Go Beavs: An Oregon State Dynasty

[Emac78]

Yeah, can you tell? lol
It was kind of realistic with the class I got last season but not very fun so I'm doing the recruiting this season.

[Emac78]

Game of the Week

#17 Arizona State (2-0) at #14 Oregon State (3-0)

Chris: We are coming to you live from Corvallis for a big early Pac-10 game between Arizona State and Oregon State. Somebody might want to let the Pac-10 commisioner know that the Sun Devils will have now played at Reser Stadium six years in a row. I think it might be time for the Beavers to travel down to Tempe and get out of this cold rain that we are seeing coming down already.

Lee: I don't think I've seen the sun the whole time we've been out here.

Chris: Yep. The Beavers saw similar weather conditions when they faced off against Wisconsin and clearly weather had no effect on the Beavers. But can the same be said for Arizona State today. Oregon State seems to have really kicked it in high gear early this year, though besides for the big win over Wisconsin, they have played two cupcake teams. So this will be a big test for both teams to kick off their Pac-10 schedules. What might make it even more important is that USC barely escaped an upset against Arizona last week so the Trojans might very well be susceptible to a few losses this year. This conference looks up in the air and it could go to anybody from USC, UCLA, Cal, Arizona State, Oregon State, or I'll even throw Oregon in as a wild card. (Crowd boos.) So let's get to it. Who do you guys like today?

Kirk: Chris, this is the kind of game that Oregon State could easily lose today, but really they shouldn't. Arizona State has a red shirt freshman starting at QB by the name of Craig Noel. He has been terrific but he is going to have a huge challenge getting anything done against what is becoming one of the best defenses in the Pac-10. If the Sun Devils are going to win today, they will need a big game from Noel, and I just don't see it happening in a hostile environment like Reser Stadium in this weather. The Beavers win today but it will be close and probably not a very high scoring affair.

Lee: Let me say one thing sweetheart. Oregon State is on upset alert today. The Sun Devils are a really good team. However I think that the Beavers are just too good to lose this one today on their home turf. The only way the Sun Devils win is if the Beavers beat themselves with costly turnovers. From the tape I've seen, I don't see that happening. So that's why I'm going with...(Lee puts on the Benny headgear as the crowd cheers and chants O S U) Go Beavs! Go Oregon State!

[Emac78]

#17 Arizona State (2-0) at #14 Oregon State (3-0)

Corvallis, OR - The Sun Devils would be welcomed with rain showers and a hostile Reser Stadium that was eager to avenge last year's loss to ASU. Oregon State would need to get used to playing a higher level of competition quickly because this was not going to be an easy game. The first conference game for both teasm was the spotlight game of the week on ABC and the winner was likely to be a competitor to win the Pac-10 conference.

The red shirt freshman ASU QB Craig Noel seemed to a bit flustered by the environment and the pressure of it being a big game atmosphere as the Sun Devils were held to a quick three-and-out. It was the complete opposite for the Beavers, as OSU QB Justin Rust playfaked to HB Roy Nolen, and threw in the flat to WR Bill Faaeteete who has really been playing well lately. Faaeteete made the catch in stride, made his way to the sideline, ran through a tackle, and leaped across the goal line as Reser erupted on the 34-yard touchdown to put OSU up early 7-0.

OSU WR Bill Faaeteete runs through a tackle and leaps into the end zone for a 34-yard touchdown reception.

EA SPORTS World: NCAA Football 09 Video

A sack by OSU DE Brandon Webb would lead to another ASU three-and-out. This game was not looking good for the Sun Devils. The Beavers looked just as good as before, methodically moving the ball down the field. Rust was really in the zone. Finally, HB Roy Nolen was able to get in from one yard out to but Oregon State ahead 14-0 just like that.

OSU HB Roy Nolen in the end zone from one yard out.

Arizona State was finally able to get their first first down of the game on their next possession but the Sun Devils would still be forced to punt. As the game moved into the second quarter, it looked like Oregon State was about to make this a snoozer. But the Sun Devil defense was finally able to stop the OSU offense and force a punt. Then ASU QB Craig Noel settled in and was starting to look good. However, the Beaver defense was able to hold ASU to a 46-yard field goal to make it 14-3 OSU.

But the momentum did seem to be swinging as OSU QB Justin Rust was sacked on first down, leading to a three-and-out. Though ASU would counter with their own three-and-out. Neither team could get a consistent ground game going. On the Beavers' next possession, Rust checked down to HB Roy Nolen, but the wet ball slipped through his hands and fell in the hands of ASU FS Jacob Muse for an interception.

