The Sports Xchange
NCAAF Team Report – Oregon State – INSIDE SLANT
Oregon State knows that there is a possibility of playing Oregon in a couple of weeks for the championship of the Pac-12 North Division, and the right to host the conference title game, with a berth in the Rose Bowl at stake.
But who can really think ahead with Stanford right in front of the Beavers for a game this Saturday?
“I don’t know our schedule after that,” OSU defensive end Dylan Wynn insisted when interviewed by the Corvallis Gazette-Times. “We go week to week with an 0-0 record.”
It’s actually 7-1, OSU’s best start ever in Mike Riley’s dozen years as coach at OSU. And of more importance is the 5-1 record in the Pac-12, tied with Stanford for second in the North behind Oregon (6-0). So this is a game to decide who is the primary contender for the Ducks, with Stanford playing at Oregon next week.
“The better you do, the bigger the games get,” Riley said.
Right now, there is nothing bigger than Stanford … and the Beavers know a win makes a game in the future just that much bigger.
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NCAAF Team Report – Oregon State – NOTES, QUOTES
–While OSU is fifth in the nation in rush defense, Stanford leads the country, allowing only 57.8 rushing yards to opponents. The past two opponents, Washington State and Colorado, finished with negative rushing yardage against Stanford, and the Cardinal leads the nation with 82 tackles for lost yardage. That makes it imperative that OSU limits its negative plays.
–Still out there on the OSU schedule is a Dec. 1 game against Nicholls State. That will be played only if the Beavers aren’t in the Pac-12 title game, which is scheduled for Nov. 30.
–An unsung hero for the Beavers continues to be FB Tyler Anderson, primarily a blocker in OSU’s offensive scheme. He’s been very good at that, but he can provide key yards when called on. With only 14 offensive touches of the football this season on receptions or runs, Anderson has earned 10 first downs or touchdowns for OSU.
SERIES HISTORY: Stanford leads 50-24-3 with wins in three of the last four meetings, including 38-13 last year.
SCOUTING THE OFFENSE: The primary issue for OSU will be protecting QB Cody Vaz against a Stanford team that leads the Pac-12 in quarterback sacks with 40. That’s a definite concern after Vaz was sacked six times by Arizona State, and twice lost fumbles. Stanford will bring even more pressure, unless the OSU line does a better job of protecting.
SCOUTING THE DEFENSE: This will be a test for the Beavers up front. They’ve done very well in run defense, holding opponents to an average of 91.8 yards, but in the Pac-12, very few offenses are quite like Stanford’s, with its tendency toward power running plays with unbalanced lines and often an extra blocker up front. Even Wisconsin didn’t quite do it like this, and that’s probably the closest thing to Stanford that the Beavers have faced this season.
QUOTE TO NOTE: “It was good for the Beavers.” — OSU coach Mike Riley, on reserves stepping in for injured starters, and how showing their ability adds to the depth.
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NCAAF Team Report – Oregon State – STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
THIS WEEK’S GAME: Oregon State at Stanford, Nov. 10 — The Beavers will need to establish themselves as the leading threat to Oregon in the Pac-12 North. A win in this game could set OSU up as an at-large team for a BCS bowl, even if the Beavers lose to Oregon and the Ducks play in the national title game.
KEYS TO THE GAME: The Beavers will need to show they can physically stand their ground against the Cardinal, which pounded the OSU defense in each of the last two meetings, a 38-0 win and a 38-13 triumph.
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
QB Cody Vaz — He hasn’t lost in three games as a starter, but to do that again, he’ll need to be more on target than he was against ASU, when he completed only 14-of-33 attempts. That was partly due to a rush that sacked him six times, but Vaz should expect more pressure, especially if the Beavers can’t get their running game going.
DE Scott Crichton — He and Dylan Wynn on the other side will need to use their quickness and guile up against those big, physical Stanford tackles, whether on running plays or attempting to put pressure on the Stanford passer.
MLB Feti Taumoepeau — Stanford runs up the middle with its power game so often that it will be a heavy day of work for Taumoepeau. He’s going to be dealing often with Stanford RB Stepfan Taylo, who needs 53 yards to reach 1,000 yards for the third season in his career and needs to hold his ground.
ROSTER REPORT:
–P Keith Kostol continues to make a case for awarding him a scholarship. He wasn’t expected to win the punting job, but he came out of the competition with the duty for the first game and held on to it. He’s averaging 42.2 yards, but more important to OSU is the fact that 18 of his 43 punts have been downed inside the opponent’s 20-yard line, with only one kick going into the end zone for a touchback. That’s been a definite help to OSU in field position.
–One positive from the Beavers suffering key injuries has been the boost to their depth by using the reserves in key situations. OSU has shown any of three running backs can contribute, and when Jordan Poyer was out, it meant a start for Sean Martin at cornerback, and he responded well. And none of that includes the fact that two quarterbacks have won games and played well this season.
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