Oregon State Preview: Offense

Suffice it to say Oregon State has been riding the struggle bus on offense this season.  They rank dead last in the conference in both total offense and scoring offense.  They've only scored 21 TDs all season, and less than 10 of those have been through the air.  It should be noted that HC Gary Anderson is definitely a run first type of coach, but despite that, they really have issues throwing the ball.  They rush the ball slightly better and only WSU is ranked lower in rushing (for obvious reasons).  Let's take a closer look at each position group:

Quarterback

Nick Mitchell (RFr, 6-3, 198)

Mitchell has taken over QB duties for the injured Seth Collins, and has not had a great start to his OSU career.  He's thrown 4 INTs to only 3 touchdowns, and isn't making plays with his legs much either.  That being said, against Utah and California, he had over 350 yards, 3 TDs, and no picks.  Both of those games were bad losses but he can make some plays, though not to the extent the injured Seth Collins could.

Running Back

Storm Woods (Sr, 6-0, 207), Paul Lucas (RFr, 5-11, 172)

Storm Woods burst onto the scene as a freshman and looked like the next great OSU running back.  It didn't quite pan out that way, but as a senior he shoulders the rushing attack for the Beavers.  While he probably won't hit 1000 yards this season, he's still a very capable running back and will be able to make defenders miss.  Oregon St. as an offense runs for a respectable 175 yards/game but only has 10 rushing TDs to show for it.  Paul Lucas has had a quiet year, with no TDs and only a handful of touches.

Wide Receiver

Jordan Villamin (SO, 6-5, 231), Victor Bolden (JR, 5-9, 174), Hunter Jarmon (SO, 5-11, 201)

Jordan Villamin stands out among this group due to his combination of size, strength, speed, and hands. He currently leads the team in yards, touchdowns, and is tied with Bolden for catches.  He's a true deep threat and adds nearly 600 yards to his 5 receiving TDs this year.  Bolden a year ago was OSU's go to receiver, but this year he's taken a more hybrid role in the offense.  He touches the ball 7-9 times a game in a multitude of ways.  He not only is a receiving threat (tied with Villamin for catches) but he has 33 caries for 170 yards as well.  He works in their offense similar to what the Husky coaches are trying to get from Chico McClatcher.

Offensive Line

LT Will Hopkins (SO, 6-7, 278), LG Fred Lauia (SO, 6-4, 315), C Josh Mitchell (SR, 6-3, 305), RG Isaac Semualo (Jr, 6-5, 298), RT Dustin Stanton (Jr, 6-6, 300)

OSU is in the top 50 nationally in sacks given up, allowing only 1.7 per game.  Coupled with an average run game, you need to give credit where it's due.  They're definitely not elite, but this unit does an okay job.  They also rank 30th in the nation in allowing tackles for loss.  They're experienced as well, starting 2 juniors and a senior.

Final Thoughts

I was honestly surprised looking through the numbers that OSU's offensive line appears better than I expected.  Seth Collins is a fairly mobile QB, so it's hard to say if the few sacks given up are because of his mobility or the OL's performance.  Even with the less mobile Nick Mitchell at the helm, they've avoided giving up huge sack and TFL numbers.  This is one area where Oregon State may have a small advantage.  As great as the defense has been all year, they haven't quite had a vicious pass rush and high sack numbers.  It'll be up to the secondary to cover OSU's receivers, but I wouldn't count on Nick Mitchell throwing dimes either.  This is an offense that the Huskies shouldn't have any problems containing, and quite frankly, shutting down.