ASU FS Jacob Muse intercepts the dropped ball by OSU HB Roy Nolen.

The Beavers could not do anything wrong in the first quarter, but now the ball was bouncing the Sun Devils' way. But the Sun Devils could not take advantage of the turnover, as they were again held to a three-and-out, setting up a 53-yard field goal attempt that was missed to the right.

On the next OSU possession, Rust would be hit hard in the pocket as he got rid of it deep to WR Brian Herring for an incomplete pass. But on the play, it looked like Rust has hurt his chest. In came backup QB Phil Rogers who was instantly put under the gun with a big blitz by the Sun Devils. Rogers floated one up deep to Herring into coverage that was easily picked off by pre-season All-Pac-10 CB Dave Smith.

ASU CB Dave Smith with an easy interception off the inexperienced OSU QB Phil Rogers.

But ASU would be held in the closing seconds inside the red zone. The Sun Devils could only get a 28-yard field goal to make it 14-6 OSU at halftime. We would find out during the break that OSU QB Justin Rust had a strained pectoral and was nothing serious. Rust would be back to start the second half.

The Beavers would try and get HB Roy Nolen going to start the second half, but were met with only limited success. Oregon State would get in position to kick a 44-yard field goal which kicker Reggie Smith put through the uprights to increase the OSU lead to 17-6.

The Sun Devils would not start the 3rd quarter any better than they started the first quarter when QB Craig Noel threw to WR Tim Smith. The ball was thrown behind the receiver which he was barely able to get a hand on, tipping the ball to OSU CB Matt McDaniel for an interception. Just like that, the Beavers were in a position to put this one away.

OSU CB Matt McDaniel with an interception off of the poorly thrown pass by AS QB Craig Noel.

The Sun Devils' defense would be able to stop OSU at the 1-yard line, making it fourth-and-goal. OSU head coach Mike Riley decided to go for it. QB Justin Rust snuck behind a surge from the offensive line to walk into the end zone to give the Beavers a commanding 24-6 lead.

OSU QB Justin Rust scores on the QB sneak on fourth down.

The Sun Devils desperately needed to score bu it would not be until the fourth quarter before ASU QB Craig Noel would hook up with WR Tim Smith in the end zone from one yard away to make it 24-12 OSU as the 2-point attemtp failed.

ASU QB Craig Noel finds WR Tim Smith for a 1-yard touchdown.

It was still only a two possession game. Oregon State would take some time off the clock as HB Roy Nolen would keep the chains moving, but the drive would stall in the red zone, setting up a 24-yard field goal to give OSU a 27-12 lead with just over two minutes left.

ASU QB Craig Noel started finding open receivers and was able to quickly lead the Sun Devils into the red zone but then the drive stalled before it was fourth down. Noel dropped back to pass, and threw into the end zone to WR Nick Seals, but the ball was knocked down by OSU CB Allen Smith to effectively seal this one shut. Oregon State gets a huge win to start conference play.

OSU CB Allen Smith knocks the ball down and celebrates the win.

Arizona State 12
QB Noel: 25-40, 239 yds, td, int
HB Thorne: 10 car, 53 yds
WR Smith: 6 rec, 65 yds, td
OLB Gordon: 10 tkl, 3 tfl, 2 sk, defl

Oregon State 27
QB Rust: 17-24, 216 yds, td, int, rush td
HB Nolen: 26 car, 87 yds, td
WR Herring: 6 rec, 69 yds
DE Webb: 7 tkl, 5 tfl, 2 sk, ff

[Emac78]

Week 5

(14)Oregon State Opens Pac-10 Play With 27-12 Win Over (17)Arizona State

OSU WR Bill Faaeteete with a highlight 34-yard touchdown reception as the Beavers stormed out to a14-0 lead early which the Sun Devils could not recover from.

