me down.

  38. Because I’ve been posting PFF data here: I came across the explanation of their grades and thought it would be helpful for anyone interested in them. More and more, I prefer them to raw stats because they take situations into account (e.g. a QB could have a 0% completion percentage if WR’s drop every pass, but that’s not the QB’s fault).

    https://www.pff.com/grades

    • Can you post our WR PFF grades? I’ve seen a lot of conflicting information. I think maybe it’s related to snap count thresholds? We’ve mixed and matched so much at WR (and run low-WR formations) such that no one on the team meets the normal thresholds.

      • Here it is listed in descending snap count order.

        OSU WR’s (snap count/rating)
        Beason (187/58.5)- pretty much just average
        Bradford (167/72.8)- good receiving, below average blocking
        Champ (105/60.6)- pretty much just average
        Lindsey (72/79.7)- great receiving, average blocking/running
        Gould (71/76.1)- good receiving, average blocking/running
        Harrison (69/76.8)-good receiving and running, average blocking
        Tongue (44/65.1)- good receiving, bad blocking

        Bear in mind above average grades are earned based on that individual’s performance vs. expected on each play. So a guy that takes a fly sweep around the end and runs in the space he’s given is average. A guy who makes people miss or breaks tackles is above average. How they calculate the overall grade is still sort of a mystery, but there’s at least an impact of weighting how often an activity is performed (so “receiving” matters more for WR’s than blocking because they have more “receiving” snaps than blocking snaps). I don’t believe special teams play is factored in (see Tongue).

        • Another interesting note: Tongue has 36 blocking snaps and only 8 receiving snaps. Champ and Beason also do more blocking than receiving, but only by a thin margin.

          • Whenever I see Tongue in there, especially when he motions towards the line, I’m thinking it’s going to be a run. I hope we see Lindgren use this against the defense and play action out of it at some point. My prediction is the last few games of the season we see Tongue and Dunmore make some plays because the defense isn’t expecting it.

          • That’s what I’m hoping for. The back end of the schedule, athletic, big receivers on which the other team doesn’t have any real film.

            Going to be fun seeing Tongue blow up some duckies….

        • How the hell many analysts does PFF have? Amazing how they can grade every single play of every player, and so quickly. Seems like you’re posting the grades for the previous game either next day or day after.

          • I saw a job description on their site one time for their entry-level (part-time) analyst position and they basically work all day Saturday and Sunday doing data entry while watching games. I think I would come to hate watching football if I had to spend that much time doing football-related data entry.

            There’s a huge pool of potential cheap hires in the sports world…PFF probably exploits that the way pro teams do for their interns.

          • Says 600 in their write up but not all of them are ‘senior’. Sounds to me like they have a bunch of people doing the grunt work and they probably flag any question marks. The senior guys make final decisions.

  39. Looks like oregon’s starting RB Verdell is done for the season after getting injured at Stanford.
    Not sure who their 3rd stringer is after Dye, but that’s a big hit to their offense, considering their passing game has been pretty sketchy.

    • I have to eat a little crow with Barnes. Overall, the sports are doing quite well. Maybe Tinkle caught lightning a bottle last year, we will see. But the rest of the sports are competitive year in and year out. Baseball might be down from Casey standards, the verdict is still out. Unless I’m forgetting something (F. King wasn’t a Barnes error), glad we aren’t embarrassing ourselves with coaching scandals.

      • 1
        1

        I thought the comment about looking for someone who was keen to use the transfer portal was interesting. That would have been right at its onset. It’s good to know Barnes is forward-looking in that way.

  40. Sounds like Sio has an ankle injury and is on crutches, but Smith didnt make it sound too serious and he could still possibly play this weekend.
    Seems like it might make sense to rest him if possible, with the bye week coming

      • I have watched part of every game. In offense they look really undisciplined. On defense they look exhausted by the third quarter. I don’t really know why the D looks so gassed cause their time of possession is actually pretty good. Maybe low rotation?

        I expect some good attacking offense and a high pressure defense in the first half. I expect them to get tired in the second half after getting beaten up by our OLine.

