Oregon State Not Looking Past San Jose State In Season-Opener

Oregon State wide receiver Anthony Gould (2) prepares to run downfield during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Oregon State Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

By STEVEN VAUGHAN, 750 THE GAME

A stand-alone game on Sunday afternoon is what is on tap for the Oregon State Beavers to open the 2023 season. The Beavers take on San Jose State down in San Jose (12:30 p.m., CBS). The Spartans have a game under their belt (56-28 loss at USC) while Oregon State will be playing its first game of the season.

Beavs receiver Anthony Gould is a preseason Pac-12 selection and there are a lot of expectations for the West Salem High School graduate. For Gould and the Beavers to live up to expectations, a lot is going to be on the shoulders of starting quarterback DJ Uiagalelei.

Gould told John Canzano on the Bald Faced Truth that Uiagalelei is a player the offense can trust.

“I think it was the decision-making at the end of the day,” Gould said on 750 The Game of Uiagalelei winning the starting job. “Having a group of guys who all trust him to make the right decision. That’s not taking anything away from Aidan (Chiles) or Ben (Gulbranson). Those are two other guys that can go to almost any other program and make a case for being a starter. His (Uiagalelei’s) decision-making and being able to move around on his feet will be a big benefit to us.”

Oregon State is favored by double-digits on the road over the home Spartans (OSU -16.5). Canzano asked Gould if there is a danger in this season-opener being a trap game for the Beavers.

“Not really, no,” Gould said. “But at the level we play at, every week is a trap game whether you’re playing a good team or not. Anyone can be beaten on any given Saturday. You just got to take it week by week. We’re definitely not overlooking these guys. You just can’t do that at this level.”

Week one is on the road, but in week two the Beavers will open up the newly remodeled Reser Stadium. The $161 million renovation project on the West side of the stadium looks great. Gould said he can’t wait to play there and see it full of Beavers fans.

“It’s amazing. It’s definitely cool to see. At times you almost forget what the old one looked like. Being able to see the difference of when I first got here compared to when it was torn down and to look at it now. It’s amazing and I think it’s good for Beavers fans and student-athletes.”

Listen to the full interview with Anthony Gould by clicking the podcast below. Catch the Bald Faced Truth with John Canzano afternoons 3-6 p.m. in Portland exclusively on 750 The Game.