[b][size=+2]Games of the Week[/size][/b]

[color=blue]#17 Arizona State 12
#14 Oregon State 27[/color]

#16 Auburn 52 OT
South Carolina 45

Indiana 25
#20 Michigan 35 (Fox: car, 6 yds, rec, 3 yds)

#9 LSU 48
Mississippi State 13

[color=red]#24 Missouri 21
Kansas 31[/color]

Kansas State 24
#5 Texas 26

Alabama 34
#7 Florida 39

#25 Oregon 35
Stanford 28

Iowa State 17
#6 Nebraska 55 (Garvella: 7 tkl, 2 tfl, defl)

Baylor 3
Texas A&M 39

[b][size=+2]Top Ten[/size][/b]

1 Clemson
2 Notre Dame
3 Penn State
4 USC
5 Texas
6 Nebraska
7 Florida
8 Florida State
9 LSU
10 Ohio State
[b]14 Oregon State[/b]
18 UCLA
19 Michigan
20 Cal
22 Arizona State
24 Oregon

[b][size=+2]Heisman Watch[/size][/b]

QB Kyler Thomas (Florida)
QB Matt Thomas (Nebraska)
QB Joe Davis (Notre Dame)
HB Ken Marshall (Florida)
WR Malik Bennett (Clemson)

[Emac78]

The Beavers have another big recruiting week with No. 18 UCLA coming to town. The top prospect, WR Chad West from McCandless, Pennsylvania is rated the 94th overall best player by Rivals. The four-star receiver's biggest strength is his 6'5" height and 223 pounds. West also is pretty good with the ball in his hands after the catch. He would be the prototypical west coast offense receiver. But West is also being targeted by perennial powerhouses, Notre Dame and Ohio State so it is doubtful that West will be in orange and black next year. The other big name on the list is four-star CB Darnell Alford from Manteca, California. He has shown great quickness and agilty to start and stop very quickly. Alford should make an excellent cover corner but is also being targeted by Fresno State and UCLA, making this a really important visit for Alford since he will be able to see both Oregon State and UCLA on the same field.

Top Three Prospects Visiting

WR Chad West **** #13 94th
McCandless, PA
Top Schools: Notre Dame, Oregon State, Ohio State

CB Darnell Alford **** #14
Manteca, CA
Top Schools: Fresno State, Oregon State, UCLA

OLB Josh Wilson *** #35
Aldine, TX
Top Schools: Oregon State, Oklahoma, Notre Dame

[Emac78]

Yeah. I probably will. It will be awesome with the Rodgers brothers on next year's game.

[Emac78]

Game of the Week

#7 Florida (5-0) at #9 LSU (3-0)

Chris: Welcome to Death Valley for another huge SEC match between Florida and LSU. (crowd goes bananas) This is being called "Separation Saturday" because there are a few games all over the nation that will have a big impact on the polls today. We of course have this huge one here today. But out west in the Pac-10, four of the five undefeated teams will square off today. No. 20 Cal is in Eugene to play no. 24 Oregon. Also, no. 18 UCLA faces off with no. 14 Oregon State in Corvallis. Then, in the Big Ten, no. 17 Wisconsin will try to knock off no. 3 Penn State in Happy Valley. Oh, and there is that little rivalry game in Big 12 known as the Red River Rivalry between no.12 Oklahoma and no. 5 Texas. So we have a big show today. We'll try and get to all these games and more when we get back from the break.

Games of the Week, Separation Saturday

#20 Cal at #24 Oregon
Kirk: Cal Lee: Cal

#12 Oklahoma vs #5 Texas
Kirk: Texas Lee: Texas

#17 Wisconsin at #3 Penn State
Kirk: PSU Lee: PSU

#18 UCLA at #14 Oregon State

Chris: Boy, you guys are hardly earning your money on all of these great games this week, and you haven't disagreed yet on any of the big ones. I'm disappointed in you two. Well, we turn to another one out west in the Pac-10 between UCLA and Oregon State. You know, half of that conference is still undefeated. You've got of course USC, but also UCLA, Cal, Oregon State, and Oregon are all undefeated. But two are going down today. You both have already picked Cal to beat Oregon at Autzen. I think you're underestimating the Autzen noise factor. So who do you like between the Bruins and the Beavers?

Kirk: I can really see this one going either way. These are very similar teams and this is about the time that Oregon State will choke on their own success. UCLA has been playing some tenacious defense but word is that their top DT Adam Evans is out with a torn shoulder for eight weeks. That's a significant injury. But the guy to look out for is UCLA sophomore QB Bryan Quinn (90 ovr) who has looked sensational for such a young QB. I don't expect this to be a very high scoring game, but I look for OSU QB Justin Rust to have trouble today going up against the best defense he has seen yet in his short career. The Bruins win a very close game. This will be one of the better games of the day.

Lee: Here we go. Not so fast Kirk. First one of the day. Not only will the Beavers have no trouble winning today but I'm going to say it here first. The Beavers will win the Pac-10.

