Coach struggles to comment as Beavers continue to falter

CORVALLIS —

It was just one play here or there.

The Oregon State Beavers and head coach Gary Andersen had their greatest opportunity to win their first Pac-12 game since his arrival.

And the coach knew how close they were … lamenting those one or two plays that his Beavers couldn’t make.

A subdued Coach Andersen let the press know his mood right away during his postgame press conference, after the Beavers, winless in the Pac-12, fell to Colorado, 17-13 Saturday night at Reser Stadium.

“That was tough one, no question about it,” Andersen said in his opening remarks to the media.

“I don’t have a bunch to say … probably not going to say too many good things, so it’s better if I keep my mouth shut a little bit.”

The Beavers’ defense had played one of its best games in the Pac-12, holding the Buffaloes to 17 points — by far the best defensive performance of the year.

Thus, the Beavers had opportunity after opportunity to win the football game and couldn’t quite get it done.

“You just cannot miss layups,” Andersen said. “It’s a tough, hard-fought football game on both sides. You’ve got two teams that are trying to go out and win games … they made more plays than we did.

“You cannot have those plays … where we miss the easy ones. There were a number of those plays tonight. That’s on offense and on defense.”

The coach could point to many plays that could have turned the tide in the Beavers’ favor.

In the first half, two scoring chances were lost … one to a turnover on downs, and another to penalty.

After Oregon State’s defense got the first stop of the game, quarterback Seth Collins picked up two huge first downs, getting the Beavers into scoring position already up 7-3.

But the Beavers’ Ryan Nall, who had the best game of his collegiate career, got stuffed short of the first down on a 4th and 1, and the Beavers turned the ball over on downs.

The Buffaloes would take the ensuing drive down the field for a touchdown, with a completion from Sefo Liufau to Nelson Spruce on a 3rd and long from the 16-yard-line, and take a 10-7 lead.

Also in the first half, an intentional grounding call on Collins, after the Beavers had driven down to the 20-yard-line, killed the drive and forced a field goal from Garrett Owens for the tie at 10-10.

That penalty was one of many that hampered the offense on the night.

“There were some ignorant penalties, period,” Andersen said. “The aggressive penalties, the holding penalties, we’re never going to be perfect. But we have to play in the moment and realize what that penalty can do to a football team, a drive, an offense.”

In the second half, Oregon State had more chances to make plays that could have changed the outcome. The Beavers missed a field goal to take the lead on the first drive of the second half, after Collins had hooked up with Jordan Villamin to get them in the red zone.

Then, with the game still tied at 10-10, OSU freshman linebacker Jonathan Willis couldn’t hang on to a tipped pass from Liufau, and the Buffaloes would take that drive in for their only touchdown and points of the second half.

Quarterback Nick Mitchell, who split time with Collins and finished out the game for the Beavers taking the snaps, led two other scoring drives into Buffalo territory that would result in just three points.

Andersen felt Mitchell played well enough to say he would be splitting time with Collins for the foreseeable future — but that he needed more help from his receivers in making the plays that should be made.

“That’s what you do as a receiver,” the coach said. “Your job is to catch it and make plays, and we are not doing a good enough job of that at the wide receiver position.”

Nall, a freshman, made several big plays on his way to a career-best 122 yards rushing on 20 attempts.

“There’s an exciting youth movement that’s taking place,” Andersen said. “Ryan Nall is fun to watch … the kid’s kind of coming into his own. It’s interesting to see the dynamic of a few of these young, youthful kids, stepping up and growing and developing.”

Andersen knows the Beavers will have to put more points on the board to compete in the Pac-12.

“You have to score,” Andersen said. “You have absolutely no chance in a great league … the Pac-12 has proven itself to be a league where you’ve got to be prepared to score points … and we are struggling mightily to score points.

The younger players emerging during the game didn’t offset Andersen’s disappointment with another tough loss for the Beavers, now 2-5 overall and 0-4 in the Pac-12.

“The young bucks are going to keep on rolling, so the old guys better make sure they stay on the ship,” Andersen said. “It’s going to be a fun ship down the road.

“Right now it’s not, it’s tough and it is what it is. We’ll remember these days, and we’ll look back one day with a big smile on our face … when we’re winning games and take care of business … and say ‘remember when.’”

— Reporter: 541-617-7868, kduke@bendbulletin.com