Week 12 - Oregon State Football @ Air Force: How To Watch, Preview, Time, Date, Storylines
Oregon State are struggling late in the year as they try to get back in the win column after four consecutive losses. This week might be their best chance to take a step in the right direction, traveling to square off against an Air Force team facing their own share of struggles this season after a 2-7 start.
Here's everything you need to know about the matchup at the USAFA.
Oregon State Beavers (4-5, Pac-12/Independent) @ Air Force Falcons (2-7, 1-4 Mountain West)
Date: Saturday, November 16
Time: 12:30 PM PT // 3:30 PM ET
Location: Falcon Stadium - Colorado Springs, Colorado
TV: CBS Sports Network
Radio: Oregon State Radio Affiliates
Betting Line: Oregon State -3.5 on FanDuel
Storylines
First Meeting Between Beavs and Falcons
It might come as a surprise, given that the Pac-12 and Mountain West's schedules have frequently been intertwined, but Saturday will mark the first ever meeting between Oregon State and Air Force. Oregon State have never met Army or Navy on the gridiron, either.
Ben Gulbranson is the Starting Quarterback
Last week, Ben Gulbranson started at quarterback, replacing Gevani McCoy. Gulbranson threw for a career-high 292 yards in the loss to San Jose State, but threw two interceptions. One was returned for a touchdown.
Bray noted that Gulbranson will be the Beavers' starting quarterback moving forward.
Air Force has struggled to defend the run, allowing 173.1 yards per game, outside the top 100 in FBS. That weakness could allow for the Beavers to lean on the running game a bit more, but Bray has previously noted a need to push the ball more in the vertical passing attack. However, they have to limit turnovers after giving the ball up ten times in the last four games.
Defending The Triple Option
Trent Bray is familiar with the difficulties that come with defending a triple-option offense, citing the UNLV game as one example of where the Beavers have seen some concepts they will likely see again on Saturday. The Beavers allowed 5.7 yards per play in an eight-point loss against the Rebels.
"If you're going to take away the inside part of it, there's always things out on the perimeter as well," Bray said of defending the triple option. "And so there it creates one-on-one plays. Whenever you have one-on-one tackles that have to be made, you break a couple tackles, they make you miss, and it's an explosive play."
More Reading Material From On SI
Oregon State Football Falls 10 Spots in SP+ Rankings After San Jose State Loss
State of the Beavs: What is the future of Oregon State Football? + Beavs Basketball Has Begun
WATCH: Trent Bray Talks Final Stretch of Oregon State's Football Season
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Joe Londergan joined the SI brand in 2023 with G5 Football Daily. With over 15 years of experience in covering and working directly in college and pro sports, Joe's expertise has been featured in Front Office Sports, SB Nation, and XRAY.FM. He is a member of both the Football Writers' Association of America and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers' Association. Joe holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Louisville and a master's degree in sports administration from Seattle University. Outside of his writing career, Joe enjoys golfing, although he admits that while he hits driver decently, his short game is a liability.