Jason's OSU Beavers Blog's Posts.

The Beavers Running Game Isn't Dead Yet

Jaquizz Rodgers

While watching the TCU game I felt that the coaches should've run the ball more often because it seemed like we were getting good yardage.  I know mixing it up is good, but I like to see runs on 1st or 2nd down when he's rolling regardless.

A quick look at the drive charts in the second half showed:

3rd Q

• 2nd and 10 at ORST 13 Jacquizz Rodgers rush for 8 yards to the OrgSt 21.
• 2nd and 10 at TCU 17 Jacquizz Rodgers rush for 15 yards to the TCU 2 out-of-bounds for a 1ST down.
• 1st and Goal at TCU 1 Jacquizz Rodgers rush for 1 yard for a TOUCHDOWN.
• 1st and 10 at ORST 28 Jacquizz Rodgers rush for 7 yards to the OrgSt 35. 

4th Q

• 1st and 10 at ORST 26 Jacquizz Rodgers rush for 4 yards to the OrgSt 30.
• 2nd and 6 at ORST 30 Jacquizz Rodgers rush for 5 yards to the OrgSt 35.
• 3rd and 1 at ORST 35 Jacquizz Rodgers rush for 3 yards to the OrgSt 38 for a 1ST down.
• 3rd and 10 at ORST 38 Jacquizz Rodgers rush for 7 yards to the OrgSt 45.

 Its not a big sample size, but I think we were wearing their defense down.  I think he would have excelled on that last drive and would have been key.  In fact, instead of a pass play I think the first play should have been run.  We had 4 minutes left so there was plenty of time.

Anyways, I think the running game will be fine.  The key is just getting Jaquizz the touches he needs to be successful and do his thing. 


Go Beavs!

Have Patience Beaver Fans, We've Seen This Script Before

Take a deep breath and just relax about the Oregon State football team's performance last Saturday in Dallas.

We've seen this script before. In the past I think the situation has been much more dire. After getting blown out 40-something to 14 nothing appears to have gone right. Sure, the score could've been much worse. But that it wasn't is a good sign. These guys aren't giving up.

Some food for thought:

* The coaches have proven they can improve the team from these kinds of games fairly quickly.

* Katz is already ahead of other first time QBs we have experienced in recent years.

* There is a lot of young talent on this team.

* The older guys are solid leaders.

* They coaching staff and players never get too high or low. Some people think this is a liability. I think its key in these kinds of situations.


I remember years past where we were complaining about the LBs being slow or the O-Line not run blocking. The coaches generally got the kids coached up for the Pac-10 and changed things to open things up (fly sweep, wildcat, etc). I wasn't that impressed with the Pac-10 teams I saw over the weekend.

So don't be too hard on the kids and coaches after this loss and root them on against Louisville for a big win. Then maybe, just maybe we can pull off something amazing at Boise St. I mean, it has to happen eventually, right?

Go Beavs!

TCU Postgame Thoughts and Links

Tough loss last night against TCU.  I'm proud that we hung in there and had a chance to win or at least tie in the 4th quarter.  We were dominated pretty well, but somehow kept hanging around.  Overall it was a pretty good performance by the Beavers and I think we can all come away thinking we could have won with just a couple of plays going our way.

I think the biggest bummer is that we didn't take our shot at the end.  The safety was such a bummer.  I want us to go down swinging, not with a wimper.  It was a tall order, but a huge potential learning experience and confidence builder for Ryan Katz that went down the drain.

Rather that dwell on the negative, here's some positives:

* Our secondary looks solid this year.  Mitchell had to make a ton of tackles, which is bad, but we did backup our LBs well.  Hardin looked good after getting burned once in the first half.  Tuamani looked better than years past.

* Katz played pretty well.  I thought he was over excited early on and over threw the ball a lot, but overall he played great on the big stage.  His long ball is awesome and will give a new dimension to the team this year that Canfield couldn't do as well last year.  He just needs to learn to dump the ball off to Quizz a bit more and take a little off the short throws and things will be great.  No interceptions is good (despite a couple of close calls). And I liked his running and escapability.

* The D Line will get sacks this season.  They pressured pretty well, but lost containment on a running QB which is very bad.  Not sure if they are really up to stopping the run.  But there was a lot of option and misdirection, so it was hard to tell.

* The stats were pretty lopsided, but if the Beavers drive 80 yards at the end and don't give the ball back, things look a lot closer. They played better, but towards the end I think we should have run more often because Jaquizz was starting to get rolling. Oh, and how is it that Gary Patterson gets to decide if the roof is open? That hurt us I think.

Overall, it was a positive game for the Beavers despite the loss.  I want to shock the world against Boise St!


Related Links:

Beavers can't complete upset of No. 6 TCU - Corvallis Gazette-Times

"I was worried about this team at halftime," Riley said. "But we hung in there. I appreciate that. I thought we never quit on it. There was some stuff that was pretty good, but that doesn't overcome the disheartening feeling of not getting a chance at the end."

