The Florida Gators will conclude their 2022 campaign when they meet the No. 14 Oregon State Beavers of the Pac 12 in the Las Vegas Bowl on Dec. 17 (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC). The Gators need a win to avoid the program’s first back-to-back losing seasons since 1978 and 1979. Florida has also lost its past 2 bowl games after dropping the Cotton Bowl in 2020 and the Gasparilla Bowl in 2021.

Billy Napier, who is 2-1 in bowl games as a head coach,  is wrapping up an up-and-down 1st season in Gainesville in this bowl matchup. Napier did guide the Gators to a win over the Pac 12 champions, Utah, in September. That game gives Florida and Oregon State a common opponent, as the Utes defeated the Beavers 42-16 on Oct. 1.

Here are 5 key things to know about Florida’s Las Vegas Bowl opponent.

Head coach Jonathan Smith has orchestrated an epic turnaround at his alma mater

Smith — the MVP of the 2001 Fiesta Bowl, one of Oregon State’s most famous victories — inherited a mess in Corvalis. In the 3 years prior to Smith’s return to his alma mater, the Beavers sported a record of 7-29 and won just 3 games in Pac 12 play. Smith has improved the program in every season, reaching a bowl game in 2021 and, this season, winning 9 games and posting a 6-3 Pac 12 record. The Beavers didn’t just win 9 games under Smith in 2022, either. They were competitive in every game save the Utah loss. Oregon State’s other 2 losses, against a top-10 USC team and a top-25 Washington team, each came by a field goal. Smith’s 6 Pac 12 wins were the most for the program since Mike Riley posted 6 in 2012, the last time Oregon State finished a season ranked. Most importantly, the Beavers won The Civil War, rallying from 21 points down in the 4th quarter to best Oregon, 38-34, in their regular-season finale.

That win was the 2nd for Smith over Oregon, changing the fortune of the Beavers in the rivalry after Oregon won all but 1 contest from 2008-19.

The Beavers want to run the football 1st and 2nd

Oregon State boasts the nation’s No. 27 rushing attack, and it ranks 31st in yards per attempt at 4.93. In their signature wins over Oregon and Boise State, the Beavers ran for 226 yards per game and 7 total touchdowns. Three Oregon State running backs have more than 400 yards rushing, and a 4th, Isaiah Newell, dragged 3 Oregon defenders into the end zone to cap the comeback win over the Ducks.

Florida’s run defense has been woeful all season, and the Beavers, whose offensive line features All-America candidate Taliese Fuaga, should have a decisive advantage over the Gators.

Oregon State’s run defense is the strength of its defense

The Beavers rank 20th nationally in run defense, the 2nd-best mark in the Pac 12 behind Utah. They will not have seen an offensive line or a run game as powerful as Florida’s, however. The Beavers did not play UCLA, which boasted the best run game in the Pac 12, and the Bruins had the only run game analytically comparable to Florida. The Gators finished the season ranked 11th in rushing offense, 8th in rushing success rate and 3rd in yards per attempt. Florida will need to establish the run to win, and even in a “strength-on-strength” matchup against Oregon State, the Gators have an edge.

Anthony Gould gives the Beavers one of the most electric return men in the country

Gould, a 1st-team All-Pac 12 selection as a punt returner, grades out as one of the nation’s top 5 return specialists, per Pro Football Focus. Also the Beavers’ leader in yards per reception (16.9), the electric Gould took 2 punts to the house after taking over return duties midseason, including this outrageous change-of-field return against Cal.

Florida’s special teams struggled down the stretch. Containing Gould will be a priority for the Gators if they hope to pull off the upset in Las Vegas.

Freshman quarterback Ben Gulbranson will be challenged by Florida’s corners

For all of Florida’s defensive issues in 2022, the Gators finished the regular season with 2 corners who graded out in the PFF top 100: Jason Marshall Jr. and Jalen Kimber. A 3rd, Jaydon HIll, finished in the top 150. Florida’s corners are the strength of the defense, and they made life difficult on young quarterbacks this season. Missouri youngster Brady Cook struggled mightily against the Gators, tossing 2 interceptions and this costly pick-6 to Hill.

Texas A&M’s young quarterback, Haynes King, also struggled to complete throws in tight coverage against Florida’s defensive backs. While Oregon State will predominantly look to run the ball, Gulbranson, who threw 5 interceptions after becoming the starter after the Utah game, will be tested by Florida’s corners. If the Gators can force Gulbranson into turnovers, as Oregon did, they will have a chance to pull off the upset.