Kirk: Whoa. Big prediction from the coach. Alright alright. We'll see.

Lee: The Beavs have already beaten two top 25 teams soundly. They have a top notch defense that is giving opposing offenses fits. And their offense has such great balance running and passing. Plus, this will set up a great game two weeks from now between OSU and Cal.

Chris: Wow. I didn't see that one coming. Beavs going to the Rose Bowl. Ha ha. I personally think they could have their hands full with a pretty good UCLA team today but we'll see. Alright, that brings us to the game all of these fans are here to see us talk about. (crowd cheers) Florida has come very close to losing their last two games. The Gators needed a big comeback to beat Auburn a couple weeks ago. Then, last week, the Gators barely beat Alabama. Now these are good SEC teams, so a win is a win. But LSU has looked very good so far. So who goes home with a win today?

Kirk: This is a tough one. You've got the top offense, Florida, going up against the top defense, LSU. Really, if you look at this on paper. The Gators bring in the Heisman favorite QB Kyler Thomas, another Heisman contender in HB Ken Marshall, a great o-line, and a fantastic defense. It's very tough to find any chink in the armor. On the other hand, LSU also has a very underrated QB Lance Porter who is a great passer, but inexperience on the offensive line and in the secondary. The Tigers start two true freshman corners against some of the best receivers in the nation. But I've got to go with the Bayou Bengals in this one. I've seen Thomas struggle in these big games. The Gators have gotten lucky twice but they fall today. (crowd goes nuts)

Lee: Now you say the Gators got lucky and maybe they did. But I say this is a well tested team that knows how to win when it comes down to crunch time. I think it will be Gator HB Ken Marshall who will have a big game today behind a great offensive line. (crowd boos) Did you know that he studies molecular biology and has a 4.0 gpa? (99 awr) This kid is smart and his football IQ is as equally high. With both Thomas, Marshall, and oh don't forget about old Urban Meyer, I have to go with the...(Lee pulls out the Gator headgear and does the Gator chomp in front of the crowd as they boo the pick wildly) Go Gators!

[Emac78]

#18 UCLA (4-0) at #14 Oregon State (4-0)

Corvallis, OR - UCLA must have felt right at home as it was a beautiful, clear evening as the sun was just starting to set at Reser Stadium. Today was dubbed "Separation Saturday" by the media and this game on ABC and the spotlight game of the week on ESPN between Florida and LSU was all that was left for the night. Already, Cal had fallen to Oregon just down the road in Eugene, and undefeated Penn State had fallen to Wisconsin. Another undefeated Pac-10 team would fall this evening in Corvallis but which one would it be?

Defense dominated in the first quarter as neither team really got anything going. The Beavers were able to get within UCLA territory and it looked like they might have a scoring drive until WR Alex Whitehead dropped a perfectly thrown ball by QB Justin Rust. The dropped pass forced the Beavers to attempt a 42-yard field goal which kicker Reggie Smith kicked wide right. But UCLA was totally out of sync on offense, but the leading pass rusher for the Beavers, DE Brandon Webb left the game with a pulled groin that kept him out the rest of the half. Without Webb, and really with him, the Beavers were getting very little pressure on UCLA sophomore QB Bryan Quinn. But the first quarter would come to an end without anybody scoring.

In the second quarter, the Beavers clearly made a decision to get the ground game going with success. HB Roy Nolen was taking advantage of an offensive line that was working against a weaker defensive line for UCLA. The result would be a HB Tim Taylor 1-yard touchdown to put the Beavers on top 7-0.

OSU HB Tim Taylor in with an easy 1-yard touchdown.

However, UCLA struck back quickly when QB Bryan Quinn after a playaction, threw to HB Carl Merrick who was wide open along the sideline, who walked in for an easy 24-yard touchdown to tie the game 7-7.

UCLA HB Carl Merrick scores on a 24-yard touchdown reception.

Now it looked like both teams had settled in. Oregon State put together another good looking drive, and when QB Justin Rust tried to connect with TE Adam Banks, there was a pass interference that set up OSU at the UCLA 7-yard line. Where Rust threw over the middle to an open WR Bill Faaeteete in the end zone for a 7-yard touchdown to retake the lead 14-7.

OSU QB Justin Rust connects with WR Bill Faaeteete for a 7-yard touchdown.

