Oregon State Seeks Redemption Against Wake Forest Amid Historic Struggles
Sep 26, 2025; Corvallis, Oregon, USA – Oregon State Beavers wide receiver Taz Reddicks (3) charges forward after a reception in overtime against the Houston Cougars at Reser Stadium. Credit: Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images
Oregon State is desperately chasing a turnaround as it faces Wake Forest this Saturday in Corvallis, Oregon. The Beavers are hoping to escape the shadows of their toughest season start since 1991, while the Demon Deacons are riding a wave of early success.
"We’ve been focused every week on improving incrementally," said Wake Forest coach Jake Dickert.
Wake Forest, now 3-2, recently completed its first road game of the season with a hard-fought 30-23 victory at Virginia Tech. Traveling to Oregon presents a new test, as the team plans to arrive Thursday to adjust to the time zone and environment ahead of this nonconference clash.
"I’m grateful for this opportunity to get accustomed to cross-country travel with the team," Dickert added. "This is something we’ll need to handle often in the ACC."
The Beavers, sitting at 0-6, are starting a stretch of four straight home games, seeking to regain confidence and momentum after a historically poor start.
"It’s frustrating," Oregon State coach Trent Bray admitted. "This is far from where we expected to be at this stage."
There’s an interesting connection between these teams. Dickert joined Wake Forest last December after serving as head coach at Washington State. Ironically, the Cougars fell to Oregon State last November 41-38 in Corvallis—the Beavers’ last victory to date.
"The atmosphere will be electric," Dickert predicted. "Oregon State will field a gritty, determined squad that will fight every yard."
Bray acknowledged Dickert’s coaching pedigree: "His teams are disciplined, physical, and relentless—very reminiscent of his Washington State squads."
At the helm for Oregon State is quarterback Maalik Murphy, a transfer from Duke. Murphy famously threw a game-winning 39-yard touchdown pass on the final play against Wake Forest in November 2024 while at Duke, finishing that game 25-of-34 for 235 yards, one touchdown, and one interception.
This season, Murphy has surpassed 200 passing yards in five games, including a standout 358-yard performance last week in a narrow 27-23 loss to Appalachian State.
Oregon State has struggled defensively, surrendering at least 27 points in every matchup this season, although their recent contests have been tightly contested. They narrowly lost 27-24 in overtime to Houston two weeks ago.
In a shakeup, Bray dismissed special teams coordinator Jamie Christian on Sunday, with Robb Akey, special assistant to the head coach, stepping in to oversee the unit. Additionally, running back Anthony Hankerson is contending with an ankle injury, potentially affecting the team’s offensive options.
Wake Forest faces uncertainty as well. Running back Demond Claiborne left the Virginia Tech game due to injury, leaving potential gaps in the Demon Deacons’ offensive lineup. With no mandatory injury report for nonconference games, updates won’t be available until game day.
This Saturday marks the first-ever meeting between Oregon State and Wake Forest, as well as the Demon Deacons’ debut in Oregon. The game was added to the schedule after Wake Forest canceled a planned return matchup at Ole Miss last year.
This is a showdown where history, strategy, and resilience collide. Will Oregon State finally break its losing streak, or will Wake Forest extend its momentum across the country? Share your predictions and thoughts—do you see an upset brewing, or a dominant display from the visitors?
--Field Level Media
