Oregon State Football: Keys to Victory vs. Cal

There will be no shortage of excitement in Corvallis, Oregon this Saturday night, as the Beavers host an old conference foe to open up the 2025 season.

Though Oregon State has won two of the last three meetings, they will still be out for revenge after suffering a blowout loss in Berkeley last year. What will the Beavers need to do to start their 2025 season off with a win? Here are three keys to victory for their opening matchup.

Throw the Ball

Cal finished 15th in the country against the run last year, and they're returning three starters from that front seven. While this doesn't mean that the Beavers shouldn't use a healthy dose of Hankerson and Allah, it's very hard to lean on the run against a Justin Wilcox-coached team. The Bears have lost four starters from the defensive backfield, and for the transfers coming in, Saturday will be their first time playing with one-another. With this lack of chemistry in the secondary, it could be a prime opportunity for Maalik Murphy to show off the arm, and put pressure on a Cal defense that has a lot of new pieces.

Pressure the Freshman Quarterback

Jaron Keawe-Sagapolutele will be making his first collegiate start tomorrow night. Jaron was one of the highest-rated QBs in his recruiting class, and has been praised by scouts for his pure passing ability. If a guy like this is comfortable in the pocket and consistently has time to find receivers downfield, there will be a lot of problems for the Oregon State defense. While Jaron is a phenomenal passer, he isn't known for his mobility, and the Beavers shouldn't be overly-concerned about him escaping pocket pressure and taking off with his legs. With the development of guys like Thomas Collins and Tevita Pome'e, plus the addition of Nebraska transfer Kai Wallin, the defensive coaching staff expects the D line to take a significant step forward in 2025. Saturday night's opener presents an important opportunity for them to show their growth over the offseason.

Contain Mark Hamper

The West Linn graduate is a big-play threat, and could be the Bears' top receiver this season. Last year as a freshman at Idaho he averaged 20 yards per reception, and had a three-touchdown performance in the Vandals' 31-24 win against Weber State. Now playing under a quarterback with elite potential, a guy like Hamper could become even more dangerous. While Cal certainly has other receiving threats in Trond Grizzell and Jacob de Jesus, the Beaver secondary will always have to be weary of the Oregon native.