Oregon State Beavers vs. San Diego State Aztecs Pick & Prediction SEPTEMBER 7th 2024
Preview and Prediction
Oregon State and San Diego State will face a tougher challenge when they clash on Saturday night in a non-conference matchup in San Diego.
The Beavers (1-0) dominated Idaho State 38-15 last weekend, racking up 362 rushing yards in the process.
San Diego State turned up the heat in the second half to secure a 45-14 victory against Texas A&M-Commerce on Saturday night. This game marked the debut of Aztecs head coach Sean Lewis.
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"We have a difficult task ahead of us this week against San Diego State," stated Oregon State coach Trent Bray. "They are a strong team with plenty of talent and a well-coached squad. Playing on the road is always a challenge, so we need to be at our best and show improvement from our first game to our second."
Bray noted that the Aztecs' offense is similar to his own team's.
"Last week was a unique experience in many ways," Bray explained. "Not only their offense, but also their defense. We are now back to a more familiar style that we have practiced against, so I am looking forward to it."
Bray also praised San Diego State's true freshman quarterback, Danny O'Neil, after watching film of his performance.
O'Neil completed 22 of 33 passes for 214 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. Bray's plan is to force O'Neil to make difficult throws.
"I have confidence in our ability to do that," Bray stated.
Lewis acknowledged that the Aztecs will need to control the line of scrimmage better than Idaho State did against the Beavers.
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Oregon State's Jam Griffin rushed for 160 yards on 20 carries, while Anthony Hankerson added 155 yards on 24 carries and both scored two touchdowns.
"They rely heavily on their running game and controlling the clock," Lewis observed. "We need to do a good job of stopping the run and taking away that advantage from them. It will be a tough test for us."
Lewis also emphasized the need for the Aztecs to cut down on penalties after committing 16 for 149 yards in their last game.
"We need to be more disciplined and pay attention to the details," Lewis stressed. "The number of penalties we had last week was unacceptable and greatly impacted our drives and extended our opponents' drives. It is something we need to focus on and improve."
Oregon State Beavers vs. San Diego State Aztecs Recap SEP 7TH 2024
Jam Griffin and Anthony Hankerson each rushed for a touchdown and visiting Oregon State held San Diego State to seven first downs in a 21-0 victory on Saturday night.
Oregon State (2-0) ran 78 total plays and possessed the ball for 41:07, while the Aztecs (1-1) had the ball for just 18:53 and called 49 plays.
Griffin rushed for 89 yards on 18 carries, and Hankerson finished with 71 yards on 16 carries.
Oregon State quarterback Gevani McCoy completed 15 of 25 passes for 160 yards. Trent Walker was his top target, finishing with eight receptions for 92 yards. Gabarri Johnson threw for a TD for the Beavers.
San Diego State true freshman quarterback Danny O'Neil completed 11 of 24 passes for 107 yards.
The Beavers were leading 7-0 when Walker dropped a wide-open pass on a flea flicker early in the third quarter, and the ensuing punt travelled just 14 yards to the San Diego State 45.
A 9-yard run by Marquez Cooper moved the Aztecs into Oregon State territory for the first time, and a 35-yard catch from Louis Brown IV soon put the ball at the Beavers 7.
O'Neil fumbled three plays later, however, losing the ball as he dove for the goal line, and Oregon State recovered at the 2.
The Beavers then marched 98 yards in 13 plays and took a 14-0 lead when Hankerson scored on the first play of the fourth quarter on fourth-and-1 from the San Diego State 15, dashing around the left end.
Oregon State sealed the win with a 21-yard touchdown pass from Johnson to Bryce Caufield with 4:36 remaining.
The Beavers started their first drive of the game at their own 47 and scored five plays later when Griffin ran around the left end and dove over the pylon to complete a 16-yard touchdown run for a 7-0 lead.
The Beavers missed a chance to add to their lead, as Everett Hayes missed a 38-yard field goal with seven seconds left in the first half.
San Diego State punted on five of its first-half drives, managing just 101 total yards of offense and three first downs before the break.