UCLA QB Bryan Quinn would then make the first mistake of the game when OSU OLB Cole Alexander made a tremendous play to pick him off. But OSU QB Justin Rust would make his first mistake of the game on the very next play, being picked off by UCLA OLB Jamar Taylor. UCLA head coach Rick Neuheisel decided to be aggressive off the turnover as Quinn unleashed a deep ball downfield to WR Robert Vincent, who was able to come down with it even though OSU CB Matt McDaniel had tight coverage. The 43-yard gain through the air put the Bruins at the OSU 5-yard line where it did not take long for HB Carl Merrick to leap over for a 2-yard touchdown to tie the game 14-14

A deep 43-yard connection through the air between UCLA QB Bryan Quinn and WR Robert Vincent sets up a 2-yard touchdown rush for HB Carl Merrick.

With just under two minutes left, Oregon State decided to see if they could get some points on the board before the end of the half. Then disaster struck when QB Justin Rust made the worst decision of his short career as he threw over the middle where UCLA SS Nathan Robinson made the easy pick and was off to the races, taking it all the way back to the house. Suddenly UCLA was now ahead 21-14. Even the normally calm OSU head coach Mike Riley could only look on in disgust and shake his head at his quarterback. UCLA would take their lead into the locker rooms in front of a stunned Reser Stadium.

UCLA SS Nathan Robinson with a huge pick-six toward the end of the half.

This was proving another tough hard fought game between OSU and UCLA. But in the second half, the Beavers got back on track with an impressive drive, capped off with QB Justin Rust hitting WR Brian Herring on a short, 3-yard slant with tight coverage in the end zone to tie the game 21-21.

OSU WR Brian Herring with a 3-yard touchdown reception.

The scoring drive reignited the crowd as the first quarter really put it to rest, but now the noise was back. UCLA QB Bryan Quinn, maybe feeling the pressure, threw another ball that was intercepted. This time it was OSU OLB Carlos Matthews with the interception. The Beavers now had a chance to take the lead. But QB Justin Rust would throw to what he thought would be an open WR Brian Herring. But Herring did not have very much separation on the slant, and UCLA CB Brian Thompson made an impressive interception.

After the interception, the UCLA offense settled back in and looking very good on offense. The supposely dominant OSU defense looked anything but dominant as QB Bryan Quinn had all day to find an open receiver. But the Beaver defense would hold to force a UCLA 44-yard field goal that was kicked through the uprights to regain the Bruins the lead, 24-21.

This was by far the most adversity the Beavers have seen all season. As the fourth quarter started, matters were about to get a whole lot worse when just as Oregon State looked like they were about to get in the red zone and score, QB Justin Rust left the game holding his shoulder in pain as the crowd was dead silent. Then cheered him on his way off the field, but it was clear that Reser Stadium might have just seen their season down the drains with the injury. It was quite evident that he would not be back. So in came senior QB Phil Rogers who was able to throw a lucky, clutch pass on third down that WR Brian Herring somehow came up with in coverage, setting up the Beavers at the UCLA 7-yard line. With 6:31 left to go in the game, HB Roy Nolen found his way into the end zone from one yard out to regain the lead for the Beavers. Reser Stadium erupted as the Beavers had comeback but only had a 28-24 lead.

OSU HB Roy Nolen and the rest of the offense celebrate a 1-yard touchdown run.

Now it was up to the Beavers' defense to put this one away. It looked like UCLA was about to go three-and-out when HB Carl Merrick was stuck in the backfield on third down, but somehow Merrick managed to find a way out of the scrum for an 8-yard gain to keep the drive alive. But then QB Bryan Quinn threw one up for grabs that the talented OSU sophomore CB John Biggers easily intercepted.

OSU CB John Biggers comes up with a big interception.

It was time for Oregon State to milk the clock behind the running of HB Roy Nolen, who was already over 100 yards on the evening. But UCLA came up with a huge stop, and the Beavers had to punt with 1:57 remaining. UCLA would have the ball at their own 35-yard line with 1:49 remaining in the game. Now, the crowd was really into it, but at a very quick pace, the Bruins had reached the OSU 35-yard line with still 1:11 on the clock. UCLA QB Bryan Quinn was really in the zone at the right time. With :52 left to go, Quinn threw to WR David Hawkins on a curl. OSU CB Matt McDaniel was unable to make the tackle as he watched Hawkins race forward where his OSU teammates tried to bring him down, but he was only brought down as he crossed the end zone. UCLA had taken the lead with the clutch 25-yard touchdown pass from Quinn to Hawkins to go ahead 31-28. The Bruin fans that made the trip, erupted in celebration as the UCLA fight song rung through a very quiet Reser Stadium.

