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With the Oregon State football team (5-2, 3-1 Pac-12) knocking off the Utah Utes (4-3, 3-1) 42-34 at Reser Stadium on Saturday night, BeaversEdge.com gives another edition of the 3-2-1!

MORE: 5 Takeaways | Recruit Reaction | Highlights + Social Media

1. Oregon State Is Capable Of Making Halftime Adjustments When Needed

-> Within the first 10 minutes of the game, Oregon State looked unprepared and shocked following their bye week as they found themselves down 14-0 early against Utah. Multiple careless penalties and mishaps made it seem as if the Utes were going to run away with the game before halftime. The Beavers would eventually calm down in the second quarter, putting up 14 points, but still trailed Utah by 10.

The script was completely flipped when the Beavers came out in the second half and put together a nice 10 play, 75-yard touchdown drive in their first possession. This would set the stage for Luke Musgrave’s momentum-changing play on the next Utah possession when he was able to successfully block the Utah punt, recover it and take 27-yards into the endzone for a Beaver touchdown. This play gave the Beavers their first lead of the night and they never looked back from there, outscoring Utah 21-7 in the third quarter.

OSU showed us that even though they had a rough start in the first half, the players and coaching staff are capable of making key halftime adjustments on both offense and defense. The plays were better executed, and the players seemed more inspired. Much of the reason why the Beavers were able to come on top tonight was due to their improved play in the second half. We have heard coach Smith talk about how his team is battle-tested and their ability to turn it around in the second half continues to prove this.

2. Redzone Efficiency Continues To Be Lethal

-> The OSU offense, partially the passing game, has struggled in recent weeks which has forced the Beavers to rely more heavily on the run. Although we still have not seen a performance from quarterback Chance Nolan as we saw against USC, the Beavers have continued to score when it matters most – in the redzone.

OSU has scored at least a field goal or better on their last 13 of 16 trips inside the redzone since the game against USC. Tonight against Utah the Beavers stayed hot again as they went 5-5, scoring a touchdown each time they were in the redzone. While the passing game did look improved compared to the last two weeks, there are still areas for improvement.

Despite this, the OSU offense took care of business as they needed to each time they were within striking distance tonight. Nolan was able to throw two passing touchdowns and OSU rushed for three more which kept the pressure on Utah to keep needing to score. If the Beavers can continue to capitalize on their redzone opportunities, they are going to be that much more dangerous to play against.

3. The Dynamic Backfield Grows

-> BJ Baylor had another 100-yard rushing game against Utah and casually added another touchdown to his Pac-12-leading total of 10 already. He averaged an excellent eight yards per carry and once again found a way to make the most of every opportunity he was given.

While backup Deshaun Fenwick did not impact the game against Utah as he has in the past so far this season, he did find himself involved briefly. The surprise star of the night was the strong running from third-string running back Trey Lowe as he gashed the Utah defense each time, he carried the ball.

Lowe was able to rush for 53 yards on just three carries which is good enough for nearly 18 yards per carry. Lowe has shown Beaver fans splashes of what he is capable of this season, but tonight he put together arguably his best performance thus far. His carries were also impactful for building momentum because each time he touched the ball it was an OSU first down.

OSU has showcased this season that they have two excellent running backs in Baylor and Fenwick, adding Lowe to the mix gives the offense an added element of surprise and makes them that much harder for opponents to prepare for.