CORVALLIS, Ore. – Washington State coach Mike Leach says he believes Oregon State is on the verge of a turnaround. He just hopes it isn’t Saturday night when the Cougars visit Corvallis, Ore., for a Pac-12 North Division matchup.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Network. LINE: Washington State -17
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The Beavers are off to a 1-4 start, including conference losses to Arizona (35-14) and Arizona State (52-24), but first-year coach Jonathan Smith’s squad has shown positive flashes in each of its outings. “I don’t think Oregon State is going to stay this way,” Leach said Tuesday on the Pac-12 coaches teleconference. “They’re going to steadily improve, and I think they’re a dangerous team. ... They’re battling consistency like I think a lot of us are. When they play consistent, they’re really tough. We have to be ready to meet that challenge if they’re consistent the entire game.” Leach certainly is wary of the trap-game aspect of Saturday’s contest as his team is coming off an emotional, come-from-behind win over Utah and then has a bye week and clashes with nationally-ranked Oregon and Stanford up next.
ABOUT WASHINGTON STATE (4-1, 1-1 Pac-12)
The graduation of Luke Falk, the Pac-12’s all-time passing leader, hasn’t slowed Leach’s Air Raid attack as the Cougars lead the FBS in passing offense with 410.4 yards per game. Gardner Minshew II, a graduate transfer from East Carolina, has completed 67.8 percent of this throws for 1,992 yards, 14 touchdowns and four interceptions and is coming off his most impressive outing yet, shredding what was the nation’s top passing defense in Utah for 445 yards and three TDs in the 28-24 home win last Saturday. Senior linebacker Peyton Pelluer (7.8 tackles per game) leads a sneakily stout defense which ranks among the Pac-12’s stingiest against the run (third with 122.6 yards allowed per game) and pass (first with 154.3 yards).
ABOUT OREGON STATE (1-4, 0-2)
Freshman tailback Jermar Jefferson has been the unquestioned bright spot so far for the Beavers, leading the Pac-12 and ranking third nationally with 145.4 rushing yards per game. A week ago in the loss at Arizona State, Jefferson set the conference’s single-game freshman rushing record with 254 yards and two TDs on 31 carries, breaking his own 238-yard mark he set three weeks earlier in a 48-25 win over Southern Utah. Defense, though, has been Oregon State’s downfall, ranking last in the conference and among the FBS bottom three in points (45.2) and total yards (543.6) surrendered.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Washington State holds a 52-47-3 series lead vs. Oregon State and has won four straight after a 52-23 home romp a season ago.
2. The Cougars have won 10 straight home games but have dropped four of their last five road games, including a 39-36 loss at USC on Sept. 21.
3. The game presents an interesting weakness-vs.-weakness dynamic with the Pac-12’s worst rushing attack (Washington State at 66.2 yards) facing the conference’s last-place run defense (Oregon State at 303.4 yards).
PREDICTION: Washington State 37, Oregon State 24