Countdown to Oregon State 2023 football camp: Beavers’ secret weapon

The Oregonian/OregonLive
Counting down the days to the start of Oregon State’s 2023 preseason football camp on Aug. 3.
Here is the ninth of 10 countdown topics: the Beavers secret weapon
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With most of the offseason attention on Oregon State’s quarterback and whether it can retool what was the Pac-12′s No. 1 defense, there’s another factor that could drive the Beavers’ success in 2023.
A lethal return game.
Anthony Gould is considered one of the country’s premier punt returners. The 5-foot-8 junior has been listed as a first-team all-conference and first or second-team all-America on most preseason teams. And Junior Silas Bolden was a first team pick for kickoff returner on the media’s preseason Pac-12 team.
“Hopefully they get some chances,” OSU coach Jonathan Smith said at Pac-12 media day. “There’s a belief when they get the ball, we can do some stuff. That would be huge for us to have some returns.”
Last season, Gould returned two punts for touchdowns (80 yards against Montana and 76 against California). Of the punts he didn’t return for scores, Gould averaged 8.6 yards per play.
Gould is small and fast, but fearlessness is what separates him from most.
“It starts with his decision-making,” Smith said. “He’s not just trying to go sideways. You’ve got to get vertical. One cut and go. He does that. He’s not just trying to outrun everybody to the sideline.”
When the ball is in the air and it’s not sailing out of bounds, Gould has one thing on his mind.
“Every time I touch the ball, I’m a threat to score,” he said. “I’m confident in myself that if you give me the ball, I’m going to do something with it.”
Times two, since the 5-7 Bolden is equally dangerous on kickoff returns.
“You’ve got to watch out if you’re kicking to us,” Gould said. “It’s cool having two different returners on the same team that any time they touch the ball, it could be a house call.”
Gould alone can’t return a punt for big yards or a touchdown. But he’s the catalyst. When Smith was the offensive coordinator at Washington, the Huskies had the country’s premier punt return specialist in Dante Pettis, who scored nine return touchdowns during his UW career.
“It’s the other 10 guys blocking for him,” Smith said. “If they buy into the returner, they’re going to give even more energy. We got it going pretty good at U-Dub with Dante Pettis returning all those punts. It was like a belief something good was going to happen.”
Gould knows, without those 10 players, there’s no chance at six points.
“It’s easy for me to sit here and take all the shine, but there’s 10 guys blocking for me and Silas,” Gould said. “They don’t get the shine like me or Silas. Having guys that have bought in, showing guys that you’re grateful for them. That’s a big thing. Showing love to the guys, because they have to get it started.”
This is an enormous season for Gould for a couple reasons. The fifth-year junior finds himself as the team’s veteran and potentially go-to receiver. Also, Gould has an eye toward the future, hoping to show NFL teams he’s worthy as a receiver and kick returner.
“I can be elite at both,” Gould said. “But whatever I can do to help my team win, that’s the most important thing.”
Gould says he could return kickoffs, but Bolden is good at it. The two have a healthy competition. Gould refuses to come out and say he’s better; he wants both to succeed. But, of course, Gould wants to be the first of the two to take a kick to the end zone this season.
“We push each other,” Gould said. “I wouldn’t say there’s much of a competition about who’s better, but there’s definitely friendly competition. I mean, that’s my brother.”