Go Beavs: An Oregon State Dynasty

[Emac78]

One of the guys i coach with played college ball here. I'll follow

Sweet. Always cool to have another follower.

 

[Emac78]

[size=+2]FCS Midwest at #15 Oregon State (1-0)[/size] (simulated)

Corvallis, OR - After the really exciting game in Madison against the Badgers, the Beavers' schedule difficulty was taken down a notch against FCS Midwest at home in Reser Stadium. Surprisingly, Reser was sold out. The win against top ten Wisconsin must have gotten Beaver Nation pumped for the season even if it was against an FCS team.

The Beavers' opening possession saw QB Justin Rust hit WR Alex Whitehead on a slant which the Oregon native made the catch and took to the house for a 46-yard touchdown reception. But Rust and Whitehead were not done there. They would hook up two more times with touchdown connections. Whitehead would have nine receptions for 187 yards, and three touchdowns. OSU HB Roy Nolen also continued where he left off from last week, gaining 90 yards on 14 carries. Nolen also scored one touchdown on the ground and also had a receiving touchdown to give Rust four touchdowns on the day. Rust looked even more calm at home, going 21 of 32 for 247 yards and his four touchdown passes. The OSU offense was only forced to punt once late in the fourth quarter. The Beavers played as well as they should against an inferior opponent, destroying FCS Midwest 49-7. The lone touchdown was given up late in the fourth quarter against the Beavers' backup defense. The competition will not get that much tougher next week, even though Oregon State will be playing a division 1A opponent. But the UL Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns are one of the worst teams in college football. Though the Ragin' Cajuns did put up a fight this week against top 25 UCLA, only losing 14-3 so one never knows.

FCS Midwest 7, Oregon State 49

QB Rust: 21-32, 247 yds, 4 td
HB Nolen: 14 car, 90 yds, td, rec td
WR Whitehead: 9 rec, 187 yds, 3 td, 106 yac
DE Webb: 5 tkl, 4 tfl, sk, defl

 

[Emac78]

[size=+3]Week 3[/size]

[size=+1](4)Notre Dame Escapes Big House With 24-20 Win Over (16)Michigan[/size]

[size=-5]ND WR Perry Gordon slips by a Michigan tackle and takes it to the house for a 72-yard touchdown to give the Irish the lead.[/size]
Highlight​

Ann Arbor, MI - The annual rivalry game between Notre Dame and Michigan really lived up to the hype this year. It was clear from the outset that the Wolverines were amped up for this game. However, Michigan failed to get any offense going in the first quarter, falling behind Notre Dame 10-0 as the Irish looked like they were going to run away with it. But just before halftime, Michigan HB Blake Thomas got loose for an 11-yard touchdown to make it a 10-7 game as the first half came to an end.

Thomas continued right where he left off, scoring two more touchdowns to put the Wolverines in front but the kicker missed the extra point, so the Wolverines were only ahead 20-10. All of the momentum was with Michigan until ND WR Perry Gordon, already with one touchdown reception on the day, returned the ensuing kickoff all the way back 89 yards for a touchdown to make it 20-17 Michigan. Then on Notre Dame's next possession, QB Joe Davis hit Gordon on a short curl, where he slipped by a Michigan tackle, and took it all the way in for a 72-yard touchdown to suddenly put Notre Dame back on top 24-20. If only the Wolverines had made the extra point. Late in the game, with 1:15 left to go in the game, Michigan found itself at the ND 30-yard line but it was fourth-and-two. If it was not for the missed extra point, a field goal may have tied, but they were forced to go for it. Wolverine HB Blake Thomas got the handoff and was instantly met in the backfield where he was stuffed behind the line of scrimage. The Irish escaped the Big House in thrilling fashion.

