Oregon State Beavers had a frustrating 2024 football season, as their weak 5-7 record left them out of bowl contention. But while last season wasn’t the best for the team, they could change their fortunes this season if key pieces fall into place. Continue reading as we examine the Oregon State Beavers’ setup for 2025, address valid concerns, and highlight key matches.
Beavers in the 2025 Season: Good news and top concerns
The Beavers started the 2024 season firing on all cylinders. They won four of their first five games; as such, many had high hopes for them. But for some reason that we can’t quite wrap our heads around, their fortunes were reversed, steering them into a losing streak of five successive games, including a 44-7 blowout by the California Golden Bears.
Going into his second season, Trent Bray, who took over as head coach in 2023 after Jonathan Smith moved to Michigan State University, will be looking forward to putting the mishaps of 2024 behind him.
The good news
If there’s one area where the OSU Beavers will most likely excel in 2025, that’ll be the secondary (AKA the defensive backfield). Leading the charge of talented players in the line is Skylar Thomas, who played in all the Beavers’ games in 2024, accumulating a total of 81 tackles. And with 2025 being his last season, he’ll be looking to finish on a high.
The offensive line of the OSU Beavers isn’t looking too bad either. Anthony Hankerson is expected to steer the team towards running yards and touchdowns. Last season, Hankerson finished five games with 100 or more yards. If he achieves a similar feat this season and stays in sync with other offensive players, the OSU Beavers have a good chance to record more wins than losses.
Early football odds are available on the top bookmakers already. If you’re still learning how to read the odds, SportyTrader can help you out. You’ll find resources on how to convert odds between American and decimal formats, as well as a toplist of sites offering the best Beavers prices.
Notable concerns
The OSU Beavers are still rebuilding, with several deficiencies that need to be addressed as the new season gets underway. The following are the main fault lines for the team:
- Run Defense: The Beavers dropped so many games in 2024 because they couldn’t deal with rushing attacks from opposing teams. To prevent this situation from repeating itself in 2025, the team needs to be structured to ensure consistent play from the defensive front and linebackers.
- Quarterback Position: DJ Uiagalelei and Aidan Chiles are no longer on the QB roster for the Beavers. Maalik Murphy, who recently transferred from Duke, is the presumptive starter. There isn’t much depth in the QB position, as backups are only Gabarri Johnson and Kallen Gutridge, a redshirt freshman. As such, Murphy sustaining an injury could seriously weaken the team’s offense.
Key OSU Beavers games to watch in 2025
As the Beavers look towards the 2025 season, here are three key matches to watch:
- 30 August vs. California: A chance for the Beavers to avenge their 44-7 defeat last season.
- 20 September vs. Oregon: This rivalry game, tagged the “Civil War,” will draw attention and prove to be a pivotal point of the Beavers’ season.
- 1 & 29 November vs. Washington State: These home-and-away events, made possible by new Pac-12 rules, promise to be exciting for fans and spectators alike.
The Beavers missed out on the Sun Bowl last season. However, if the team’s offense and defense perform well, they could make the cut this season, just as they did back in 2023. We’ll have to watch and see how things pan out for the team.
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