Cliff: TCU postgame - Cliff's Blog

Includes video of Ryan Katz and James Rodgers

No. 6 TCU 30, No. 24 Oregon State 21: Beavers shot at a dramatic victory goes awry in a snap - The Oregonian

"We practiced to stop what they do and we didn't do that," said OSU safety Lance Mitchell, whose first-quarter pick of a Dalton pass set up Katz's scoring pass to James Rodgers.

"We've got a lot to work on," Mitchell said.

TCU uses big stage to make statement - ESPN

"I'm disappointed that we didn't give ourselves a chance on the drive at the end," Beavers coach Mike Riley said.

[...]

The only plus coming from that play was Katz taking responsibility for the miscue, just like a veteran quarterback would.

"We should have just stayed with the [called] play," he said. "That's on me."

Riley agreed, by the way: "He didn't have to get out of it."

Canzano: Ryan Katz learns how his play will make or break Oregon State's Rose Bowl hopes - The Oregonian

Katz has presence. He's a leader. He made no excuses. He accepted responsibility. He looked and sounded every bit the part of a guy who understands that his performance is the difference between a Las Vegas Bowl and a Rose Bowl. And if you'd have stepped into the TCU locker room after the game, you might have heard safety Tejay Johnson talking about Katz's arm. After all, Johnson's coach harped all week that Katz had the strongest arm they'd see all season.

"I was a little surprised," Johnson said. "When I saw him throw that corner route, I realized he had a stronger arm than what I thought he had."

Frogs exploit the hole in the roof and Oregon State's run defense - Star-Telegram

"I thought the heat made a difference," TCU coach Gary Patterson confirmed. "I thought our kids, the conditioning we do, made a difference in the third and fourth quarters.

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Red Turf? Abomination, or Cool? What about Orange Turf???

The Boise St. smurf turf is bad enough, but red turf? I can't even imagine watching a game on TV (or live for that matter) without getting a headache.

Video: Red Turf Trailer New - EWU Football

More photos:



So, should OSU get a gimmick and go with orange turf? Or would that make 46,000 fans heads explode simultaneously?

A Look at Oregon State's First Opponent - TCU Horned Frogs

TCU had one of the greatest seasons by a non-BCS team ever last season (#4 according to this). Ranked #6 at the end of the season and only a Boise St. loss could taint that dominant year.

This season they are ranked about #6 in nearly every preseason poll. They return 54 lettermen and 17 starters. Including their mass of great RBs and their QB who was the MWC offensive player of the year.

The only potential weakness might be on D where they lost All-American DE Jerry Hughes, one of their 2 starting LBs, and 2 starting DBs in their unique 4-2-5 defensive system.

2009 TCU Stats


Offense

Their offense was good last year. The passing game was good if not stellar (217 ypg), but the running game is scary. 3100 yards and 35 TDs shared among about 7 guys. 4 of whom are back and as good as ever...

*How Deep is TCU at Running Back?

*TCU logjammed at running back

The O-Line isn't deep, but they return 4 starters so OSU could have a tough go of it if Paea and Henry aren't healthy. They gave up only 12 sacks last season.

They do tend to fumble the ball a little (27, 15 lost) so there's some hope there.

Looks like we need to either have some turnovers go our way or the offense needs to get rolling early to keep them off the field (2008 USC style). I just don't see us stopping this group. Slowing them may be enough if we can score 30+ points.


Defense


Chris Dufresne's college football top 25: TCU is No. 5 - LA Times

The Horned Frogs were No. 1 nationally last year in total defense and must replace All-American defensive end Jerry Hughes, and two starting cornerbacks, but there's no reason to think this unit won't again be dominant.

The stats are kinda ridiculous. Maybe that's what a 12-1 season looks like. And their conference is a bit of a walk minus 2 teams. But look at this:

Season Stats Defense:

Points Per Game - 12.8

Rushing Average Per Game - 80.2
TDs Rushing - 8

PAssing Average Per Game - 159.5
TDs Passing - 10

First Downs - 161 (12.4 per game)
3rd-Down Pct - 27%

Doesn't bode well for our rushing game. And with the 5 DB scheme they run I'm guessing any long stuff will be tough to come by. Big Joe Halahuni may be busy and Jaquizz may get most of his yards off the pass.

The Beavers passing game may need to break out in a big way to test the new DBs and prove that Jaquizz isn't our only weapon. That isn't a great plan for keeping their offense off the field, but points are always good.

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Related Links:


TCU Horned Frogs - Latest News

No. 6: T.C.U. - Pre-Snap Read
Great run down of the team going into 2010

Inside the TCU 4-2-5 Defense - Shakin the Southland
Intense breakdown and videos

TCU Camp '10: Safeties Look To Anchor Defense - GoFrogs.com

2010 TCU Preview - Defense - Scout.com

CJ Spiller vs TCU 2009 - OSU Beaver Football Blog

Depth Chart For TCU Announced - Building the Dam

OSU Readies for TCU, Trip to Cowboys Stadium - OSUBeavers.com

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Why the Beavers need to change the way they schedule

Alright, who made this schedule?

