How Oregon State Can Upset Washington: 5 Keys to Victory

5. Home Field Advantage

The Oregon State Beavers have a terrific home-field advantage. They have not lost a game in Reser Stadium since September 2022 and it will be rocking with a top ten team in town. Washington has not faced a truly hostile road environment yet this year so Oregon State needs to take advantage of the home crowd to pull off the upset.

2. Tackle In Space

One of the things that makes Washington's offense so dangerous is the array of playmakers the Huskies have at the skill positions. Dillon Johnson, Rome Odunze, Ja'Lynn Polk, Germie Bernard, and Jalen McMillan are capable of big plays. Oregon State will need to tackle extremely well against those playmakers in open space. Head coach Kalen DeBoer schemes those players into open areas and the Beavers will have to make one-on-one tackles to prevent big plays.

3. Bring the Heat

Washington's offensive line looked good last week against Utah but there were a few games this season where the Huskies looked vulnerable, particularly on the interior of the line. Oregon State averages 3.6 sacks per game, the fifth highest number in the country. They'll need to get at least a few sacks on Saturday night to tilt the game in their favor.

4. Turn Penix Jr. Over

Michael Penix Jr. is the Heisman Trophy frontrunner for a reason: he has thrown for 28 touchdowns to only seven interceptions. The Oregon State secondary has not been great this season and the Washington offense will likely pick up a lot of yards. Still, Oregon State can change the outcome with a couple of interceptions. If they can rattle Penix with pressure and force a few mistakes, the Beavers have a great shot at the upset.

5. Home Field Advantage

The Oregon State Beavers have a terrific home-field advantage. They have not lost a game in Reser Stadium since September 2022 and it will be rocking with a top ten team in town. Washington has not faced a truly hostile road environment yet this year so Oregon State needs to take advantage of the home crowd to pull off the upset.