Oregon State football early opponent preview: California

With 53 days until kickoff, the Oregon State Beavers likely have redemption on the mind.

If the cliché of “one game at a time” is indeed how the Beavers will approach fall camp, then one game from last season will be front of mind: a 44-7 drubbing on the road at California. The Beavers open up their 2025 campaign against the Golden Bears on Aug. 30.

Last time out was the worst loss of the Trent Bray era, a turning point in OSU’s 1-6 finish to 2024. But the Beavers (5-7 last season) retooled their roster and are hosting this time around, and transfer portal churn has the Bears (6-7 last season) looking different at key positions on both sides of the ball in their second season in the ACC.

Game 1: California at Oregon State

Date: Aug. 30

Time: 7:30 p.m. PT

Location: Reser Stadium

TV: ESPN

Early odds: Oregon State -3.5; O/U 51.5

California offense preview:

Like so many middling programs across the country, Cal’s best offensive players were poached in the transfer portal by other programs.

Quarterback Fernando Mendoza is now at Indiana, and running backs Jadyn Ott and Jaivian Thomas are at Oklahoma and UCLA, respectively. Top receiver Nyziah Hunter also left for Nebraska, and tight end Jack Endries is at Texas.

The Bears were busy in the portal, though, nabbing a total of 30 players including Ohio State backup quarterback Devin Brown and former Oregon early enrollee Jaron Keawe-Sagapolutele. Those two will compete for the starting job in Berkeley.

Whoever is under center, this is not the same Bears offense that hung 44 on the Beavers last year, even with other playmaking additions in the portal. Still, Cal has an accomplished new offensive coordinator in Bryan Harsin, the former Boise State coach who originally got his start at Eastern Oregon.

California defense preview:

However mediocre the Justin Wilcox tenure has been at Cal, his teams have had stingy defenses. Last season, the Bears were No. 36 in the country in total defense and No. 20 in third down conversion percentage allowed (.333).

For an Oregon State offense likely to lean on Anthony Hankerson in the backfield, Cal’s ability to maintain its strong rushing defense (No. 14, 109.8 YPG last season) could pose problems. But the difference this time around could be Maalik Murphy at quarterback, adding a dimension through the air that the Beavers simply didn’t have against Cal last year.

The Bears have also lost multiple players from a talented secondary including cornerback Marcus Harris, who left for the NFL. Will the Beavers’ new signal-caller have more room to air it out, as we saw him do plenty of in the 2025 spring game?

He will have to do so against former Oregon State defensive coordinator Keith Heyward, now coaching the defensive backs for the Bears following a short break from coaching.

Either way, OSU will want to get off on the right foot offensively in its opener. The Cal defense has multiple question marks at each level which may allow for that.

With a pair of home games against Cal and Fresno State to begin the season, the Beavers need a solid offensive foundation on which to compete in challenging road games at Texas Tech and Oregon.

— Ryan Clarke covers the Oregon State Beavers for The Oregonian/OregonLive. Reach him at RClarke@Oregonian.com or on Twitter/X: @RyanTClarke. Find him on Bluesky: @ryantclarke.bsky.social.