Highlight-ND WR Perry Gordon 89-yard kick return

Notre Dame 24
QB Davis: 14-22, 212 yds, 2 td
HB Mead: 13 car, 37 yds
WR Gordon: 3 rec, 81 yds, 2 td, 89-yd krtd
FS Johnson: 10 tkl

Michigan 20
QB Irvin: 27-33, 258 yds
HB Thomas: 21 car, 78 yds, 3 td, 4 rec, 28 yds
HB Fox: 3 car, 2 yds
WR Harrison: 8 rec, 120 yds
DE Rogers: 7 tkl, 3 tfl, 3 sk

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

Toledo 14
#24 Texas A&M 30

Northern Illinois 20
#11 LSU 41

[color=blue]#4 Notre Dame 24
#16 Michigan 20[/color] (Fox: 3 car, 2 yds)

#17 Virginia Tech 21
#13 Georgia Tech 28

#8 Nebraska 34 (Garvella: 2 tkl, tfl, 2 defl)
NC State 20

#7 Tennessee 45
#12 Florida 48 OT

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

1 Clemson
2 Ohio State
3 Notre Dame
4 Penn State
5 USC
6 Texas
7 Nebraska
8 Oklahoma
9 Florida
10 Auburn
11 LSU
[b]15 Oregon State[/b]
18 Arizona State
19 UCLA
20 Michigan
21 Cal
24 Texas A&M

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

QB Matt Thomas JR(RS) (Nebraska)
QB Kyler Thomas SR(RS) (Florida)
HB Jon Cooper SR(RS) (Ohio State)
QB Joe Davis JR (Notre Dame)
WR Perry Gordon SR (Notre Dame)

 

[Emac78]

[size=+3]Game of the Week[/size]

[size=+2]#9 Florida (3-0) at #10 Auburn (2-0)[/size]

[size=+1]Games of the Week[/size]

#20 Michigan at #24 Texas A&M
Kirk: Texas A&M Lee: Michigan

#8 Oklahoma at #13 Florida State
Kirk: OU Lee: OU
​

Chris: Welcome back to Auburn where we have a big SEC duel between two top ten teams as the Auburn Tigers will take on the Florida Gators. Well Corso, it looks like the headgear has arrived so that means it is time to make your picks guys.

Kirk: I know there is a lot of anticipation for this game here in Auburn, but I'm sorry guys. Auburn really has very little chance to pull this one off. (Crowd boos!) Florida has possibly the most dynamic offense in the nation led by QB Kyler Thomas. He's already got 14 touchdown passes and has only thrown one interception. And even if Auburn can contain the Gators' offense, I just don't see how they can keep up on the scoreboard going against the Gators' defense. Florida wins and it won't even be close. (Crowd continues to boo)

Lee: Now hang, hang on. Not so...ehhh forget about it! Are you kidding me?! Give me my headgear! Where is my headgear?

Kirk: Coach, it's right here.

Lee: Oh, I knew that. (Lee puts on the Gator headgear and does the Gator chomp to the dismay of the crowd.) Go Gators!

 

[Emac78]

[size=+2]UL Lafayette (1-1) at #15 Oregon State (2-0)[/size]​

Corvallis, OR - This is the second cupcake on the Beavers' schedule. After beating up on an FCS school last week, Oregon State would face a team that actually was not a whole lot better in the Ragin' Cajuns of UL Lafayette. Despite the lack of competition, Reser Stadium was again sold out as the excitement for Beaver football continued on a beauitful, sunny day in the Willamette Valley.

Beaver fans had to be a bit concerned when the Oregon State had to punt after a three and out to start the game. However on the defensive side, DE Brandon Webb was wrecking havoc from the beginning as he was able to bring down ULL QB Brandon Miller for an early sack on the Ragin' Cajuns' first possession. It would be the first of three sacks on the day for the emerging pass rusher.

[size=-5]OSU DE Brandon Webb brings down ULL QB Brandon Miller for the first of his three sacks.[/size]​

The OSU offense still looked flat until QB Justin Rust threw downfield to WR Alex Whitehead for a 38-yard gain. The play through the air seemed to spark the offense as the Beavers would score on a 1-yard touchdown scamper by backup HB Tim Taylor to put the Beavers on top 7-0. However, the Taylor did strain his pectoral on the play but was nothing serious.

Next, the outstanding OSU sophomore CB John Biggers got his first interception of the season off of ULL QB Brandon Miller who made a bad decision, testing Biggers. The interception would bring the first quarter to an end. Oregon State would take advantage of the turnover when Rust led a methodical drive, finished off with an 11-yard touchdown pass to Whitehead in the front of the end zone to put the Beavers up 14-0. It was looking like OSU head coach Mike Riley had made a decision to let Rust pass the ball more than normal to see what the red shirt junior could do.

