Oregon State Football: Keys to Victory vs Boise State Broncos

Ashton Jeanty is a Heisman hopeful, and his Broncos are in playoff contention. Can the Beavers pull off an upset for the ages?

Nov 23, 2024; Corvallis, Oregon, USA; Oregon State Beavers quarterback Ben Gulbranson (17) throws the ball during the fourth quarter against the Washington State Cougars at Reser Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images / Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

Last Friday, I made an appearance on "1490 The Score" KSKR-AM in Roseburg, the Beavers radio affiliate in Douglas County, two hours southeast of Corvallis. The director of The Score is an old friend of mine from my radio days, Joey Keeran, and he asked if I could encourage Beavers fans to call in for free tickets to the Wazzu game. "No", I replied bluntly. Joey laughed. I laughed. His audience probably laughed too.

Saturday night, Oregon State got the last laugh. They ran the ball effectively, they got a couple clutch stops on defense, and their passing game was incredible in both two minute drills. That was enough against Washington State. What will it take against Boise State?

Here are my 3 Keys to Victory against the heavily-favored Broncos

1. Stop Ashton Jeanty

Nov 23, 2024; Laramie, Wyoming, USA; Boise State Broncos running back and Heisman Trophy candidate Ashton Jeanty (2) runs for a touchdown against the Wyoming Cowboys during the first quarter at Jonah Field at War Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Babbitt-Imagn Images / Troy Babbitt-Imagn Images

I know, I know. Ashton Jeanty is a monster. I'm not a Heisman voter, but my pick is Jeanty. He has run for over 2000 yards this season, and I've seen with my own eyes that he can go the distance on any snap. But I have an idea: stack the box. That's what San Jose State did two weeks ago, holding Jeanty under 200 yards rushing and only trailing by a touchdown entering the fourth quarter. Wyoming also brought more defenders close to the line of scrimmage last week. The Cowboys held Jeanty under 200 yards rushing, and only lost by four. Maybe redshirt sophomore quarterback Maddux Madsen beats the Beavers, but I'd rather take my chances with Madsen (62% comp, 215 YPG) than with Jeanty.

2. Play Loose and Free

Oct 26, 2024; Berkeley, California, USA; Oregon State Beavers wide receiver Trent Walker (7) is congratulated by quarterback Ben Gulbranson (17) after scoring a touchdown against the California Golden Bears during the fourth quarter at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Trent Bray went for it five times last Saturday, and his confidence was rewarded: the Beavers successfully converted four fourth down conversions. I think it was the biggest reason why the offense scored 38 points. With nothing to lose, no playoff contention, and no conference title to worry about, the Beavers should play loose and aggressive again. Let Ben Gulbranson air it out. Go for it on fourth downs. Bust open the bag of tricks. Force Boise into a shootout, and they may abandon the run.

3. Protect the Football

I'm a broken record. This was one of my keys to victory last week, and one that Oregon State failed to follow. Ben Gulbranson's two picks nearly cost Oregon State the game - one was a pick six, and another was almost pick sixed (spared by a clutch tackle from Taz Reddicks) - and the Beavers cannot afford for turnovers to blight them again. Protect the football, and the Beavers have hope of silencing Boise's national title dreams.

What are YOUR keys to victory? Let me know! My email address is MBagleyRadio@gmail.com and my handle on the app formerly known as Twitter is @BagleySports, plus I tape a podcast every week right here on this site (and all major podcast platforms) called State of the Beavs.