Oregon State RB Storm Woods and CB Ryan Murphy Try On New Beaver Helmets
By Kyle Kensing
Oct. 13, 2012; Provo, UT, USA; Oregon State Beavers head coach Mike Riley is interviewed before the game against the Brigham Young Cougars at LaVell Edwards Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Douglas C. Pizac-USA TODAY Sports
Shared via head coach Mike Riley’s always-active Twitter account (@Coach_Riley), Oregon State running back Storm Woods and cornerback Ryan Murphy modeled the just-arrived Beavers’ helmets.
Oregon State is undergoing an athletic department-wide rebranding this season. The new helmets are part of that. Those Murphy and Woods don in the below video are so fresh, the face masks have yet to be added.
The uniform alterations and new logo tie into an all-encompassing overhaul of OSU athletics. An expanded social media presence is another component.
The official Oregon State YouTube account is one of the better social media follows in college football. The communications staff keeps the page updated with new content, published regularly, which is both insightful and fun.
Representative of the former is OSU’s “Mic’d Up” series, below featuring wide out Brandin Cooks:
And to the latter, here are the Beavers cooling off after fall camp workouts in a water balloon fight:
Despite these various insider glimpses into Beaver football, Riley has been tight lipped on perhaps the most burning question asked of Oregon State this off-season: who between 2012 starting quarterbacks Sean Mannion and Cody Vaz will take the Week 1 snaps?
Riley has been mum throughout the off-season, but The Portland Tribune reports he will break his silence this week.
Oregon State was one of the nation’s big surprises a season ago, going 9-4 after two straight sub-.500 campaigns. The 2013 Beavers are dark horse contenders for the Pac-12 championship, and the program’s first Rose Bowl in almost 60 years.
With expectations in Corvallis raised, the quarterback decision is of particular importance. Riley’s diligence is understandable.