Keys to Victory For Oregon State Football vs. Washington State
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The Beavers renew their rivalry against Washington State tomorrow afternoon, in what will be the first of two matchups against their conference foe this year. It will be the first time that interim head coach Robb Akey will lead his team into battle against an FBS opponent. After a thriller in this stadium last year that saw the Beavers pull off an upset over the Cougars, there is no shortage of hype heading into tomorrow.
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Convert in short-yardage situations
This has been a real problem for the Beavers all year, and it has certainly contributed to their 1-7 record. In a big game like this where they'll need to make the most out of every opportunity, it will be crucial for Oregon State to find a way to keep the chains moving on 3rd or 4th and 1. For this to happen, the offensive line will have to be better in run blocking than they were against Appalachian State and in the first half against Lafayette.
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Be Prepared to Face the Pass
The Oregon State defense has been much better defending the run this season compared to the pass. After being shut down through the first three quarters, Houston went to an air-raid system of offense, and picked apart the Beavers' secondary. With a strong arm under center and a couple of receiving threats, combined with the fact that they've struggled to run the ball against good defensive lines, the Cougars are going to be looking to go after a relatively vulnerable Oregon State secondary.
MORE: Washington State Head Coach Jimmy Rogers on Oregon State: “I don’t care what their record is”
Execute in the Red Zone
Much like converting in short-yardage sitatuons, this has been an area where the Beavers have struggled at times this year. Their fortunes did change a bit last week, starting with a beautiful 4th and goal play call that got the tight end wide open in the middle of the end zone. Especially when you consider the uncertainty of the kicking game, it is crucial that the Beavers finish off drives tomorrow against a quality Cougar defense.
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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.