      • 3
        1

        I’ve watched three of their games (Utah State, Utah, and Cal). They scheme extremely well on defense, considering the size disadvantage they have in the front seven. The DT’s often get leverage and require double teams; their LB’s have good gap awareness. If we’re going to win Saturday, we need to successfully outscheme them blocking-wise so that the RB’s (particularly Fenwick) can get into that second level. Certainly not as talented as Washington’s defense but they seem to be a more cohesive unit.

        On offense, they’re a completely different team when de Laura’s in. Guarantano is just not a good QB; terrible awareness and very inaccurate. They’re receivers are undersized but, like in years’ past, they find those holes in the zone for 5-15 yard chunks. They like making teams run the width of the field.

        One thing to watch is whether the Beavs get interior pressure, and if the DE’s try to confuse de Laura via delayed rushes. I think our ability to get interior pressure this season will be a difference maker in this game, and is why the Beavs will be able to hold the Cougs under 30.

      • Two things stood out to me in that article:
        1)“The Beavers, who also pace the conference in scoring average (36 ppg), bulldozed USC and Washington on the ground with a power game that often flows between the tackles.”
        THAT’S GOT TO CHANGE, counting on Lindgren to go outside the tackles Saturday.

        2)“For WSU, the emphasis is to contain the OSU run game on first and second downs, forcing the Beavers to look to their game-manager quarterback in Chance Nolan, who completed 7 of 15 passes for 48 yards last weekend.”
        Game manager?……not dual threat?………if Cougs are believing this writer, Chance has the opportunity to burn them with his legs.

        • Running between the tackles so why does that have to change? You go with what works and you lean on the defensive line to wear them down 5 yards at a time. That said, I’d like to see the beavers use the fly sweep a few times too to keep the LB off balance. Beavers have plenty of speed to get to the edge.

          • Because the more variety the D must face the less chance they get into a groove, or, as you said it “keeps the LB off balance”. Off tackle and sweeps allow the Beavs to utilize the blocking TE’s to advantage and allows some of the speedsters to get in the (more) open field.
            And, in addition to “leaning on the DL to wear them down”, making them run side to side also wears them down.
            Not advocating abandoning rushes in the A or B gap altogether, just more variety.

          • The way you said it made it sound like that considering it only said OFTEN TIMES. I agree that variety is good and I’m all for it. Washington and USC have fast defenses so running outside maybe just wasn’t something that lindgren thought he could do as effectively with the same regularity as inside. Just because they run it effectively here or there doesn’t mean they can do it regularly. It could be effective just because they aren’t expecting it and that’s enough to keep them honest. Not necessarily saying this is the case but could be. Running wide also increases the chance for TFLs and the Beavs have avoided those and stayed ahead of the sticks which in turn helps Nolan’s efficiency.

            I like the fly sweeps and would like to see more WR screens and tunnel screens. Wazzu’s strength is speed and not stoutness up the middle so this might not be the game to move away from running straight up the middle. In the games I’ve seen on stretch runs guys fly through the lines and end up tackling the guy in the backfield.

          • Based on what I’m seeing and hearing, coach JS included, WSUs defensive strength is speed in secondary and physical d-line with ability to pressure QB. I expect Beavs to mix it up but with heavy dose of A and B gap runs. This will set up play action. If the Beavs can’t establish run, it plays to WSUs advantage. On defense, it’s bend don’t break. Force a TO or 2 and some FGs vs TDs. I’m betting the over 59 with lots of offense/yardage. 38-27 Beavs and my confidence is growing the more I look at the match ups… but everything depends on running the ball.

          • I understand what you’re saying, but the run game is zone reads isn’t it? The RB reads the direction of the blocking, finds the open hole and goes. There’s no set 32 Dive or 22 Trap or 21 Trap. It’s the RB reading the OL blocking and finding the hole. So if there’s a hole to the outside Tackle, then that’s where the back should go. Fly sweeps and WR screens or quick slants would help keep the LB’s guessing as well. Lindgren, Coach M and JS have been running offenses for quite some time now. I think we can trust their play calling at this point. They aren’t Langsdorf by any means!

          • WSU had an undersized dline. I get what you’re saying in terms of keeping them off balance, but moving off tackle only benefits their speed. If they are undersized, I say we put in the full back package and run it down their throat’s and wear them out fast.

          • With an undersized but quick front, WSU should be susceptible to our power run game. Eventually they will get worn down, so we should stick with it and mix in some play action for some chunk plays.

