Oregon State Hit With Bad QB News

Oregon State will be without quarterback Chance Nolan Saturday.

The junior passer for the 3-2 Beavers won't make the trip to Stanford as he deals with a neck injury, according to ESPN

With Nolan not suiting up against the Cardinal, Ben Gulbranson will get the start for the PAC-12 game.

Oregon State QB Chance Nolan won't play against Stanford. (Photo by Chris Gardner/ Getty Images)

Nolan suffered a neck injury last week during a 42-16 loss on the road at Utah, and Gulbranson didn't perform well when pressed into service.

The freshman threw for 177 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions. You're not going to win many games with a QB putting up those numbers.

Oregon State QB Chance Nolan is out against Stanford. Ben Gulbranson will start at quarterback for the Beavers. (Photo by Chris Gardner/ Getty Images)

If you're an Oregon State fan, you want Nolan healthy as quickly as possible. He's thrown for 939 yards, seven touchdowns, eight interceptions and has rushed for an additional 75 yards and a score on the ground.

While Nolan's numbers aren't huge, the Beavers have played well with him under center. They beat a solid Boise State team and took a very good USC team to the wire. The Trojans needed a score very late in the game to get a 17-14 win over the Beavers.

It's the PAC-12, which means there's not much attention on the conference, but the Beavers are better than people might think.

Oregon State QB Chance Nolan out with a neck injury. (Photo by Chris Gardner/ Getty Images)

However, it remains to be seen how the team will do without Nolan on the field. It could be tough if Gulbranson's performance against Utah is what fans see again Saturday against Stanford.