Keys to Victory For Oregon State Vs. Wake Forest

Oregon State has an opportunity to get their first win tomorrow when they host Wake Forest from the ACC. The Demon Deacons, under first-year head coach Jake Dickert, come into Corvallis fresh off of a win against Virginia Tech, and a 3-2 overall record.

Make the simple plays

Last weekend in North Carolina, Oregon State was doomed in the fourth quarter by their inability to convert basic passing routes in goal-to-go situations. While QB Maalik Murphy made some impressive throws into tight windows against the Mountaineers, he also missed a couple of red zone throws that should be fairly routine for a guy of his skill level. If the Beavers want to get a win tomorrow against a power four team, they will have to convert on the simpler plays.

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Establish a second receiver

Though the Beavers lost to App State last weekend, they were able to move the ball effectively through the air. This was partially due to the fact that David Wells Jr. established in the first half that he was a threat to get open. As a result, this left more room for star Trent Walker, who had a career day with 13 catches. When the Oregon State passing game has really worked this year, it's always because there are multiple receiving options whom the opposing secondary has to pay attention to. Whether it's David Wells again or Taz Reddicks, the Beavers are going to need more than just Walker to get open at wide receiver.

High intensity on defense from the start

A couple of weeks ago against Houston, the Beavers put up an electric first quarter on defense, and a lot of this had to do with the energy they came out with. To replicate this tomorrow, they'll want to get the crowd amped up from the start and utilize their home field advantage. In Corvallis this season with the Reser crowd behind them, OSU has shown that they are capable of playing fast and physical defense.

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