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Washington State Cougars football is finally back, and the shortened 2020 season kicks off at Oregon State on Saturday Night (7:30 pm PT, FS1). WSU will have a fresh look in many ways, while the Beavers are looking to replace some major offensive production.
This will be the Wazzu debut of head coach Nick Rolovich, and the first time we’ll see a glimpse of his high-powered Run and Shoot offense in Crimson and Gray. Rolovich has decided to roll with true freshman Jayden de Laura as the starting QB, a Hawai’i native who ran the Run and Shoot at the vaunted football powerhouse Saint Louis School.
If you are curious about what the Run and Shoot offense will look like, be sure to check out this Run and Shoot primer on some of the most common plays.
WSU will also be rolling out a new defense under former Wyoming defensive coordinator Jake Dickert. At Wyoming, Dickert succeeded while having one of those smallest defensive lines in the Mountain West. He’ll be faced with the same challenge in Pullman, will he replicate those previous results?
As for Oregon State, the Beavers showed marked improvement, particularly offensively, in Year 2 under head coach Jonathan Smith. Two key offensive pieces are gone in Jake Luton and Isaiah Hodgins, but star running back Jermar Jefferson returns. The OSU offense will now be led by former 4-star recruit Tristan Gebbia.
It will be Pac-12 After Dark to start the season, and the Cougs and Beavs have delivered on the promise of wild late-night football. Washington State will try to extend a current six-game winning streak over Oregon State.
Game time: 7:30 pm PT
TV channel: FS1
Stream: Fox Sports, browser and app (log-in required)
Radio: TuneIn (or find your local WSU radio station)