CORVALLIS — Will Hopkins acknowledges he was a bit uncertain when he stepped on the field at Rice-Eccles Stadium last week.
Up until that point, the Oregon State offensive lineman had primarily only faced teammates in practice, before getting late game action against Colorado. Matching up against Utah's ferocious defensive line — the best unit the Beavers will face all season — as the starting left tackle would be quite different.
Yet Hopkins earned favorable reviews in his first-career start, a role he will now hold the rest of the season while veteran Sean Harlow recovers from ankle surgery.