5 reasons why Oregon State’s defense is struggling

Following Oregon State's 48-17 loss to Stanford, BeaversEdge.com senior writer Brenden Slaughter breaks down the key reasons why the Beaver defense continues to struggle.

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Perhaps the biggest issue that was going too difficult for the 2018 Oregon State defense to overcome was a simple lack of depth. Thanks to graduation, poor past recruiting cycles, injuries and other factors, the Beaver defense was very thin at crucial positions.

It all starts up front and the Beavers don't have enough horses to impact the line of scrimmage on a consistent basis. OSU's starting rotation isn't bad by any means, but the lack of Pac-12 caliber depth behind them just isn't there. The Beavers' defensive line has struggled to contain opposing running backs all season as there isn't enough push to secure the runner at or behind the line of scrimmage. Help is on the way in the form of transfers and an incoming recruiting class, but until that happens, the line is going to continue to be thin.

Another achilles heel for the Oregon State defense both this season and against Stanford has been the OSU defensive backs' inability to win one-on-one battles with taller receivers and tight ends. Stanford is notorious for having both and that was on full display as KJ Costello and Co. targeted the big tight ends and receivers early and often as they shredded the OSU secondary.

The Beavers certainly miss the services of Jay Irvine, David Morris, and Omar Hicks Onu in the secondary who have all not played a snap this season. Injuries are a part of the game, but it's certainly plagued the depth of the Beavers' back end.