BeaversEdge Staff Predictions: Oregon State vs Air Force

With the Oregon State Beavers (4-5) set to square off with Air Force (2-7) on Saturday afternoon, BeaversEdge Publisher Brenden Slaughter, recruiting analyst Dylan Callaghan-Croley, and writers T.J. Mathewson and Ryan Harlan give their two cents on the matchup and who's going to come out on top!

T.J. MATHEWSON'S PICK

What seemed like a sure thing a couple of weeks ago has turned into a must-win trap game that put a real damper on the end of the season.

Losing to teams like UNLV and Cal is one thing, but losing to a two-win Air Force team would be an entirely different level of struggle for first-year head coach Trent Bray.

The Beavers cannot miss out on the red zone opportunities that they did against the Spartans a week ago, where OSU had five drives inside the red zone that totaled just 10 points.

If that number stays the same against the Falcons, the Beavers will lose this game. Possessions will few and far between for these two, if you miss out on a red zone chance, you'll only maybe get six more total tries within the game.

Ben Gulbranson will start at QB again, and I expect more of the positive things from this offense that we saw under him to continue: a few more explosive passes, and hopefully no back-breaking pick-sixes. It should be good weather to throw in too.

Should you be nervous?

Sure, but I don't think the Beavers have fallen off a cliff enough to lose this game

PREDICTION: Oregon State 24, Air Force 14

TJ's season record: 6-3

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DYLAN CALLAGHAN-CROLEY'S PICK

It's been hard to find positives for Oregon State over the last few weeks. After a 4-1 start, the Beavers have lost four straight games and still have a pair of matchups against top-25 teams on the horizon. For the Beavers, Saturday's matchup against Air Force will be their last chance to find some sort of momentum before their dates against Washington State and Boise State.

The good news for the Beavers is Air Force has struggled mightily this season as well. The Falcons while coming off a win over Fresno State last weekend lost sevens straight prior to that matchup.

Troy Calhoun's squad this year has been terrible offensively and after a slow start defensively has begun to change the narrative. That being said, being a run-heavy team obviously does throw a wrench in this one quite a bit considering the Beavers' struggles in stopping the run this season.

I still do worry about the Beavers' offense in this one being unable to move the ball consistently but the good news for them is that Air Force has struggled against opposing rushing attacks this season, allowing 4.9 yards per carry and nearly 175 rushing yards per game. Anything they can get through the air is a bonus.

I do think the Beavers win this game but I don't think it's going to be pretty. I'm sensing a low-scoring affair.

PREDICTION: Oregon State 21 - Air Force 17

Dylan's season record: 8-1

BRENDEN SLAUGHTER'S PICK

Can Oregon State right the ship in Colorado Springs this weekend?

That's the million-dollar question as the Beavers look to snap this four-game losing streak and find something positive in the final stretch of the 2024 campaign.

While both the Beavers and Falcons have struggled this season, Oregon State has been better, and that's why, like the oddsmakers, I see this one narrowly in favor of the Beavers.

Air Force's triple-option offensive attack will certainly give the Beaver defense some unique fits, and they may very well have success with a few plays where the Beavers aren't in the right positions

However, considering the Falcons have two wins on the year, including Merrimack and Fresno State, they aren't quite as efficient with their overall output as we've seen in recent seasons.

On the flip side, Air Force's defense has improved in recent weeks compared to allowing big numbers early in the season, but the Beavers should still be able to get some things working on the ground and through the air.

The biggest keys I see for an Oregon State victory are capitalizing on possessions, since there are likely to be few, and winning the turnover battle, something that has cost the Beavers in recent weeks.

I could see this one going either way, but I think the opportunity is knocking for Oregon State to end this losing streak against a winnable opponent.

PREDICTION - Oregon State 27, Air Force 24

Brenden's season record: 7-2

RYAN HARLAN'S PICK

This game against the Air Force was a must-win for the Beavers, just like the game against San Jose State. They look to snap a four-game losing streak and gain some positive momentum at the end of the 2024 season.

Now, while Air Force's record is a bit deceiving, they are anything but a pushover and could give the Beavers trouble defending the run in the tripe option, as the Falcons did to Fresno State, snapping a seven-game losing streak in the process.

However, the Beavers have improved defensively in defending the run compared to the start of the year, but the actual test is whether they can carry that over on the road rather than playing at home.

Sure, the Beavers should win this game on paper, but if they stall on offense, as they did against San Jose State, they'll definitely lose. With Ben Gulbranson expected to make his second start this season, I would expect improvement in that area of the offense this weekend, but we'll see if the offense can get out of their way against Air Force.

This game is a toss-up, but I'll take the Beavers in a narrow margin of victory.

PREDICTION: Oregon State 24, Air Force 22

Ryan's season record: 7-2

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