[size=-5]OSU WR Alex Whitehead with an 8-yard touchdown reception in the front of the end zone.[/size]​

The Ragin' Cajuns' offense got a little something going on offense on their next possession. Enough to attempt a 49-yard field goal that fell short of the cross bar. However, OSU QB Justin Rust would make his first mistake of the game as he was picked off by ULL OLB Josh Gray. But on the next play, OSU CB Matt McDaniel would come up with an interception of his own. OSU QB Justin Rust would put his mistake behind him and learn from it. This time Rust checked down to HB Roy Nolen who turned on the jets, and flew right between the defense for a 36-yard touchdown reception to make it 21-0 OSU.

[size=-5]OSU HB Roy Nolen shows off his speed on a 36-yard touchdown reception.[/size]​

Now it was looking like the Beavers were going to run away with it. Just when it could not get any worse for the Ragin' Cajuns, Miller threw another interception. This time it was OSU OLB Carlos Matthews who was the recipient of the ill advised throw. It would not take long for the Beavers to capitalize off the the tunover as HB Roy Nolen got the ball on a toss to the left. When he ran out of room near the sideline, Nolen made a dazzling spin move that left the ULL safety in the dust as Nolen housed it for a 23-yard touchdown. Now Oregon State was up 28-0 and that is what the score would be going into halftime.

[size=-5]OSU HB Roy Nolen's spin move leaves the ULL safety in the dust.[/size]​

The Beavers continued right where they left off to start the third quarter when Rust threw to WR Bill Faaeteete on a crossing route where the receiver made a defender missed, and was off to the races for a 61-yard touchdown to make it 35-0.

[size=-5]OSU WR Bill Faaeteete make a defender miss and takes it for a 61-yard touchdown reception.[/size]​

But Rust was not done with Faaeteete just yet as he would connect with him again on a short post in the end zone for an 11-yard touchdown to put the Beavers up 42-0. Now it was just getting down right ugly.

[size=-5]OSU QB Justin Rust connects with Faaeteete again for an 11-yard touchdown.[/size]​

However, ULL would put a drive together that got the Ragin' Cajuns the furthest into OSU territory they had been all game long. But they could only manage a 47-yard field goal attemp that also fell short of the cross bar. Then Rust would throw in the flat to TE Adam Banks who was able to break two tackles but was caught just inside the 5-yard line to prevent the touchdown. It would not matter though, as Nolen would get in on a 4-yard touchdown scamper to put OSU up big 49-0.

[size=-5]OSU TE Adam Banks with a 68-yard reception to set up a 4-yard touchdown rush for HB Roy Nolen.[/size]​

Finally, the Beavers' unstoppable offense would be stopped when WR Alex Whitehead uncharacteristically dropped a pass that was thrown a tad behind the usually sure-handed receiver. If the two had connected, Whitehead would have still been running for an easy touchdown. But OSU kicker Reggie Smith was able nail a 52-yard field goal through the uprights to make it 52-0.

When the fourth quarter started, all of the Beavers' starters were pulled from the game. Backup HB Tim Taylor would score a second goal line touchdown in the fourth quarter to make it a 59-0 final. The most excitement of the fourth quarter came when the OSU backup defenders were able to stop ULL inside the OSU 5-yard line on four plays to preserve the shutout. The competition will be a lot tougher next week as Arizona State comes to town to kick off conference play. There is a good chance that the Gameday crew might be back in Corvallis next week for what should be a great game.

UL Lafayette 0
QB Miller: 17-30, 146 yds, 3 int
HB Williams: 9 car, 23 yds, 4 rec, 23 yds
WR Jackson: 4 rec, 50 yds
CB Oliver: 12 tkl, tfl, sk

Oregon State 59
QB Rust: 21-33, 354 yds, 4 td, int
HB Nolen: 16 car, 88 yds, 2 td, 4 rec, 42 yds, rec td
WR Faaeteete: 3 rec, 96 yds, 2 td
WR Whitehead: 7 rec, 87 yds, td
DE Webb: 6 tkl, 3 tfl, 3 sk

 

[Emac78]

[size=+3]Week 4[/size]

[size=+1](9)Florida Needs a Big Comeback to Squeak by (10)Auburn 49-42[/size]

[size=-5]Backup Florida QB Curtis Sullivan fills in for Heisman contender Kyler Thomas and delivers two clutch touchdown drives in the fourth quater.[/size]​

Auburn, AL - Somebody forgot to give the Auburn Tigers the message to roll over and let the Florida Gators blow them out like most of the pundits believed was going to happen. It was clear the Gators were in trouble when they found themselves down 28-10 in the middle of the 2nd quarter. In fact, the Gators probably knew they were in trouble when Auburn HB Billy Marquardt returned the opening kickoff to the house which further ignited an already rowdy crowd.