UCLA WR David Hawkins crosses the goal line on the 25-yard touchdown reception.

EA SPORTS World: NCAA Football 09 Video

All was not lost yet as the Beavers would return it to their own 31-yard line. There was :47 left in the game and the Beavers had all of their timeouts. But with Phil Rogers at quarterback, this might be a bit too much to ask from the inexperienced senior. The possession was an absolute disaster as Rogers was sacked on third down. So it was fourt-and-13 with only :27 left and only one timeout left. But somehow Rogers was able to connect with WR Bill Faaeteete over the middle for a first down. However, Rogers was hurt, and the clock was running. Rogers quickly ran off the field, and red shirt freshman QB Steve McLaughlin quickly got onto the field, gathered the team together to spike the ball, but there was only :08 left just short of midfield. In hindsight, Riley clearly should have taken a timeout. Phil Rogers made his way back onto the field to attempt a deep pass that was knocked down. So with :03 left in the game Rogers threw the ball as deep as he could to WR Brian Herring into a crowd of UCLA defenders. The ball was knocked to the turf and the Bruins came out of Reser Stadium still undefeated with a huge win over the Beavers, who were stunned with the home loss. The Beavers get a badly needed bye week before going on the road against the equally hungry Cal Golden Bears in Berkeley who are coming off of a loss to Oregon.

UCLA 31
QB Quinn: 22-29, 272 yds, 2 td, 3 int
HB Merrick: 14 car, 48 yds, td, 2 rec, 38 yds, rec td
WR Hawkins: 3 rec, 53 yds, td
SS Robinson: 10 tkl, int, defl, td
DT Thomas: 5 tkl, 3 tfl, 3 sk, 2 ff (Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Week)

Oregon State 28
QB Rust: 17-24, 188 yds, 2 td, 3 int
HB Nolen: 29 car, 113 yds, td
WR Faaeteete: 7 rec, 80 yds, td
CB Biggers: 9 tkl, int

[-Ray27Rice-]

Tough loss man.

[Emac78]

Tough loss man.

I don't know what it is about UCLA, but they always play us hard. We just made too many turnovers. Especially that pick-six at the end of the half. That killed us. Oh well. I don't think anybody in the Pac-10 gets out undefeated so the Rose Bowl isn't out of the question yet, but if we lose another one, the best we could probably hope for would be the Sun Bowl. Haha

[Emac78]

Week 6

(9)LSU Holds on 38-31 to Defeat (7)Florida in Death Valley

LSU freshman CB David Bell had an unbelievable performance. The true freshman corner showed why LSU had the top class this offseason as he had two interceptions and two forced fumbles to become the NCAA Defensive Player of the Week.

Baton Rouge, LA - Florida QB Kyler Thomas underestimated LSU's young secondary to his own peril. When freshman LSU CB Hunter Webb picked off Thomas for a pick-six to make it 10-3 going into the second quarter, the Gators knew they had another tough SEC game on their hands. The Gators would tie the game in the second quarter when Thomas connected with WR Kurt Howard tie the game 10-10. Then Gator HB Ken Marshall went down with a pulled hamstring that is going to sideline the Heiman contending HB for three weeks. It proved to be a bad omen as the Tigers scored 28 unanswered points to get out in front to a 38-10 lead going into the fourth quarter.

A lot of the Tigers' success had to be attributed to the two outstanding freshman CBs, Hunter Webb and David Bell. Coming into the game, it was thought that Florida's receivers and QB Kyler Thomas had a large mismatch on their hands and would exploit it to a Florida win. Well, there was a mismatch alright, but it was the Gator receivers trying to get open against what has to now be considered one of the best secondaries in not only the SEC, but in the nation. The supposed best QB in the nation, Kyler Thomas struggled all game long, throwing four interceptions.

However, the Gators unbelievably went on a scoring tear in the fourth quarter. QB Kyler Thomas would connect with WR Jeff Hughes for a 45-yard touchdown. Then Florida HB Jerry Davis would break loose for an 80-yard touchdown run to quickly make it 38-24. Next, LSU QB Lance Porter would make his only mistake of the game to picked off by Gator OLB Josh Armstrong. The Tigers would stop the Gators, but on fourth-and-goal, Thomas would hit TE Nathan Love to make it a one possession lead as they were astonishingly only down 38-31 with 2:29 left. But LSU would finally put the game away with a long drive where HB Scott Richardson kept the chains moving as the Tigers now are at the head of the class in the SEC.

