CORVALLIS — What an unsalted cracker is to a wine drinker, the 2024 Purdue Boilermakers are to college football.

When you reach for ginger at a sushi bar, you want to see the worst team in the Big Ten.

After being beaten by its opponent the week before, Oregon State could use a boost on Saturday.

Garçon, I’m ready for my intermezzo.

Purdue made me do it.

Oregon State’s defense needed a reset. Gevani McCoy needed some first downs. The running backs needed to reclaim their territory.

Check, check, check.

And it was not for nothing that the Beavers did all this against a representative of the conference that everyone had abandoned them for.

No, really. It’s true. It even said “Big Ten” on the shirts and everything.

“A complete win,” said Trent Bray.

That’s an improvement from a week earlier, when it was… what?

A complete collapse, disappointment and failure.

The underlying truth of the Beavers’ 38-21 win over the Boilermakers is that Purdue isn’t very good. It’s hard to imagine what Oregon could do to this team a month from now.

You didn’t leave Reser Stadium Saturday night feeling like you learned much about this Oregon State team. That’s largely because we already know who and what they are.

The Boilermakers entered Saturday’s game with 233 rushing yards per game — only five teams in the FBS have worse — coming off a 66-7 loss to Notre Dame.

It’s never good when you miss an area code. (What’s up, Baltimore?!)

The fact that OSU had only a 2½ point lead at kickoff showed a complete misunderstanding of who the Beavers are.

Do they have their focal points? Sure. But pounding on the rock is not one of them.

Next game: Oregon State (3-1) vs. Colorado State (2-2)

• When: Saturday, October 5
• Time: 3:30pm PT
• Where: Reserve Stadium, Corvallis
• TV channel: The CW (channel 32 in Portland)
• Current: Fubo (free trial) or DirecTV Stream (free trial). Streaming coverage for 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.
• Oregon State Football Season 2024 Schedule, Scores

OSU recorded 341 yards on the ground, their second 300-yard game of the year. McCoy had his most productive game with the ball, making good decisions running the option with the Beavers’ running backs.

Jam Griffin piled up 137 rushing yards. Anthony Hankerson added 89 and a pair of touchdowns, providing a front flip into the end zone on the second late in the fourth quarter.

This wasn’t the kind of game for sweeping statements or definitive pronouncements. Oregon State isn’t knocking on the door of the Top 25 or anything.

But it was what you might call an identity victory. Oregon State played its own style of game and sailed to victory. The things Bray wants his team to be good at were the things it found success in.

After getting run over by the Ducks, OSU’s defense forced turnovers on the Boilermakers’ first two possessions — including an absurd off-the-calf pick-six by Zakaih Saez. The Beavers had possession for more than 40 minutes and ran 28 more plays than their opponent.

Along the way, they’ve added more wrinkles to what’s been a reliably power-dominant offense. Jet sweeps, those option plays.

The Beavers are making progress and benefiting from a very favorable schedule.

After a lethargic first half, the Beavers opened up the offense in the second half and found a rhythm that kept the Boilermakers from building momentum. When Purdue cut the Beavers’ lead to 10 twice in the second half, OSU responded with steady touchdown drives.

MORE BEAVERS VS. PURDUE COVERAGE

• Oregon State punishes Purdue with running game, pick-six

• Clemons makes debut, hints at potential for big play

• The running game gives future opponents something to think about

• What Trent Bray said after the win

It is important to recognize the position the Beavers are operating from. Bray is building his program from the ground up.

That’s not to say there aren’t traces of the success the program had under Jonathan Smith — there are — but the Beavers are in a wait-and-see mode in college football.

They still have a lot to prove after being abandoned and broken.

As redistricting takes shape around them and administrators continue to rebuild the Pac-12, the Beavers will be happy to keep racking up wins.

At 3-1, the Beavers are well-positioned to play in a good bowl game. On the other side of a bye week, Colorado State and Nevada await.

The Beavers got a well-timed comeback on Saturday.

They seem ready for the next course.

— Account Oram is a sports columnist at The Oregonian/OregonLive.