Corvallis – Oregon State returns to play on Saturday with a chance to both spoil Washington State’s bowl hopes and establish the Beavers’ first winning streak of the season. The Beavers (1–7) have endured a challenging season thus far, but are 1-0 under new Interim Head Coach Robb Akey and have home field advantage in Akey’s second game.

While the Beavers only earned their first win of the season two weeks ago, OSU’s 45–13 rout of Louisiana-Lafayette showed what the team can do when the offense and defense click. The Cougars enter Corvallis with a 4-4 record, and could be 6-2 if not for a pair of one-score losses to then no. 4 Ole Miss (24-21) and then no. 18 Virginia (22-20).

Oregon State will expect Quarterback Maalik Murphy to step up against Wazzu, and has thus far thrown for 1,722 yards and nine touchdowns, eight interceptions, and a completion percentage of 58.6. 

While his eight interceptions have hurt at times, Murphy has only thrown three interceptions in his previous five contests versus five interceptions in the Beavers’ first three games. Murphy’s proficiency in throwing the ball downfield gives Oregon State the ability to stretch defenses vertically, especially with top target Trent Walker (48 receptions, 609 yards) consistently hauling in catches.

Oregon State will likely see plenty of carries for junior running back Anthony Hankerson; he has been the offensive engine, racking up 671 yards and six touchdowns on 154 carries. If Hankerson can keep the Beavers away from third-and-long scenarios, Oregon State’s play-action game could create opportunities against the Washington State secondary.

The Cougar offense is led by quarterback Zevi Eckhaus (1,100 yards, nine TDs) and running back Kirby Vorhees (351 yards). Considering that the Beavers rank 125 out of 136 FBS teams in defensive stop rate, which is the proportion of all opponent drives that end in turnover, punts, or turnovers-on-downs, limiting the passing game will be crucial.

Quieting the Cougars’ inside runs and keeping Eckhaus contained in the pocket is a must for OSU, given that Eckhaus averages 9.5 rushing attempts per game, with some being designed QB runs.

Turnovers figure to be critical in the game. The Cougars are 3-4 when losing the turnover battle, while Oregon State is 1-6. The Beavers have suffered two one-score losses (24-27 OT loss against Houston and a 23-27 loss to Appalachian State). If the Beavers can protect the football and force Washington State into numerous third downs, then a war-of-attrition in the trenches may favor the Beavs.

The Cougars enter as a 3.5-point favorite according to ESPN BET, having a 64.1% win probability. The game will be played on Saturday at Reser Stadium at 4:30 p.m. AccuWeather predicts a 60 degree kickoff temperature with a 95% chance of rain on Saturday.