Oregon State Football: Thursday Report

Following what many are calling a program-defining win for Jonathan Smith and the Oregon State football program against Oregon, the Beavers will be looking to build off that momentum against the likes of the Utah Utes this weekend.

The Beavers (2-2), who are winners of two straight, will have their work cut out for them as they'll be giving backup quarterback Chance Nolan the reigns following starter Tristan Gebbia's injury.

"He's practiced well, he feels confident in the plan, and I'm anxious to see him play," Smith said. "His grasp of the playbook is solid and we're always going to put a gameplan together that our QB is comfortable with. We're going in with a full call sheet."

The 6-foot-3, 200-pound four-star recruit certainly has all the ability to execute Oregon State's offense at a high level and his teammates and coaches believe in him. They believed he could be special from the moment they got a call from one of Smith's oldest colleagues.

"Saddleback CC head coach Mark Mcelroy told us that he thought he had a quarterback that was going to be special and that we needed to keep an eye on him. We did and he was impressive. He can move his feet and make all the throws. It was a real battle though, he had some real options in this league and we're happy to have won that one."

"He has great instincts because early on when he didn't have the grasp of the playbook, he still found ways to move the ball and find open receivers. His instincts in playing the position are really good."

Despite Utah (0-2) looking a bit more mortal this season after losing a lot last season, particularly on the defensive end, Smith still sees an extremely aggressive and talented group that will be tough to handle on both sides of the ball

"It looks pretty similar in regard to physicality, scheme, and emphasis on stopping the run on defense. Offensively they can be explosive and run the ball really well. Sure these guys are 0-2, but they've lost to two really good teams."

NOTES:

- Wide receiver Tre'Shaun Harrison, and running back Trey Lowe, whom both were denied immediate eligibility waivers by the NCAA, aren't going to be available against the Utes. There was some hope that both guys could have been able to go this week with OSU's quarter system ending this weekend, but it'll be next week. Both guys are expected to be available against Stanford per Smith.

- As of writing this story on Thursday afternoon, Smith was unsure of center Nous Keobounnam's status against the Utes. Keobounnam and four others missed the Oregon game due to COVID-19 contact tracing protocols, but he said there was a chance he'd be available.