Earlier I previewed the first half of the Oregon State Football Schedule, and you can read that here. Today, we look ahead to the second half of the season and look at the key games for the Beavers.
Oregon State Football Schedule Analysis: Games 6-12
Saturday, October 24th: at Stanford (Time TBA)
What a game these two produced last year. Stanford pulled out a close one, 20-12 in Corvallis. Stanford lost some key leadership on defense, but they return quarterback Kevin Hogan and wide receiver Ty Montgomery on offense. Oregon State should be off to a strong start to the season, but will the hot start be enough to hold off the Cardinal?
Prediction: Stanford, with the help of speedy reciever Ty Montgomery, should hand the Beavers their second loss of the season. Stanford will look to take advantage of an unhealthy offensive line for the Beavers. Oregon State will likely struggle to keep Sean Mannion upright, and Stanford should grab a win at home in Palo Alto.
Record: 6-2 (2-2 in Pac 12)
Saturday, November 1st: vs California (Time TBA)
The Beavers, who are 2-0 against California since 2011, will look to return to their winning ways against Jared Goff and the Golden Bears. The Oregon State receivers should be able to exploit the California secondary, and Sean Mannion should be able to have a nice game. If the Beavers run game shows up, this one may not be close.
Prediction: Sean Mannion and the Beavers should be able to move the ball well against the California defense. The Beaver defense should play well and make it difficult for Jared Goff to get anything going on offense. Oregon State should return to its winning ways, and send the Bears back to Berkeley with a loss.
Record: 7-2 (3-2 in Pac 12)
Saturday, November 8th: vs Washington State (Time TBA)
How will the Cougars look in year 3 under Mike Leach? Leach will likely continue to use the pass happy offense in 2014. This one may be an offensive shootout in Corvallis. Expect Connor Halliday to throw the ball well over 50 times, and Washington State to light up the scoreboard. However, if there is one thing that Connor Halliday has struggled with during his time at Washington State, it’s his decision making.
Prediction: Sean Mannion will also throw the ball all around the field, connecting with multiple tight ends and running backs. Washington State should light up the scoreboard, but Oregon State should force multiple turnovers from the Cougars, and ultimutly pull off a close one in Corvallis.
Record: 8-2 (4-2 in Pac 12)
Saturday, November 15th: vs Arizona State (Time TBA)
The Sun Devils will look to build off an extremely succsessful 2013 season. Led by senior quarterback Taylor Kelly, the Sun Devil’s offense should be loaded with weapons. Will the Beaver defense be able to stop a mobile quarterback such as Taylor Kelly? If all goes to plan for Oregon State up to this point, This could be a battle of top 25 teams.
Prediction: This could be the best defense Oregon State has had in years. However, the Beavers usually struggle to contain a mobile quarterback. Expect Arizona State to put up lots of points and establish an early run game. Arizona State should win this one by a few scores.
Record: 8-3 (4-3 in Pac 12)
Saturday, November 22nd: at Washington (Time TBA)
How will Washington look in 2014 after losing quarterback Keith Price and running back Bishop Sankey? That’s the question they will try to answer this year as they face, possibly, the most loaded conference in the country. The Seattle crowd will be loud, and the Huskies will look to score early to put the game out of reach.
Prediction: I can see this game going either way. However, Oregon State has a history of sturggling in Seattle. If Oregon State jumps out to an early lead, they could pull off a win. The Huskies should come away with a win in Seattle, though.
Record: 8-4 (4-4 in Pac 12)
Saturday, November 29th: vs Oregon (Time TBA)
With a Heisman contender at quarterback, the Oregon Ducks will look to make it 7 straight wins against the Beavers. Reser stadium will be rocking to the tune of 47 thousand fans for the 118th playing of the “Civil War.” Oregon pulled away with a 36-35 win last season in Eugene.
Prediction: The Beaver defense should be strong throughout the season, but Oregon’s offense should have no problem scoring, and the Ducks will likely run away with their 7th straight win in the series.
Record: 8-5 (4-5 in Pac 12)
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