What do make of Oregon State’s thrilling, but ultimately heart-breaking 37-35 loss to Nevada on Saturday night at windy Mackay Stadium? Here are 12 takeaways, plus items worth noting:
1. The theme of the game story: underneath the hurt of the Nevada loss was significant progress. Particularly on the defensive side of the ball. Did anyone think after watching Ohio State toy with Oregon State’s defense two weeks ago that the Beavers would stop any offense with a hint of quality? C’mon now, be honest. You know you thought Oregon State’s best chance of winning games other than Southern Utah was via a shootout.