Oregon State plays somewhere between the #1 and #6 toughest schedule this season. In the first three games the Beavers play two top 10 teams in all the preseason polls. Meanwhile, the Beavs rank somewhere from 22 to 36 in those same polls. The Beavs are pushing their own Heisman Hopeful, Jaquizz Rodgers, but some pundits think that Boise State's Kellen Moore is a front-runner (OSU's third opponent).

At this point does anyone realistically think Oregon State will be better than 1-2 going into Pac-10 play? Sure, I have dreams of 3-0 and College Gameday here for the Nov. 20th USC game after we start 9-0. It could happen.

Unfortunately, that just doesn't seem to be the way it goes for OSU. Losses to Fresno St., Louisville, Boise St (twice), Cincinnati (twice), Utah, and Penn St. early in the season always seems to propel those teams to the BCS and top ten seasons. Its almost like teams poised for a break out season have to make sure they schedule the Beavs that season. Again, BSU and TCU loom large this season.

The one magical season we as Beavers fans (Fiesta Bowl, top 5 finish) was fueled by a mediocre to weak preseason schedule. We almost lost to Eastern Washington and didn't exactly pummel New Mexico. If they beat Washington (3pt loss) then they had a good shot at being in the national title game.

Boise St. and TCU have such a weak conference schedule they need to schedule big games out of conference. Anyone who runs the table in a BCS conference will be in the title game. Worst case, they could be third and thus left out. Someday we will have a playoff and it won't matter.

So I ask the question: Why schedule teams as good or better than you out of conference?

I can only come up with these reasons:

* Money
* Prepare for the tough conference games
* Increase chances to be in a BCS game
* To get them back at our house in future years for a big game
* Machismo

If you're the Beavers only #1 and #4 are valid IMO.

2000 taught me that even a weak schedule can prepare you for a tough Pac-10 schedule. Also, most years our early bad starts continued into the early Pac-10 season. Early season losses to Cal, ASU, USC, and UCLA are still burned in my memory. Clearly, the pre-season didn't help prepare us for those games.

#3 doesn't seem to matter in this age of Utah, Hawaii, Cincy, Louisville, Boise St., and TCU all getting to BCS games. You can still get a BCS game even with one loss in conference if you win your OOC games.

EDIT:

Here's the crux of my argument:

The current system doesn't reward tough scheduling.

If the U of O goes 3-0 in OOC (likely) this year with their weak schedule and loses one game in conference, they're going to a BCS game no questions asked. They may even have a shot at the title game.

If there isn't any benefit, then why risk it?

I'm willing to bet the short/long term money for playing in a BCS game is much bigger than one payday game in Death Valley or Dallas, TX.

-------------------

What do you think? Are these tough schedules worth the money? Do you think they help or hurt us?


Alternative Views and Related Links:

Bold scheduling has made Oregon State central figure in 2010 race - SI.com

Oregon Ducks rundown: The Ducks' nonconference schedule looks like cupcake row - The Oregonian
Is this a bad thing?

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Can the Beavers Baseball Team Make it Back To Postseason?

During the crazy mid-season losing streak the OSU Beavers Baseball team had I was sure that the Beavs were done for the postseason. Well, the have battled back. Luckily they had a good start to the season.

The question remains: Can they make the 64 team cut and make the postseason?

One thought is that if the Beavs don't get swept by Arizona this weekend, they're in.

Beavers have Ducks' number — It's one :: Portland Tribune

Both teams should be among the 64 teams named Sunday to participate in the NCAA Tournament.

Casey said the Beavers felt they had to win two of their last four games to get in. That sounds right. If they don’t get swept by Arizona — which is 32-20 and carries an RPI of 20 — the Beavers will be at 30 wins and should be in the postseason.

However, Aaron Fitt of Baseball America thinks the Beavs need to win 2 against Arizona to make it...

Mini Stock Report - Baseball America College Blog

Oregon State really helped itself with a 2-1 win vs. Oregon, but the Beavers still need to win their last series at home vs. Arizona.

How sweet would an Arizona sweep be?!

Come on Beavs!


Great video and photos here:

Oregon State 2, No. 21 Oregon 1: Beavers' bullpen slams door on Ducks at PGE Park - OregonLive.com

2010 Oregon State Football Recruits

Yesterday was Letter of Intent day around the nation. This is a huge event now with ESPNNews covering live announcements and blogs and tweets flying around all day.

The Beavs even got in on one of the big announcements of the day when Owamagbe Odighizuwa wore an orange shirt, gave an Oscar-style thank you speach, and then put on a powder blue and yellow UCLA cap.

What the?!?

Honestly, that is just mean to Beavers fans.

