Coach Mike Riley jokes that Oregon State has been in the longest training camp ever.
The Beavers, who started camp back on Aug. 6, didn't play their opener on Saturday against Nicholls State because Hurricane Isaac swept through the Colonels' Thibodaux, La., campus.
Officials from Oregon State and Nicholls State jointly decided last Wednesday night that it was in the best interests of the students to postpone the game, possibly until the first weekend in December.
The result is that Oregon State will finally open its season this Saturday at home against No. 13 Wisconsin.
It is the first time a Big Ten team has ventured to Corvallis since 1971, when the Beavers defeated Iowa 33-19.
"I've been saying it's as big a nonconference game that Oregon State has ever hosted," Riley said. "I think it's awesome."
After the Nicholls State game was called off last week, Riley gave the Beavers a day off before getting back to work. He thought there might be a letdown among the players because they had already started their preparations for the Colonels.
"We tried to look at the silver lining: We get in a little more work, we might get a couple of guys healthy, we practice the routine of a game week," Riley said. "Hopefully all those things are good. I think you find out the most about your team when you play a game, which we didn't get to do. But we've tried to spin the positives from this and get ready for a big game."
