Southern Utah @ Oregon State preview

Oregon State will look to match its win total from last season when the Beavers host Southern Utah on Saturday. Oregon State posted its only victory in the second game last season against visiting Portland State, an FCS team like Southern Utah.

The Beavers are coming off a 77-31 loss at No. 4 Ohio State on Saturday, but a few positives did arise during the blowout, giving the Beavers some things to build on moving forward. Artavis Pierce delivered touchdown runs of 78 and 80 yards to account for most of his career-best 168 rushing yards on 11 carries, and was also involved in the passing game, catching three passes for 41 yards. The Beavers lost quarterback Jake Luton to a hard hit on the first play against Ohio State, but Conor Blount played well in relief and is prepared to start against Southern Utah. The Thunderbirds figure to be motivated after losing 34-30 last week to North Alabama, a first-year FCS school that scored the go-ahead touchdown with 12 seconds left after Southern Utah had two interceptions nullified by penalties on the drive.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Network. LINE: None

ABOUT SOUTHERN UTAH (0-1): Chris Helbig is a more-than capable quarterback for the Thunderbirds and he did his part last weekend, completing 28-of-38 passes for 316 yards and two touchdowns, as well as running for another score. Big-time performances are nothing new to Helbig, who set a Colorado high school record in 2015 when he passed for 607 yards in the opening week of the season. Helbig then headed to Colorado as a preferred walk-on, but wasn't in the hunt for the starting quarterback spot, so he transferred to a junior college in Kansas before getting another shot at Southern Utah.

ABOUT OREGON STATE (0-1): Blount was 12-for-17 for 169 yards and two touchdowns against Ohio State, great numbers for a mismatch and even better considering Blount didn't have a turnover. Blount seemed to develop chemistry during the game with junior wide receiver Trevon Bradford, who caught six passes for 106 yards and both touchdowns, doubling his touchdown total from the previous two seasons. Oregon State won't have last season's leading receiver, tight end Noah Togiai, back for another three weeks because of a knee injury, but 6-foot-4 sophomore wide receiver Isaiah Hodgins provides a nice-sized target in the seams.

EXTRA POINTS

1.Oregon State’s schedule includes seven teams that played in a bowl game last season.

2. Oregon State is 53-18 in its past 172 games when committing fewer turnovers than its opponent.

3. Southern Utah LB Chinedu Ahanonu missed five games last season because of injury, but still accumulated the third-most tackles on the team with 70.

PREDICTION: Southern Utah 38, Oregon State 31