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With the Oregon State football team (3-0) set to open Pac-12 play against the No. 7 USC Trojans (3-0) at Reser Stadium, BeaversEdge gives five reasons why the Beavers can beat the Trojans...

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Through three games, Oregon State's offense is off to a sizzling start as the Beavers are averaging 45.7 points per game (13th best nationally) and 468 yards per contest.

Whether it was Boise State, Fresno State, or Montana State, the Beavers have been able to tally up points and score at will... Against the Trojans, OSU's offense will need to be all hands on deck...

The success of the offense in this game is going to come down to three important factors in my mind:

1. How well the offensive line blocks in the run/pass game

2. How well OSU's running backs perform

3. How well Chance Nolan and the receivers perform...

If the offensive line can open up holes in the run game and allow the Beavers to have their signature downhill ground attack against a USC team that may very well be vulnerable to one, everything else should fall into place offensively.

Between Deshaun Fenwick, Damien Martinez, and Jam Griffin, the Beavers have three backs capable of executing the scheme and if they're able to get a head of steam downfield consistently, the Beavers could have a field day on the ground, controlling the tempo, clock, and most importantly, keeping USC's offensive stars on the sideline.

Last, but certainly not least, Nolan's play will be a big factor as to whether or not the Beavers will win this contest. I'd bet that USC will sell out to slow down the Beavers' rushing attack, forcing Nolan to have to beat them over the top with chunk plays downfield.

With Nolan having showcased this season that he and the receiving corps have definitely taken a step forward in terms of chemistry and production, I see Oregon State's offense having a great game plan to rack up some points/yards against the Men of Troy...

USC's high-powered offense enters Reser Stadium on Saturday night as one of the most prolific in the country through three games as the Trojans have averaged 50.7 points per game (7th-best) and 520 yards of offense per game (11th-best).

Headlined by transfer additions Caleb Williams, Travis Dye, and Jordan Addison, the Clay Helton offense of USC is long in the rearview as Lincoln Riley has immediately paid dividends with his offensive prowess.

In previous years, this may have been a matchup that ultimately was just too tough for Oregon State's defense to keep a lid on for four quarters, but this isn't previous years...

Despite a few rough edges, this is Oregon State's best defensive unit both with skill and experience since the 2012 campaign. That defensive improvement under first-year defensive coordinator Trent Bray has been extremely noticeable as the Beavers have made adjustments in each of the three games based on what the opponent was showing them and ultimately provided the room for the offense to win each of those games.

The Beavers are second in the Pac-12 in interceptions with six on the season and if they're able to force Williams to be patient and not so big-play, after big-play, I think they could frustrate him in this contest and tally an interception or two.

OSU's defense has been very opportunistic this season and with an intense home crowd on tap for Saturday night, they'll feed off the energy, playing some of their best football of the year...

Oregon State head coach Jonathan Smith is a master tactician and I believe he's going to have a tremendous gameplan dialed up for the Trojans, giving the Beavers an edge they need to spring the upset over USC.

We saw how much confidence Smith has in his squad when he put it all on the line in a win-or-go-home scenario against Fresno State several weeks ago, how will he follow it up in conference play?

There are almost certainly bound to be similar game-defining coaching decisions to be had in this contest against USC and the rest of the year, and I think that confidence Smith has already instilled in his team is going to work wonders.

Additionally, I believe that confidence from Smith's coaching trickles down to the rest of the staff. Smith's confidence trickles down to OC Brian Lindgren & DC Bray, empowering them to make equally as important of decisions with the game in the balance.

And lastly, Smith's coaching gets the most production out of OSU's personnel. He really is adept at putting guys in the right position to succeed and I think we'll see that on full display

While the Beavers have just one ranked win (vs No. 15 Oregon in 2020) on the resume in the Smith tenure, this is the best team he's had during his time in Corvallis and I believe his coaching will help propel the team over the Trojans...