CORVALLIS — If Oregon State football is going to pick up its first win of the season this week, it will have to do so a long way from home.
The Beavers (0-5) take their farthest road trip of the season to Boone, North Carolina to face Appalachian State (2-2) on Saturday.
OSU comes in as narrow favorites over the Mountaineers of the Sun Belt Conference. Here is a sneak peek:
Oregon State (0-5) at Appalachian State (2-2)
When: Saturday, Oct. 4
Time: 12:30 p.m. PT
Where: Kidd Brewer Stadium — Boone, North Carolina
TV: ESPN+ (Not available on traditional broadcast TV, only streaming on ESPN’s live sports streaming platform. Here’s a look at how you can watch ESPN+ live on your TV.)
Stream: You can watch a live stream of this game for less than $12 on ESPN+ (It’s just $11.99/month or $119.99/full year subscription, and you can cancel anytime.)
Odds (9/29): Oregon State by 1.5; over/under 54.5 (Action Network)
Series history
Saturday is the first-ever meeting between OSU and Appalachian State.
Appalachian State star power
(No. 7) Rashod Dubinion, RB
Dubinion is the engine of this Mountaineers offense. An Arkansas transfer, he has rushed for 513 yards on 88 carries, scoring twice. Four games in, he’s already at a career high in yards.
App State’s second- and third-string running backs have 18 and 12 carries, respectively. Dubinion is the bell cow, and the Beavers will need to keep him contained.
(15) Jaden Barnes, WR
The Mountaineers’ passing attack isn’t great, but Barnes has been the most reliable receiver thus far. A transfer from Austin Peay coming off a 1,000-yard season, he has 24 receptions for 337 yards through four games.
Dalton Stroman has been productive as well, hauling in 16 passes for 302 yards at 18.9 yards per catch. An Oregon State defense which gave up big plays down the stretch against Houston has to put in a performance more like the first 55 minutes of that game.
(2) Ethan Johnson, CB
App State might have the 92nd rated passing defense in the country, made worse by a blowout loss at Boise State last week, but cornerback Ethan Johnson has been a spark.
Johnson has a team-high four pass deflections this season and has typically taken on the opposing team’s best receiver. Expect him to be lined up against Trent Walker on Saturday, and try to do what Oregon did in keeping Maalik Murphy’s best target out of the equation.
(97) Kevin Abrams-Verwayne, DL
The senior out of Marietta, Georgia has been the Mountaineers’ most disruptive defensive lineman this season, notching 2.5 sacks and two forced fumbles. OSU is getting healthier on the interior offensive line, though, including the return of guard Tyler Voltin.
That matchup will be key to Murphy having a bounce-back game. This App State defense offers the struggling Duke transfer a prime opportunity to excel, despite the long journey back to his former home state.
Something to know
Part of it is opponent quality, but the Mountaineers have the No. 13 run defense in the country — tied with Washington allowing just 84.2 yards per game. An OSU team that had a strong game on the ground against Houston, including a breakout performance from Cornell Hatcher Jr., would like to break that trend.
What to expect
Even when things have gone well for Oregon State this season, the Beavers have fallen apart in the end. It is hard to know what to expect out of a winless team going on the road to a far away and difficult to reach locale, regardless of opponent.
If the Beavers truly are as together as players say they remain despite their record, this will be the game to finally show that and get in the win column. App State is the weakest program OSU has faced so far this season, coming off being waxed on the road at the Beavers’ future Pac-12 compatriot Boise State. These are not power conference athletes the Beavers will be facing in Boone.
If OSU can stop the run and find a rhythm through the air on offense, it should win comfortably. But nothing is guaranteed for a program in crisis.
For the Beavers, it is now a question of heart and motivation to crawl out of the hole they’ve dug for themselves. A loss would put OSU firmly in the race for worst team in the country. On paper, they are much better than the Mountaineers.
Prediction
Oregon State 31, Appalachian State 15