          • 2
            1

            I’ve seen them get into the backfield often in the games I’ve watched this season. The pro of being undersized for a D-lineman is that you can get low and get leverage, which seems to be the case with the Cougs. But, with the wide variety of run plays at our disposal, we should be consistently getting 3-5 yards a carry.

            I would run the ball and throw screens until they prove that they can get a TFL. The best way to counter the quick, undersized front is to dominate time of possession.

      • Their defense wreaks a lot of havoc and forces a lot of turnovers. I think they rely on those TO’s tho and without them they aren’t great just better compared to past years. On offense I think Rolovic is holding them back with poor qb management and play calling. They have weapons in Borghi, Harris, Jackson Jr., and de laura tho. I would say that they have a lot of potential and it’s almost a head scratcher why they aren’t productive aside from Rolo.

  41. 4
    3

    LA Rams @ SEA:

    SEA Punt, turnover on downs, INT, TD, Missed FG, Punt, Punt, current drive 4 & 14, time to punt. SEA trailing 16-7, near end of 3rd.

    Guessing this is the last year for Carrol and Wilson…trade Wilson, start rebuild.

  42. From the article, sounds like we should “familiarize” them on Saturday. I think the O-Line is up for it.

    “They do what they do probably better than anybody, and they’re not apologetic for it,” Dickert said. “It’s old-school, run the ball. Five yards and 5 yards, and you add up a bunch of 5 yards and it equals a lot of first downs.

    “It’s football I’m familiar with, but our guys aren’t familiar with it. It’s going to take some physicality. It’s going to take some getting them behind the sticks, getting them into some passing situations. It’s gotta start up front.”

    • Sounds like John Madden speak, “You get 5 yards then 5 yards you add up a couple of 5 yards gains and BOOM! You got a first down. When you add a lot of couple 5 yard gains, you do end up with a lot of first downs.”

  43. WSU’s defensive profile is a little like ours was last year. LB’s are a strength, DL is undersized and underwhelming, and the secondary is talented, but inconsistent.

    Their rush yards per game allowed makes them look fairly stout (4th in the P12), but they’ve played pass-heavy teams. If you look at rush yards allowed per attempt, they’re 8th in the P12 and in the bottom half of the country. This is our OL’s game to lose.

    For the record, OSU is tied for second in the conference in rush yards allowed per attempt (tied with Nike, behind UCLA).

    • “WSU’s defensive profile is a little like ours was last year. LB’s are a strength, DL is undersized and underwhelming, and the secondary is talented, but inconsistent.”

      Seems like the ability of the OSU TEs to block is going to be valuable again and OSU should be able to put up the yards.

      Weather shouldn’t be too much of a factor. Sunny, 58, but could winds could gust up to 20 mph.

      https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=46.7302&lon=-117.1815

      • Our offense seems to be trending towards Stanford’s run game under Jim Harbough. Using two TE for blocking and passing when needed. I really like this approach to an offense than the spread offense. It’s not a typical offense you see each week with a spread offense.

        • It’s the best way to attack the 3-4 defenses that are so common in the PAC-12 now. You can’t do it without a good OL, though.

      • I think WSU loads the box to stop the run thinking Nolan’s passing issues last weekend wasn’t an aberration. Beavers go for 225+ yards on the ground, Nolan is efficient in passing with around 200+ yards and 3 passing tds. Beavers win 34-21.

