A different schedule with a taste of the past will take the Beavers down an uncharted river for the 2024 season.
The dam will be built under new coaching staff, hoping to stop opponents west of the Willamette.
“The schedule will feel different as the season goes along. The first months feel similar with the type of schedule they’re playing, with FCS to open and a Mountain West game with San Diego State, then back to back at home with Oregon and Purdue,” said Mike Parker, long-time Oregon State University radio announcer.
Not only is the schedule feeling different, but the man with the radio headset leading the Beavers will be Trent Bray, who was named head coach before the Sun Bowl matchup against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in 2023.
“Trent is the ideal leader for this challenging time for Oregon State football. He is committed to improving the team and helping the team maintain a high level of play,” Parker said. “He surrounds himself with people with similar qualities. It’s a good blend of coaches with veterans and youth who can recruit well with a place they know well.”
Come week two, Bray won’t be the only new head coach at the helm. The man standing on the opposite sideline, Sean Lewis, will be hoping to make a statement with the San Diego State Aztecs.
The schedule, consisting of seven Mountain West matchups, will provide a new flavor for the Beaver fan base, but familiar foes will visit the Beaver dam as newly initiated Big Ten member, University of Oregon, pays their visit to Corvallis on September 14.
Then, in the second half of the season, OSU will visit Atlantic Coast Conference opponent University of California Berkeley on October 26.
“The first half (of the season) has a big-time and familiar feel. The timing of the schedule in the second half with a trip to Cal Berkeley and at home against Washington State University will balance the feel of playing a lot of Mountain West schools and give an importance of familiarity,” Parker said.
The new era of Trent Bray football is upon us with the newly charged Beaver battery energizing the entire season.
“The offense is going to feel and look quite a bit different than what we saw in the last era and that’s exciting. I look forward to seeing how versatile Ryan Gunderson’s offense is going to get going,” Parker said. “Trent Bray and Keith Heyward’s defense, they will be flat out good, and excellent coaches giving the Beavers a legitimate chance to compete and win every game they’re in.”
Fans can catch the first Oregon State football game when the Beavers host Idaho State University at Reser Stadium on August 31.
