Oregon State Beavers at UTEP Miners

Oregon State closes out a brutal nonconference gauntlet in El Paso, and UTEP has its Homecoming crowd waiting for the program's first-ever shot at a Pac-12 opponent.

Bush’s Picks

ORSTUTEP

ORSTUTEP

OverUnder

Best BetOregon State

Oregon State still carries the higher ceiling on paper with a Power-conference roster and a new offensive-minded staff, even with the quarterback job unresolved. UTEP is respectable at home but is jumping levels of competition in its first Mountain West season, and that gap in overall talent is the biggest swing factor here.

Oregon State

• +New OC JaMarcus Shephard is a proven offensive mind
• +Murphy has flashed real arm talent in camp
• +Back in a true Power-ish conference with more resources
• −Starting QB job still unresolved into fall camp
• −Offensive line struggled to protect or run-block
• −11 empty trips inside the 20 last season

UTEP

• +Home crowd for the 94th Homecoming Game
• +QB Colson locked in since May, more camp continuity
• +Colson threw 16 TDs to just 4 INTs in his last extended run
• −Jumping up in competition for its first Mountain West season
• −Facing a talent gap against a Power-conference opponent
• −Program still finding its footing under a young head coach

Neither sideline has fully settled on a quarterback for this one, but they're at very different stages of figuring it out. Oregon State's Maalik Murphy has taken early first-team reps and drawn praise for his arm talent, yet head coach JaMarcus Shephard has said he won't name a starter until fall camp wraps, with Braden Atkinson and Brady Jones still in the mix. UTEP settled its answer back in May, handing the job to Incarnate Word transfer EJ Colson well before a single fall practice — a head start that matters against a slate that also includes Michigan.

Whoever wins the Beavers' job inherits an offensive line that couldn't protect or run-block consistently a year ago, and turnovers were the bigger sin — Oregon State came away empty 11 times on drives inside the 20. UTEP is stepping up in competition level as it opens its Mountain West era, and sandwiching Michigan and Oregon State back-to-back in nonconference play is as much about survival as measuring sticks.

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ORST Oregon State

UTEP UTEP

Strip away last year's records and this is really two rebuilds colliding — one restocking through the portal under a brand-new staff, the other trying to prove Year 3 under Scotty Walden is the one where things stick. That context matters more here than anything on a scoreboard from a season ago.

Oregon State Beavers

Sep 19?vs Montana—

Sep 12?vs Texas Tech—

Sep 5?@ Houston—

UTEP Miners

Sep 19?@ Michigan—

Sep 12?vs Texas Southern—

Sep 4?@ Oklahoma—

Murphy's camp reviews have centered on his deep-ball touch and building chemistry with a receiver room that still includes veteran Trent Walker, but Shephard inherited a roster with almost no returning continuity, which is exactly why the QB battle has dragged into fall. On the other side, Colson arrives with real production to point to — over 2,100 passing yards and 16 touchdowns against just 4 interceptions in his last extended run — even if it came a level down from what he's about to see.

Oregon State Beavers

(0)

Fully healthy — no injuries on ESPN's report

UTEP Miners

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Fully healthy — no injuries on ESPN's report

Program trajectory is the real subplot: Oregon State is trying to avoid a third straight losing season now that it's back in a real conference, while UTEP is trying to show its Mountain West jump wasn't premature. Whichever team wins the turnover battle probably wins this one outright.