Oregon State Beavers Prepare for 2025 Season Opener Against California

Strategic Insights -

The Oregon State Beavers will kick off their 2025 season against California at Reser Stadium, with a 7:30 p.m. PT kickoff. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN, with the Beaver Sports Radio Network and the Varsity Network also providing coverage. The Beavers are looking to extend their streak of consecutive wins in season openers to four, a feat they last achieved in the late 1990s.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Beavers have won three consecutive season-opening games, including two that were played at home, and are looking to win four in a row for the first time since 1997-2000.
  • The team returns both their leading rusher and receiver from last season, with Anthony Hankerson looking to build on his 1,082-yard season and Trent Walker seeking to reach 1,000 yards for his career.
  • The Beavers have a strong returning corps, with eight players who recorded at least one rush last season returning in 2025 and eight who caught one pass from last season returning as well.
  • The team is led by head coach Trent Bray, who added the defensive coordinator title in the offseason and is in his second season leading the program.
  • Oregon State has gone 13-4 in games played in August and September over the past four seasons, with a 3-1 mark last season.
  • The Beavers will host California, Fresno State, and Houston in their first four games of the season, all of which were a combined 16-22 last year.

Statistics:

  • 3 - Consecutive wins in season openers for the Beavers.
  • 4 - Straight wins in home openers for OSU.
  • 165 - Receptions return from 2024, 76.4 percent of the team's 216 tally last year.
  • 8 - Beavers who recorded at least one pass last season return in 2025.
  • 1,082 - Rush yards by Anthony Hankerson last season.
  • 901 - Receiving yards for Trent Walker, who caught 81 passes a year ago, good for seventh in a single season at OSU.
  • 20 - Wins in 25 games at Reser Stadium since 2021.
  • 81 - Tackles in 2024 for Skyler Thomas, who returns for his senior season and led the Beavers last season.

Sources:

  • Oregon State University Athletics news release, August 2025.
  • Oregon State University Athletics, "Beavers By The Numbers."
  • ESPN's broadcast of the 2025 Oregon State vs. California game.
  • Twitter.com/BeaverFootball.