Oregon State vs. Arizona: Five Beavers to know

A lot has changed since the last time Arizona faced Oregon State

Sean Mannion, Markus Wheaton, and Brandin Cooks. The last time the Arizona Wildcats played against the Oregon State Beavers, those were OSU's top three players. That was also 2012, and it's 2015 now, so the Beavers feature a whole new group of players. Here are five worth keeping an eye on:

Seth Collins, QB, #4

Sean Mannion finally graduated after being at Oregon State for 591175 years, and now the Beavers' quarterback is Seth Collins. Unlike Mannion, who was a pocket passer, Seth Collins is a speedster. The former track star is currently the Beavers' leading rusher as he as accumulated 306 yards on the ground and three touchdowns too. He's also gone over the 100-yard rushing mark twice in four games.

The true freshman, however, is not the greatest of passers. He has completed just 55% of his passes this season and is averaging just 6.1 yards per attempt. He does do a good job of not turning the ball over, though, as he has a touchdown-to-interception ratio of 5:1. Seth Collins sort of reminds me of Jerrard Randall, and so the Wildcats should be well-prepared to face him on Saturday. Of course, that doesn't really matter if the defense continues to have issues tackling.

Jordan Villamin, WR, #13

Seth Collins' favorite target through four games has been Jordan Villamin. Collins has thrown for 581 yards, and Villamin has been the recipient of 279 of them. At 6-5, Villamin uses his length to catch balls over smaller defensive backs, and it also makes him a prime red zone target. He has caught three of Collins' five touchdown passes. Last season, Villamin was second on the team in receiving yards with 578, but easily led the team in touchdown receptions with six. No other player had more than two.

Don't overlook Victor Bolden, either. He was team's leading receiving last year with 798 yards and was named the Biletnikoff Preseason Watch List. You would think he'd be the featured guy listed here instead of Villamin, but it seems as though Bolden and Seth Collins haven't established the same type of chemistry that Bolden had with Mannion. He does have 14 catches this year, but only for a measly 75 yards -- just 5.4 yards per reception. That is one of the oddest stats I've come across. He did have this sick grab against Stanford though:

Oregon State catch between two Stanford defenders. 1st and goal Beavers. http://pic.twitter.com/RHT7xgj9dm

— Pacific Takes (@PacificTakes) September 26, 2015

All in all, Arizona's secondary has been pretty lackluster this season and Oregon State has some playmakers that have the ability to alter the outcome of the game.

Storm Woods, RB, #24

This is one guy that Arizona fans may remember. Woods, a redshirt senior, ran for 161 yards and a touchdown against the Wildcats back in 2012 when he was a freshman. This is his fourth year as the Beavers' starting RB, and this season, he's carried the ball 47 times for 262 yards -- an average of 5.6 yards per carry.

The Wildcats just gave up 6.8 yards per carry against Stanford, and if they're not careful, Storm Woods could put up a similar performance. As a whole, Oregon State doesn't run the ball that well -- they are averaging 4.4 yards per carry -- but Arizona's defense could prove to be the cure to a stagnant running game.

Rommel Mageo, LB, #8

It turns out Reggie Gilbert isn't the only pass-rusher that wears No. 8. Rommel Mageo has been Oregon State's most impactful defensive player this season. He leads the team in tackles (36), forced fumbles (2), and sacks (2), and is tied for the lead in interceptions (1), and tackles for loss (2). Mageo didn't play much last year, as he had just 23 tackles, but as a freshman in 2013, he had 47 tackles and five tackles for loss.

Oregon State is a young team, and for that reason, Mageo is the team's most experienced linebacker despite only being a junior.

Justin Strong, S, #4

Oregon State lost nine starters on defense, but one player that they did get back is Justin Strong. Strong started three games for the Beavers last season, and had a productive year. He finished with 56 tackles -- more than any other returning player -- and had five tackles for loss and a sack. This year, Strong is third on the team in tackles, though he is still looking for his first career interception.

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