Florida 31
QB Thomas: 26-39, 306 yds, 3 td, 4 int
HB Davis: 8 car, 109 yds, td
WR Howard: 6 rec, 68 yds, td, fl

LSU 38
QB Porter: 24-36, 209 yds, 2 td, int
HB Richardson: 24 car, 173 yds, 10 rec, 86 yds, rec td
CB Bell: 12 tkl, 2 tfl, 2 int, defl, 2 ff (NCAA Defensive Player of the Week)

[b][size=+2]Games of the Week[/size][/b]

[color=red]#6 Nebraska 10 (Garvella: 3 tkl, int, defl)
Missouri 24[/color]

#20 Cal 20
#24 Oregon 27

#12 Oklahoma 24
#5 Texas 35

Oklahoma State 34
Texas A&M 41

#17 Wisconsin 34
#3 Penn State 17

#19 Michigan 41 (Fox: car, 12 yds, rec, -2 yds)
Iowa 17

[b]#18 UCLA 31
#14 Oregon State 28[/b]

[color=red]#21 Hawai'i 24
Louisiana Tech 28[/color]

[color=blue]#7 Florida 31
#9 LSU 38[/color]

[b][size=+2]Top Ten[/size][/b]

1 Clemson
2 Notre Dame
3 USC
4 Texas
5 LSU
6 Florida State
7 Georgia Tech
8 Texas Tech
9 Ohio State
10 UCLA
15 Nebraska
17 Oregon
19 Michigan
[b]21 Oregon State[/b]
22 Arizona State

[b][size=+2]Heisman Watch[/size][/b]

QB Kyler Thomas (Florida) ???
QB Matt Thomas (Nebraska)
HB Darren McKinney (Virginia)
QB Xavier Miller (USC)
QB Marvin Coleman (Ohio State)

[Emac78]

Game of the Week

#20 Miami (5-0) at #6 Florida State (5-0)

Chris: We are here live in Tallahassee for the big rivalry game between Miami and Florida State. This rivalry does not have the same pizzazz as yester-year but today's game will remind many of those classis games from the past. Both come in with undefeated records. Nobody is surprised by the 'Noles though as they have some serious talent. But the 'Canes have been a huge surprise. New head coach Jon Gruden installed a spread offense similar to Texas Tech and already the new look offense has paid off. When Miami was able to upset the Ohio State to become serious contenders already. Speaking of the Buckeyes, they have a big game in Madison against the Wisconsin Badgers. The winner of the game will put themselves in position to challenge for the Big Ten title. When we get back we'll look at these two games but a bunch of other matchups across the nation...

Other Game of the Week

#9 Ohio State at #14 Wisconsin
Kirk: Wisc Lee: OSU

Chris: Alright guys, we turn now to the big one here today in Tallahassee. (crowd cheers) There have been reports that FSU QB Joe Finnerty might be able to come back sometime in the near future but we hear that Erin Andrews has a report on the issue. Erin...


Erin: Unfortunately, it is not the news that Seminole fans want to hear. Head coach Jimbo Fisher wanted to dispell all of the rumors that Finnerty might come back to play this season. Fisher definitively told me that Finnerty's season is over. There is no chance that he will play this year and since he is a fifth year senior, he will not play another collegiate football game. But on the bright side, the 'Noles are in good hands with fifth year senior QB Jason Johnson who threw threw six touchdowns last week against Wake Forest and with the talent that FSU has at WR Fisher is optimistic about the season. Guys...

Chris: Thanks Erin. Well, that's not good news but with all of the rumors floating around on the internet it's good that Fisher is letting the truth be known. So what do you think about Miami's chances to pull off another upset?

Kirk: If Miami is going to win today, they will have to rely on the arm of fourth year junior QB Jovon Wise, who already has nearly 1700 yards, 17 touchdowns and only five interceptions. He is really the reason for the 'Canes' success. In reality, his success should be attributed to the system that Gruden is running. There really is nothing spectacular about Wise. He would be better in a run-first spread but so far what he has done has worked. That comes to an end today. Miami is in for a real shock today when they see the defense they will face. I say the 'Noles win big today. (crowd cheers)

Lee: This is really great, Kirk, to see all of the anticipation for the Miami-Florida State game again. But you're right. The Noles are really good. I mean really good sweetheart. That FS Paris Greene (99 ovr). What an athlete they have there. Wise better not throw in his direction. Then on the offensive side of the ball, they have HB Barry Horn, who ran for over 1500 yards last year. Oh by the way, the 'Noles have maybe the best receiver combo in the nation. Each one of those guys will see NFL action. On top of all that, the 'Noles have one of the best offensive lines in the nation too. Come on. No contest. There's going to be a lot of scoring today. Unfortunately, for Miami, FSU is going to be doing all of the scoring. (Lee puts on the Seminole headgear as he does the warchant with the crowd) Go 'Noles! Go Florida State!