The Twitter-verse had this to say:

@johndrobbins: Odighizuwa now has to lose to OSU for the next 4 years, tough choice buddy! #gobeavs

@OSUBeaverFan: Owa may get to play in the Rose Bowl every weekend but the Beavers will play in "The Rose Bowl Game" before UCLA does. Enjoy Owa #gobeavs

@Pnbuker: O-Live bulletin on Owa's interesting choice of shirt as Beavs get Neuheiseled ... http://bit.ly/d18eLb

Owa was a huge recruit and could have been the first 5 star HS player to commit to OSU in recent memory. Probably one the only ones to actually make it into school as well... anyways, enough about Owa because its a good, if small, recruiting class for OSU.


New Oregon State Beavers Recruits:

From 2010 Beaver Signing Day Central

Tyler Perry - TE - Ventura, Calif. (Buena)

Sean Mannion - QB - Pleasanton, Calif. (Foothill)

Dominic Glover - DE - Ladera Ranch, Calif. (Saddleback JC/Oregon/Mission Viejo)

Malcolm Marable - RB - Mission Hills, Calif. (Bishop Alemany)

Trevor Romaine - PK - Corona, Calif. (Centennial)

Roman Sapolu - C - Huntington Beach, Calif. (Edison)

Donell "D.J." Welch - LB - Palm Desert, Calif. (Palm Desert)

Michael Bibbee - LB - Eugene, Ore. (North Eugene)

Connor Hamlett - TE - Lynnwood, Wash. (Meadowdale)

Scott Crichton - DE - Tacoma, Wash. (Henry Foss)

Will Storey - DB - Lake Oswego, Ore. (Lake Oswego)

Mana Tuivailala - DL - Seaside, Calif. (Seaside)

Shaydon Akuna - LB - Kapolei, Hawai'i (Kapolei)

Thomas Molesi - DT - Oceanside, Calif. (Oceanside)

Ryan Murphy - DB - Oakland, Calif. (Oakland Tech)

Fred Thompson - DT - Oakland, Calif. (Oakland Tech)

There are some very intriguing players in there. We clearly are looking to help the defense. But a few of these guys may switch if needed. D.J. Welch runs a 4.39 40 as a LB. Awesome, but if he can't put on weight he could be a safety or switch to the offense. Shaydon Akuna was a highly rated player and a great "get". Sean Mannion is big and looks good at QB.


Blogs and Reaction:

Check these out for more details on the new recruits and plenty of video and stats.

Cliff: Signing day fallout - Cliff Kirkpatrick, G-T
Cliff: Signing day updates - Cliff Kirkpatrick, G-T
National signing day tracker: Oregon State Beavers 2010 recruiting list - The Oregonian

Great 2009, Can 2010 Get Better?

2009 was a great year for Beavers Sports. Lets take stock of some of the achievements:

* Men's Basketball: a CBI tournament trophy and a .500 record for the first time in 4 years.

* Women's Hoops: make the WNIT and advance to the 3rd round, finish 20-12.

* Baseball: returned to the NCAA tournament.

* Gill Coliseum gets a face lift.



* Women's Soccer makes the NCAA tournament and beats Ohio St. and nationally seeded Florida to make the sweet 16.

* Men's Soccer: A return to winning and narrowly missed the NCAA tournament. Danny Mwanga likely 1st pick in MLS draft

* Gymnastics: Make the NCAA finals again

* Football: Another run at a Rose Bowl and another bowl game.


Overall, a pretty good year. Many sports on the rise. And anytime you can make a Rose Bowl run, its a good year. It took me a while to get over that loss though. And the bowl game sure didn't help anything.


So 2010...

Basketball is starting to look up after beating Oregon. But, wow have we lost a lot of non-conference games. I have a feeling we could have used Roberto Nelson.

But, the Pac-10 is way down this year. Anything is possible in this league. We may be able to make a Pac-10 tourney run and make the tournament. Or maybe the NIT. I'm still hopeful. What is it with OSU and slow starts?


Football is going to be VERY interesting this spring. Seems like everyone is coming back next year...except Canfield. We have a lot of talented young QBs, but they are untested. And it seems that new QBs struggle the first season they become starters. Katz has the early lead, but Lalich and Vaz will get plenty of looks.

Now that USC is in flux (although Lane Kiffen scares me because he'll do anything to win. But the program could be in major trouble in 3 years.) and many other teams are not exactly looking super strong, could the Beavs be battling Oregon again for a Rose Bowl berth in December? Oregon has to be considered the favorite right now. USC is a bit of an unknown, but they are probably #2. OSU has to be #3 pre-season, right?


Here's to an even better 2010!

Go Beavs!

Tale of the Tape - Oregon State Beavers vs. the Oregon Ducks

Seems most people think that the Ducks are going to win the Civil War. Vegas has us as 10 point underdogs. Every local poll has the 60% of the people voting that the Ducks will win. Blah, blah, blah. Is Autzen really worth 10 points?

I was looking at the stats and things look pretty even to me. On offense, we each do things a little different, but the result is basically the same. Lots of yards and points.

