Oregon State Spring Game Gives Fans Plenty To Look Forward To

By STEVEN VAUGHAN, 750 THE GAME

The Oregon State Beavers held their annual spring game this past Saturday.

Coming off of a 10-win season last year, the hype and excitement in Corvallis is at an all-time high. Beaver Nation didn’t disappoint, with an estimated 5,000 fans in the stands on Saturday, by far the most for a spring game in the Jonathan Smith era.

Coach Smith said he loved the turnout.

“It was fun. I didn’t know exactly what to anticipate and all that, but I think they were showing their support and that whole side was full,” he told media after the scrimmage. “The energy in the stadium I know was fun for our guys.”

The biggest question coming into the spring game was how the quarterbacks look and what the competition is like. Former 5-star recruit and Clemson transfer DJ Uiagalelei is the odds-on favorite to get the job come week one, but the returning Ben Gulbranson had the majority of first-team snaps early in spring ball and 4-star freshman Aidan Chiles has turned heads, too.

Coach Smith said he liked what all three QBs did but it was the freshman Chiles who put on the biggest show. Sure, Chiles got the majority of the snaps, but he also had the play of the day with a beautiful touchdown pass in the back of the endzone to Silas Bolden.

Smith says this is normal for the freshman. “He’s gifted man”, he said, “You kind of expect it.”

SIBO 🤯 pic.twitter.com/bjTWt4LrBN

— Oregon State Football (@BeaverFootball) April 22, 2023

The defense ended up winning the practice which isn’t a shock for a unit that led the Pac-12 in scoring defense a season ago. Even though they lost some leadership like Jaydon Grant (eligibility) and Omar Speights (Transferred to LSU), the Beavers return some important pieces, not the least of which is defensive coordinator, Trent Bray.

Coach Smith said he loves the mindset of his defense. “The way they approach things, the type of guys they are, I think they understand how hard it is to win, and they’re going to attack the preparation, comradery, and chemistry with that.

“We got some guys who have been around and understand the culture.”

The culture that Coach Jonathan Smith has built in Corvallis is great. But now he is recruiting the talent to go with it. Oregon State has high hopes this season for good reason.

The Beavers open up their 2023 season on the road against San Jose State on Sun., September 3rd.

@steven_von