Oregon State Beavers Football: Tuesday Report
After a disappointing performance against Arizona that saw the Beaver offense score just 14 points, Oregon State (1-3) will be aiming for improvement against Herm Edwards and Arizona State Sun Devils (2-2).
BeaversEdge.com senior writer Brenden Slaughter was in Corvallis for Tuesday’s offensive availability as OSU prepares for a tall task in facing ASU.
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Oregon State’s dynamic offense, which had scored at least 31 points in the first three games of the season, came grinding to a halt against the Arizona Wildcats as the Beavers scored just 14 points and looked out of sorts offensively in all aspects.
Offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren didn’t sugarcoat the Beavers’ struggles against the Wildcats as he felt the Beavers didn’t execute and couldn’t stop making mistakes that ultimately cost the Beavers a chance to earn a win in a very winnable game.
“Hands down it was our worst performance of the season offensively,” Lindgren said. “It was pretty frustrating to watch the film and see every position group taking turns making mistakes. We were off on our timing and weren’t playing very physical. It was a frustrating game and our worst game of the season.”
With the Arizona game now in the rearview mirror, Oregon State’s offensive staff feels that the game against the Wildcats was an outlier and that who they were. Given OSU’s points explosion against Ohio State, Southern Utah, and Nevada, it’s safe bet to assume that the Beavers simply had a bad performance against a hungry Arizona squad.
“We were very frustrated as a staff and an offense after the game,” Lindgren said. “The performance Saturday isn’t who we are as an offense and there were just too many mistakes. There were some positive things, but in the end we had nine guys doing it right and two guys doing it wrong, 10 guys doing it right and one doing it wrong, and in the Pac-12 that’s just not going to cut it.”
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While many OSU fans saw the game against the Wildcats as a not so distant memory to the way the Beavers played during the 2017 season, wide receiver Trevon Bradford noted that the offense feels like the game was simply an outlier and the team knows that they’re capable of much better production.
“We have to keep showing up to work everyday and have the mindset that we’re taking one game at a time,” Bradford said. “Offensively, that was the worst game we played and that’s frustrating because we know what we’re capable of offensively, so we have to get back to executing on a more consistent basis.
One of the things working in the Beavers’ favor in terms of offensive improvement by Saturday is that there’s a good chance quarterback Jake Luton will be able to play after nursing a sprained ankle against Arizona last weekend. While Jonathan Smith nor Lindgren would say that the passing offense took a hit without Luton, they did note that his ability to throw the ball is something that he brings to the QB position.
“Obviously we’d like to have Jake healthy and have that option because he brings things to the passing game that allow us to move the ball downfield,” Lindgren said. “I think Luton not playing had a little bit to do with it, but we’ve had some explosive passing plays with Conor (Blount) and he’s got to be able to sit in the pocket, trust the protection, and get the ball downfield to our receivers.”
As is the norm in the daunting Pac-12 conference, the road ahead doesn’t get any easier for the Beavers as they will face one of the most physical and unique challenges in the Pac-12 in Herm Edwards’ Sun Devils.
Edwards, who was one of the surprise hires of the offseason given his lack of experience in college football, has surrounding himself with immensely talented coaches and inherited the likes of N’Keal Harry and Manny Wilkins from the previous regime. Defensively, Edwards hired San Diego State’s defensive coordinator Danny Gonzales, who was SDSU HC Rocky Long’s right hand man for many years. SDSU is one of the most physically punishing teams in the country and Gonzales has brought that same level of physicality to the Sun Devil defense.
“(Gonzales) comes from San Diego State where they always play a very tough defense that likes to get after you with a lot of pressure while beating you up on the front line,” Lindgren said. “We’re going to have our hands full and it’s going to be a real challenge to our front. You can tell that with coach Edwards that they’re playing a physical brand of football. We’ve got to be able to match that on Saturday.”
Notes
- Luton, who’s been recovering from a high-ankle sprain against Nevada, was out of the walking boot today and was walking well without a limp. He didn’t participate in practice, but he appears to be getting very close to a return to the field.
- Cornerback Shawn Wilson, who Smith indicated might be questionable for Saturday during his weekly press conference on Monday, is on track to play against Arizona State.
- Tight end Noah Togiai played in his first action in almost a year after when he was deemed active by the medical staff against Arizona. While he noted that he felt a little sore after the game, he thought his knee responded well and that while he’s not at 100 percent, he’s getting closer each and every practice. As for his chemistry with the QB’s, it’s still a work in progress as Togiai reminded the media on Tuesday that he has had very limited practice work given that he sat out all of spring and nearly all of fall camp. He’s confident that he’ll be much more effective against the Sun Devils having plenty of reps against Arizona.
- Like Smith, Lindgren had very high praise for true-freshman running back Kase Rogers who has increased his workload steadily throughout the first four weeks. The most impressive part about Rogers has been his ability to pass block. Lindgren added that it’s very unusual to rely on and trust a freshman so quickly.
