Published Sep 4, 2019
Oregon State Football: Quick Hitters and Quotes from OC Brian Lindgren
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Brenden Slaughter  •  BeaversEdge
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Oregon State offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren met with the media to discuss the latest on the Beaver offense heading into the upcoming road matchup with Hawaii. Lindgren addresses the three crucial three and outs in the first half, the need to establish Jermar Jefferson against the Warriors, and more...

BeaversEdge.com Managing Editor Brenden Slaughter highlights Lindgren's conversation.

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Quick Hitters

- Despite carrying the ball 16 times against Oklahoma State, running back Jermar Jefferson was unable to develop much of a rhythm in the contest. He tallied 87 quiet yards and didn't manage to find the endzone. While Jefferson was the bell-cow running back last season, head coach Jonathan Smith, offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren, and running backs coach Michael Pitre believe that both Artavis Pierce and BJ Baylor have earned snaps and want to give them their due touches this season. While we did see all three running backs against the Cowboys, Lindgren noted that the Beavers being behind dictated the lack of rhythm in the run game. He noted that while they still want to keep all three backs in the rotation, they're going to look for ways to get Jefferson into a groove early.

-In terms of the positive takeaways from the Oklahoma State contest, Lindgren noted that committing zero turnovers and incurring just three, pre-snap penalties were things that the coaching staff lauded the players for in week one. Given how sloppy we saw many FBS programs start the season, it's a great sign that the Beaver offense is crisp and sharp right out the gate.

- Quarterback Jake Luton showcased his improved athleticism against Oklahoma State with a successful first down on a zone-read quarterback keeper and several other positive runs. Lindgren noted that while Luton wasn't mobile much last season, the staff is comfortable with having him run when the opportunity presents itself. He added that Luton's successful first-down run wasn't a designed play and that the sixth-year senior read the defense and called his own number. While Luton isn't going to be a dual-threat QB anytime soon, it's a big plus that he can get yards on the ground when needed.

- One of the more talked about players post-Oklahoma State has been redshirt-freshman receiver Jesiah Irish. After having a strong fall camp, Irish found himself largely on special teams duty against the Cowboys but managed to make his presence felt with a pair of impressive tackles in return coverage. Despite making his impact on special teams, Irish didn't see a lot of action as a receiver, logging just 10 snaps. Lindgren noted that moving forward, he wants to see more consistency from the young receiver and that he was going to be a big part of the offense moving forward.

Quotable

Brian Lindgren on the three and outs in the first half

"We made some mistakes. One of them we had a false start, put us in first and 15 and we couldn't recover. The other ones we didn't execute the way we were capable of and it ended up costing us. We found ourselves too far behind and we couldn't catch up."

Lindgren on Blake Brandel and Gus Lavaka sitting atop the Pro Football Focus ranks

"We expected it from those guys because they're veterans that have played a lot of Pac-12 games. It didn't surprise us, and I feel like those guys did some good things, but, there's definitely room to improve and grow."

Lindgren on whether or not he's worried about Hodgins drawing double-teams

"If someone is going to do that, then you've got other guys and other weapons that you can go to. Whether it be the run game or Tyjon Lindsey, or (Irish), Champ (Flemings), any of those guys I feel good. We're a really balanced offense in such a way that if someone tries to take someone away, we've got other options to take advantage of."

Lindgren on Hawaii

"The first thing that jumps out on film is that they're super active, particularly upfront. You look at the last play of the game against Arizona and a defensive lineman ends up taking down Khalil Tate at the one. They play extremely hard and their pass rush will be a real challenge for us up front."