Oregon State football returns from bye with visit to Fresno State

Oregon State football is back after a bye. It was about as busy of a week as imaginable for an Oregon State team that didn't play a football game.On Oct. 23, freshman receiver Jesse Legree committed his future to the Beavers' football program. It gained national attention and was a vote of confidence from the breakout star that he's staying in Corvallis for the long term.Oregon State also received votes in The Associated Press Top 25 poll and USA Today's coaches poll. The Beavers' only two losses are to teams within the top 20 of those polls, and they've since stormed to a 5-2 record, 3-0 in the Pac-12.Both Legree and quarterback Braden Atkinson got named to the Maxwell Award watchlist, an award given to the nation's top college football player.The spotlight is still on Oregon State. This week, the Beavers travel to Fresno, California, to take on Fresno State Oct. 31.More: Oregon State football's midseason report cardLegree commitment, Heisman chatterLegree committed his future to the Beavers' in front of a crowd of people in his hometown of Baltimore, Maryland, with the logo of his former high school, St. Frances Academy, as a backdrop."People don't realize how important it is for that young man to go back and represent his city, Baltimore, Maryland, and represent his high school in a very, very passionate yet positive way" Beavers coach JaMarcus Shephard said. "He's doing everything he can to let people in his community know that they have the opportunity and ability to be successful regardless of what anybody thinks about them.""He's going to have impact with a lot of younger athletes and things of that nature because of things he did this past week," Shephard said. On the field, Legree led the nation in receiving yards, receiving touchdowns and receiving yards per game ahead of the bye. Ohio State and Heisman Trophy favorite Jeremiah Smith also had a bye, and Legree is still on top in those statistical categories.Legree himself has made Heisman waves in recent weeks. Legree is fourth in Heisman's own ongoing fan vote. The Athletic lists Legree with the fifth-best odds to win the award, while USA Today slots Legree as the fourth candidate. As Legree propelled into the national spotlight, conversations surrounding his collegiate future prompted his public decision to stay. With the decision, Shephard hopes it's the start of something great in Corvallis."We (have) so much conversation about the future and what next season looks like, transfer portal, all those things. Sometimes we just kind of forget to focus on what's exciting about what we're doing right now," Shephard said. "Although I do believe that there may be some effects related to Jesse making that decision, but I don't know for sure ... I believe that it will."Buy Oregon State ticketsPreparing for Fresno StateFresno State is 4-3 overall and 1-2 in Pac-12 play. The Bulldogs have lost to USC, Boise State and San Diego State, a San Diego State team that Oregon State defeated 66-14 in early October."They've got three players, one at each level (on defense) that is really, really outstanding," Shephard said. Shephard named linebacker K'vion Thunderbird, defensive back Kiontre Harris and defensive lineman Dylan Hampsten as players to watch. "He flies around ... he'll hit you, violently, he understands the defense very well is what it seems like on tape. He just plays with a passion, he's playing for something," Shephard said of Thunderbird. "When you see guys on film play like that it's pretty impressive."Fresno State's historically highly touted defense has given up 10 or less points on three occasions this fall. But it's also given up 39 to USC, 31 to Boise State, 26 to San Diego State and 24 to Rice."We've got to find ways to combat that at a really high level," Shephard said. "They're a top-10 team when it comes to penalties, they very rarely are penalized ... they recover a lot of fumbles, they're a top-30 team in terms of interceptions that they've created."It will be one of the tallest tasks yet for Atkinson, Legree and the Oregon State offense. How to watch Oregon State vs. Fresno StateOregon State versus Fresno State will kick off at 8 p.m. Oct. 31 from Valley Children's Stadium in Fresno, California.The game will air on USA Sports of the USA Network. Streaming options include Sling TV, Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV and DirecTV Stream, all of which carry the USA Network. Landon Bartlett covers Oregon State and high school sports for the Statesman Journal. He can be reached at LBartlett@statesmanjournal.com or on X, TikTok or Instagram @bartlelo. This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Oregon State football returns from bye with visit to Fresno StateOur editors independently choose our recommendations. Some content is produced with paid support from a third party, however our editorial decisions remain independent. If you buy through our links, the USA TODAY Network may earn a commission. Prices and availability may change.