Idaho State at Oregon State



Time: 2 p.m. Saturday

Where: Reser Stadium, Corvallis

Records: Oregon State (0-1, 0-0 Pac-12); Idaho State (1-1, 0-0 Big Sky)

Coaches: Gary Andersen, second year at Oregon State (2-11 at Oregon State, 51-49 overall); Mike Kramer (17-42 at Idaho State, 94-117 overall)

Latest line: None

On the air: Pac-12 Networks (Comcast 421/720, Dish 5438, no DirecTV)

What's at stake: Quite simply, this is OSU's best opportunity to snag a win in nearly a calendar year. Idaho State was picked to finish near the bottom of the Big Sky in the preseason coaches and media polls and is 0-25 against FBS schools since beating Utah State 27-24 in 2000. The Bengals were stomped 56-7 by Colorado last week, while their win came against Simon Fraser, a Division II team from Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada. OSU has lost 10 in a row dating back to last season.

OSU offense vs. Idaho State defense: New starting quarterback Darell Garretson posted a strong OSU debut, completing 25 of 40 passes for 228 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions in the opener against Minnesota. Ryan Nall, who has been hampered by a rolled foot/ankle but is expected to play Saturday, tallied 151 all-purpose yards (71 rushing, 80 receiving), while Seth Collins collected five catches for 57 yards and also occasionally lined up as the Wildcat quarterback against the Golden Gophers. Co-offensive coordinator Kevin McGiven has emphasized a need for a more consistent downfield passing game during the bye week. Joe Martin leads the Bengals with 18 tackles while adding one interception and one pass breakup, while Hayden Stout has compiled 13 tackles, one sack, two pass breakups and one quarterback hurry.

OSU defense vs. Idaho State offense: The Beavers posted shutouts in the first and third quarters against Minnesota, but allowed 17 and 13 points, respectively, in the second period and decisive fourth quarter. The Beavers, though, gave up just 280 yards against the Golden Gophers. Redshirt freshman Xavier Crawford tied for the team lead with eight tackles while also collecting two pass breakups in that game, while linebacker Manase Hungalu also tallied eight stops (0.5 for loss) and a pass breakup. Idaho State quarterback Tanner Gueller has completed 59.2 percent of his passes for 397 yards, three touchdowns and one interception so far this season, while KW Williams has tallied seven catches for 134 yards and two touchdowns.

Did you know: Idaho State defensive coordinator Spencer Toone played for Andersen when he was the defensive coordinator at Utah and was a graduate assistant during Andersen's tenure as Utah State's head coach. Bengals defensive line coach Steve Fifita also played for Andersen at Utah.

Individual matchup to watch: OSU's offensive line versus Idaho State's pass rush. The Beavers struggled to protect Garretson in the opener against Minnesota, allowing four sacks -- two that led to lost fumbles -- and a slew of additional hits on the signal-caller. Idaho State, meanwhile, did not record a sack and tallied three quarterback hurries against Colorado. If the Beavers can't keep Garretson upright against an opponent they should physically overpower, it could be a long season.

Key stat: 96 -- the total offensive yards Idaho State compiled in its loss at Colorado last week. Conversely, the Bengals allowed the Buffaloes to rack up 597 yards.

They said it: "It doesn't matter who we're playing. We're not in any position to overlook anybody, and we shouldn't be." -- OSU co-offensive coordinator Kevin McGiven

Prediction: OSU 48, Idaho State 10

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