Oregon State Beavers Football: Artavis Pierce is probable for Saturday

Thursday marked the final day of preparation for Oregon State (1-4, 0-2) as the Beavers are now set to host Washington State (4-1, 2-2) under the lights of Reser Stadium on Saturday night. OSU will be looking to bounce back from a disappointing performance against Arizona State which saw the OSU defense continue to struggle. BeaversEdge.com senior writer Brenden Slaughter was in Corvallis for Smith's Thursday media availability as Smith offered injury updates, thoughts on WSU, and more.

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- The biggest news out of Thursday's practice was that head coach Jonathan Smith offered key injury updates for Saturday. In terms of good news, Smith indicated that running back Artavis Pierce, who suffered a elbow injury against Southern Utah, is probable for Saturday. In terms of the bad, quarterback Jake Luton, who's been sidelined since late in the Nevada game with a high ankle sprain, is doubtful and isn't expected to play.

While not having Luton continues to be a huge hit on the Beavers' ability to push the ball downfield, the return of Pierce certainly changes the dynamic of the offense. With a 1-2 punch like Pierce and Jermar Jefferson, the Beavers will ave two of the best running backs in the Pac-12 and it will help offset the loss of Luton, albeit temporarily.

- Smith added that he's extremely excited about the return of Pierce not only because of the return of his talent and playmaking ability, but also to take the load off of Jefferson. Smith has been an advocate for a 1-2 punch out of the backfield for sometime and with the emergence of Jefferson, OSU could have something special.

- Despite Washington State being a pass-heavy team, Smith noted that Washington State' running game is still something the Beavers have to be prepared and ready for given that they'll only audible to runs at the line of scrimmage. The Cougars' offense is very dynamic in the way that they spread you out and force favorable matchups. Smith noted that he likes how his secondary matches up with the Cougars and that they'll have to get pressure and give WSU different looks defensively to have success.

Smith on the Beavers continuing to do things the right way

"Our process is right in regards to how the players are working together and bringing energy at practice," Smith said. "We're setting ourselves up well to play on Saturday."

Smith on the Beavers' live tackling at practice this week

"I've been impressed with our defensive coaches in regards to bringing the same type of energy and focus this week while fine tuning the details," Smith said. "We made some tweaks and did some more live tackling during practice to make an emphasis on it. These guys are trying and they're going to get another great opportunity this Saturday."

Smith on Luton's injury continuing to linger

"It's tough," Smith said. "He works at it and it means a lot to him, but he's just not to the point where he can move the way he needs to be able to move during a game. While he's been disappointed with not playing, he's been continuing to help the guys out there because he's been there. He's really been helping Conor (Blount) and Jack( Colletto)."

Smith on Mike Leach and what challenges his offense brings

"He's about distributing the ball and he does a phenomenal job of doing it," Smith said. "That system has been proven to be tough to defend and they can score a lot of points. We've certainly got a challenge in front of us"

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