Much of the problem for the Gators was their Heisman contending QB Kyler Thomas who ended up with four interceptions which ended Florida possessions early and gave Auburn terrific field position. In the second half, the outstanding Gator QB put his early mistakes behind him and started getting the ball to his playmakers. It became a back and forth duel as Florida would score but Auburn would counter back until it was 42-35 when Florida HB Ken Marshall broke off a 66-yard touchdown reception. Then on the Gators' next possession, Thomas went down with a strained achilles. In came QB Curtis Sullivan who threw a 5-yard strike to WR Keenan Stewart to tie the game 42-42.

Now the pressure was on Auburn QB Elliott Sharp who was having a sensational game thus far, throwing three touchdowns on the day. Sharp would get Auburn in position for a 52-yard field goal attempt but it would fall just short. It would be up to the red shirt senior QB Curtis Sullivan in for the hurt Kyler Thomas to lead the Gators. Sullivan was up to the challenge, leading a brilliant drive and hitting WR Josh Peterson for a 10-yard touchdown to give the Gators their first lead of the game with under two minutes left. Auburn QB Elliott Sharp would end the Tigers' chance to comeback when he threw a costly interception that allowed the Gators to get a huge comeback win 49-42.

Florida 49
QB Thomas: 25-35, 343 yds, 2 td, 4 int, 2 rush td
HB Marhall: 10 car, 83 yds, 5 rec, 106 yds, rec td
WR Hughes: 8 rec, 106 yds
FS Everett: 13 tkl, defl

Auburn 42
QB Sharp: 28-44, 333 yds, 3 td, 2 int, 7 car, 29 yds
HB Marquardt: 11 car, 15 yds, td, 4 rec, 44 yds
TE Steele: 2 rec, 85 yds, td
SS Baldwin: 8 tkl, int

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

[color=blue]#9 Florida 49
#10 Auburn 42[/color]

Arizona 27
#5 USC 28

#7 Nebraska 52 (Garvella: tkl, int, defl)
Iowa 20

[color=red]#2 Ohio State 27
Miami 30[/color]

#20 Michigan 40 (Fox: 12 car, 25 yds)
#24 Texas A&M 10

#8 Oklahoma 28
#13 Florida State 35

#6 Texas 24
Rutgers 17

[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]
17 Arizona State
19 UCLA
20 Michigan
21 Cal
25 Oregon

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

QB Kyler Thomas SR(RS) (Florida)
QB Matt Thomas JR(RS) (Nebraska)
WR Malik Bennett SR(RS) (Clemson)
WR Perry Gordon SR (Notre Dame)
HB Jason Martinez JR (USC)

 

[Emac78]

Nice Games from Rust and Nolen

Yep. The new guys are playing well. Hopefully, they can keep it up.

 

[Emac78]

that new Florida Guy (Thomas) looks like Tebow

lefty and everything

He does actually. I hadn't even thought of that. His name is actually Curtis Sullivan. He was the backup who came in for QB Kyler Thomas who is now the Heisman front runner even despite throwing four interceptions on national television.

 

[Emac78]

[size=+3]CAPs Report[/size]​

HB AJ Butler, (RS), 83 ovr, 4th HB (Toy Soldier)
Corvallis, OR

HB Kevin Fox, FR, 81 ovr, 2nd HB (Fox1994)
Las Vegas, NV

2013: 47 car, 293 yds, 6.2 ypc, 4 td

WR Courageous Campbell, (RS), 76 ovr, 10th WR (jayroddog6)
South Bend, IN

CB Kyle Garvella, FR, 82 ovr, 2nd CB (raiderfan7)
Los Angeles, CA

2013: 4 tkl, tfl, int, 4 defl

 

[Emac78]

The Beavers will have a huge recruiting visit from ten prospects this week for the big Arizona State game in Corvallis. All of the visiting prospects are at least rated at the four-star level. Four are top 100 level prospects, and one is a five-star prospect. It is clear that Oregon State is going after offensive linemen, and filling future needs at DT and OLB. The top recruit that the Beavers have their eye on is five-star DE Adam Bush, from San Rafael, California. He has good speed, and moves to get around the edge to put pressure on the passer while still being able to do his part to stop the run. But with Notre Dame also targeting him, Bush might be difficult to land.

