‘Unacceptable’: What Trent Bray said after Oregon State’s lopsided loss to California

after the Oregon State Beavers lost its third game in a row. this one in a crooked way – coach Trent Bray spoke to reporters about his team’s performance against a dominant California Golden Bears team on Saturday in Berkeley, California.

Here’s a transcript of what Bray said as the Beavers enter their second bye week of the season. Bray’s comments have been lightly edited for brevity and clarity.

Q: Well, Trent, talk about this game. Obviously, you are very disappointed by the result.

Bray: Yes, we didn’t play well at all, in any phase. He didn’t train well, he didn’t play well, it’s unacceptable.

Q: The beginning of the game, how it started, just set the tone.

Bray: Yes, they fell and scored. We stalled, way back in our territory, it was kind of a sign of what was to come the rest of the day.

Q: Fourth quarter, 17-play series. The guys continued to play hard because they want to get better and get back on track.

Bray: No doubt. We have to do a better job as coaches, giving them the tools to be successful.

Q: Six quarters now on offense, but they haven’t really done much. Do you have a reason why things have gotten ugly on that side of the ball?

Bray: I couldn’t say anything from the beginning. There was no running game tonight. So when we don’t have a running game, it’s hard to start. And that was also true, in the third quarter against UNLV, the lack of being able to execute the ball behind the sticks. That’s not how we play, and that’s why we struggle when we have to play that way.

Q: Why did you decide to remove Gevani (McCoy)?

Bray: It’s just that the offense wasn’t going. I wanted to see if any of those other guys could light a spark and get something going. That’s all.

Q: How did Ben (Gulbranson) do?

Bray: I thought there were some good things. Obviously, on the touchdown drive he made good decisions and good reads, and we were able to get into the end zone.

Q: What are you going to do during the bye week to get back to normal?

Bray: It’s about one, there are a couple of phases. We have to bounce back, get some guys back, that will help. We have to look at ourselves and how we are, what we have to teach and what we have to train so that we can make this strong push in these last four games. And then we have to improve.

Q: Can you evaluate the quarterback position going forward?

Bray: I couldn’t do that now. I got to see the movie and talk to Gundy (Ryan Gunderson).

Next game: Oregon State (4-4) vs. San Jose State (5-2)

• When: Saturday November 9
• Time: To be determined
• Where: Reser Stadium, Corvallis
• TV channel: The CW (Channel 32 in Portland)
• Stream: Watch it live for free with Fubo (free trial), or with DirecTV streaming (free trial). Streaming broadcasts of this game will be available on these streaming services locally in Oregon and Washington, but may not be available outside of the Pacific Northwest, depending on your location.
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Q: What happened today with the last defense? Because the run defense was the problem, and that was good today. What happened to pass defense?

Bray: That’s a good question. I think we were out of line too many times, and they are good. Their quarterback is a very good player. They have really good receivers and you have to be alert and focused to defend a team like that. And today we weren’t.

Q: That first touchdown was kind of an improvisation. As a coach, is it something that just happens or are there things you tell your guys to look for in something like that?

Bray: Oh, God. That was just a really instinctive, smart play on his part, a great effort from his quarterback, just smart for his back that’s about to be tackled, just turning it over. That’s just a great play by them.

Q: How do you handle a flight home after a loss like this?

Bray: I don’t watch the movie because I’m still too emotionally in it. I will think and reflect on where we are, what we have done and how we can do it better. That’s probably what I’m doing.

Q: Are you? Are you worried about losing some of these guys?

Bray: Not at all.

Q: You said you’re excited. How would you describe your emotions right now?

Bray: You are frustrated. Frustrated, I think. We lost two close games that we could have had and then we came out and didn’t play well tonight. And it’s frustrating because we’re better than our record and we need to play to that standard and we have to get our guys to do that. So again, it’s up to me first and the coaches to prepare those guys to play better.

Q: I think about our January conversation in your office, your message to the team and the College Football Playoff chase. Obviously, that is over. Looking ahead, how do you recalibrate things? What do you think from now on?

Bray: Yeah, I think it’s just about us. We are constantly looking for the best versions of ourselves and that is what we strive for. And we haven’t found it, so that’s what we’re chasing. And we have four games left, we have to make a strong effort to have the opportunity to play one more game. So the focus right now is on the next game getting us closer to that.

— Nick Daschel covers the Oregon State Beavers. Contact him at 360-607-4824 or @nickdaschel. listen to the Beaver Jokes Podcast or subscribe to Beavers Roundup Newsletter.