Oregon State Beavers Football: Thursday Report
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The Oregon State Football team is just two days away from their last road game of the season as they travel north to face the Washington Huskies.
"I thought the team handled preparation well this week as there was a lot to cover," Oregon State head coach Jonathan Smith said on Thursday after practice. "We finished up today with an extensive practice and the focus was good."
The Beavers will be down two key defenders against the Huskies as Smith announced that freshman linebacker Matthew Tago and senior cornerback Dwayne Williams will not play. Tago has been dealing with high-ankle sprain suffered against Stanford while Williams has been out of commission with a right leg injury suffered against the Cardinal.
Some good news in the way of injuries for the Beavers is that defensive lineman Jeromy Reichner, who missed the Stanford game with a foot injury, is expected to play on Saturday. Smith noted that he won't be able to play every down, but that he should be able to play on a limited basis.
Also working in the Beavers' favor is that quarterback Jake Luton is continuing to get healthier day-by-day. Smith noted that while he doesn't think he's at 100 percent, he's making progress.
As Smith and Co. prepare to face off against his former team, Smith knows that the Beavers will have their work cut out for them because he knows all too well, just how well run of a program the Huskies are.
"Every year is new, and they've got some new wrinkles," Smith said. "Defensively, the same thing. What's pretty consistent is that they're physical on both sides of the ball. They play quality football and make you earn it."
While the Huskies haven't been the powerhouse that many expected them to be coming into the season, they still present matchup problems across the board.
"They've played tight games, and when you're playing in a league like this, you've got to bring your A game every week," Smith said. "They had opportunities to beat Oregon and Cal and it didn't go their way."
Despite all the pregame buzz surrounding Smith and his return to Seattle, Smith sees this contest as another game and another opportunity for the Beavers to grow and develop as a team.
"Anytime you go anywhere, you try and play well," Smith said. "This is game 11 and we kind of treat them all the same. Our approach has been pretty consistent and our kids are working hard. If we get an opportunities to go out and make plays, we have to capitalize."