CORVALLIS -- For Oregon State's defense, there was nowhere to go but up.
The Beavers surrendered 721 yards of total offense and barely touched Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins during a 77-31 loss to open the 2018 football season. The Buckeyes punted just once and averaged 8.3 yards per play.
One week later, Oregon State fared much better in the trenches and eliminated several mental mistakes en route to a 48-25 home victory over Southern Utah. The level of competition wasn't as stiff, but the Beavers exhibited authentic growth on defense.
"I thought it was an improvement from Week 1 to Week 2," defensive coordinator Tim Tibesar said Wednesday.