5 Takeaways from Oregon State's Spring Game
Following Oregon State's Spring Game and the conclusion of Jonathan Smith's second spring session , BeaversEdge.com writer Mitch Monge gives five important takeaways from the Spring Game as the Beavers now turn their attention to the offseason.
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MORE: WATCH: Spring Game Interviews | Oregon State Spring Game Stats and Recap
1. Defensive Line miles ahead of last season
1. Throughout the spring, the defensive line has showed signs of improvement, and it all came together today. Isaac Hodgins, Elu Aydon, and Jordan Whittley put constant pressure on the quarterbacks all day long. Hodgins has great speed for an interior lineman, which he showed today chasing Jake Luton out of the pockets several times while staying step-for-step with him. Whittley and Aydon were used on the field at the same time, but they also rotated with other linemen which allowed their legs to stay fresh. The Beavers have the size to push around Pac-12 linemen, now it’s just a matter of maintaining consistent pressure and sticking to the fundamentals.
The other aspect that helps the defensive line is the pressure from the outside ‘backers. Hamilcar Rashed, Andrzej Hughes-Murray, and John McCartan have all developed into much more refined players. Isaac Garcia showed out today as well, making several nice tackles off the edge. But the ability for the three main guys to establish contain on run plays and get after the QB on pass plays opens up the middle for Aydon and Whittley to dominate. Forcing an offensive lineman to go one-on-one with a 330+ lb defensive monster is an advantage the Beavers will have with the amount of depth and quality players in the front seven.
2. There isn’t a clear-cut starter yet
That being said, Luton has had the upper had throughout the spring with his experience and familiarity with the system. However, both quarterbacks were impressive today. Luton went 6-for-9 for 94 yards, and Tristan Gebbia 7-for-14 with 67 yards. Both looked very comfortable running the offense and each made solid throws. Luton produced the highlight of the day via a 42-yard strike to Jesiah Irish on a post route, accounting for almost half of his yards. Gebbia had the only passing touchdown of the afternoon, a four-yard pass to Champ Flemings.
Without three key receivers, we are not getting a clear look at the full potential of each quarterback but rather a glimpse of what they can do. Each of the QBs have had good connections with the receivers, but evaluating timing with the first-team receivers would be helpful in Smith’s evaluation process.
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