Oregon State Football: Keys to Victory Against #21 Texas Tech
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The Beavers face a tough matchup tomorrow at No. 21 Texas Tech. Against a side that has lots of talent, Oregon State will need to capitalize on opportunities, as they might be hard to come by.
Be Aggressive
When you enter a stadium as a 24-point underdog, you'll likely have to take some chances to win. In fourth and manageable situations, I wouldn't be surprised to see coach Bray roll the dice in spots where you'd normally punt or kick a field goal. With Tech's offense being very strong, the Beavers will need to put up a lot of points in this one.
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Let Murphy Take Downfield Shots
Coming from an air-raid style system at Duke, Maalik Murphy could thrive under this type of play-calling. Oregon State's offense was at its best last week when Murphy threw downfield past the sticks, as we saw on the Beavers' go-ahead drive late in the game. Now, it will certainly be harder to replicate this success against a strong Red Raider secondary. But with quality targets like Walker and Reddicks, an aggressive passing attack might be their best chance to win.
Take Advantage of Miscues
To pull off an upset on the road, you'll often have to get some breaks. The Beavers have only forced one turnover through their first two games, and they'll need more from that department tomorrow in Lubbock. Whether it's a botched snap, a halfback fumble or a missed tackle in space, OSU will have to punish Texas Tech for any mistakes.
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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.