With the Oregon State football team dropping a heartbreaking decision at the hands of their arch-rivals in the 123rd edition of the Civil War, BeaversEdge.com Managing Editor Brenden Slaughter gives you his thoughts as the team prepares for an important offseason heading into year three of the Jonathan Smith regime.
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- No words were needed... the expressions on the faces of the Oregon State seniors as they were giving the final interviews of their college careers said it all. Between quarterback Jake Luton fighting tears as he told the media he couldn't throw the football in pregame warm-ups and safety Jalen Moore actually having tears come to fruition as he knew his college career was over, there was a bevy of sadness and disappointment flowing from the OSU locker room.
- Who could blame them? After being shellacked by Oregon by a combined score of 124-25 the last two seasons, the Beavers went toe-to-toe with the Ducks, taking their best shot while still giving themselves a chance to come out on top. This group of seniors was victorious over the Ducks in 2016, but this was a winnable game against a very-good opponent where the Beavers just let one slip.
- Following up on Luton... I feel for him. Luton has been through just about everything in his Oregon State career and quite simply, it's not fair that he wasn't able to finish it out. After working his way through numerous injuries in his college career (one almost career-ending), seeing Luton not be able to play in the last game of his sixth-season with a bowl on the line sounds like a cruel joke gone wrong. The bigger concern is Luton's arm (which he described as tight following the contest) moving forward as he has legit NFL considerations heading into this years' draft. I don't believe we've seen the last of Luton playing football, but for him to go out in this fashion is a brutal pill to swallow
- While this one will be tough for everyone in and around the program to digest, seeing the Beavers compete and stick with the likes of Oregon for an entire game speaks volumes to how quickly head coach Jonathan Smith has gotten this program turned around. Even without Luton, the Beavers were still able to hang around with a very-talented Oregon team right up until the final moments. If Jermar Jefferson hangs onto the ball with the Beavers trailing by seven in the late stages of the fourth, we could be talking about a very different outcome.
- Despite not having the performance that he would have liked to have, credit has to given to quarterback Tristan Gebbia. After being Luton's understudy for the entire 2019 campaign, Gebbia was thrust into action for his first career start one in one of the most hostile environments in all of college football with a bowl berth on the line. While Gebbia's line wasn't bad (26-of-40 for 240 yards) the Beavers were notably less-effective moving the ball down the field, scoring its third-lowest point total of the season while trying to figure out anything that worked on offense. Oregon's defensive line and linebackers were largely stout against the Oregon State ground game (34 carries, 137 total yards) and that forced Gebbia to throw a lot more than Smith and Co. would have hoped for. While there are certainly still roster additions that can happen between now and spring football, we were able to get a taste and a look of what Gebbia would bring the offense on a consistent basis. While the former four-star recruit was thrown to the wolves so to speak, he didn't turn the ball over and brought some new elements (scrambling, more designed QB rollouts) to the offense that should excite Beaver fans.. The offense will likely look slightly different next season as Gebbia's skillset differs from that of Luton's, but when looking at things from a glass half full mindset, Gebbia getting to start and play in this game will only help prepare him for the future. Oregon State opens on the road at Oklahoma State to start the 2020 season, and I'd be willing to bet that the experience of starting a Civil War game on the road will do wonders for his poise and moxy against the Cowboys.
- While the loss will certainly put a damper on the 2019 season, make no mistake, this season exceeded the expectations of just about anyone that followed Oregon State football. Smith is still hamstrung by the mistakes of the Gary Andersen tenure, but we'll likely see a shift next season as year three is when teams really start to turn the corner. Jonathan Smith's group missed some opportunities this season sure, but if you had told me prior to the start of the season that the Beavers would go 5-7 with wins over UCLA, Arizona, Cal, and Arizona State in Pac-12 play, I wouldn't have believed you. What Smith has accomplished in two short years is nothing short of impressive and that's why leaving Autzen Stadium, I feel that the future is glowingly bright for Oregon State football.
This is only the beginning...
