4 Keys to Victory For Oregon State Football Against #23 Houston
In this story:
Week one is finally here, and the Beavers will play at 23rd-ranked Houston to begin the Jamarcus Shephard era. Though they come into this one as a sizeable underdog, coach Shephard has emphasized that his team is not paying attention to the point spread. Here are four things the Beavers will have to do on Saturday morning to pull off a shocker.
Get Makhi Hughes to the ground
Defensive Coordinator Mike Macintyre talked to the media during fall camp about the importance of proper tackling. Their opening game on Saturday morning will be a real test of this skill, going up against a star running back who is a nightmare to try and get to the turf. In the 2024 season with Tulane, 70% of Makhi Hughes 1,400 rushing yards came after first contact. While he did not play much in an absolutely stacked halfback room at Oregon last season, Hughes is an extremely talented back who could be primed for a huge season in the Big-12. Inevitably, he is going to fight through some contact on Saturday. But if the Beavers are to shock the country and pull off this win, they will have to really limit the amount of broken tackles from Hughes.
Lean on the pass
This one might sound a bit surprising, considering the strength that the Beavers have in the running back room. But with an inexperienced offensive line against a strong Houston front, the Beavers' best shot might be to let Braden Atkinson do his thing. Guys like AJ Newberry and Cornell Hatcher are going to have a huge role in this contest, no doubt. But with a disadvantage at the line of scrimmage, it could be hard for Shephard's offense to rely on a run-heavy attack. Last season at Mercer Atkinson displayed how good he is at getting the ball away quickly, and he should have a lot of good pass-catchers to work with this season.
Let the edge rushers make plays
There's always a gamble you're taking when you bring pressure. But against a five-star QB in Conner Weigman who has a lot of quality receivers downfield, the Beaver defense is going to need to take some risks. OSU's defense should have some strength at DE/EDGE with guys like Takari Hickle and Ish Findlayter, and Coach Macintyre will need this position group to be disruptive in the backfield. More than likely, Houston is probably going to be able to move the ball on Saturday morning. But if Oregon State is able to generate negative plays on first downs to get the Cougars behind the sticks, that could totally change the complexion of certain drives and help the Beavers get crucial stops.
Win the special teams battle
Beaver fans do not need to be reminded of how disastrous this area was all of last season. With the beginning of the Jamarcus Shephard era, it's time to turn the page on those special teams failures from 2025. In a game where early momentum should be crucial, the Beavers are going to need to connect on their field goal opportunities to pay off solid drives. Additionally, they cannot afford to have big mistakes in kickoff coverage, or on long snaps of any sort. If, on the other side of the coin, they are able to break a punt return or recover a fumble, these sorts of plays could help fuel an upset.
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Ben Pahl is a sportswriter and broadcaster based in Portland, Oregon. His work covering college and professional sports has been featured by the Orange Media Network at Oregon State University as well as KBVR.fm. His other career stops in sports include the Portland Pickles baseball club and the NBA G-League's Rip City Remix.