Every Friday during game week, the BeaversEdge.com staff will give its predictions for Oregon State's matchup. With the Beavers set to head west to the islands for a matchup with Hawaii, Brenden, Jared, and Mitch give their predictions.
BRENDEN SLAUGHTER'S PICK
Get ready for a lot of offense folks...
With both Oregon State and Hawaii having their fair share of deficiencies on the defensive side of the ball, it's possible that we'll see over 100 points scored, and perhaps even over 1,000 total yards of offense.
However, with that being said, I believe the team with the stronger defense will ultimately win this contest. With the Beavers and Warriors both boasting strong, high-powered offenses that are capable of matching each other stride for stride, the defense is going to be at a premium. Whichever defense is able to force turnovers and get the occasional three and out is going to likely belong to the team that emerges victorious.
While Oregon State's defense wasn't pretty against Oklahoma State, it's often said that teams make the biggest adjustments of the season from weeks one to two, and I think the Beavers will do just enough defensively to get their offense an extra possession in what's a long, and exciting #Pac-12AfterDark shootout at Aloha Stadium.
Prediction: Oregon State 56, Hawaii 49
JARED HALUS' PICK
Although I was wrong about last weeks game, I’m going to stick with my preseason prediction that the views in Hawaii won’t be as pretty as watching Oregon State top the Rainbow Warriors for their first win of the season.
Hawaii has had a long two weeks to prepare for the Beavers, allowing the team to touch up on what was an overall sloppy performance against Arizona. If the home team commits as many turnovers as they did against Arizona, however, I don’t see Oregon State’s offense giving them a chance to stick around.
While I don’t see Hawaii turning the ball over six times again this week, a few forced turnovers and a couple more stops from the Beaver defense will help Oregon State find themselves victorious in the Aloha State.
Prediction: Oregon State 48 Hawaii 45
MITCH MONGE'S PICK
Let’s be frank. Hawaii’s offense was far from perfect in Week 0 versus Arizona. With six total turnovers, the Rainbow Warriors struggled to maintain possession of the ball, and nearly lost the game in the closing seconds. On the other hand, Oregon State forced zero turnovers last week against Oklahoma State. Both teams have room for improvement on the defensive end, and the team who ultimately surrenders less total yards will win.
Both offenses are extremely potent, and can score at any given moment. Between Isaiah Hodgins and Cedric Byrd, there will be plenty of big plays Saturday night. While Hawaii may have a decision to make on who the starting quarterback will be after Cole McDonald threw four interceptions, it will be the wily veteran Jake Luton under center for the Beavs. Luton was sharp, but far from special against Oklahoma State. He and Isaiah Hodgins showcased their connection, but Luton lacked help aside from Tyjon Lindsey. It will be up to offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren to establish the ground game early in order to open up the passing game.
With the travel to Hawaii as well as lacking confidence on defense, I see the Beavers dropping this game in Hawaii. I don’t think the Beaver secondary will be able to stop the high-powered Rainbow Warrior offense. Unfortunately, I see the Beavs drop to 0-2.
Prediction: Oregon State: 35 Hawaii: 49
