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With the start of the 2023 season just around the corner, BeaversEdge kicks off the first in an opponent preview series diving into all 12 of Oregon State's opponents in 2023...
Up next is the Beavers' home opener vs UC Davis at the new-look Reser Stadium...
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THE GAME
Date: Saturday, September 9th
Time: 6 p.m.
Location: Reser Stadium - Corvallis, Ore.
TV: Pac-12 Network
Betting Line: N/A
Oregon State 2022 record: 10-3 (6-3 Pac-12)
UC Davis State 2022 record: 6-5 (5-3 Big Sky)
Did you know? UC Davis is led by Dan Hawkins, who has been in the position since 2017... Hawkins had previously been the head coach of Willamette, Boise State, and Colorado and has a career record of 149-90-1... The Aggies have reached the FCS postseason twice under Hawkins...
UC Davis 2022 Recap
In a year that saw the Big Sky have a handful of really good teams, a 6-5 record is actually a solid finish for the Aggies. UC Davis had a really strong schedule that featured the FCS National Champion in South Dakota State and several double-digit win teams that went deep into the FCS playoffs.
If there was a missed opportunity for the Aggies in 2022, it was the chance to pull off the upset of Cal in Berkeley. The Bears had their share of struggles en route to a 4-8 campaign but defeated the Aggies 34-13 for their largest margin of victory all of last season. UC Davis led Cal 7-0 before the Bears outscored them 34-6 the rest of the way...
Following the loss to Cal, UC Davis fell to SDSU by two points, defeated San Diego, lost to Weber State by five points, and lost to Montana State by 17 in their next four matchups. The Aggies then rattled off five straight wins against Northern Arizona, Northern Colorado, Cal Poly, Idaho State, and Idaho before dropping their season finale against Sacramento State...
Given that Idaho was an FCS postseason participant, winning that matchup by a wide margin definitely earns the nod for the best win in 2022.
Best Win: vs Idaho (44-26)
Worst Loss: vs Cal (34-13)
UC Davis 2023 Outlook
Heading into the 2023 campaign, I expect the Aggies to have a similar season to what they had in 2022, finishing with roughly six wins. Quarterback Miles Hastings is back in the fold after leading the Big Sky in passing yards with 3,048 while tallying 20 touchdowns against six interceptions. Top receiver CJ Hutton is also back after recording 47 catches for 506 yards and four touchdowns...
UC Davis will be looking to overcome the loss of running back Ulonzo Gilliam, who became the program's all-time leading rusher last season. RB Lan Larison will be tasked with being the featured backfield option after tallying just shy of 500 rushing yards and four touchdowns in addition to over 300 receiving yards.
The Aggies also lost their offensive coordinator, Cody Hawkins, son of HC Dan, this offseason as the younger Hawkins accepted the head coaching position at Idaho State. The Aggies promoted offensive line coach Mike Cody to OC for the upcoming campaign...
Defensively, DB Rex Connors is back after leading the team with 92 tackles, four tackles loss, and five interceptions. He led the tackle margin by nearly 40 tackles and is a playmaker across the field. DL Zach Kennedy is another name to keep an eye on after a team-high 8.5 TFLs and four sacks in 2022...
The schedule is reasonably favorable as there are winnable matchups against Texas A&M-Commerce, Southern Utah, Eastern Washington, Cal Poly, Montana, Northern Arizona, Portland State, and Idaho. Additionally, the matchup against Sacramento State is a home game this season...
Key Returnees: QB Miles Hastings, RB Lan Larison, DE Zach Kennedy, S Rex Connors
UC Davis Season Projection: 6-5
Early Prediction
While UC Davis isn't a "cupcake" FCS squad, this is a game that Oregon State should win handily with it being one of the most electric atmospheres for a non-conference game in recent memory.
This will be the first matchup in the shiny new Reser Stadium and given that the Beavers will have already started
The Aggies played some quality FCS opponents very close last year, and return their quarterback in Hastings which is always a bonus, but I don't see UC Davis being able to hang with Oregon State's offense for a half, let alone four quarters.
With the potential for big-time talent mismatches in the trenches and at the skill positions, I could see this contest playing out similarly to the Montana State game last year for Oregon State. The main difference is I don't expect the Aggies to put up the same sort of offensive numbers that MSU did...
Offensively OSU should be able to do what they want in the running game, and further make improvements in the passing game against FCS-level defensive backs. Conversely, this could be a prime opportunity for the Beavers' pass rush to showcase themselves against an OL unit that likely won't be able to handle the exotic blitz schemes defensive coordinator Trent Bray dials up...
Look for Oregon State to open up Reser Stadium with a bang in week two, cruising to a comfortable victory...
Oregon State 52, UC Davis 17
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