WSU's keys to victory against Oregon State | Two-minute drill

Oct. 16—Washington State at Oregon State

Saturday, 3 p.m.

Line: Oregon State favored by 18 1/2

TV: USA Network Radio: 920-AM

Key matchupWSU secondary against OSU receiver Jesse Legree: Nobody has the power to swing Saturday’s game quite like OSU freshman wideout Jesse Legree, who leads the country with 12 receiving touchdowns, winning Pac-12 Freshman of the Week honors all six weeks of the season thus far. He’s speedy and reliable, without a single drop on 54 targets, a remarkable accomplishment. The Cougars’ secondary will have its hands full, particularly cornerbacks Jalil Tucker and Khamari Terrell, the latter of whom will likely get the Legree matchup.

Six teams have tried to slow quarterback Braden Atkinson, Legree and the Beavers’ offense. Six have failed. What does that mean for WSU’s chances on defense? To give themselves a shot, the Cougars’ pass-rushing duo of Matyus McLain and Linus Zunk will have to generate pressure on Atkinson. Only one problem: OSU’s offensive line has been responsible for just two sacks.

To generate meaningful pass rush, the Cougars might target the two weak spots on the Beavs’ offensive line: Right tackle Teko Shoats, who has been dinged for 10 pressures, according to Pro Football Focus; and right guard Tyler Voltin, who has given up two sacks. For WSU, that puts the onus on McLain and Zunk, plus interior linemen like Kaden Beatty and Jirah Leaupepetele, the latter of whom generated a solo sack last weekend against Utah State.

How the Cougs win…

To spring an upset, WSU would have to see one of two things happen: Significantly limit Oregon State’s offense or get a big day from QB Owen Eshelman and the offense. If either happens, odds might skew the way of the Cougs’ offense, which has been rotten this season — but with Eshelman coming in for Caden Pinnick, whose turnovers and inability to stretch the field hampered his offense, the visitors might be able to surprise the Beavers.

If Eshelman can hit on a few passes early, it might open things up for WSU’s rushing game, which is still trying to break out in a consistent way. Tailbacks Maxwell Woods and Kirby Vorhees haven’t gotten many chances on the ground, much of that a credit to their offense’s bad habit of quick three-and-outs, but with enough carries, they might have a chance to keep their offense on the field.

How the Beavers win…

Oregon State can win this game the same way it has each of its last four: By unleashing a surging offense. Atkinson and Legree could be in for a big day against the WSU defense, whose one weakness has been the big play, which accounted for one of the touchdowns Utah State used to beat the Cougars last weekend.

The Cougs have defended the run well, especially in short-yardage situations, but they’ve never done so against a passing offense as potent as the Beavs’. That could mean opportunities for OSU running backs AJ Newberry and Cornell Hatcher Jr., who have combined for 475 rushing yards and six scores on the ground.

Key stat: 0

That’s how many times Legree has been held to under 100 receiving yards this fall. It’s also the amount of times Atkinson has passed for fewer than 300 yards. WSU might be able to find a way to pull an upset while allowing those trends to continue, but doesn’t look likely.

Quotable

“I want to win out,” WSU linebacker Keith Brown said. ” I think we have the talent to win out. I wanna do that. I wanna go out my senior year with multiple wins under our belt, and yeah, just continue to try and get better every single day and and put our best foot forward.”