CORVALLIS — Plenty went wrong for Oregon State in 2010. Key injuries, a brutal schedule and an embarrassing home loss to Washington State conspired to keep the Beavers out of a bowl game for the first time since the 2005 season.

But 2011 is a new year. Here are some key questions — and some possible answers — as the Beavers kick off the first week of preseason practice, which began in Corvallis on Monday:

Q: Will James Rodgers still be a dynamic playmaker?

A: Seeing James Rodgers participating in the Beavers’ first practice Monday was a relief to many an Oregon State fan. He was back at it again Tuesday, though he was held out of some drills — an approach head coach Mike Riley said will continue for the foreseeable future.

Rodgers was knocked out for the season with a knee injury in Oregon State’s fifth game, a 29-27 win at Arizona. The Beavers were never the same without Rodgers, dropping five of the next seven games.

Before the injury, Rodgers was one of the most exciting players on the West Coast. If he returns at full strength, he will join junior Markus Wheaton, who emerged last season in Rodgers’ absence, to create a potent receiver corps.

“Speed kills at this level,” Ryan Katz, junior OSU quarterback, said after Tuesday’s workout on the practice fields adjacent to Reser Stadium. “Having those guys on the edge will definitely be good for me and for this team. Get those guys the ball and let them go to work.”

Q: How do the Beavers fill the void left by Jacquizz Rodgers?

A: Senior Ryan McCants, sophomore Jovan Stevenson and junior Jordan Jenkins all figure to play a prominent role in the Beavers’ running game this season. Several freshmen, including Terron Ward, are also getting a look in preseason camp.

So far, McCants appears to have the edge as Oregon State’s top back. As a redshirt freshman, McCants was actually slated to start. But Rodgers emerged that year and became the heart and soul of the offense for the next three seasons.

But now McCants, a fifth-year senior, has a chance to emerge even if he has carried the ball just 10 times in the past two seasons. In 2008, he did gain 337 yards on 85 carries, so there is some reason for Beaver fans to be optimistic about this year’s running game.

“Ryan is in the best shape of his life and running faster than he ever has,” Riley said. “I really like that.”

But the competition is still open.

“I think they are all doing a good job, and we are just going to keep playing and see how it plays out,” Riley added.

Q: How much will Ryan Katz improve?

A: Since Riley returned to coach Oregon State in 2003, Beaver quarterbacks have tended to make a giant leap in production in their second year as the starter.

Just two practices into the preseason, Katz — who showed flashes of brilliance in his sophomore season but was inconsistent at times in his first year as starter — is looking like he could follow that second-season trend.

“I asked him, ‘You feeling good today?’ ” an impressed Wheaton said Tuesday. “He said he felt pretty good. All his balls were just on point. He looks really good.”

Q: Can the defense become more consistent?

A: In 2010, Oregon State coughed up 31 points in a November loss to Washington State. One week later, the Beavers held USC to seven points. In other words, the defense was anything but consistent.

One big reason was the defense’s inability to stop teams on third down: Opponents converted 47 percent of third downs against Oregon State last season. That’s way too high.

Only four starters return, leaving an experience gap. But no matter who plays, the defense will have to get better for the Beavers to improve on last season.

“We just have to execute better,” said Cameron Collins, a senior who figures to start at outside linebacker. “It starts with the run game. We were inconsistent, most definitely, in stopping the run.

“We want (third-down conversions) to be under 30 percent,” he added. “And we’re just going to continue to do our film work and use our experiences to make sure that this season we get it under 30 percent.”

Q: What are reasonable expectations for the season?

A: Oregon State camp does seem different this year after a frustrating 2010 season. That could bode well for the season ahead.

But with an inexperienced defense, the Beavers do have some work ahead of them.

The good news is that four of five starters return on the offensive line, Katz appears poised to take a step forward, and he has a bevy of options to work with on the outside.

That should all help the Beavers overcome the loss of Jacquizz Rodgers.

Riley has already talked about the Beavers winning the Pac-12 Conference this season. That could be a stretch. But Oregon State could improve on last year’s 5-7 mark and play in a bowl game, something it has done nine times in the past 12 seasons.

“The only way to go about it is to say that you are going to win every game,” Katz said. “I’m going into every game thinking I am going to win the game. Anyone not going in to win, I don’t know what to tell them.”

Returning Starters

8 offense, 4 defense

Key Returners

Offense

Ryan Katz, QB

James Rodgers, WR

Markus Wheaton, WR

Jordan Bishop, WR

Joe Halahuni, TE

Mike Remmers, OT

Michael Philipp, OT

Grant Johnson, OG

Burke Ellis, OG

Defense

Kevin Frahm, DT

Dominic Glover, DE

Rueben Robinson, LB

Cameron Collins, LB

Jordan Poyer, CB

Brandon Hardin, CB

Lance Mitchell, S

Specialists

Johnny Hekker, P

Schedule

Sept. 3 Sacramento State

Sept. 10 at Wisconsin

Sept. 24 UCLA*

Oct. 1 at Arizona State*

Oct. 8 Arizona*

Oct. 15 BYU

Oct. 22 at Wash. St. (Sea.)*

Oct. 29 at Utah*

Nov. 5 Stanford*

Nov. 12 at California*

Nov. 19 Washington*

Nov. 26 at Oregon*

Dec. 2 Pac-12 Championship Game

*Pac-12 Conference games