  44. PHIL STEELE REPORT:

    OSU went 6-1 vs WSU from ‘07-’13, but has lost the last 7 (2-5 ATS) to Wazzou since (avg loss by 12 ppg). Last time here (‘19) there were 7 lead changes & 3 ties but OSU allowed a TD w/:02 left in a 54- 53 loss (+10’). Wazzou QB Gordon went 50-70 for 606 yds & 6 td’s. Last year OSU’s first 3 drives totaled 0 FD and 2 yds and Wash St led 7-0 but OSU went 93/15 for TD to tie then Wash St went 84/9 for TD :37 left to lead 14-7 H. WST open 3Q with 2 TD and FG on first 3 drives 31-14. OSU got a TD with 2:39 left 31-28 but Wash St recover onside and got 44 yd TD run by Harris to win 38-28 (+2). Wash St led Utah St 23-11 with 5:30 left, led USC 14-7 3Q but lost QB de Laura and led Utah 13-7 3Q but lost all 3. Last week Wash St got back QB Jayden de Laura who threw for 3 TD’s. Wash St open 75/8 TD Cal 79/7 TD 7-6 (xp ng). WST 75/16 Jackson spectacular 1 handed grab TD on 3&G 5 orig ruled inc. Wash St 14-6 H with 12-5 FD edge open 3Q 66/9 TD 21-6. Cal SOD 28, 7, 41 and own 20 on last 3 drives. Oregon St lost to Purdue by 9 then blew out Hawaii and Idaho and then upset USC with a 322-76 rush edge 45-27. Last week Wash led 7-0 but fumbled and OSU 11/3 TD tie. UW settle 20 yd FG trail 14-10 H despite 186-126 yd edge. UW 74/7 TD then after fumble 6/1 TD led 24-17 4Q. OSU 75/6 TD to tie 6:35 and UW 4&1 own 46 SOD 3:18 left. OSU 40/9 24 yd FG :00 to take over first place in Pac 12 North. OSU is playing to an AGG of 108.2 and Wash St at just 94.1. Oregon St’s season turned around when Chance Nolan took control of the QB spot and he has hit 68% with a 9-3 ratio. BJ Baylor has rushed for 533 (6.6). OSU is off B2B huge wins and Wash St has their backs to the wall and they pull the home upset. Also note that this series has gone over 8 straight years and with de Laura back at QB for Wash St it has a good chance of making it 9.

    WASHINGTON STATE 34 OREGON STATE 31

    POSITION BY POSITION EDGES:

    WHEN OREGON STATE HAS THE BALL:
    Oregon State QB/WR’s vs Washington State DB’s: WAST +1.58
    Oregon State RB’s vs Washington State LB’s: WAST +0.00
    Oregon State OL vs Washington State DL: ORST +1.35

    WHEN WASHINGTON STATE HAS THE BALL:
    Washington State QB/WR’s vs Oregon State DB’s: ORST +1.26
    Washington State RB’s vs Oregon State LB’s: ORST +2.65
    Washington State OL vs Oregon State DL: WAST +0.21

    MISCELLANEOUS:
    Special Teams: ORST +0.63
    Kicking: WAST +1.50
    Coaching Staff: No Advantage

    POSITION EDGE AWARDED TO: ORST +2.60

    PROJECTED BOX SCORE (ORST-WAST)
    Projected Rushing: 197-121
    Projected Passing: 199-258
    Projected Yardage Total: 396-379
    Projected Final Score: 32-22
    Experience Rankings: 43-20
    Team Schedule Strength: 45-52

    Las Vegas Line: Oregon State by 3.5
    Las Vegas Total: 59 Points
    +/- Ratings: Oregon State by 2.5
    Game Grade/ Oregon State by 10.0
    Computer Yards: Oregon State 396-379
    Computer Points: Oregon State 32-22
    Spreadsheet Prediction: Oregon State by 5

  45. Canzano on Lindgren and OSU’s need to keep the offensive brain trust together.

    https://www.oregonlive.com/sports/john_canzano/2021/10/canzano-oregon-states-offensive-braintrust-needs-to-stick-together.html

    I expect Smith will have at best a moderate base salary increase at best, and that he will seek rewards for his coaching staff. They need to stay together for at least 3 more years.

    Its interesting to see Canzano enjoy Oregon State and even featuring them

    • They would have to renegotiate smiths contract which is very unlikely due to the buyout and the contract already having raise and bonus stipulations. That said his bonuses are not crazy and leave plenty of room for profit and giving upgrades to staff.

      • For JS, he should have properly structured incentives that will reward him for success. That’s the point of incentives. I’m guessing the assistants have them, as well, but if they’re worried Lindgren will get poached, it makes sense to be proactive. I doubt Tibesar is going anywhere soon.

        Position coaches will usually have career goals around moving into a coordinator or NFL position, so it’s a delicate balance between rewarding them for success and letting them pursue advancement opportunities elsewhere (ala Pitre). With someone like Coach M, you just have to make sure he doesn’t leave for another OL coach position somewhere “better.”

        • Its way easier to renegotiate/restructure assistants contracts just because the numbers are much smaller and there typically is not going to be a buyout clause that anyone cares about.

