Bill Oram: Purdue is bad, but Oregon State really needed the restart

CORVALLIS – What an unsalted cracker is to a wine drinker, the 2024 Purdue Boilermakers are to college football.

When you reach for ginger at a sushi bar, you want to see the worst team in the Big Ten.

After the bad loss to Oregon the week before, Oregon State certainly needed a change on Saturday.

Boy, I'm ready for my intermezzo.

Purdue obliged.

Oregon State's defense needed to be refocused. Gevani McCoy needed to see some first downs. The running backs needed to reclaim their territory.

Check, check, check.

And it was not for nothing that the Beavers did all this against a representative of the conference for whom everyone had abandoned them.

No, really. It's true. It even said “Big Ten” on the jerseys and everything.

“A complete victory,” said Trent Bray.

That's an improvement over the previous week, which was… what?

A complete breakdown, a disappointment and a defeat.

The real truth behind the Beavers' 38-21 win over the Boilermakers is that Purdue isn't very good. It's hard to imagine what Oregon could do to that team in a month.

You didn't leave Reser Stadium on Saturday night feeling like you learned much about this Oregon State team. That's largely because we already know who and what they are.

The Boilermakers entered Saturday's game rushing at 233 yards per game — only five teams in the FBS were worse — and were coming off a 66-7 loss to Notre Dame.

It's never good to end up losing in a primary election. (What's up, Baltimore?!)

The fact that OSU was only favored by 2.5 points at kickoff showed a complete misunderstanding of who the Beavers are.

Are there any areas that you are concerned about? Certainly. But hammering on the stone is not one of them.

Next game: Oregon State (3-1) – Colorado State (2-2)

• When: Saturday, October 5
• Time: 3:30 p.m. PT
• Where: Reser Stadium, Corvallis
• TV channels: The CW (channel 32 in Portland)
• Electricity: Fubo (free trial) or DirecTV Stream (free trial). Streaming coverage for this game is available on these streaming services locally in Oregon and Washington, but may not be available outside of the Pacific Northwest depending on your location.
• Oregon State Football 2024 Season Schedule and Results

OSU managed 341 yards on the ground, their second 300-yard game of the year. McCoy had his most productive game with the ball and made good decisions when running the option with the Beavers' running backs.

Jam Griffin had 137 rushing yards. Anthony Hankerson added 89 and two touchdowns, offering a front flip into the end zone for the second touchdown late in the fourth quarter.

This wasn't a game for blanket statements or definitive statements. Oregon State isn't knocking on the door of the top 25 or anything.

But it was what you might call an identity win. Oregon State played its style of play and cruised to victory with ease. The things Bray wants his team to be good at are the things it has succeeded at.

After the Ducks overran them, OSU's defense forced turnovers on the Boilermakers' first two possessions – including Zakaih Saez's absurd pick-six. The Beavers had over 40 minutes of possession and ran 28 more plays than their opponent.

They have added even more subtleties to their reliably power-dominated offense: jet sweeps, these option plays.

The Beavers are making progress and benefiting from a very favorable schedule.

After a sluggish first half, the Beavers went on offense in the second half and found a rhythm that prevented the Boilermakers from gaining momentum. When Purdue twice cut the Beavers' lead to 10 in the second half, OSU responded with steady touchdown runs.

MORE COVERAGE OF BEAVERS VERSUS PURDUE

• Oregon State punishes Purdue with running game and pick-six

• Clemons makes his debut and hints at his potential for big plays

• Running game gives future opponents food for thought

• What Trent Bray said after the victory

It's important to recognize the position the Beavers are operating from. Bray is building his program from the ground up.

That's not to say there isn't a continuation of the program's success under Jonathan Smith — there is a little — but the Beavers are in more of a wait-and-see mode in college football.

After being abandoned and disemboweled, they have a lot to prove.

While the realignment is taking place around them and officials continue to work on rebuilding the Pac-12, the Beavers are happy to continue to win.

At 3-1, the Beavers are well positioned to compete in a high-profile bowl game. Colorado State and Nevada await on the other side of a week off.

The Beavers got a restart at the right time on Saturday.

They look like they are ready for their next course.

— Bill Oram is a sports columnist for The Oregonian/OregonLive.