[Emac78]

Oregon State QB Justin Rust Out 2-3 Weeks


OSU QB Justin Rust (left) OSU QB Phil Rogers (right)

Corvallis, OR - The Beavers found out officially that fourth year QB Justin Rust will be out 2-3 weeks. Rust suffered a bruised shoulder at the end of the third quarter this past weekend against UCLA. He has looked pretty good, going 92-133 for 1200 yards, has thrown 12 touchdowns, and has only seven interceptions. Oregon State has a badly needed bye to get fifth year senior QB Phil Rogers up to speed as he will have his first career start against Cal in Berkeley. Rogers has a lot more mobility so look for Mike Riley to adjust the gameplan to allow Rogers to make plays outside the pocket. It is possible we might even see the Beavers run some option plays. Rogers has pretty good quickness and at 6'5", 224 pounds, he is a load to bring down. But Rogers does not possess the passing ability or knowledge of the offense that Rust has.

[Emac78]

Week 7

(6)Florida State Annihilates Rival (20)Miami 48-6

FSU HB Barry Horn spins past the Miami defense en route to a 39-yard touchdown run.

Tallahassee, FL - There was a lot of anticipation for the Miami-Florida State game but the Seminoles had this game won from the word go. It might have been the humid, wet conditions or the FSU homefield advantage that hurt the Hurricanes' chances to win the game. Mostly, it was just that the 'Noles are really good. There had been growing excitement for new Miami head coach Jon Gruden's new spread offense as the Hurricanes have had one of the top offenses in the nation. That was until today. Miami's QB Javon Wise came into the game with 17 touchdown passes and nearly 1700 yards. Well, Wise finished today's game with a lowly 79 yards through the air and a miserable four interceptions. Miami's offense could not do anything against the talented FSU defense and the weather certainly did not help. There were many dropped balls by both teams. It was probably the most one-sided performance of any game of the week in a long time. The Seminoles dominated every aspect of the game. From this point on, Florida State will be a serious contender to be in the BCS championship.

Miami 6
QB Wise: 12-26, 79 yds, 4 int
HB Rogers: 10 car, 27 yds, td
WR Lewis: 4 rec, 51 yds
FS Johnson: 13 tkl, tfl, int

Florida State 48
QB Johnson: 36-50, 311 yds, 2 td, 3 int, fl
HB Horn: 31 car, 196 yds, 2 td
WR Moore: 8 rec, 111 yds
FS Greene: 10 tkl, tfl, int, defl

[b][size=+2]Games of the Week[/size][/b]

[color=red]#2 Notre Dame 20
South Carolina 23[/color]

[color=blue]#20 Miami 6
#6 Florida State 48[/color]

#9 Ohio State 45
#14 Wisconsin 38

Oklahoma State 9
#15 Nebraska 38 (Garvella: tkl, fmbrec)

Kentucky 0
#5 LSU 48

[color=red]#22 Arizona State 14
Washington State 28[/color]

#11 Penn State 27
Purdue 21

[color=red]Missouri 27 OT
#18 Oklahoma 24[/color]

#19 Michigan 28 (Fox: car, 3 yds)
Minnesota 17

[color=red]Texas A&M 41 (Campbell: 2 rec, 14 yds, td)
#8 Texas Tech 38[/color]

[b][size=+2]Top Ten[/size][/b]

1 Clemson
2 USC
3 Texas
4 LSU
5 Florida State
6 Georgia Tech
7 UCLA
8 Ohio State
9 Oregon
10 Penn State
14 Nebraska
17 Michigan
[b]19 Oregon State[/b]
23 Texas A&M
25 Cal

[b][size=+2]Heisman Watch[/size][/b]

HB Darren McKinney (Virginia)
WR Pat Harris (Hawai'i)
QB Matt Thomas (Nebraska)
QB Marvin Coleman (Ohio State)
QB Kyler Thomas (Florida)

[Emac78]

Yes sir. It is season six.