“It’s no longer good enough, moral victories, they’re not good enough. That we competed with Top 25 teams. BS, man. We want to win these games.”
Being competitive felt like all Oregon State football fans could ask for when prospecting the 2026 season. Now two weeks into the year, that mindset may have shifted.
Oregon State linebacker Dylan Layne was passionate in his postgame press conference after the Beavers’ 35-24 loss to #13 Texas Tech. OSU pushed the Red Raiders to the brink, similar to what they
did to #22 Houston a week prior.
Oregon State sits at 0-2, which is not a surprising number to many. Coming off a 2-10 season, the media (including MWC) had the Beavs coming in at under their 4.5 Win total.
But while they remain winless, OSU’s positive play so far may redirect the course of their season. Can they bottle up this non-conference competitiveness? Or is this just a September flash in the pan?
The Rise of Braden Atkinson
All eyes were on former Duke transfer Maalik Murphy to save the Beavers’ offense in year two of his Corvallis tenure.
But in August, Mercer transfer Braden Atkinson would win the starting job. Through two games, he’s shown why.
Atkinson has thrown for over 300 yards in both contests, including a 413-yard performance against a highly regarded Texas Tech defense.
His 789 yards are good for fourth-best in the country, on pace for over 4,000 yards for the season. To put it in perspective, Murphy led the Beavers with 1,805 passing yards in 2025.
His one pitfall? Finding the end zone. Despite throwing for almost eight football fields’ worth, Atkinson has only three touchdowns, including just one against Houston. He has taken a total of six sacks this year and has thrown one interception.
The former FCS star has shown his potential, but as conference play encroaches, it’s time to cash in.
Where is the Supporting Cast?
Outside of Atkinson, there haven’t been too many standouts for the Beavers.
Freshman receiver Jesse Legree has been a delight, snagging 13 grabs for 376 yards and three touchdowns. Besides the QB-WR duo, the offensive production has been minimal.
Through two games, Oregon State does not have a running back or any player with over 30 rushing yards. While the running back group is young, it is more of a reflection of the OSU offensive line, a unit that many were skeptical of entering the year.
These doubts in the trenches can best be represented by Atkinson’s -44 rushing yards. Ouch.
On defense, it is the opposite. They have allowed opposing running backs to rush for 98 yards or more in both contests, along with allowing 133 receiving yards to Houston receiver Amare Thomas. Simply too many explosives.
The defense has been able to force turnovers, however, forcing two fumbles and an interception in two games.
Similar to how the offense is leaning fully on the passing game, this defensive unit may be too reliant on takeaways. Can they find a way to become more than just one-dimensional?
Taking a Step Back (On The Schedule)
Oregon State may have their faults, but it is important to remember the quality of opponents they have taken on through two games.
OSU has no more ranked opponents on the schedule (as of now), barring conference foes like Boise State (Nov. 14) and San Diego State (Oct. 10) making the leap.
In the foreseeable future, the Beavs take on Montana, visit UTEP and then travel to Colorado State. Two winnable games followed by a great conference test.
If Oregon State can get to 2-2 before what should be a fun matchup against the Rams, who knows what they may be able to do in their first true season in the PAC-12.
Dan Allison is a freelance high school and college sports writer. You can reach him at @danlallison on X.
