With new quarterbacks and receivers still trying to establish themselves in the young season, they will have to do it without an important person who helps make the offense go.

The Oregon State football team will be without junior guard Jeremy Perry for at least six weeks, coach Mike Riley said Friday night.

That timetable sets his return for the Oct. 27 home game against Stanford, after a bye week.

Perry was hurt in the fourth quarter of Thursday night’s 24-7 season-opening victory over Utah.

Teammate Yvenson Bernard fell on top of him in the pile, injuring his lower left leg. Riley wouldn’t be specific about it but that’s the length of recovery for a broken bone.

“I hate it for Jeremy,” Riley said. “You hate to see it happen to anybody. It sounds pretty clean. He should come back pretty soon.”

It was Perry’s first game since a knee injury kept him out of last year’s Sun Bowl. The 6-foot-2, 324-pounder has battled various leg aliments throughout his career.

OSU loses one of the best players in the nation at his position. Perry was first-team All-Pacific-10 Conference last year, and on the Lombardi and Outland awards watch list for the second straight season.

Junior Adam Speer took his place at left guard Thursday, and will hold the position until Perry returns.

“Jeremy is a great player and we missed him in the second half of the game, but Speer did a tremendous job stepping in,” center Kyle DeVan said.

Speer is a 6-3, 286-pounder who played much of the game for Perry against Southern California and in the Sun Bowl. There’s little dropoff with him in the game.

However, Speer is also the backup center. If DeVan goes down, Marcus Henderson, who has seen little playing time, is the No. 2 center. Sophomore Gregg Peat is the backup at both guard positions.

“When someone gets hurt, the dominoes fall,” Riley said. “It gets pretty rough. There’s definitely a depth problem.”

Perry was the only one seriously hurt. Cornerback Keenan Lewis will be back. He missed nearly three quarters with recurring cramps.

While the Beavers are without their top lineman, there’s still no decision about a starting quarterback.

A plan as to who will play, and if they rotate, will be made by Sunday once practice for Thursday’s game at Cincinnati begins.

“We haven’t decided yet for sure because we just got passed the film with the players,” Riley said. “They had some good sharp moments and moments they would like to have back. (The game) was good for them, and they mentally hung in there.”

Riley liked how the quarterbacks progressed in the game, and how they ended up handling the offense. He plans to focus on cleaning up the clock management this week.

Riley said he didn’t tip his hand in the second half when Canfield played the third quarter and into the fourth, putting the game away before Moevao returned.

“We thought to start Sean (in the second half) and play it by ear,” Riley said. “I wouldn’t read anything into it. We’ll have something definitive when we start practice Sunday.”

Quick hits

WR Sammie Stroughter (personal issues) is still day-to-day, Riley said. There’s no plan for his return or officially redshirting him yet. ... It will be known Sunday if RB Clinton Polk is academically eligible, Riley said.