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With the Oregon State football team (5-3, 3-2 Pac-12) falling to California (3-5, 2-2) 39-25 in Berkeley on Saturday evening, BeaversEdge.com gives five important takeaways from the loss...
5 Takeaways
1. Defense Takes A Massive Step Back
-> What a difference one week makes... After having a strong second-half showing against Utah a week ago, Oregon State's defense looked out of sorts and ill-prepared for what the Cal offense threw at them on Saturday afternoon.
While Oregon State's offense or special teams didn't do the defense any favors, this is a performance that defensive coordinator Tim Tibesar and the defensive leaders on this team have to take on the chin.
While Cal was much better than their 2-5 record indicated, a performance like this where they surrendered points and yards at will all while forcing zero turnovers and sacks is a recipe for disaster.
The Bears were hyper-efficient all afternoon/evening long, converting 13-of-19 on third downs, consistently forcing the OSU defense to stay on the field and expend energy.
Additionally, OSU's run defense, which came into the contest second in the conference allowing just over 116 yards per game, was almost non-existent, as the Bears racked up 255 rushing yards.
That ability to run the ball, combined with Chase Garbers being efficient and effective as a passer, allowed the Bears to essentially move the ball at will against the Beavers, totaling 517 yards of offense.
It seems as though it's consistently been a two-step forward, one step back for the defense this season, as improvements have certainly been notable compared to previous seasons, but nevertheless, some of those old warts have a tendency to surface at inopportune times.
With an opportunity for a strong defensive performance against Colorado this next weekend, the Beavers need to tighten things up on that side of the ball or face the reality of having to outscore opponents weekly.
2. Turnovers Loom Large
-> While Cal only scored seven points off Oregon State's three turnovers, all three were big-impact turnovers that flipped the momentum of the contest and cost the Beavers a chance at any real momentum in this one.
The first came on the opening offensive play of the game as BJ Baylor was stripped as he was going to the ground, setting up Cal with a perfect opportunity to claim the early 7-0 advantage all while deferring the opening kickoff.
The second came with the Beavers trailing 17-3 in the second quarter. Chance Nolan hit Zeriah Beason, but Beason wasn't able to secure the catch, which allowed the Cal defender to make a play on the ball and get the interception. The bobble and ensuing interception were eerily similar to a play Beason had against Washington State several weeks ago and you could see on the sidelines that Trevon Bradford was offering support as Beason was noticeably upset with himself.
The final turnover officially put the game on ice as Nolan arguably made his worst throw of the evening trying to push the ball downfield with the Beavers trailing by 14.
This script is quite familiar to the Beavers' loss to Washington State several weeks ago where the inability to force turnovers combined with having multiple leads to a loss.
Taking care of the ball is critical to success on the road and the Beavers have not been particularly impressive in that department in their last two losses, turning the ball over a combined five times.
3. Oregon State's Rushing Attack Held In Check
-> With the Beavers boasting the top rushing attack in the Pac-12 entering the contest, it had gotten to the point where it was expected they'd get their numbers every week on the ground.
Turns out, the Bears had a lot to say about it...
While the Beavers had a season-low in rushing yards against Purdue in week one (78), the Bears easily held OSU to its lowest rushing yardage total in conference play, limiting the Beavers to just 134 yards.
That's well short of the season average of 245 yards per contest and a big reason was the lack of what had been bankable production from BJ Baylor.
He entered the contest as the conference's leading rusher at 119 yards per game and was tied for the lead in touchdowns with 10. He failed to reach the endzone and managed just 42 yards on the ground.
