Oregon State @ Washington State preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 13, 2010 ) Washington State 31, Oregon State 14

THE STORY: After receiving the Andrew Luck treatment last week, Washington State looks to rebound Saturday against Oregon State, which is off to its worst start since 1996. The Beavers have lost seven out of their last eight games and nine of 11. Washington State needs to win three of its final six games to remain bowl eligible, which makes Saturday’s game against the struggling Beavers essentially a must-win for the Cougars.

TV: FSN. LINE: Washington State -3

ABOUT OREGON STATE (1-5, 1-2 Pac-12 North): The Beavers rank 107th out of 120 teams in rushing offense, and their second-leading rusher - Jovan Stevenson - will be limited Saturday with a knee injury. Malcolm Agnew and Terron Ward should get most of the carries. Freshman quarterback Sean Mannion has thrown for nearly 1,600 yards this season, but he has only five touchdowns and nine interceptions. Cornerback Jordan Poyer leads the Pac-12 with three interceptions, and he is fifth in the conference in kickoff returns. The Beavers’ defensive line has been showing improvement, but the loss of defensive tackle Castro Masaniai (broken leg) doesn’t help matters.

ABOUT WASHINGTON STATE (3-3, 1-2): The Cougars trailed Stanford by only three at the half last week before losing 44-14. Quarterback Jeff Tuel struggled in his first game since breaking his clavicle Sept. 3, but he should return to form against Oregon State. The Cougars are averaging 36 points and wide receiver Marquess Wilson has 36 catches for 688 yards and five touchdowns. The Cougars rank sixth in the Pac-12 in total defense and linebacker Alex Hoffman-Ellis leads the unit with 42 tackles and two sacks. Linebacker Sekope Kaufusi and defensive end Lenard Williams are both expected to return from injuries Saturday.

EXTRA POINTS:

1. Washington State’s only conference win last year came at Oregon State 31-14, which ended a 16-game conference losing streak.

2. The game is being played at CenturyLink Field in Seattle as Washington State caters to its large alumni base in Western Washington.

3. Oregon State coach Mike Riley on the Beavers’ run game, which managed only 59 yards last week against Brigham Young: “It certainly comes and goes, and it hasn’t come often enough.”

PREDICTION: Washington State 38, Oregon State 17 - Assuming Tuel shook off the rust last week, he should lead the Cougars to a fairly easy win over the young, injury-ridden Beavers.