Beavers look for first Pac-12 win since 2016
When Oregon State opens Pac-12 conference play at home against Arizona on Saturday, odds are most eyes will be glued to what each starting quarterback is doing.
Oregon State (1-2) has drawn plenty of attention for its effective use of two quarterbacks so far this season, more or less splitting snaps between senior Jake Luton and sophomore Conor Blount, while junior Khalil Tate has been the main offensive weapon for Arizona (1-2).
Blount and Luton combined for 459 yards through the air in last week’s 37-35 loss at Nevada, the highest passing total for Oregon State since October 2013. For the season the Beavers are producing 314.7 passing yards per game, way up from last year’s 196.3 average.
“I think we’ve got two guys that have shown we can move the football with,” OSU coach Jonathan Smith said Monday during his weekly press conference. “I do think the way things will play out I think we need two guys to play in games.”
Smith might just have one available Saturday, though.
Luton did not practice Tuesday and was in a walking boot because of a sprained ankle.
Tate has thrown for 887 yards and six touchdowns, setting career highs for yardage in Arizona’s last two games. That’s almost a complete 180 from what he did in 2017 when he ran for more than 1,400 yards including an FBS quarterback-record 327 yards against Colorado last October.
“I think it is impressive with the way he’s throwing it,” Smith said of Tate, who only attempted seven passes against OSU last November (while running for 206 yards and two TDs).
“He’s still moving around, now. He’s still scary, extending plays. Maybe even scarier is that he’s throwing it so well and you’ve got to contain him in the pocket.”
OSU came ever so close to ending a pair of long losing streaks last week, nearly picking up its first road win since 2014. The Beavers rallied from a 23-point deficit and had a chance to win but Jordan Choukair’s 33-yard field goal as time expired was no good.
A win against Arizona would be Oregon State’s first against an FBS team in 14 games and snap a nine-game losing streak in Pac-12 play.
