Keys to Victory For Oregon State Against Sam Houston State
In this story:
Be Two-Dimensional on Offense
The Beavers have their defense to thank for a big rivalry win over their PAC-12 foe last weekend. Oregon State didn't even muster 200 yards of total offense, and the production that they did have was dependent on the run. Albeit, this was against a solid Washington State defense that's been good all year. Tomorrow night the Beavers will be facing a Bearkat team that is ranked dead last in the FBS in total defense. It may be tempting to keep it simple and lean on the run(especially with the way Hankerson has looked the last two games), but timid play-calling could end up handicapping the Beavers' offense in a matchup where they should be able to find success though the air. If Oregon State is able to establish guys like Walker and Reddicks in addition to their punishing ground game, the Beavers could put up a lot of points tomorrow night.
MORE: Sam Houston Coach Phil Longo Praises Oregon State's Balance and Physicality
Continue to Bring Heat
Last Saturday against the Cougars, the Beaver front seven applied steady pressure on WSU QB Zevi Eckhaus throughout the entire game. This played a major part in disrupting their entire offensive system. Having to scramble around the pocket and get out of rhythm, Washington State struggled to find receivers downfield. SHSU has struggled up front this season, and the Beavers should have similar success in hurrying up the quarterback and picking up tackles for loss. It is worth noting that Bearkat QB Hunter Watson is fairly mobile, so the linebackers will have to watch out that they don't get burned with his legs if he's able to escape the pocket.
MORE: State of the Beavs: Leading the Pac-2 + Basketball Season is Here
Avoid Three and Outs
When playing agianst a big underdog, the last thing you want to let them do is dictate pace of the game. If SHSU is able to control time of possession, they might be able to shorten the game and take possessions away from the Beavers if OSU is unable to consistently move the sticks. Not to mention, the Bearkats would grow in confidence if they are able to force Oregon State's punter to have a big presence early on. To an extent, I think a big part of this ties into the earlier key about not being one-dimensional. If the Beavers are too reliant on basic run plays on first and second down, it will make it much harder to convert in obvious-passing situations on third down, as we saw last week. If the Beavers can have a balanced attack on Saturday, it will make it much harder for the Bearkats to pull an upset.
More Reading Material From Oregon State Beavers On SI
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.