    • Smith is smart and a great leader. There is zero doubt in my mind that he and Barnes already talking about increasing the salary pool for all of the assistants.

      Lindgren got a sizable raise two years ago when Herm Edwards tried to poach him to ASU. If the offense continues to be this impressive, it is only a matter of time before he is offered a HC gig. Lingering has made very shrewd choices throughout his career, and I don’t see him leaving for a head-coaching job just for the title. Canzanno mentions WSU, But I highly doubt Lingren would except that job for a variety of reasons. One of them being his close personal friendship with Niner.

      Also, if Tibs were ever to leave, I see Bray as being the logical successor.

    • 1
      1

      It’s a little early to say anyone deserves raises.

      And if coaches are leaving for promotions, that makes the OSU jobs a destination for guys looking to move up. We’ve seen what happens when the staff stays the same for a long time, it makes it harder to make changes as time goes on. Banker, langsdorf all had their great moments but eventually they all needed to go. So the narrative of keeping the band together is a bit naive.

      • IMO if a school that can afford a promotion comes knocking we can’t compete in the $$$ realm. It comes down to what the guys career and life goals are.

    • Canzano’s daughter is a freshman at OSU so it makes some sense that he’s giving love to, and features, the Beavs. He’s still a hypocrite!

  46. DeLaura caught the team off guard last year with it being his first game and no film.
    He’s a decent QB bit not very accurate. I think the Beavs will dare WSU to throw and be ready to prevent their run game from gaining large chunks. Hopefully Wright/Austin/Grant and co are ready to pick off some errant passes.
    Going with Beavs by 14
    38-24

  47. I’m not sure what is harder… the stress of losing season or the stress of a winning season. :) I’m taking my 65 Chevelle to a show tomorrow so recording the game. Might be a less stressful way to go. Go Beavs!

    • 100% take the stress of winning over the pain and despair of endlessly losing. Id also rather lose a shit show game so I can go do something else than lose a close one.

  48. Do we know who’s calling the game? I know now the Beavs can play through bad calls, but the calls do affect the margin.

    I’m thinking Beavers 35-28 or 35-31.

    Baylor, Fenwick, Colleto wildcat extending drives and scoring, plus some runs by the likes of Lindsey, are just too much to shut down for the Cougars. I also think if a mobile USC QB Dart can shred the Cougars, there’s an opportunity for Chance to have another efficient game.

    The Beavers “Season of Reckoning” continues and another losing streak against a conference foe ends.

  49. Condensed version of WSU at Cal last week.
    WSU only managed 21 pts against a Cal team that has been giving up about 30 pts per game. This was the smallest pt total allowed by Cal all season, including games vs Nevada and Sac State.
    And one of the WSU TDs was on a dead drive where the WSU punter got blocked but somehow they recovered the ball and ran it 10 yards for the 1st down. In most circumstances, that drive would have been stopped by the defense but WSU got lucky. I just dont get the sense that WSU is going to be able to keep up offensively this week.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPepmfHLWB4

    • One thing to note when considering the O/U and our point total: WSU has held every opponent under their season point total average except USC. They’ve done a pretty good job of getting opponents bogged down in sloppy, low-scoring games.

  50. I think after the offensive struggles last week the offense gets moving again and puts up the season average. I think the WSU score is a little harder to get at. The offense they run typically create visions of 30-40 points per game, but the reality is they haven’t been that successful on offense this year. Everyone keeps saying that deLaura is back as if their offensive struggles are all related to him being out, but the only game he fully missed was Utah. Even if you take out the game he got hurt, in the other 3 games they are averaging about 26 points/game and the average is only that good because of the 44 against Portland State. Taking that out they are only averaging 17.5 with him at QB against FBS opponents. History suggests we do struggle against a mobile QB so I do think we give up some points… my prediction is… 36-27 Beavs

  51. My diehard Coug friend watched the end of our game last week and concluded that that I-formation alone would crush them. Their D line is just too small to handle it. FWIW

  52. 2
    1

    “A 42-year-old first-time head coach with a four-paragraph Wikipedia page who took on a behemoth of a program rebuild, kept the same staff throughout and lived to tell the tale.”