Pac-10 Rankings: (From the Pac-10 Release)

OFFENSE

Rushing

OSU - 6th (149.7)
UO - 1st (231.4)

Passing

OSU - 1st (272.5)
UO - 9th (187.5)

Total

OSU - 2nd (422.2)
UO - 3rd (418.8)

Scoring

OSU - 3rd (32.4)
UO - 1st (37.7)


On defense things are surprisingly even as well. The pass defense for the Beavs is a bit scary, but it looks like the Beavs can run on Oregon. Its unlikely the Beavs will hold the Ducks under 100 yards rushing, but it does appear to be a strength again this year.


DEFENSE

Rushing

OSU - 1st (98.5)
UO - 5th (130.6)

Passing

OSU - 6th (242.1)
UO - 2nd (193.4)

Total

OSU - 5th (340.5)
UO - 3rd (324.0)

Scoring

OSU - 4th (22.2)
UO - 5th (22.7)


What will be the difference? Who knows, but the thing the Ducks have a clear advantage over the Beavs is creating turnovers and sacks. The Quacks have double in each of those categories (Sacks 30-15, Opp TOs 24-12). The good news for the Beavs is that the Ducks give the ball up a bunch more as well. In fact, its over twice as often (19-8).

The best hope for the Beavs is to capitalize on turnovers by the Ducks and force them into 3rd down situations (where they are only converting at 36%). Oh, and don't give up the big plays. Either that or just keep scoring all game long like Stanford did.


Come on Beavs! Early Christmas Present!

Civil War Video!

Junior Raimey put together this sweet song for the Civil War: Pasadena Bound ( I Smell Roast Duck )



The video isn't as good, but the song is awesome!

Go Beavs! Beat the Ducks!

Civil War of the Roses!

Two weeks ago, Arizona had to lose twice and USC had to lose once for Oregon St. to have a shot at the Rose Bowl. Two weeks later, the improbable happened and the Civil War for the Roses was set. This is the biggest Civil War ever. Sure, 2000 was big, but the Rose Bowl is the Rose Bowl! I'm not old enough to remember anything before the streak, so anyone who remembers a bigger Civil War, let me know in the comments below!

The Game

I'm a believer that in the Civil War, anything can happen. Home field means something, but not everything. After that, its just two teams that REALLY want to win.

What is the formula for beating the Ducks? Here are my options:

* Outscore them (i.e. Stanford)

OR

* Don't let them get any big plays (Boise St.) and contain them on offense

OR

* Hope for an implosion on offense and don't let their defense win the game. (Purdue, Arizona, Boise St.)


Of course, the Beavers also need to do at least 3 out of 4 of these:

* Get TDs not FGs

* Limit the penalties

* No turnovers

* Force a few turnovers


What do you think? How do the Beavs win the Civil War?

Wazzu Game and Rose Bowl Possibilities

The big news after last weekend's amazing run of results (USC, Arizona losing) the Beavers have a very real possibility of making the Rose Bowl. Of course, we have to beat Oregon at Autzen to make it happen. Not an easy feat. How cool would it be to have the Civil War be for the Rose Bowl!

In case you haven't seen it, here's how the Beavs get into the Rose Bowl:

1. Beat Wazzu (Listen to the game at 2:00 pm on the Beaver Sports Radio Network)

2. Oregon or USC beats Arizona

3. Beat Oregon

That's it. So if Oregon beats Arizona today (5:00 pm, ABC) and the Beavers beat Washington State, then the Civil War is a one game playoff for the Rose Bowl. That would rock.


Here are some of the other Rose Bowl scenarios for the other Pac-10 teams still with a shot:

Oregon

* Beat Arizona

* Beat OSU


Arizona

* Beat Oregon

* Beat USC

* Beat ASU

From: Saturday could help decide USC's Rose replacement - Sporting News

Arizona, though, would take control of the league with a victory. Head-to-head victories over Stanford, Oregon State and Oregon would give the Wildcats a shot to go to the Rose Bowl if they win out. Arizona finishes with road games against Arizona State and USC.

Stanford

From: Stanford's Rose Bowl possibilities - SF Examiner

* Stanford must beat Cal.

* Arizona must beat Oregon in Tucson.

* Oregon must beat Oregon State in the Civil War.

* Arizona must lose again to either Arizona State or USC, both games will be played on the road.

The result of the above would leave Stanford tied with Oregon with two losses in the Pac-10. Tie goes to the winner.


So that's it. If I missed anything, let me know.

First things first, the Beavers need to beat the Cougars at 2pm today. Then everything else can continue to fall into place.

Go Beavs!

Last Tailgate Of The Season!

Its Dad's Weekend, Senior Day, and a rivalry game against the Huskies. But its also the last chance to tailgate!

Want to chat? Find me and other Beavs on twitter during the game! Just search for the #gobeavs hashtag and we'll find you!

Here's the live tweets right now!

Follow The Beavers On Twitter at #gobeavs

Go Beavs! Beat the Dawgs!

