Jonathan Smith and Oregon State look to take the next step in 2020
Photo: Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports
Jonathan Smith came to Corvallis in 1997 as a walk-on Quarterback under Head Coach Mike Riley. The Beavers had gone 3-19 the 2 years before Smith arrived and hadn't played in a bowl game since the 1964 season. Smith redshirted his first season and then became the starter halfway through the season in1998. The Beavers steadily improved. In Smith's first full season as the starter, in 1999, the Beavers went 7-5 and played in the Oahu Bowl. 2000 was even better. The Beavers ran through the Pac-12 on their way to an 11-1 record and capped the season off with a dominant 41-9 win over Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl.
Fast forward to 2018. Jonathan Smith came back to Oregon State to be their new head coach after a stint at Washington as the Offensive Coordinator. OSU was once again on tough times and had just completed a 1-11 season. Smith once again began a quick rebuild on the Beavers and by 2019 had the Beavers finishing tied for 2nd in the Pac-12 North.
The Beavers featured a high powered offensive attack in 2019 with Smith's scheme in place and came agonizingly close to a bowl game. OSU lost 3 games by 3 points or less while finishing with a 5-7 record.
Oregon State returns quite a few stars from their 2019 team. Running back Jermar Jefferson has totaled 2297 yards and 22 touchdowns in his first 2 seasons in Corvallis. Hamilcar Rashed returns to lead the defense after posting 14 sacks and 22.5 tackles for loss last season. The run defense (a week spot in 2019) will be bolstered by 4 star Auburn transfer, Charles Moore.
The schedule features tough road games against Oklahoma State, Washington, ASU and Utah. The path to a bowl game won't be easy, but with Jonathan Smith at the helm you can count on the Beavers maximizing their talent and overcoming the odds on their quest for a Bowl appearance in 2020.
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