With the Oregon State football team (3-4, 2-2 Pac-12) springing a trap in Berekely and upsetting the Cal Bears (4-3, 1-2) to earn its second Pac-12 win of the season, BeaversEdge.com Managing Editor Brenden Slaughter gives his five most important takeaways.
PROMO: Join BeaversEdge.com and get 30 DAYS FREE!
RELATED: Highlights and Social Media Reaction | WATCH: Luton and Pierce talk Cal win
1. The defense came to play!
If you had told me prior to the start of Oregon State's game against Cal that the Beavers would tally 14 tackles for loss and nine sacks, I would have called you crazy. After looking like they were lost and confused in a 52-7 blowout at the hands Utah a week ago, Tim Tibesar's defense pulled a rabbit out of their hats and stunned Justin Wilcox's squad.
The nine sacks and 14 tackles for loss were Oregon State's most as a team since at least 2001, proving that today's defensive performance perhaps stands alone as the marquee showing since Tibesar took over. It's been a slow and frustrating rebuild of the Oregon State defense since head coach Jonathan Smith hired Tibesar away from Wisconsin, but today was a prime example of what the Beavers were getting when they hired him. Tibesar was known for his talents with outside-linebackers, particularly with his speciality being negative plays and sacks, and now we're seeing just how impactful his schemes and techniques can be with the right execution.
While a case could be made that the Oregon State defense simply played against another offensively-inept team (see UCLA), a Pac-12 win is a Pac-12 win, and to have the type of defensive performance that the Beavers did against an upper-tier conference opponent is impressive.
It's been quite some time since we've had the opportunity to give the OSU defense a shoutout in a Pac-12 game, but they deserve it as they put together a performance that was reminiscent of winning times long ago. To this point, the narrative around the 2019 Oregon State football team was that the Beavers boasted an offense that could keep them in games, but yielded a defense that could still be pushed around, albeit less.
The Beavers took that narrative and drove it into the turf at Memorial Stadium, proving that they're a defense that is worth paying attention to.
2. Artavis Pierce's worth is unmeasurable
Is there anything that Artavis Pierce can't do? With Oregon State wisely electing to sit Jermar Jefferson with the upcoming bye week, Pierce was once again tasked with being the lead-back, this time against the likes of another elite defense.
Pierce rose to the occasion, earning 80 tough yards on the ground, and also securing four passes for 36 yards and a score to help anchor the OSU offense. With quarterback Jake Luton not having his most efficient game and the passing attack largely being stymied, Pierce provided the necessary runs and pass blocking to make nearly every offensive play go. Whether it was picking up Cal's blitzing linebackers and protecting Luton, being able to then release those blocks and become a checkdown option, or grinding out difficult yards in between the Cal front-seven, Pierce was masterful.
However, the senior saved his best for Oregon State's go-ahead scoring drive as he was instrumental in getting the Beavers down the field for the eventual BJ Baylor touchdown run. Pierce was responsible for three of the Beavers' first downs on that drive, including an improbable 20-yard run on 3rd and 10 from the Cal 40 to put the Beavers in the red zone.
Pierce has been opening eyes as the featured back in the past few weeks with Jefferson on the shelf and he showed again on Saturday in Berkeley just how much his leadership and toughness on the field inspires his teammates.
3. David Morris and Jalen Moore back together makes a huge difference in the secondary
When former starting safety Omar Hicks-Onu announced earlier this week that he had entered the transfer portal and left the team, the first thought that crossed my mind was that sophomore safety David Morris must be ready for full-time duty.
After dealing with foot-pain to start the season, Morris had been ramping up his activity in recent weeks with increased special teams reps but hadn't really made much of an impact at safety. Whether it's coincidence or not, with immediate playing time open in the wake of Hicks-Onu's departure, Beaver fans were finally able to see the safety combination that they've been hoping to see take the field together all season.
Morris and Jalen Moore.
