Oregon State is riding the high of their first victory, but I can't shake the nagging feeling that this process will be more "one step forward, two steps back" than full steam ahead.

Into town comes BYU. In many respects this is the perfect opponent for this week.

• They are better than Arizona.
• They're not as good as Arizona State.

Considering the Beavers played ASU tough and beat Arizona, BYU is in my opinion the perfect incremental test.

Unfortunately, I don't think they win the game. The reasons are several:

1. BYU players are "more mature." This is a euphemism. Due to missions, BYU players are all 25+ years old. Normally, this might not be a big deal, but considering how many underdeveloped freshman are playing for the Beavs I think it's huge.
2. BYU's passing attack is precise and methodical. The Beavers do not perform well versus tacticians.
3. Bronco Mendenhall is a perfectionist and strong motivator. His team will be ready from the opening kickoff.
4. Riley Nelson, the Cougar's new QB, is mobile. Mark Banker has not shown the ability to slow mobile QBs.
5. BYU runs a 3-4 defense with three 300lb+ down linemen. Sean Mannion is going to see LB and DB blitzes for the first time. He has been turnover prone versus the more standard 4-3 defense, so it leads one to reason this might not turn out well. The LBs will be free to make plays in the run game, too.

The only clear advantage the Beavers have is their WRs versus the Cougar's DBs, but that will be marginalized if they're forced into a one-dimensional game.

In short, I really want to pick the Beavers in this game. I'm 80% on the year, with my only incorrect pick being Sacramento State. If I'm 67% on the year come Saturday afternoon I'll be a happy man. However, I just don't see it. I view Bronco Mendenhall as the better coach. Mike Riley & Co. have a ton to prove. Until they do it on the field, I'm not giving them the benefit of the doubt in these close match ups.

27-14, Cougars

Once again we're reminded what a week and a win can do. Today, nobody is writing "fire coach xyz"…I must say, it makes our message mixed and weak when all it takes to placate the fan base is one win versus a lousy squad. The fact is these coaches never have or will take the Beavers above a third place bowl. Time keeps chugging by, but their resumes remain the same (or worse). But, okay, we can put that on the back burner and be glad about the win. If we're going to criticize when they do wrong, we have to praise when they do well. It's also exhausting to write the same, negative things over and over. I get it.

Bottom line: A win is always good, but let's not ignore the big picture trends. Riley & Co. have to silence critics via results, not excuses, justifications, hopes, etc. As long as we don't lose sight of that, I'm fine celebrating this win.

Moving forward, the BYU game has a "one step forward, two back" feel to it. Even though BYU is an average squad, I see the Beavers tripping up. I'll go into the reasons why more on Wednesday, but in the meantime discuss anything you'd like and/or ask me any questions you have.

Game thread for today.

Not much to say other than Go Beavs!

“First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.” – Mahatma Gandhi

Dare I say the Beavers get their first win this weekend?

I know folks are afraid of Nick Foles picking apart the defense. He will get his yards, no doubt. However, the Beavers have a handful of things going in their favor:

• Arizona is the only Pac-12 school with a linebacker slower than Reuben Robinson. This, along with their defensive line play, has lead to an opponents' rushing average of 6.0yd.
• Opponents average 38 points versus the Arizona defense.
• As bad as Mike Remmers is, he won't have to worry about protecting Mannion this weekend. The Wildcats have only 3 sacks on the entire year, while opponents have garnered a whopping 13 versus them.
• With Wynn, Crichton, and Fernando coming on strong, the Beavers should annihilate Arizona's offensive line, in the process marginalizing their all-conference QB.
• Beavers have the home field advantage. Even though the Reser crowd is pretty lame, this is still a minor advantage.

So, all things considered, the lone reason I see to pick Arizona in this game is Foles vs the secondary. Completely valid, but I saw enough from the Beavers young pass rush this past weekend to believe they are coming into this game (a) brimming with confidence and (b) hungry for a win. If they generate a good rush, and they should, then much like last week the secondary will look better. Foles will get his yards, but the defense will keep him in check.

You could see and feel the Beavers growth in the loss to ASU. Their play improved, but more importantly their confidence improved. Assuming the coaches put the right personnel on the field, I absolutely love the Beavers in this game.

30-24, Beavs

Okay, Beavlettes, have at it.

Some points of discussion:

• Mannion's interceptions: I'm not bothered by them. I know I should be; 4ints is a big number (and he should have about 10 on the season instead of 5). But, I have seen enough positives to ignore the INTs. As I wrote before, Mannion reminds me of a Tom Brady/Derek Anderson hybrid, and I don't know which side will win out until the supporting cast is better. Right now I am thinking there's more positive than negative.
• Langsdork's play calling: It was better, but I'm not ready to let off the gas. One thing I will say, and I think it's a point missed by many fans, is that the redzone woes go back to the offensive line. When in the redzone, offenses are boxed in by the end lines, and without a RB to chip away (those 3 and 4 yard runs are huge in the redzone) the short passing game becomes less effective. Longer routes are boxed in by the end lines. That being said, I don't think OSU was good in the RZ even last year with Quizz. So, the struggles are due to a combination of factors. Once the OL is upgraded next year and Riley takes over play calling, I expect drastic improvement.
• Riley's demeanor: He looked animated. Didn't it look forced, though? Makes you wonder if he reads the criticism.
• Banker's adjustments: Again, why all the sudden did the DBs look for the ball? Why all the sudden did we see stunts, swim moves, and LB blitzs? I don't get it. Do these guys need to hear criticism before they decide to coach/game plan?

The players who stood out to me were Fernando, Crichton, Unga, and Wynn. I loved Fernando's speed and swim moves. He looked bat-shit crazy (in a good way). I had Fernando penciled in as a 2-star. I'm going to go ahead and bite the bullet on that one. The guy looks very good as a pass rush specialist. Another guy who stood out was Obum Gwachum.

Players who stood out for the wrong reasons: Hekker, Romaine, Doctor (bad tackler), Enger, and Remmers. I'm giving Enger a pass since he is new. Doctor needs to step up his game.

Overall I left that game feeling encouraged. I know that is bad to say after a loss, especially since I preach high expectations. I'm not sure how to resolve that conflict. All I know is that I do have high expectations, and that the ASU game excited me more than bothered me. I guess you could say I see the potential down the line, and the shock of the dreadful start has worn off and allowed patience to shine through.