Jonathan Smith says Oregon State TE Luke Musgrave could be out longer than expected
There is no timeline for the return of Oregon State tight end Luke Musgrave.
As the Beavers try to rebound from back-to-back losses, missing their best pass-catcher certainly isn’t ideal. Musgrave sustained a knee injury late in the Beavers’ Week 2 win over Fresno State. Coach Jonathan Smith told reporters on Monday it would be “at least a few weeks, maybe longer” before Musgrave returns to the field.
Asked if the tight end had surgery, Smith thought for a moment and then said he wasn’t sure what he could and couldn’t disclose publicly.
So. Not the best of signs.
The 6-foot-6, 250-pound Musgrave caught six passes for 89 yards (14.8 average) and a touchdown in the Beavers’ season-opening win over Boise State. He then had five receptions for 80 yards against Fresno State.
His 15 targets through the first two weeks led all Oregon State pass-catchers. Musgrave had six catches of at least 10 yards through the first two contests, what was the third-best mark in the Pac-12 at the time. His four receptions of 20 yards or more were tied with Arizona’s Jacob Cowing and USC’s Jordan Addison for the most in the league through two. He was a favorite of quarterback Chance Nolan when Nolan looked downfield.
Jake Overman and Jack Velling were the only two tight ends to play for the Beavers last week against Utah. Velling has two catches for 26 yards this season while Overman has one reception for 15 yards.
Oregon State faces Stanford at 8 p.m. PT on ESPN this Saturday.