12/20/2020 football Edit

The 3-2-1: Beavers Close 2020 With Loss To Arizona State

Brenden Slaughter • BeaversEdge

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With the Oregon State football team (2-5) closing out the 2020 season with a 46-33 loss to Arizona State (2-2) at Reser Stadium, BeaversEdge.com gives another edition of the 3-2-1...

MORE: WATCH: Beavers Break Down ASU Loss

Three Things We Learned

1. Oregon State Fought Till The Bitter End

-> Heading into the final game of the season, with almost nothing to play for outside of pride, you've got to admire Oregon State's spirit in not giving up against Arizona State. Even when the Beavers were down multiple scores and the game looked over at several different points, they didn't quit and that truly shows the spirit and resilience of this squad.

Rebuilds aren't a linear process, and while a 2-5 record may seem like a subpar season at best, it doesn't truly show how close the Beavers were this year. Whether it was losing by one score to Washington, Stanford, & Utah, or being in the games against Washington State & Arizona State at various points, the Beavers were in every single game this season, and that's a far cry from where they were not long ago.

The losses to end the year were frustrating, but there are a lot of positives to take away from the season, most notably the fact that the Beaver team that used to fold when things got tough is no longer a thing. Growth takes time, and there's ample reason to think things could be much different next season.

2. Defense Struggles Without Avery Roberts, Nahshon Wright

-> To put it kindly, Oregon State's defense took a big step back against Arizona State. After defensive coordinator Tim Tibesar said the defense arguably played its best game of the season against Stanford, the Beavers allowed 514 yards and 46 points to Arizona State.

Not exactly a recipe for success...

Perhaps a reason for the subpar play was the absence of two key starters on defense, linebacker Avery Roberts (the Pac-12's leading tackler), and cornerback Nahshon Wright. Both play a key role in Oregon State's defensive scheme, but perhaps no one is more valuable to the defenses' success than Roberts. He's the glue that holds the middle of the defense together and based on ASU's 375 yards on the ground, it was resoundingly clear that his presence was missed.

The Beavers still need more on defense, and they'll have to take a massive step forward in that department to be successful next season...

3. Ben Gulbranson Showed He’ll Factor Into The QB Competition

-> One of the more interesting developments late in the contest was the insertion of backup quarterback Ben Gulbranson. The true-freshman quarterback shined in his limited showing as he completed 6-of-9 passes for 64 yards and one touchdown. Given that Tristan Gebbia won't likely be ready for the start of spring, and that Chance Nolan didn't lead the Beavers to wins in his final three starts, there's no question that the quarterback competition will be wide open heading into the spring.

Add in incoming freshman Sam Vidlak who's going to be here for the spring and all of a sudden we've got an intriguing quarterback battle that's as deep as it is talented. There's a lot of different skill sets within the group and Gulbranson showed that he's going to factor in heavily as well. Don't be surprised if the QB battle goes all the way into the late stages of fall camp as the coaching staff will have a lot to decipher.

Two Questions

1. What will Jermar Jefferson & Hamilcar Rashed decide?

-> If there's one major question heading into the next few days, it's the decisions that running back Jermar Jefferson & outside linebacker Hamilcar Rashed have ahead of them in regards to the NFL Draft.

Rashed, a redshirt-senior, has already graduated and spurned the NFL Draft last year, so it's anyone's guess what he'll decide. Given that he didn't have a statistically great season and dealt with some injuries, perhaps he'll look to come back. But as far as accomplishing what he needed to in college, there's not much left for him to prove other than fine-tuning his game and leading his team to a bowl game.

In the case of Jefferson, a junior, the decision is perhaps a bit more tricky as this is the first year he can flirt with the draft, while still being able to return to OSU as a junior next season. All in all, his decision will likely come down to what's best for him and his family, and should he decide to go pro, he'll leave Oregon State as one of the best running backs to ever put on the uniform.

2. How much turnover will the roster have in the coming days/weeks?

-> Outside of Jefferson & Rashed's impending decisions, the next big question facing the roster is how much turnover will there be from the current group? The wide-open transfer portal has certainly opened up some options across the country for many players, and given the nature of this season, some players may find a different situation is better for them.

It truly could be the wild west as far as players hopping around the next few weeks and months, and it'll be up to the Beavers to handle those additions and departures in the smoothest fashion possible. OSU has proven to be very effective at adding talent in various ways during the offseason, so if there's some change within the roster, shoring up any loose ends will be crucial.

One Prediction

Oregon State will attack this offseason like we haven't seen in the Jonathan Smith era

-> Given how painfully close the Beavers were to getting over the hump this season, I'd be willing to bet that the team and coaching staff will attack this offseason with a vigor we haven't seen in the Smith era.

Losing is always painful, but losing close and losing games that were easily in your grasp will drive you to put in that extra work in all aspects and that's the mindset the Beavers have to get over the proverbial hump and return to the postseason.

This offseason figures to be like no other for a various number of reasons, and if the Beavers can take advantage of the downtime and return to spring ball with an intense focus, I could see the building blocks being laid for a successful season in 2021 that results in the team returning to the postseason.