Oct. 16—PORTLAND — In his first season as Washington State's defensive coordinator, Trent Bray has gotten just about as much as he can out of his group. The Cougars rank among the conference's best defenses, and they've generated three interceptions, including two pick-sixes.
Plus, in WSU's road game against Oregon State on Saturday afternoon, Bray will get a chance for a homecoming. An OSU alum and longtime coach, including head coach for roughly one and-a-half seasons, he's quite familiar with the Beavers' program.
But this WSU defense has never faced an offense quite like Oregon State's, which is why we're picking the Beavers to keep things rolling and hand the Cougars their fourth straight loss. OSU QB Braden Atkinson and star freshman wideout Jesse Legree still have not been slowed down, not even in their team's two Power 4 losses to open the season, which is what makes this such a tall task for WSU.
Entering as 18.5-point underdogs, the Cougars might have a chance to pull an upset, thanks to head coach Kirby Moore's decision to bench quarterback Caden Pinnick in favor of redshirt freshman Owen Eshelman, whose accuracy and big arm rank among his best traits. A lively offense might be what the Cougs have needed all along.
But that's a lot to ask of a 20-year-old making his first career collegiate start, playing his first meaningful snaps at the college level. It's hard to keep pace with this OSU offense, to match wits with the Beavers' high-flying offense. There's a reason why Atkinson leads the country with 376 passing yards per game.
WSU might not win Saturday's game, but that doesn't have to mean Moore's decision to start Eshelman would be a mistake. The redshirt freshman could need some experience to settle into the role. Getting thrown into the fire in Corvallis would certainly help to that end. Final score: Oregon State 35, WSU 20