Preview 2019: Previewing and looking ahead to the Oregon State Beavers season with what you need to know.
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– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
– Recruiting Class Analysis | Schedule Analysis
– Oregon State Previews 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015
2018 Record: 2-10 overall, 1-8 in Pac-12
Head Coach: Jonathan Smith, 2nd year, 2-10
– CFN Preview 2019: All The Team Previews
5. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE OREGON STATE OFFENSE
– There were plenty of issues in 2018, but the offense wasn’t all that bad. It didn’t score enough – averaging 26 points per game – but it ran well at times and average over 400 total yards per game. There’s enough talent returning for more production and be more explosive, because …
– The receiving corps is dangerous. The combination of Isaiah Hodgins and Trevon Bradford is good, and there’s depth in the group. In all, 11 of the top 12 wide receivers are back – including tight ends Isaiah Smalls and Noah Togiai – and transferring in from Nebraska is Tyjon Lindsey, which means …
– The quarterback play should be better and more consistent. 6-7 Jake Luton got another year of eligibility, and he’s got the big arm and experience push the ball down the field more after throwing ten touchdown passes and just four picks in his eight games of work.
Stepping into the fight for the starting job is Nebraska transfer Tristan Gebbia, whose only flaw is not being Adrian Martinez. Both will see time, and both will battle through fall camp for the top spot.
– The 1-2 rushing punch of Jermar Jefferson and Artavis Pierce is among the Pac-12’s best and most versatile. Jefferson is the 1,380-yard workhorse, and Pierce is the good veteran who dangerous quick receiver with the burst to crank up the big play on the ground. The skill positions are in place, but …
– And here’s the problem … the O line needs some reworking. Next-level awful last year, the line allowed a nation-high 48 sacks and 99 tackles for loss. Only two starters return – guard Gus Lavaka and tackle Blake Brandel, likely for the left side – and the depth is lacking.
NEXT: What You Need To Know About the Defense, Top Players, Keys to the Season, What Will Happen
4. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE OREGON STATE DEFENSE
– The defense had a few issues. It was the second-worst in the nation – allowing 537 yards and 46 points per game – hurt mostly by the second-worst defense in college football. At least it’ll be an experienced group with the top ten tacklers and eight starters returning along with seven JUCO transfers, beginning with …
– The linebacking corps has the upside to be great. Hamlicar Rashed is the team’s best playmaker in the backfield with edge rush skills, and 235-pound Shemar Smith is back on the inside after coming up with 85 stops. Veterans are in place for the other two stops, there’s depth, and coming in this summer is 6-4, 253-pound Oklahoma transfer Addison Gumbs to join Rashed in an outside pass rushing role.
– The secondary is also full of veterans, but there’s no developed depth, and it’s coming off a season with just one of the team’s three interceptions. Leading tackler Jalen Moore returns to one safety spot, but the corner spots are up for grabs. Junior Isaiah Dunn should hold down a job after starting for half of last season, but the recruiting class has to help contribute right away.
– There was little no pass rush from the front three, and less happening against the run. At least there’s a whole lot of size.
6-2, 320-pound JUCO transfer Jordan Whittley will be stuck in the middle of the whole thing and asked to gum up everything right away, 6-3, 385-pound Elu Aydon is a giant body to get through, and 6-0, 269-pound sophomore bowling ball Isaac Hodgins is coming off a 30-tackle season.
NEXT: Top Players, Keys To the Season, What Will Happen
3. TOP OREGON STATE PLAYERS
Best Oregon State Offensive Player
RB Jermar Jefferson, Soph.
There were a whole lot of problems with the 2018 season, but the emergence of Jefferson into a rushing star provided a glimmer of hope.
The 5-10, 216-pounder showed quickness and versatility running for 1,380 yards and 12 scores – averaging 5.8 yards per carry – with 23 catches. He didn’t score a touchdown over the last six games, but he was still the focal point of the offense that sputtered and coughed way too often. He can be a workhorse, but Artavis Pierce will handle some of the workload.
2. WR Isaiah Hodgins, Jr.
3. WR Trevon Bradford, Sr.
4. QB Jake Luton, Sr.
5. QB Tristan Gebbia, Soph.
Best Oregon State Defensive Player
LB Hamilcar Rashest, Jr.
