In Monday’s press conference leading up to Washington State’s homecoming football game against Oregon State, two areas of improvement were highlighted that would lead the Cougs to victory: playing a four-quarter game in all phases and not playing down to the level of their competition.

Specifically, this starts with coming out focused against OSU (2-3, 0-2Pac-12), and avoiding a letdown in front of what is expected to be a nearly sold-out Martin Stadium.

The two teams may essentially had opposite performances on the road last weekend – WSU stunned the UO in double overtime, 45-38, in Eugene, and OSU got whooped, 44-7, by Arizona – but this is not a game the Cougars (3-2, 1-1) can enter in cruise control.

“We’re not in a position to take anyone lightly,” redshirt junior wide receiver Gabe Marks said at the press conference. “Every week it has been coming down to the wire.”

WSU may be an eight-point betting favorite as of Thursday, and while the Beavers rank dead last in scoring offense (19.8 ppg), passing offense (139.4 ypg) and total offense (320.4 ypg) in the conference, Marks said it best: “They’re still a Pac-12 team.”

The Beavers are in rebuilding mode under first-year Head Coach Gary Anderson. Leach praised Anderson – who coached the Wisconsin Badgers the last two years – and his history of success.

“They’re a tough, hard-nosed team,” Leach said of the Beaver defense. “They’re tall by secondary standards and I know Gary brought some guys in from Utah. They have a funny way of getting their corners drafted in the NFL.”

OSU ranks first in the Pac-12 in passing defense (177.6 ypg) and even as they have worn down in the second-half of its losses to Michigan, Stanford and Arizona, all three defensive meltdowns came via the running game.

Redshirt sophomore linebacker Peyton Pelluer maintained that he and the other 10 defensive players on the field just have to continue to play with the mindset first-year Defensive Coordinator Alex Grinch has instilled – playing with the intent to create turnovers.

“It’s pretty straightforward,” Pelluer said of watching OSU game film. “They’re nothing too fancy. We just have to play our game.”

The Beavers’ kryptonite – and where WSU will have the capability to put away the game early – is a one-dimensional offensive attack. True freshman quarterback Seth Collins has thrown for 637 yards through four games and leads the Beavers in rushing yards (362) while accounting for nine touchdowns, and has proven to be the one player capable of leading the OSU offense down the field.

Collins has flashed some long-term potential in Anderson’s system, but has also shown there is a learning curve with the collegiate level. With an inexperienced offensive line, he has displayed tendencies to make his reads prior to the snap, and if leading receivers junior Victor Bolden and sophomore Jordan Villamin are not open, will immediately tuck the ball and try to run for extra yardage.

It’s an attack that sometimes can be quite effective, but is limited in variety and prone to turnovers. It will be imperative for Pelluer and leading tacklers senior linebacker Jeremiah Allison and senior safety Taylor Taliulu to cover the middle of the field, stay home and bait Collins into turning the ball over.

Collins’ status is questionable for the game, however, after being knocked out of the contest last week, getting plastered on several sacks.

WSU had success running the ball against the Ducks last week – a better team at defending the run than the Beavers – and if redshirt sophomore quarterback Luke Falk throws the ball down the field with success like he did the last two weeks, the Cougars can seize control of this game early.

The Cougar offense is scoring 11.8 points per game more than OSU this season. In the Beavers’ losses, all three teams had little trouble moving the ball and forcing the young team to succumb in the third quarter each time. Fast and frequent scoring and ball control will keep the game at a pace the OSU offense cannot keep up with.

Marks talked about how most WSU players come from winning programs in high school and have become fed up with consistent losing and underwhelming performances at home, as evident in their struggles to put away a winless Wyoming Cowboys team in a 31-14 win, and in the Week 1 loss to Portland State where the team looked like a street-side tire fire.

“It’s time for us to start winning games,” Marks said.

If WSU wants to win consecutive games for the first time since 2013 and inch closer to a bowl bid, it will require a focused mentality when playing in front of a home crowd. OSU has had its struggles, but is in no way a team to be overlooked. The Cougars just have to dodge the Beaver trap and avoid a letdown.

The game will kick off at 1 p.m. Saturday in Martin Stadium. For those unable to attend, the game will be broadcast on the Pac-12 Networks.