Oregon State’s rushing game was in full force on Saturday night against Purdue, steamrolling the defense with an impressive 341 yards on the ground. But here’s the kicker: the Beavers have had better performances this season in terms of raw yardage. What’s more impressive—and what should have fans buzzing with excitement—is the way the Beavers got to that 341 yards. The playbook is evolving, and it’s clear that Oregon State is no longer relying solely on the inside and outside zone runs that helped them secure wins against Idaho State and San Diego State earlier in the season.
Oregon State pulled out an advanced offensive package against Purdue, showcasing a blend of old-school bully ball and a fresh, dynamic option game that left Purdue’s defense struggling to keep up. Instead of just pounding it between the tackles, the Beavers stretched the field with option plays and fly sweeps that kept the Boilermakers on their heels. It’s this kind of offensive diversity that’s showing real promise for the Beavers moving forward.
Here’s where it gets exciting: Quarterback Gevani McCoy, in his best rushing performance of the season, ran 10 times for 66 yards. Whether it was designed quarterback runs or read-pass options (RPOs), McCoy kept Purdue’s defense guessing all night. The Idaho transfer has shown he’s more than capable of making the right reads and creating explosive plays when given the chance. But McCoy wasn’t the only star on the ground. Running back Jam Griffin benefitted greatly from McCoy’s option pitches, racking up 137 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries.
Griffin wasn’t alone in making Purdue pay. Zachary Card added to the excitement with two fly sweeps for 54 yards, including a touchdown that left the Boilermaker defense flat-footed. Speed played a major role on Saturday night. The Beavers had 14 running plays of at least 10 yards and two that went for over 25. For context, Oregon State had only 21 rushing plays of 10 or more yards across their first three games combined. That stat alone should have fans hyped for what’s to come.
One of the standout features of Oregon State’s game plan was how they attacked the edges of Purdue’s defense. OSU head coach Trent Bray and his coaching staff had identified a glaring opportunity to exploit Purdue’s inability to defend the perimeter. Time and again, the Beavers found success when Purdue failed to cover the pitch man on option plays, turning what could have been modest gains into huge chunks of yardage. It wasn’t just one or two plays either—this was a recurring theme throughout the game.
Bray highlighted this offensive evolution after the game, saying, “We’re always looking at how we can create explosives. We like the 11-play, eight-minute drives, especially at the end of the half. But we don’t want to have to live with that every single time we touch the ball.” This speaks to the balance the Beavers are striving for, marrying their traditional power-run identity with the explosiveness that comes from stretching the field horizontally.
McCoy himself acknowledged how comfortable he felt with the option game, saying, “I felt very comfortable with the whole speed option game, and it worked a few times. We kept going back to it. It’s not very complicated.” Simple or not, the speed element added a dimension to OSU’s offense that Purdue simply couldn’t handle.
Running back Anthony Hankerson also weighed in on the speed factor, adding, “Speed-wise, when we went laterally, they couldn’t keep up with us.” Hankerson, who contributed two touchdowns in the game, further showcased the Beavers’ ability to attack defenses in multiple ways. That blend of power and speed will undoubtedly keep opponents guessing as the season progresses.
Oregon State’s identity as a team hasn’t changed, though. At their core, the Beavers are still about pounding the rock and wearing down defenses. As McCoy put it, “Our identity is to pound the ball. It doesn’t seem like too many people have been able to stop it.” And he’s not wrong. Despite the added wrinkles in the playbook, the bread and butter for Oregon State remains their ability to run it right at you, daring you to stop them. On Saturday, Griffin had 22 carries and Hankerson had 20, keeping them both heavily involved in the offense. Griffin’s 22 carries marked a season high, while Hankerson had already logged a 24-carry game earlier in the year. The Beavers know who they are, and they’re not afraid to lean on their top playmakers.
As the season progresses, Oregon State is learning more about themselves and their capabilities. They’ve proven they can lean on a power running game, but now they’re showing they have the tools to mix it up when needed. Coach Bray echoed this sentiment after the game, saying, “We’ve got a big-time running game, and we are capable of playing shutdown defense … and the resiliency of our players, their ability to not back down or blink when things go bad.”
Next up for the Beavers is a matchup against Colorado State (2-2), who come into the game with some momentum but will undoubtedly have their hands full. Oregon State, now sitting at 3-1, will be looking to build off their dominant performance against Purdue and continue evolving their offense. The game will take place at Reser Stadium in Corvallis on Saturday, October 5th, with a kickoff time of 3:30 p.m. PT. Fans in the Pacific Northwest can catch the game on The CW (Channel 32 in Portland) or stream it through services like Fubo or DirecTV Stream.
At this point in the season, Oregon State has shown they can beat teams in a variety of ways. They’ve proven they can grind out tough yards between the tackles and now they’ve shown they can outmaneuver defenses with speed and option plays. What’s clear is that the Beavers aren’t a one-dimensional team. They’re growing, evolving, and becoming a force to be reckoned with.
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