Week 7 - Oregon State Beavers vs Wake Forest: How To Watch, Preview, Storylines
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Oregon State's heads back home to face off against the 3-2 Wake Forest Demon Deacons as their quest for win #1 rolls on. Wake Forest enters the weekend coming off an upset 30-23 victory over the Virginia Tech Hokies in Week 6.
Here's everything you need to know about Saturday afternoon's contest:
Oregon State Beavers (0-6, 0-0 Pac-12) vs Wake Forest Demon Deacons (3-2, 1-2 ACC)
Date: Saturday, October 11th
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET // 12:30 p.m. PT
Location: Reser Stadium - Corvallis, Oregon
TV: The CW Network
Radio: TuneIn Radio
Betting Line: Wake Forest -2.5 on FanDuel
Can Beavers Finally Get Over the Hump?
It's been an incredibly rough go for Oregon State through the first six weeks of the 2025 season, and their most recent two games have felt like punishment for Beavers fans. After struggling to an 0-4 start, the magnitude and heartbreak of the losses only increased. A missed 46-yard potential game-winning field goal against en route to an overtime loss to Houston worsened their record to 0-5, with a goal-line stand and tip-drill interception solidifying their fate against Appalachian State, extending the losing streak to six.
Wake Forest, while not a pushover, offers a very beatable challenge to the Beavers on Saturday afternoon. ESPN Analytics gives Oregon State a 49.5% chance to win the matchup, a very reasonable margin. Their next matchup against FCS Lafayette offers their best chance to date of taking home a victory, and winning this week's game against the Demon Deacons could kickstart a desperately needed winning streak.
MORE: Trent Bray Talks Special Teams Changes For Oregon State, Previews Wake Forest Game
Subpar Rushing Offenses Square Off
Neither Oregon State nor Wake Forest has generated much success in the ground game, placing 128th and 77th in the nation, respectively. Beavers' starting running back Anthony Hankerson has yet to find his footing after an excellent 2024 campaign, and the team has failed to average over 100 yards per game, sitting at just 94.5.
Demon Deacons' RB Demond Claiborne, despite averaging over seven yards per carry on 53 rushes so far, has rarely been relied on as a workhorse; with three incredibly quiet games to just two solid showings. Both defenses are set up well to combat the opposing rushing attack, and it will be intriguing to follow along with each scheme to see how they progress throughout the game.
MORE: Wake Forest Coach Jake Dickert on Oregon State: "This is a Power Four football team"
As Evenly Matched as it Gets
As the ESPN Analytics projection suggests, these two programs are as tightly-contested as any pair of teams. Neither team has emerged in any particular aspect, and they have both faced similar struggles over the course of the season. They allow a similar amount of yards, are led by dual-threat, turnover-prone signal callers, and have yet to fully establish a true identity.
An important game for both sides, the game is widely expected to be a close matchup. With nothing certain outside of the 60 minutes of game time on Saturday, all that can be done is watch and analyze after the fact.
More Reading Material From Oregon State Beavers On SI
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Ian Harper is a student journalist and broadcaster studying at Rowan University. He is also the founder of Poolesville Sports Web with previous bylines covering college football, Major League Baseball, the NFL, and NFL Draft for Athlon Sports and Last Word On Sports.