Opponent Preview: Oregon State

With the University of Utah getting ready to face off against Pac-12 foe Oregon State, revenge is on their minds. The Beavers lost a tough to USC last week, giving them their first loss of the season. UteNation caught up with BeaversEdge publisher, Brenden Slaughter, to get in-depth knowledge on Jonathan Smith’s squad:

It’s been a gradual progression under Jonathan Smith at Oregon State. Now in year five, give me your assessment on how you feel it’s gone…

I feel like it’s gone well… While the Beavers did let a winnable game slip against USC a week ago, starting the season 3-0 with wins over Boise State, Fresno State, & Montana State was something that hadn’t been done since the 2014 season. That alone shows the progress that the program has continued to make under head coach Jonathan Smith and I think it’s going to be a continuous build for the remainder of the season. The Beavers have a lot of experience and leadership on this squad and there seems to be a real sense of responsibility from the upperclassmen to have this season be a memorable one after losing the bowl game a season ago… Compared to when he arrived in December of 2017 to now, Oregon State’s program is hardly recognizable and that’s a huge testament to Smith’s ability to be a culture-builder and get the most out of his guys. Smith definitely has his best team in Corvallis this season and there’s certainly a lot of optimism that an upward trend is going to continue.

Chance Nolan has played well other than some struggles against USC. What are his strengths and weaknesses?

Great question… Nolan’s strengths are being able to execute Oregon State’s offense at a high level while delivering efficient quarterback play… It was very atypical for him to have four interceptions last week as he’s usually a lot sharper in his delivery and execution. I also think he’s taken a step forward in his deep-ball accuracy this season compared to last, but the overall accuracy still needs to improve as he’s dipped down about 3% in completion percentage from a year ago. Nolan’s dual-threat ability also comes in handy for the Beavers offensively too as he’s able to extend plays and keep his eyes downfield.

Tight end Luke Musgrave was an important piece to Oregon State’s offense, early on. What is the Beaver offense missing that he provides and who is stepping up to fill his void?

His absence was definitely felt against the Trojans last week… he’s a big part of OSU’s offense and you could tell Chance Nolan was missing him out there as he’s his safety blanket when things are breaking down. Jake Overman and Jack Velling have been the next guys up in that department, but unfortunately neither are Musgrave when it comes to his blend of playmaking and size.

If you were devising a game plan against Oregon State’s defense, how would you attack them?

For starters, Utah has to be aware that this is a much-improved Oregon State defense compared to years past. First-year defensive coordinator Trent Bray has really elevated the play of that unit and we saw arguably the best performance on that side of the ball in a long, long time against USC. However, there are still some areas where the Beavers have to proven to be a bit vulnerable. Slowing down a mobile quarterback (see Cam Rising) has been a bit of a challenge so far this year, and we saw Caleb Williams pull an impressive Houdini act last weekend by being elusive. For Utah to have success against the Beavers, they’ll have to establish a strong ground attack and then be selective in the passing game, taking what the defense gives them. OSU’s secondary is much improved and the linebacker play is solid, so Utah will have to be patient and not force anything offensively.

What needs to be done to stop the Oregon State offense?

For Utah to stop OSU’s offense, they’ll need to shut down the running attack and force the Beavers to be one-dimensional on offense. The Beavers are at their best when they can establish a strong running game that allows Chance Nolan and the passing attack to compliment via the play-action passing game. Nolan and the passing attack are far less dependent on a running game this year compared to the previous seasons as we’ve seen Nolan really grow as a passer this year, but there’s no question that Nolan and the passing are a lot more in sync when the ground game is churning. If Utah can limit OSU’s ability to run and force Nolan into predictable passing situations, the Utes will have a more favorable chance at success.

Who are the key Beavers for Ute fans to focus?

First and foremost you’ve got to know Jack Colletto… OSU’s swiss-army-knife plays on both offense (quarterback, H-Back/TE, & FB) and defense (inside linebacker) and he’s definetly a big part of what the Beavers like to do, specifically on offense as the big-bodied Colletto is load to handle when he gets moving downhill. Also would keep an eye on RB Jam Griffin… may have had his breakout against USC last weekend (seven yards per carry) and I’m curious to see where he figures into this weeks’ rotation. Defensively, keep an eye on Oregon State’s secondary, they’ve played solid football recently, especially against USC… Rejzohn Wright and Jaydon Grant are a couple of guys in the back end to keep an eye on.

What’s your prediction? Why?

While I expect Oregon State to not have any lingering effects from the heartbreaking loss to USC, this is going to be a tough matchup for the Beavers. Utah boasts the best defense in the Pac-12 and I’ve got a feeling they’ve got a little extra in the tank for an OSU squad that handed them their only loss in conference play a year ago. With that being said, I think the Beavers are well-prepared for Rice Eccles-Stadium after facing a hostile environment in Fresno several weeks ago and have confidence in their ability to play well against big-time opponents after coming up oh-so-close against USC… That being said, I expect this contest to be closer than the -10 spread and see the Utes sneaking out a closer-than-expected victory…

Prediction: Utah 31 Oregon State 28