OSU Women's Soccer Wins Their First NCAA Tournament Game Ever

Great game last night by the OSU Women's Soccer team! They beat Ohio State to advance to the next round of the NCAA tournament. It was nearly total domination by the Beavers as they score all of the goals in the game. Unfortunately, one of the goals was an own goal by a Beaver defender.

We had a little watching party at my house, and I haven't seen a ton of games this year but it was a very impressive showing by the Beavs. The goals were legit and the midfield domination was legit. And this was against a team that had only allow 10 goals all season!

Great job ladies and good luck against Florida on Sunday!

Cal Postgame: Canfield, Syd'Quan, Playing On The Road, and Rankings

Great win last night for the Beavers. For some reason, the team is playing really well on the road. Its actually great to see and I think it indicates a step forward for our program. Now we just need to get the fire back for home games. Fans: can we help?


What I Learned:

* Sean Canfield is a very good QB.

Take a look at his numbers:

PASSING         GP-GS   Effic   Cmp-Att-Int   Pct   Yards    TD   Long   Avg/G 
Canfield, Sean   9-9    144.2   217-312-5   69.6   2381   13   87   264.6

He's gotten better at the long ball, reduced his sackability, and improved his decision making. That combined with his physical tools makes him perhaps the best QB that OSU has every had. Bold statement? OK, well he is on track to have the greatest all-around single season a QB has had in the modern era. Considering the QBs that have come through here recently, that's not easy to do.

What do you think? Will Sean leave OSU as the best QB we've seen, or am I drinking too much orange kool-aid?

* Syd'Quan Thompson is freaking awesome

He was EVERYWHERE last night. Stopping the run, breaking up passes, making amazing recoveries to stop broken plays, and even tackling James for a loss on a Fly Sweep.

I'm glad we don't have to play that dude again this year.


On The Road

We have played excellent on the road this year. I think its a hallmark of our growth as a program and indicates the talent level and maturity of the players is rising.

Think about it: our worst road game was USC. And we almost beat them. Wow.


Rankings

I asked the question on twitter last night: "Should the Beavs be ranked?"



Here are the responses I got:

jackaninny: @JasonOSUBeavers #19 ND & #20 Oklahoma and of course #23 Cal all lose - Beavs above them all at #22 #gobeavs

OSUBeaverFan: @JasonOSUBeavers Not yet. more work to do. Bring on the Huskies. #gobeavs

LawTheo: RT @JasonOSUBeavers Should the Beavs be ranked? #gobeavs ~Abso-friggin-lutely! We only lose to ranked teams,Ranked OU and ND lose. Beavs #24

harrisja: Nah...but we'll get votes/ RT @JasonOSUBeavers: Should the Beavs be ranked? #gobeavs

MsRoseanna: @JasonOSUBeavers RT Should the Beavs be ranked? Yes & before now. But it works to OS advantage to sneak up by performance & not perception

tswcivic: @JasonOSUBeavers 24th

I think if Cal was ranked #20 somehow, we should probably be in there. Of course, it doesn't matter, but it is a measure of the level of respect around the country.

Looks like in the AP Poll we ended up #26 and in the USA Today Poll we were #28.

What do you think? Should the Beavers be ranked? Does it matter?


Go Beavs!

UCLA Game Thoughts - Mistakes, Penalties, and Waking Up Just in Time

Quick thoughts on the UCLA game.

I, like most of the fans in Reser, felt that the second half was a mere formality on our way to an easy win over the Bruins. Unfortunately, it felt like the players and coaches had the same attitude.

Sure we moved the ball and racked up the yards. But we lacked a killer instinct until that last 2 minute drive to win the game. The defense was playing prevent at the end and UCLA found that their QB Prince actually can complete passes when players are open.

But, really, the season long theme of mistakes continues...

* The game wouldn't have been close if we didn't have 12 men on the field in our punt return with 3 minutes left that gave them the ball back.

* The false starts are getting a bit ridiculous. It feels like we average at least 3 a game.

* We couldn't decide if we wanted to go for it or kick a FG early in the second half. Turns out we were faking the FG. But it was 2 seconds after the play clock expired.

* The timing was off between Canfield and the receivers. And some dropped balls that really killed our drives.

* Our pass defense seems like they are covering and tackling well, but no sacks at key times and no plays on the ball gave them major pass plays of 40-50 yards multiple times in the 4th quarter.


While each of the mistakes were fairly mild at the time, they added up to another close game at home. We were overlooking UCLA a little bit. Or maybe just relaxed a bit after the flurry at the end of the 2nd half. Ultimately, it felt like we were sleepwalking through the second half.

Since we play better on the road, I expect a good showing next week. But I am concerned for the UW game. Home games have just been too close and too relaxed. And its bit us twice this year already.

A win is a win. I'm happy we pulled it out.

Go Beavs!

Near Miss At USC Makes The Rest Of The Season Very Interesting

It wasn't a pretty game for the most part, but OSU was one 3rd down stop away from having a shot to win the game at the end. With all the practice they have had this season in coming from behind, I'd like to think they had a better than average chance of scoring.