    Great story from @BrodyAMiller on first-place Oregon State. https://t.co/6crKP5Znmh

    Unfortunately paywalled

    • Read that article yesterday…one of the best lines from Smith comes at the end of the piece…

      “Yeah, we have some confidence now, but I’m not concerned as a group we’ll ever be at the point we’re overconfident in the season,” Smith said.

      “There are too many scars.”

      Too many scars, life of a beaver fan.

  53. 38-24 Beavs. WSU won’t be able to stop the ground game. 1st half is reasonably close but WSU defense wears down in the 2nd half and Beavs roll. Nolan gets back on track with 200ish yards and is efficient.

  54. 1
    1

    OT: Also in the feed, looks like Hekker punted from the about the Rams 35 down to the SEA 2 (where is teammates downed it). That guy can launch it, a late bloomer, but he’s all-pro now.

  55. Couple of thoughts on the game tomorrow and last weeks game.

    Nolan seemed to be confused by the Huskies faking the blitz and dropping back into coverage. He seemed to have happy feet and expected pressure. He kind of backpedaled instead of rolling outside the pocket and working down the line of scrimmage and putting pressure on the husky defenders and making them decide to take him or the receiver. I expect him to learn from watching the film and to bounce back. Huskies secondary is the best in the conference and WSU is not the huskies.

    I think that WSU’s somewhat strong defensive performances this year are the result of forcing lots of turnovers. If they don’t get them don’t think they’ll be able to stop OSU. I fully expect them to come in and try to eliminate the first and second down runs and try to put us behind the sticks. I think that someone posted something that said as much. I think lindgren should still try to run right at them anyways and not get too cute but should still switch it up with some short first down passes and play action. I think lindgren thought Washington was going to do that and that’s why he came out passing on first down a few times but lake fooled him and dropped into coverage.

    Jayden de laura although not mobile isn’t much of a runner. I don’t think he ran for that many yards on us last year and hasn’t ran a whole lot this year either. His ability to evade pressure and extend plays is where he’s dangerous and where he really hurt us. Harris and Jackson jr. are very good and you can’t give them extra time to get open and hurt you. Hopefully Tibs has a good plan on containing him and when they get there they need to get him on the ground.

    They need to be ready for the wildcat as Washington showed that we couldn’t stop it. I’m hoping they’ve worked on it and are ready to stop it. I don’t want to see borghi lining up as qb and running all over us.

    Harris is a dangerous return man and they need to continue to kick it out the back of the endzone and get good coverage on punts. With them struggling to score the ball they can’t give them a TD or good field position from special teams.

    Ultimately if they continue to do the things that got them here they should win.
    1. Stop the run and don’t give up big plays.
    2. Force turnovers.
    3. Take care of the ball and limit turnovers. (Except USC).
    4. Run the ball and stay ahead of the sticks.
    5. Protect Nolan and give him high percentage passes.

    I’ll go 38-24 Beavs!

  56. 3
    4

    Watching Stanford/ASU tonight.

    Stanford’s Tanner McKee is basically Jake Luton. Always stays in the pocket, makes pretty good short passes, but anything longer than 15 yards he’s basically throwing out there hoping his long armed receivers will pull in. And he sits in the pocket so long he ends up taking alot of sacks and killing drives.

    Jayden Daniels reminds me of a poor man’s Dennis Dixon. Can do a little bit of everything, but Dixon could do all of them better. Will be surprised if he can make it through the season uninjured. He’s skinny as a rail

    • “PAC 12 RETRO! After Dark!”

      Shaw was one of the few to open criticize ASU for their recruiting violations during the COVID lockdown period. Was there any interaction between him and Edwards after the game?

      Not a fan of ASU, but its possible OSU could face them twice this season…. : )

    • ASU seems to have that winning recipe of running the ball and relying on an experienced defense. We’ll have to see how they fare against Utah, Washington, and USC before they come to Corvallis.

  57. Gameday had a small piece on the beavs. But the hosts haven’t jumped on the bandwagon yet. The guy who picks vs spreads said he would bet on wsu. Didn’t say they would win but it would be tough for the beavs.

  58. So RE the gameday poster in the feed, does OSU have to compensate players (outside of their scholoarship and other values they receive) for using the NIL of those players?

    • I’m pretty sure schools or conferences cannot compensate SAs for NIL. They can still use their names and images for promoting school or conference activities. But of course that’s just based on the NCAA guidance, which I don’t think is enforceable yet.

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