Oregon State Football: Thursday Report

Head coach Jonathan Smith, who's entering his third season leading the program, feels that his team is ready and that they've put in the effort and are itching to take the field.

"These guys have been putting in great efforts in the meetings and on the field this week," Smith said. "They're anxious to get this thing going. I thought our preparation was really crisp."

With the new-look Washington State Cougars on deck, the Beavers have had to dive into a variety of game-tape ranging from Hawaii to Wyoming in preparation for what new head coach Nick Rolovich is bringing to the table.

While there are always some uncertainties in the first game, Smith feels that the Beavers have been diligent in this preparation for some time and that they'll find out a lot when they take the field.

"We've been watching these guys for a while now. It's a little unsettling knowing you don't know exactly what you're going to get, but it's going to feel really good to get out there on Saturday and find out."

Naturally, one of the biggest concerns in every first game is how good the tackling will be. It's something that isn't worked on a ton throughout camp to keep injuries at bay, but there's always a razor-thin margin between being ready while also keeping guys fresh.

In the case of the Beavers this season with a delayed start to the season, Smith feels confident that he and the coaches were able to balance that line and really get the best out of their guys in that regard.

"It's that fine line of doing too much and too little. We had a couple of scrimmage with live tackling and then had segments of a few practices being live. There's some uncertainty, but I feel like we've given these guys a ton of opportunities to tackle while also keeping them safe."

Notes

- Smith noted during his media availability that sophomore defensive back JoJo Forest has not been available during fall camp. We can't confirm anything, but each time a player has chosen to opt-out thus far, the coaches have said that the player has been "unavailable" for fall camp. If that is indeed the case, he'd join OL Onesimus Clarke, DB Jonathan Riley, DL Jeromy Reichner.

- Smith said that defensive back David Morris is likely a go for Saturday and that outside linebacker Addison Gumbs is out. Check back Friday morning for an in-depth injury report...