BeaversEdge Football Superlatives

MVP: Ryan Nall

This was one of the easiest decisions in the superlatives. Nall was an absolute animal “when” he was healthy. The struggle this season was keeping him healthy as he sat out against UCLA, and Washington, and didn’t play full games against Boise State, Colorado, and Utah. Nall finished with just under 1,000 rushing this season, but imagine if he was fully healthy and played all 12 games? He would be in consideration for first team all Pac-12 and the Beavers may have been able to win a few more games. Simply put, when the Beavers won conference games, Nall had his footprints all over it. This guy is going to be big time before he is gone.

Others considered: Victor Bolden, Treston DeCoud

Most Underrated: Devin Chappell

Going into this season, I didn’t expect much from Devin Chappell, but he made an immediate impression with me right away during the Minnesota game. He played the position with swagger, grit and toughness making sure opponents felt him the next day. I nicknamed him “Big Hit Chappell” because of his hard hitting nature. But perhaps his best trait is his versatility, as due to injury at the cornerback spot, he moved to the nickel position and played very well in a spot unfamiliar to him. His leadership will be missed by the Beavers next season.

Others considered: Caleb Saulo, Marcus McMaryion, and Gavin Andrews

Best newcomer: Tie between Xavier Crawford and Artavis Pierce

This one was really tough because both of these guys were both very deserving, so I cheated and picked both of them.

Artavis Pierce was a nice surprise as the season progressed. He provided a nice change of pace while Nall was getting a breather, and was a solid fill in when Nall was injured. He was very impressive as a freshman, rushing for 523 yards and four touchdowns.

Xavier Crawford was equally as impressive on the defensive side of the ball. Crawford locked down the cornerback spot opposite of Treston Decoud as a freshman, and was so fundamentally sound, tying for the team lead in pass break ups. Crawford has immense potential in the next coming years, and the Beavers should be excited about his future in the orange and black.

Others considered: Elu Aydon, entire outside linebacker corps that burned redshirts, Blake Brandel.

Biggest surprise: Offensive Line Play

Going into this season, the Beavers didn’t expect to have Sean Harlow, but boy oh boy did he make a difference. When Harlow returned to anchor the left tackle position, Gavin Andrews moved to center, and Dustin Stanton to right guard, the Beavers became one of the best units in the Pac-12. The best moment of the offensive line? Manhandling the Ducks in the Civil War where their push up front was absolutely incredible. However, with Harlow, Stanton, and Andrews graduating this will be a position group to keep an eye on in the offseason.

Biggest disappointment: Passing offense

Transfer quarterback Darell Garretson was named the starter with the hope that he could ignite this passing offense. Newsflash, it didn’t matter who the Beavers had at quarterback as the Beavers struggled to throw the ball all season with the exception of a few bright moments. OSU ranked 11th in the Pac-12 in passing offense, and at times it wasn’t pretty to watch. With coach Andersen telling potential recruits that they plan to pass the ball more in 2017, this will be an intriguing storyline to watch next season, especially who takes the reigns at quarterback.

Best game: Civil War

How could you pick any other game of the season? The Beavers broke an eight game losing streak to the Ducks and did so in a very physical fashion. At one point, the Beavers ran the ball 21 straight times, and did so embracing the “big boy football” attitude that Gary Andersen has wanted to instill in his players since his arrival. It was a huge win for the Beavers and one that will go down in the history books as the turning point of the program under Andersen.