Scouting Report: No. 16 Oregon State has new quarterback, new stadium and is heavily favored against Aztecs

San Diego State continues its two-game series against Pac-12 schools on Saturday, when it takes on No. 16-ranked Oregon State.

This sets up as an even greater challenge than last week, when the Aztecs lost 35-10 to UCLA.

The early line has Oregon State (2-0) as a 23 1/2-point favorite over the Aztecs (2-1).

SDSU hasn’t been such an underdog since a 2013 game at No. 3 Ohio State, which was favored by 28 points.

Oregon State leads the all-time series 3-2, winning 28-14 in Corvallis, Ore., when the teams met last in 2014.

It was the Beavers’ third straight victory over SDSU. They also won in 2013 and 2003. The Aztecs’ victories came in 1972 and 1975.

Saturday’s kickoff at Reser Stadium is 12:30 p.m. The game will be broadcast on Fox Sports 1.

About the Beavers

Oregon State head coach Jonathan Smith (sixth season), who quarterbacked at Oregon State from 1998-2001, has a good thing going.

Smith’s teams struggled as he built up the program, winning only two games in two of his first three seasons, but a 7-6 finish in 2021 was followed by a 10-3 mark last year.

With lopsided victories over San Jose State (42-17) and UC Davis (55-7), the Beavers haven’t really been tested so far this season.

Oregon State was picked for fifth place in a preseason media poll. That’s no slight in a conference that this week boasted eight teams in the AP Top 25 rankings.

A $161 million renovation of Reser Stadium was completed last month. Official capacity is now 35,548, with new seating locating fans closer to the field.

Of particular interest to the Aztecs is that visitors no longer have use a locker room inside the adjacent Gill Coliseum, instead enjoying new accommodations underneath seats at Reser Stadium.

The offense

Oregon State received a huge boost this season, when former Clemson quarterback DJ Uiagalelei chose Corvallis to continue his career.

Uiagalelei, a 6-foot-4 junior from Riverside who prepped at St. John Bosco High School, is off to a strong start. Blowout wins have prevented his statistics from being more gaudy, but they are impressive nonetheless. Uiagalelei has completed 28 of 38 passes for 346 yards with five touchdown passing and three more TDs rushing.

Ulagalelei was 8-for-13 passing for 107 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for another score, barely breaking a sweat as the Beavers built a 38-0 halftime lead.

He retired early to the sidelines, giving backup QB Aidan Chiles a chance to get some playing time.

The Beavers have spread the ball among nine receivers, with six different players catching touchdown passes.

Junior wide receiver Silas Bolden, a Rancho Cucamonga native, leads the team with 10 receptions for 118 yards.

Sophomore running back Damien Martinez led the way against UC Davis with seven carries for 104 yards. That gave him back-to-back 100-yard games after collecting 145 yards in the opener against San Jose State.

Oregon State has not committed a turnover yet this season.

“We’re not going into games at the ultimate goal is, ‘Oh, don’t turn it over.’ We’ve got the mindset that we want to be aggressive,” Smith said Monday. “After two (games), we’ll take it. I’m sure we’re going to turn it over at some point throughout this season, but the longer it goes the better.”

The defense

Oregon State defense has a three-game stretch dating to last year’s 30-3 Las Vegas Bowl win over Florida in which it has limited opponents to fewer than 20 points in a game. It is a feat that had not been accomplished since the 2006 season.

Senior defensive back Kitan Oladapo was the Beavers’ only defensive player to receive recognition in a preseason Pac-12 media poll, so maybe the unit felt snubbed.

The defense has been especially effective against the run, limiting opponents to 103 rushing yards this season. Their 51.5-yards-allowed-per-game average ranks first in the Pac-12 and seventh nationally.

Junior inside linebacker Easton Mascarenas-Arnold, Oladapo, junior defensive back Tyrice Ivy Jr. and senior defensive back Jaden Robinson are the team’s tackle leaders.

The defense has forced five fumbles (two recoveries) and intercepted one pass through two games.

Did you know?

Oregon State has as many former coaches in the College Football Hall of Fame — Tommy Prothro (1955-64), John Cooper (1963-64) and Dennis Erickson (1999-2002) — as it does players. Quarterback Terry Baker (1960-62), the 1962 Heisman Trophy winner, fullback Bill Enyart (1967-68) and wide receiver Mike Hass (2002-05) are the three.

Local football fans will remember Prothro as the Chargers’ head coach from 1974-78. Don Coryell replaced him.