In what has seemed like an interminable wait through a turbulent offseason of tranfer portal losses and gains, administrative turnover and additions and more, the Bears will travel to Corvallis to square off for the 78th time in their history, with the Bears holding a 40-37 overall advantage. The Beavers have won the last two games in Corvallis against the Bears in 2020 and 2022 and will be playing in newly-remodeled Reiser Stadium in the 7:30 opener.
The game marks the second of a home-and-home matchup scheduled to fill a void when the team needed to add an extra non-conference game to their schedule after moving to the ACC, who plays eight rather than nine conference games annually. The Bears took the opener of the two-game set in dominating fashion last season with a 44-7 win at Memorial Stadium. The Bears would go on to finish 6-7 after an LA Bowl loss while the Beavers stumbled to a 5-7 record in their first post Pac-12 season.
The Beavers will return 3 key players in particular from their 2024 team, starting with running back Anthony Hankerson, who led the team with 1,082 yards and 15 TDs on 232 carries (4.66 ypc) last season. They also return leading receiver Trent Walker who had 81 receptions for 901 yards and 2 TDs. On defense, leading tackler DB Skyler Thomas from nearby Menlo Park totaled 81 tackles along with 9 PBUs, an interception and a forced fumble.
Duke transfer QB Maalik Murphy joins the talented duo of Hankerson and Walker and brings an immediate upgrade to the QB position after completing 254-of-421 passes (60.3%) for 2,933 and 26 TDs with 12 INTs and 7.00 ypa and a QBR of 133.5 - good for 71st in the nation. In contrast, the Beavers’ duo of QBs Ben Gulbranson and Gevani McCoy had similar completion percentages at 60% each for 6.8 yards per attempt but just 7 TDs and 10 interceptions on the season.
Murphy will be playing behind a line with lots of question marks. The Beavers return just one starter in center Van Wells after four starters graduated and one primary backup left through the portal. Several starters missed most or all of fall camp, adding to the shaky projection for the starting unit and QB Murphy reportedly looked rough in the spring behind a line that struggled. Former OSU OL coach Mike Cavanaugh makes his return to OSU 11 years after coaching the line there till 2014. He spent the last two seasons as an offensive analyst at Oregon.
Oregon State is 25-6 since 2021 when rushing for at least 175 yards. Conversely, the Beavers are 5-15 when rushing for less than 175 yards. Last season, OSU averaged 189 yards per game but rushed for just 60 yards in 27 carries against a Bears defense that finished 14th in the nation, giving up just 110 yards per game. The Bears’ run defense figures to be just as stout this season with the return of DL starters Aidan Keanaaina and TJ Bollers and supported up the middle by one of the top defenders in the ACC in MLB Cade Uluave. Keanaaina will be joined by portal transfer DT Zae Smith, who figure to be a talented run-stuffing duo.
On defense, the Beavers struggled mightily on the DL last season, giving up 186 yards per game on the ground and generating just 1.5 sacks on the season. They bring back a pair of sophs as starters in Thomas Collins and Tevita Pome’e who totaled 29 tackles in 2024 while also dealing with injuries. At edge, they’ll start Nebraska transfer Kai Wallin, who had 5 tackles for the Huskers last season along with senior Nikko Taylor one of the Beavers’ ,top returning defenders with 46 tackles with 7.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, eight quarterback hurries, three pass breakups and one blocked kick in 2024.
Up the middle, OSU will return MLB Dexter Foster, who had 43 tackles with two tackles for loss, a sack and two quarterback hurries as a frosh and USC transfer Raesjon Davis who totaled 31 tackles in his 4 seasons at USC in a backup role.
The Beavers’ pass defense was decent in 2024, giving up 214 yards per game and they return their top defender in senior safety Skyer Thomas who led the team in tackles with 81 as well as in pass breakups with 9. Former Bear Sai Vadrawale is getting good reviews at nickel back and soph corner Exodus Ayers is the Beavers’ top corner after adding 21 tackles with 1.5 tackles for loss, a forced fumble and two pass breakups in 2024.
OSU will be led by head coach Trent Bray, in his second season leading the program. The former Oregon State linebacker added the defensive coordinator title in the offseason. Bray is in his 11th season with the program, and took over as the team’s defensive coordinator over the last four games of the 2021 season. He served as DC in both 2022 and 2023. Rod Chance, who coaches the secondary, will serve as Co-Defensive Coordinator. Beavers fans expect a more aggressive defense under Bray with the departure of last season’s DC, Keith Heyward, who is now a DB coach at Cal.
The game will be a big test for both squads, with OSU coming in as surprising 1.5 favorites and it’s a must-win for the Bears if they hope to have a solid season in 2025.
