Oregon State Beavers at Washington State Cougars: What to know ahead of Week 4 game day
Oregon State’s schedule strength goes up a notch this week, as the Beavers open Pac-12 play for the final time in the conference’s current configuration.
The No. 14 Beavers head up to Pullman on Saturday to play at No. 21 Washington State, a matchup between the only two schools left in the Pac-12 after this season.
The two schools have developed a deeper connection this offseason after eight of the schools this summer joined USC and UCLA in leaving the conference beginning in 2024.
“I’ll totally agree with coach (Jake) Dickert in regards to Oregon State and Washington State belong competing at the highest level,” Oregon State coach Jonathan Smith said. “I think there’s a proven product, not just in football, but in all sports.”
To recap, USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington will join the Big Ten, while Colorado, Utah, Arizona and Arizona State will join the Big 12, and Stanford and California are set to join the ACC.
The futures of Oregon State and Washington State are still to be determined.
It’s expected there will be some displays of camaraderie between the two schools at the game.
That is the backdrop to this matchup.
Beavers-Cougars should be competitive start to finish
On the field, it should be a highly competitive game.
Both teams come into the game unbeaten and ranked.
“There’s some good football being played in this league,” Smith said.
Washington State is more proven so far this season, with a win Sept. 9 against then-No. 19 Wisconsin. The Cougars also beat Colorado State and Northern Colorado.
The Beavers have wins against San Jose State, UC Davis and San Diego State.
The Cougars’ strength is on offense.
Washington State is averaging 48.3 points (third in the Pac-12) and 535.3 yards per game (fourth in the Pac-12).
On defense, the Cougars allow 22.3 points (ninth in the Pac-12) and 363.6 yards per game (ninth in the Pac-12).
Cameron Ward drives the offense for Washington State
Quarterback Cameron Ward is the bulk of Washington State’s offense this season.
Ward has completed 72% of his passes for 990 yards, nine touchdowns and no interceptions.
Ward also is the Cougars’ leading rusher at 95 yards and two touchdowns.
“I think he’s playing at a high level,” Smith said about Ward. “He’s played a lot in that scheme. He can create and extend. It’s a challenging scheme when you’ve got a quarterback with that type of talent.”
Lincoln Victor is Washington State’s leading receiver at 342 yards and three touchdowns.
The Cougars’ offense is pass-heavy, throwing for 398.6 yards per game (third in the Pac-12) and 136.6 rushing yards per game (ninth in the Pac-12).
The Beavers’ defense is the best in the Pac-12 at getting to the quarterback, with a conference-leading 12 sacks. The Cougars have been vulnerable in that area, allowing seven sacks, which is ninth-worst in the Pac-12.
The Beavers’ defense overall is the best again in the conference, holding opponents to just 260 total yards per game, which is at least 10 yards per game better than any other team in the Pac-12.
DJ Uiagalelei will try to bounce back after struggles against San Diego State
Offensively, Oregon State is just eighth in the conference, averaging 466 yards per game.
Beavers quarterback DJ Uiagalelei struggled last week against San Diego State, really the first time he’s struggled this season — 14 of 30 for 284 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. He also rushed for a touchdown.
For the season, Uiagalelei has completed 61% of his passes for 630 yards, six touchdowns and two interceptions. He’s also rushed for four touchdowns.
He’ll look to bounce back in Pullman this week.
Receivers Silas Bolden and Anthony Gould, a West Salem graduate, have been reliable targets for Uiagalelei — Bolden has 13 catches for 159 yards and a touchdown in three games, and Gould has six catches for 156 yards and two touchdowns in two games.
On the ground, the Beavers have rushed for 657 yards, averaging 6.3 yards per carry behind that strong offensive line. Damien Martinez leads them with 351 yards and one touchdown.
Beavers look for eighth straight win dating to last season
Oregon State has won seven games in a row dating to last season, the first time that’s happened since the 2000 season when they won the Fiesta Bowl against Notre Dame and finished No. 4 in the AP poll.
The Beavers can make it eight in a row Saturday by starting the Pac-12 season off right with a road victory against a ranked team.
ABOUT THE GAME
Who: No. 14 Oregon State vs. No. 21 Washington State
When: 4 p.m. Saturday
Where: Martin Stadium, Pullman
Records: Oregon State (3-0 overall, 0-0 Pac-12); Washington State (3-0 overall; 0-0 Pac-12)
Line: Oregon State by 2.5
TV: Fox
Prediction: Oregon State 24, Washington State 21
Statesman Journal reporter Pete Martini covers college and high school sports. He can be reached at pmartini@StatesmanJournal.com.
This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Oregon State Beavers football at Washington State: What to know