Visiting

DE Adam Bush ***** #2 12th
San Rafael, CA
Top Schools: Oregon State, Notre Dame, Fresno State

HB Travis Taylor (JUCO) **** #8 49th
Downey, CA
Top Schools: Oregon State, Cal, Clemson

G Taurean Redd **** #5 64th
Santa Clara, CA
Top School: Oregon State, Arizona State, UCLA

G Damon Stanley **** #6 65th
Katy, TX
Top Schools: Wisconsin, Oklahoma, Oregon State

T Chris Richardson **** #6 69th
Bell Gardens, CA
Top Schools: USC, BYU, Cal

T Bryan Townsend **** #12
Downey, CA
Top Schools: Oregon State, Fresno State, Cal

DT Johnny Hodge **** #7
Lancaster, CA
Top Schools: Oregon State, USC, Missouri

DT Lance Rush **** #9
Westminster, CA
Top Schools: Oregon State, UCLA, USC

OLB Steven Fitzpatrick (JUCO) **** #20
Fridley, MN
Top Schools: Oregon State, Michigan, Miami

OLB Ricky Freeman (JUCO) **** #29
Halifax, CN
Top Schools: Pitt, Oregon State, Virginia

 

[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]

[SIZE=+2]Game of the Week[/SIZE]

[SIZE=+1]#17 Arizona State (2-0) at #14 Oregon State (3-0)[/SIZE]

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]

[size=+1]#17 Arizona State (2-0) at #14 Oregon State (3-0)[/size]​

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.

[size=-5]OSU WR Bill Faaeteete runs through a tackle and leaps into the end zone for a 34-yard touchdown reception.[/size]

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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.

[size=-5]OSU HB Roy Nolen in the end zone from one yard out.[/size]​

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.

[size=-5]ASU FS Jacob Muse intercepts the dropped ball by OSU HB Roy Nolen.[/size]​

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.

[size=-5]ASU CB Dave Smith with an easy interception off the inexperienced OSU QB Phil Rogers.[/size]​

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.

[size=-5]OSU CB Matt McDaniel with an interception off of the poorly thrown pass by AS QB Craig Noel.[/size]​

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.

[size=-5]OSU QB Justin Rust scores on the QB sneak on fourth down.[/size]​

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.

[size=-5]ASU QB Craig Noel finds WR Tim Smith for a 1-yard touchdown.[/size]​

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.

[size=-5]OSU CB Allen Smith knocks the ball down and celebrates the win.[/size]​

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]

[size=+3]Week 5[/size]

[size=+1](14)Oregon State Opens Pac-10 Play With 27-12 Win Over (17)Arizona State[/size]

[size=-5]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.[/size]​

[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]

[size=+2]Game of the Week[/size]

[size=+1]#7 Florida (5-0) at #9 LSU (3-0)[/size]

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.

[size=+1]Games of the Week, Separation Saturday[/size]

#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]

[size=+1]#18 UCLA (4-0) at #14 Oregon State (4-0)[/size]​

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.

[size=-5]OSU HB Tim Taylor in with an easy 1-yard touchdown.[/size]​

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.

[size=-5]UCLA HB Carl Merrick scores on a 24-yard touchdown reception.[/size]​

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.

[size=-5]OSU QB Justin Rust connects with WR Bill Faaeteete for a 7-yard touchdown.[/size]​

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

[size=-5]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.[/size]​

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.

[size=-5]UCLA SS Nathan Robinson with a huge pick-six toward the end of the half.[/size]​

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.

[size=-5]OSU WR Brian Herring with a 3-yard touchdown reception.[/size]​

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.

[size=-5]OSU HB Roy Nolen and the rest of the offense celebrate a 1-yard touchdown run.[/size]​

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.

[size=-5]OSU CB John Biggers comes up with a big interception.[/size]​

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.

[size=-5]UCLA WR David Hawkins crosses the goal line on the 25-yard touchdown reception.[/size]

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<div style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px;"><a href="http://www.easportsworld.com/en_US/video/4735661" target="_top">EA SPORTS World: NCAA Football 09 Video</a></div>​

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