BeaversEdge Staff Predictions: Oregon State vs Stanford

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Every Friday of each game week, the BeaversEdge.com staff will give its predictions for Oregon State's matchup.

With the Beavers (3-2, 0-2 Pac-12) set to face Stanford (1-3, 0-3) on Saturday, BeaversEdge Publisher Brenden Slaughter, recruiting analyst Dylan Callaghan-Croley, and writer T.J. Mathewson give their two cents on the matchup and who's going to come out on top!

MORE: Injury Report vs Stanford | Starters as Recruits: OSU vs Stanford | EDGE POD: Talkin' Turnovers, QB Play, W-L Expecations, & Previewing Stanford | WATCH: Defense Talks Turnovers, Defensive Play, & More | How OSU Commits Fared This Past Weekend | A Closer Look At Stanford

PREDICTION: Oregon State 38, Stanford 24

After arguably playing its two toughest Pac-12 games the past two weeks, Oregon State is in a prime position to bounce back and earn its first conference win of the season against Stanford.

The Cardinal haven't been good as of late (10 straight losses to FBS teams) and this is a huge opportunity for the Beavers to regain confidence and earn a conference road victory.

The most intriguing statistical matchup in this contest has to be turnover margin as the Beavers and the Cardinal are among the bottom of the pack in the country. Whoever is able to create turnovers while hanging onto the ball themselves is going to be in a great spot to come out on top.

While it's still yet to be determined whether it'll be Chance Nolan or backup Ben Gulbranson against the Cardinal, in either case, Oregon State needs to get far better quarterback play than we've seen the last two weeks to win comfortably.

Granted, the Cardinal do not present the same challenges on defense as say Utah or USC, but regardless, the Beavers need to get their quarterback, whoever that is, to play at a much higher level to get back on track. Combine that with a solid effort on the ground and OSU should have little trouble moving the ball with consistency...

Defensively, if the Beavers bring the same energy they brought the past two weeks they'll be in a good spot as Cardinal quarterback Tanner McKee can't hurt you with his legs nearly as well as Caleb Williams and Cam Rising did the past two weeks... Stanford's offense isn't all that intimidating and you have to imagine this is a matchup DC Trent Bray and OSU's defense are more than ready for...

Oregon State is the better team in this matchup and I like them to win comfortably (10+) on the farm for the first time since 2006!

Brenden's season record (4-1)

- Brenden Slaughter

PREDICTION: Oregon State 31, Stanford 20

Oregon State has had two tough back-to-back games against USC and Utah, as long as they're able to mentally move off those two losses and realize they still have most of their goals still in front of them, I feel confident in their abilities to beat Stanford.

The Cardinals can score, they're averaging just under 30 points this season but their defense is one of the worst in the country allowing 34 points per game. If the Beavers can hold onto the football this week, something that has clearly been an issue the last two weeks, the Cardinals will have a tough time stopping them. Defensively, I think they played fine for the majority of last week, you can't give a team like Utah multiple extra opportunities and think they won't find a way to put points on the board. Stanford's offense is good but they're not even close to Utah's level.

This might be a close for a while and could be a back-and-forth affair but I believe the Beavers pull away in the second half to seal a victory and get back on the right track.

Dylan's season record (4-1)

- Dylan Callaghan-Croley

PREDICTION: Oregon State 35, Stanford 21

I think this game has all the makings of a get-right game for Oregon State. For everyone paranoid about the fact that the Beavers have not won on the farm since 2006 (pre-Harbaugh), take solace in this: Stanford is not a good football team.

Let's take a look at all the numbers that have concerning Oregon State over the past two weeks, and how they compare to Stanford on the other side. The Beavers have turned the ball over eight times, and have forced zero for themselves in the last two games. Stanford has forced two turnovers ALL SEASON, and ranked LAST nationally in turnover margin (-10).

With (most likely) Ben Gulbranson starting on Saturday, the Beavers will lean on their deep backfield and run the ball down Stanford's throat. The Cardinal ranks 124th in run defense (210.8). The Beavers know they want to get more pressure on the quarterback, after only getting a combined two sacks (both vs USC) in the last two weeks. Stanford gives up the most sacks/game of any team nationally (4, 16 total), and has given up 13 in the last two weeks. I could go on and on, but those stats suggest that the Beavers can control both sides of the line of scrimmage, and win the turnover battle.

The road environment will hardly be a factor with an 8 PM kickoff, and will be a comfortable environment for a redshirt freshman quarterback. If you ask me, that sounds like a recipe for a Beaver win, and an 11th-consecutive FBS loss for Stanford.

T.J.'s season record (5-0)

- T.J. Mathewson

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