Oregon State Football: What We Learned from the UCLA Game

Authors Note: My thoughts and prayers are with Seth Collins and his family. We’re all behind you Seth!

Once again, a thin Oregon State roster played their hearts out but ultimately fell short to UCLA 38-24. Both teams were flagged heavily, and each team had 3 turnovers. However, it was UCLA that made the key play of the game late in the 4th quarter when Randall Goforth intercepted an errant Marcus McMaryion pass and ran it 40 yards for a touchdown. Here is what we learned from the Beavers visit to the Rose Bowl.

The Offense Had a Rough Outing.

Credit the Beaver Defense for giving the Offense numerous opportunities to win Saturday’s game, but the Offense could not get it done. UCLA’s front 7 played a splendid game limiting Oregon State’s strong running game to 2.2 rushing yards per carry. 14 of Oregon State’s 24 points came off of UCLA turnovers. In addition, the Offense was aided by a well executed 39 yard punt return by Rahmel Dockery. The Offense was able to capitalize on Dockery’s return by scoring a touchdown three plays later. Marcus McMaryion played a solid game, but his interception was disastrous. Additionally, the fumble on the read option, and Jordan Villamin’s fumble killed two potentially strong drives. Also, a 3-15 conversion rate on 3rd down did not help the Offense. When the Offense watches the film of this game, it’s likely that they will feel nauseous as they witness the missed opportunities vs the UCLA Defense.

Penalties

The Beavers had 12 penalties for 119 yards. For the third game in a row, the Beavers racked up over 100 yards in penalties. Coach Andersen strongly emphasized that the penalties need to be greatly reduced. The bottom line is the penalties are playing a gigantic role in costing the Beavers games.

Manase Hungalu: The Playmaker

Junior Linebacker Manase Hungalu recovered 2 fumbles and had 1 interception. Credit Devin Chappell and Jalen Moore for forcing the fumbles. However, Hungalu was able to return one fumble to the UCLA 4 yard line which set up Oregon State’s first touchdown, and he returned the other UCLA fumble into a touchdown. Without Hungalu’s big plays, the Beavers would have likely been blown out as they were out-gained by the Bruins, 444 to 307. In addition, Hungalu had 5 tackles.

The Heart of This Team is Apparent

The Beavers just do not quit. Manase Hungalu’s interception in the endzone was an example of this team not giving up. Early into the fourth quarter, the Beavers forced a third and goal at the one yard line. It was expected by the fans witnessing the game, UCLA would score another touchdown or at the very least, settle for a field goal. Instead, Hungalu came up with a huge interception for the Beavers.

During the 4th quarter of the Stanford game, the Beavers were only down 8. In the 4th quarter of the UCLA game, the Beavs were down 7. They had opportunities to win two road games. Coach Andersen does not like the term, “moral victories.” Neither does the team, for that matter. Yet, strides are being made by this young team with a thin roster. Hopefully, the Beavers can learn to get over the hump in their next two games to finish the season strongly.