Keys to Victory For Oregon State Football Against Texas State

The Beavers look to stay in the hunt for a Pac-12 championship when they host a quality Texas State team tomorrow night. After having a week to reset from a tough loss, Oregon State will have a home crowd behind them for a big conference matchup.

Contain Chris Dawn Jr.

The Bobcats have a plethora of legitimate receiving threats, the most dangerous being senior Chris Dawn Jr. Though he may not be the most explosive play-maker on the roster, Dawn is a high-volume target guy who has 41 total receptions so far on the season, and always found a way to get open last weekend against Boise State. Another big name to watch out for is Beau Sparks, who was one of the best receivers in G6 last year. He also comes into this matchup with over 400 receiving yards so far on the season.

Protect the Quarterback

Sep 5, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Cougars defensive back Javion White (0) attempts to tackle Oregon State Beavers quarterback Braden Atkinson (2) during the first quarter at TDECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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It was a pretty brutal game for Oregon State's offensive line against Fresno. Braden Atkinson frequently found himself under a ton of pressure from the edges within a second of taking the snap, giving him little chance to find his guys down field. However, whenever he was given anything resembling a clean pocket, the sophomore gunslinger was surgical. While they may not be quite as strong as Fresno's defensive front, Texas State has a good defensive line, garnering five TFLs last Saturday against top-20 Boise State. Oregon State has enough receiving talent to where they should be able to hammer this Bobcat secondary - but, the offensive line has to give Atkinson a chance.

Keep under-the-radar receivers involved

Oct 3, 2026; Fort Collins, Colorado, USA; Oregon State Beavers tight end DeCorion Temple (8) catches the ball in the first half against the Colorado State Rams at Sonny Lubick Field at Canvas Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Rydland-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

We've probably said it one thousand times at this point, but the Beaver passing game has looked unstoppable when opposing defenses have to worry about more than just Legree. Look back to the Montana and Colorado State wins where Atkinson found a total of nine different targets in both of those games. Although last Saturday didn't go as planned, there were major positives in that other guys on the depth chart stepped up to make some important receptions. If players like DeCorion Temple, Cynai Thomas, Adonis McDaniel, etc. are effective, it will make it much more difficult for the Bobcats to double Legree.

Kickoff coverage needs to be sharper

Sep 12, 2026; Corvallis, Oregon, USA; Oregon State head coach JaMarcus Shephard instructs his defense during the third quarter versus Texas Tech at Reser Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kallie Hansel-Tennes-Imagn Images. Mandatory Credit: Kallie Hansel-Tennes-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Coach Shephard stated ahead of conference play that special teams need to be more consistent, and that still holds true at this point in the season. After hitting a second-quarter field goal that cut the lead to one score, Fresno State ran a kickoff back to the 45-yard line, giving them a short field. It is these types of plays that often get overlooked, but end up making a big difference in close games.

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