Jalen Moore might be the main man in the secondary, but the D needs Rashest more. The 6-4, 236-pounder stepped up as a sophomore coming up with 58 tackles with 2.5 sacks and a team-high 11.5 tackles for loss. A hybrid edge rusher on the outside, he needs to generate more pressure, but he’s as good a playmaker in the backfield as the Beavers have.
2. S Jalen Moore, Sr.
3. LB Shermar Smith, Sr.
4. S Shawn Wilson, Sr.
5. DT Elu Aydon, Sr.
NEXT: Keys to the Season, Prediction & What Will Happen
2. KEYS TO THE SEASON
Biggest Key To The Oregon State Offense
Stop opposing defenses from jumping on the quarterback’s head. The offensive line was okay for a ground game that had a few nice moments, but it got the quarterbacks beaten up.
The Beavers allowed an average of four sacks per game and 48 overall. No one else allowed more than 3.58 per game, and only 11 other lines gave up more than three.
No, really, how bad was it? The 2017 Beavers allowed 18 sacks – the 2018 version gave up 30 more.
Biggest Key To The Oregon State Defense
A stop against someone’s running game would be refreshing. The 2017 Beaver defense struggled against the run, giving up 2,829 yards and 35 scores with teams averaging 5.5 yards per carry. But that was about par for the course, with the D getting consistently gouged from 2015 through 2017.
The 2018 run defense was blasted for 6.8 yards per carry, allowing 3,382 yards and 37 scores.
Southern Utah and Nevada failed to get to 160 rushing yards. Everyone else ran for 200 or more, six teams passed the 300-yard mark, and Arizona destroyed the Beaver run D.
By the way, over the last two seasons, Arizona has run for a combined 930 yards and ten scores.
Key Player To A Successful Season
DT Jordan Whittley, Sr.
No pressure, new guy. Just help fixed the nation’s second-worst defense by sitting on the nose and gumming things up. There’s plenty of size among the front three, but this group has to be more than a doormat.
The 6-2, 320-pound Whittley comes in from the JUCO ranks and had a good spring, but it’s asking way too much for the line to be night-and-day better … unless Whittley is fantastic.
Key Game To The Oregon State Season
Oklahoma State, Aug. 30
How much better are the Beavers? After such an awful season defensively, coming up with a strong performance in the opener against what should be one of the nation’s most powerful offenses would be a big deal.
The program was roasted in the last three season openers – struggling through a 77-31 loss to Ohio State – but they were all on the road. A win by the Beavers would be wonderful, but simply a good showing might just be enough of a confidence boost. An ugly blowout loss might signal more of the same.
– Oregon State Schedule Breakdown & Analysis
2018 Oregon State Fun Stats
– 1st Quarter Scoring: Opponents 144 – Oregon State 62
– Onside Kicks: Oregon State 2-for-3 – Opponents 0-for-1
– Sacks: Opponents 48 for 367 yards – Oregon State 15 for 90 yards
NEXT: What Will Happen
1. OREGON STATE WIN TOTAL PREDICTION: WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN
There will still be growing pains.
Jonathan Smith is still a young head coach trying to figure it all out, and part of that means the total gut job that started last year has to continue.
The Beavers went way young at several spots as they prepared for the near future, but the payoff isn’t going to be there quite yet, mainly because of the talent on the lines.
The skill guys are good enough to make some Pac-12 noise, but it doesn’t matter if the quarterbacks are getting steamrolled over on a regular basis. Throw in the porous run D, and there’s a whole lot of pressure being put on to keep up the pace.
But there’s experience now, even if the overall depth is a bit lacking. There’s enough to take a decent step forward, but that only means …
Set The Regular Season Win Total At … 3
After winning one game in 2017, and two in 2018, getting to three would be at least a move up. More importantly, though, the program has to be more competitive.
Other than the win over Colorado and the close call 37-35 loss to Nevada, the Beavers were destroyed by every other FBS team on the slate – 13 of the last 14 games against Power Five teams were double-digit losses.
They’ll get by Cal Poly, possibly win at Hawaii, and they’ll pull off a shocker somewhere else, but there aren’t enough layups on the slate to push for six wins.
Again, just be interesting, Oregon State. It’ll at least be that.
– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– Recruiting Class Analysis | Schedule Analysis