Everyone was saying that the Beavers would need to play a perfect game to win. I don't think that is case. The Beavs had 9 penalties, special teams mistakes, and an early turnover and still were in it until the end. Eliminate just one of those issues and I think the Beavers win.

No fumble in the first half? That changes the game.

No punt return for a touchdown? That changes the game.

Eliminate the penalties in the red zone and score a TD or two in the first half? That changes the game.

The interception that wasn't an interception because of a penalty? They scored after that. If we get that INT then the whole game changes. ( Anyone else notice the flag was thrown after the interception? Hmmm... Yea, I know, sour grapes. )

---

The offense is now looking really good. Take a look at the stats:

Canfield - 30/43, 329 yds, 3 tds, 0 ints
Jaquizz - 20 car, 113 yds, 1 td (in 3/4 of a game)
Halahuni - 9 rec, 127 yds
Adeniji - 5 rec, 81 yds, 1 td
James - 98 yds rec/rush

I think we can beat everyone on our schedule with that offense. Its more dynamic than earlier in the year and can clearly put up major points against one of the best defenses in the nation.

The defense is still a bit pedestrian. I love the secondary coming together and getting two huge interceptions. I think the linebackers are pretty good. But without any sacks, its just so hard to shut a team down. The defense is average right now. Average is OK, but if we had the same defense as last year we have a better record. Simple as that.

The defense is young/new and I've seen a lot of improvement already. But I'd like to see some more heading into the stretch.

---

Overall, its about encouraging as a loss can be. I have a feeling we can beat anyone remaining on our schedule. I don't know if we will, but I'm much more encouraged about the rest of the season. I'd really like to see us with only two Pac-10 losses heading into the Civil War.


* Cliff has some good video on his blog

* The Oregonian has a nice story from Paul Buker and a good photo slide show

* Some great quotes from Pete Carroll and Taylor Mays (the guy who facemasked James Rodgers in the end zone on a bush play)

"I really think they're such a good team," Carroll said. "[Oregon State coach] Mike [Riley] did a great job of adjusting. He was different in the first half than he was in the second half."

Mays, who described Oregon State as "the best offense" USC has faced this season...

* Buker has that quote in full:

USC safety Taylor Mays, who probably drew the ire of many OSU fans when he tore James Rodgers' helmet off after a Rodgers' score:

"We knew they were going to be good and explosive. We were aware and prepared for that. They spread us out and picked away. They found a weakness in our defense. It was frustrating. ... they are probably the most explosive offense we have played. ... with Quizz and James, it has to be the best offense we have played."

How The Beavers Can Break The 50 Year Streak Against USC

I hope someday that the Beavs are in a place where we are favored in every game we play in regardless of whether its at home or on the road. That's the place the Trojans are at. But sometimes the thrill of victory is just way sweeter when you beat someone you're not supposed to beat. That can make a season. So far we haven't had a win like that this year (although ASU was a nice win).

Can Oregon State break the 50 year streak and finally beat USC at the LA Coliseum? Hey, if Stanford can, we not the Beavs?

Here's why it could happen:

1. Like last year, the Trojans are coming off of a high emotion, non-conference road game in which they won.

2. USC could be looking ahead to the Oregon game a Autzen next week which right now looks like the tougher game.

3. Even though Matt Barkley has been stellar at QB so far, he is still a true freshman. All young QBs have a couple forgettable games. USC is starting to open up their passing game. Maybe Barkley is due for a 4 INT wake up call.

4. The Beavers are starting to gel and hit their stride. The young secondary, WRs, and O-Line is improving and given the added incentive of upsetting USC could play the best game of their season.

5. JaQuizz Rodgers.

6. James Rodgers.

7. Mike Riley and staff always seems to game plan well against the Trojans.

8. USC plays a Pro-style offense that the Beavers defense is well suited to defend as opposed to some version of the spread.

9. The Beavers have been playing good football on the road and have confidence playing on the road and in tough games.


Clearly, both lines need to play very well. Its going to be about taking control of the time of possession on offense and limiting the chances that USC gets to score. An no FGs. The Beavs have to score a TD every time they are close. And they need to win the turnover battle.

Impossible? no. But, yes, they probably need to play a perfect game and hope the Trojans are just a little off of their game.


Man, I hope for a nice surprise at the end of the day today :)

Go Beavs!

What's Up With The Pac-10?

After the Beavs disposed of the Cardinal last weekend with relative ease and UW pulling out a controversial win against Arizona, things are much more interesting in the Pac-10.

Team    Conf.  Pct.  Overall Pct.
Oregon    3-0  1.000  5-1  .833
Stanford   3-1  .750  4-2  .667
USC    2-1  .667  4-1  .800
Oregon State   2-1  .667  4-2  .667
Washington   2-1  .667  3-3  .500
Arizona State   1-1  .500  3-2  .600
Arizona   1-1  .500  3-2  .600
California   0-2  .000  3-2  .600
UCLA    0-2  .000  3-2  .600
Washington State  0-4  .000  1-5  .167

With the pre-season Cal and UCLA had, I challenge anyone to say they would have predicted this 1-9.

