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Oklahoma State football will have to win shootout vs. Oregon State

By John Scimeca

STILLWATER, OK - SEPTEMBER 15: Head Coach Mike Gundy of the Oklahoma State Cowboys adjust his glasses before the game against the Boise State Broncos at Boone Pickens Stadium on September 15, 2018 in Stillwater, Oklahoma. The Cowboys defeated the Broncos 44-21. (Photo by Brett Deering/Getty Images)
STILLWATER, OK - SEPTEMBER 15: Head Coach Mike Gundy of the Oklahoma State Cowboys adjust his glasses before the game against the Boise State Broncos at Boone Pickens Stadium on September 15, 2018 in Stillwater, Oklahoma. The Cowboys defeated the Broncos 44-21. (Photo by Brett Deering/Getty Images) /
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The Oklahoma State football team will begin the 2019 season with a road trip to the other orange-and-black OSU in Corvallis, Ore.

Oklahoma State will take to the road Friday night to set up a Week 1 Big 12 vs. Pac-12 clash against the Oregon State Beavers in head coach Mike Gundy’s 15th year in charge. It is the first-ever meeting between the Cowboys and the Beavers. It marks the first time that the Cowboys have opened the season on the road since 2015, which began with a 24-13 road win against Central Michigan.

It’s also the first regular-season matchup for the Pokes against a Pac-12 school since 2012, which saw a road trip to Arizona end in a 59-38 loss.

Oregon State finished the 2018 season with a 2-10 (1-8 Pac-12) record and has only won nine games in the past four seasons. The Beavers have not finished with a winning mark since 2013.

Sixth-year senior quarterback Jake Luton will lead Oregon State into the 2019 season after being awarded an extra year of eligibility by the NCAA. After playing at Idaho (now in the FCS) and Ventura Community College (CA), Luton is back to lead the Beavers after only playing in 12 games during the past two seasons. The experienced gunslinger forms a strong one-two punch with running back Jermar Jefferson, who rushed for 1,380 yards and 12 touchdowns last year, good for 5.8 yards per carry.

Here’s how you can watch Friday night’s game between Oregon State and Oklahoma State:

Date: Friday, Aug. 30
Time: 10:30 p.m. ET
Location: Corvallis, Ore.
Venue: Reser Stadium
TV: FOX Sports 1
Live Stream: FOX Sports Live | Fubo TV

Keys to Victory

With two prolific offenses and a pair of below-average defensive units, it’s safe to bet that this OSU-OSU showdown will feature plenty of big plays and plenty of points.

Oklahoma State is likely to play both Spencer Sanders and Dru Brown at quarterback, although it’s unclear who will get the official starting nod before Friday night’s contest. Whoever starts will have an All-American to target on deep throws against the Beavers’ secondary, while running back Chuba Hubbard will balance the attack on the ground.

For the Cowboys defensively, maintaining a strong pass rush against Luton will be key. The Beavers gave up a nation-high 48 sacks last season, and will be replacing three starters. Oregon State also had an overall -10 turnover margin, which was second-worst in the Pac-12.

Betting Odds

Odds courtesy of Bovada

Line: Oklahoma State -14.5
Over/Under: 74.5

Prediction

Two explosive offenses figure to produce a lot of points, and the Cowboys appear to have greater firepower than the Beavers.

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Though quirky things can happen on Friday night road trips thousands of miles away, especially in a season opener, expect Oklahoma State (and perhaps redshirt freshman quarterback Spencer Sanders) to light up the scoreboards against an Oregon State defense that ranked second-to-last in both scoring defense (45.7 points surrendered per game) and total defense (536.8 yards given up per game).

Final Score: Oklahoma State 52, Oregon State 35

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