Oregon State Football: Keys to Victory vs Fresno State

The Beavers came out flat in their opening loss to Cal last weekend, and put up an underwhelming performance. Fortunately, they have the opportunity to bounce back tomorrow when they welcome Fresno State for the first Corvallis meeting between the two teams since 2002. The Bulldogs are led by veteran QB EJ Warner, and will be looking to improve to 2-1 on the season when they come into Reser Stadium tomorrow. Fresno has some firepower at the skill positions, but lacks strength at the line of scrimmage. Here are some of the keys to an Oregon State victory.

Establish Hankerson Early

In their opening game, the Beavers struggled mightily to run the ball against a strong front seven. This weekend, the story should be very different. Fresno State has a thin and inexperienced defensive line, and the Bulldogs gave up over 200 rushing yards against Kansas in their week 0 loss. Oregon State should be able to win the battle at the line of scrimmage, and an effective ground game would help tremendously. Last Saturday, the Beavers' passing game was handcuffed due to lack of a threat to run the football. Tomorrow against Fresno, the Beavers need things to be different.

Get in the Backfield

The Beavers struggled to consistently pressure the Quarterback last week against Cal, and they paid the price for that(especially early on). Against Fresno State tomorrow, the defensive line should expect to fare significantly better. The Bulldogs are weak on the offensive line, and that showed in their opener against Kansas. Senior quarterback EJ Warner was under pressure for a lot of that game, and Fresno allowed a whooping ten tackles for loss. Warner is very interception-prone, and flustering him in the pocket could definitely lead to bad decisions and turnovers.

Tackle in Space

It's one thing to win the battle up front and get to the ball-carrier. But if you can't bring them down, it isn't going to matter. In their first couple games, the Bulldogs have liked to run a lot of wide receiver screens and end-around type plays designed to get the rock to their athletes in space. In addition, Fresno also has a couple of shifty running backs in Rayshon Luke and Bryson Donelson, who will make defenders miss if they don't break down and tackle with proper technique. In a matchup where the Beavers should have the advantage at the line of scrimmage, making tackles in space against playmakers could be a huge factor in this one.