Keys to Victory For Oregon State Football at Colorado State

Here's what the Beavers need to do keep their winning streak going

Oregon State's Eric Olsen (80) runs away from Texas Tech defenders during an NCAA football game at Reser Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026, in Corvallis, Oregon | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Oregon State faces a key moment in the 2026 season when they take on Colorado State on the road Saturday. The Rams have an electric offense with playmakers all over the field, and they are expecting a tremendous environment in Fort Collins tomorrow when they host Jamarcus Shephard's Beavers, who are looking to stay hot after two straight blowout wins.

Be adaptable on defense

It is not a traditional quarterback situation in Fort Collins by any means. In their loss against BYU, the Rams used three different signal callers, each of whom bring a unique flavor to their play-style. Ksann Farrar, the sophomore from the state of Virginia, threw for over 340 yards last weekend against UTSA. He is not their only big passing threat, however. First-string QB Hauss Henjy is dealing with a hamstring injury, and his status for tomorrow afternoon is currently unknown. But CSU has more cards in the deck as well.  Sophomore Darius Curry, described by scouts as a "pure pocket passer who can also escape pressure," went 6-8 for 70 yards against BYU. Oregon State needs to come into this game realizing that the Rams might switch their personnel around mid-game, and that the guy who starts won't necessarily be the QB that they are facing the whole time. 

Protect the football

This is a Colorado State defensive unit that tries to hang their hat on turnovers. While the Rams have given up a lot of yards so far this season, they are also top three in the FBS for interceptions. Earlier in the week during Monday's press conference, OC Mitch Dahlen commented that CSU has a secondary unit that plays a lot of aggressive man coverage, and will take risks to try and get the ball back. Now, this does not mean that Atkinson should divert from this typical play style, as he has been very effective getting the football to where it needs to go. However, he and the entire offense should be aware that the Rams might be more willing to gamble on trying to jump routes. 

Eliminate the run

BYU was able to do this (for the most part) a couple of weeks ago, and it limited the Rams' production by making their offense more one-dimensional. While CSU was able to run it effectively last Saturday against UTSA, the Beavers should have a much stronger defensive front than the Roadrunners. If Oregon State can limit the Rams to less than four yards per carry on the ground, it could take away a lot of CSU’s offensive strengths that they were able to utilize against opponents like Wyoming and UTSA. Even if they are good against the run, OSU's defense will still have plenty to worry about, as the Rams have four guys with over 150 receiving yards.