Since OSU has a bye this week, we get to sit back and see what happens.

Ted Miller of ESPN has blogged about the importance of this weekend in the Pac-10 - "Desperation and separation in Pac-10 games this weekend"

So what's up with Arizona? They looked great at times against OSU and UW, but let both back into the game at the end and could have been beaten by both (or won both). Are they a contender?

ASU is under the radar like OSU right now. Are they good or not? I don't know.

Can Oregon run the table? They look really strong right now. But who knows if Costa has to continue as the QB.

USC looks vulnerable, but they are clearly still very good. It feels like they might have one more loss in them though.

Stanford could pull it together, but I can't see them as a upper-tier bowl team right now.

Can UW be the surprise of the season? They are right now, but aren't they one Locker injury away from being Wazzu?

Cal and UCLA? I have no idea what they are right now.

OSU? I don't think the defense is as dominant as last season. However, as the season wears on, OSU gets better.

Wazzu? Fogettaboutit.


Basically, I know enough to know what I don't know. And all I know is that this is going to be a very interesting weekend for Pac-10 football.

Follow The Beavers On Twitter at #gobeavs

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Beaver Flag On ESPN College Gameday

Someone brought a big OS flag to LSU for ESPN College GameDay this morning!

Thanks to @jackaninny for capturing the moment on ESPN this morning.

jackaninny Best shot I could get with phone - right over Folwer's shoulder #gobeavs http://yfrog.com/2p3utxj

jackaninny Ok saw another angle and it is an Oregon State flag at Game Day - Go Beavers #gobeavs http://yfrog.com/ccjvyj http://yfrog.com/673r9j

Go Beavs! Beavers Eat Trees!

BIG Win in the Desert

Anytime you can break a 40 year streak in anything, its big. Seems like ASU has been our kryptonite forever, but that was a convincing win.

That's a formula we could use for many teams that are at or near our skill level. Jump on them early, convert in the red zone, force turnovers, win special teams, and stretch the field long from time. I wish there was more consistency from the running game, but I love the long runs.

Against Stanford we have to jump out fast and score touchdowns early. No field goals. If we score TDs those first two drives against Arizona, I think we win. The D against Stanford is gonna be big. Can we force some turnovers? I don't know, but if we aren't getting sacks then we need some turnovers.

Go Beavs!

Gameday! Can The Beavs Finally Break the 40 year Drought Against ASU in Phoenix?

Every game is big in college football, but this one is really big considering the opposition coming up. If the Beavs can pull this out, they should be setup nicely for a bowl game at 7-5. A loss means we may need another Cal or Civil War win to get to that level.

What I really want to see is continued improvement. I want the new starters to start making a bigger impact. Maybe more tight end involvement. Maybe a fly sweep from Wheaton or more big catches from Bishop.

Another thing that I think we really need are some game changers. Maybe a long pass for a TD. Or a few turnovers created by the defense. Or a pick 6 from a corner. Or a return for a TD. Something that is unexpected that is a game changer. We haven't had enough of those this year. Last year we had a ton. That's the biggest difference between this year and last year to me.


Go Beavs! Beat ASU!

Arizona Game Aftermath: Another Close Loss, Time To Figure Out How To Be Great

Here we are again. 2-2. Someday I'd love to see a 3-1 or 4-0 start. The good news is that our 2-2 starts used to include a huge blowout or two (Boise St., Cal, Cincy, etc). Now our 2-2 starts could have just as easily been 3-1 or 4-0 with a few breaks (no interceptions). Of course the UNLV game could have gone the other way too...

Other than a few bad breaks, why are we losing these games that we seemed to pull out last year? I don't pretend to know, but I know what I see.

* We don't do anything great. We're OK at the passing game. OK against the run. OK against the pass. OK in the running game. OK receiving core. OK offensive line. Bad pass rush. We're just average right now. Which isn't bad, unless you make more mistakes than the other team (-2 turnover margin against U of A. 5-0 sacks. Penalties). The good news? When you are already OK to good, its easier to improve a little to see better performance on the field. We have the athletes.

* The last two years we found a play or a player about this point of the season who was almost unstoppable. Fly Sweep, Quizz, Stroughter Punt Returns, and Slade/Victor Sacks. We need to find that player this week. Is it Moevao? Wheaton? More blitzing from the LBs? Something needs to change because we are getting nothing extra. No key turnovers. No key sacks. No long passes or runs. We have to grind everything out on both sides of the ball. Its just too hard to win consistently when all of the other teams in the Pac-10 has improved so much.


The tough part is that now we have to pull out some tough wins (probably upsets) to salvage our season. The thing that gives me hope is that these coaches and players have been here before and they know what it takes. But like the last two games, I hope they don't come up short.