Washington @ Oregon State preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 16, 2010 ) Oregon State 34, Washington 35

THE STORY: Quarterback Nick Montana, the redshirt-freshman son of Hall of Famer Joe Montana, will get his first start Saturday when Washington hosts Oregon State. Starter Keith Price is dealing with a knee injury, so Montana will be asked to help the Huskies stop their first two-game losing streak of the year. The Beavers have lost three straight and possess the lowest-scoring offense in the Pac-12.

TV: Root Sports. LINE: Washington -2

ABOUT WASHINGTON (6-4, 4-3 Pac-12): Montana threw his first career touchdown pass late in last week’s 40-17 loss to Southern Cal. Freshman receiver Kasen Williams led Washington in receptions for the second consecutive game. The Huskies will likely rely heavily on running back Chris Polk, who averages 113.2 yards with 10 touchdowns. He should have a big game against an Oregon State defense that’s ranked 11th in the Pac-12.

ABOUT OREGON STATE (2-8, 2-5 Pac-12): Freshman quarterback Sean Mannion, who threw for 247 yards in the Beavers’ 23-6 loss at California, has passed for 200 yards or more in nine straight games. The Beavers have struggled on the ground, however. Oregon State, which had just 27 yards rushing against California, is ranked 119th out of 120 FBS teams with an average of 87.8 yards. Defensive back Anthony Watkins had a team-best 10 tackles at California and leads the Beavers with 67 tackles.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Washington leads the series 58-33-4 and won last year 35-34 in double-overtime.

2. Beavers wide receiver James Rodgers, who has 218 career receptions, needs three catches to pass Mike Hass for No. 1 on the program's all-time list.

3. The Huskies have won their final two games of the regular season in each of the previous two years under coach Steve Sarkisian.

PREDICTION: Washington 27, Oregon State 17 -- The Beavers lose their fourth straight as Polk runs for nearly 200 yards.