SB Nation - Sean Canfield

The Uh-oh Better Get MAACO Las Vegas Bowl Preview: #14 BYU Cougars vs. #18 Oregon State Beavers

Jeremy Mauss — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 21:45:10 -0000

Next Game

#14 Oregon St. Beavers (8-4)
vs. #18 BYU Cougars (10-2)

Tuesday, Dec 22, 2009, 5:00 PM PST
MAACO Bowl Las Vegas - Sam Boyd Stadium, Las Vegas, NV

TV: ESPN/ESPN360

The only bowl game to feature two top 20 ranked teams is yes, right here folks the Las Vegas bowl. BYU is making their fifth straight trip to the game and seem to be more interested then last year where the Cougars used only a handful of their practices. Supposedly this year is different with BYU motivated of the possibility of getting into the top 10 for the first time since 1996.

While Oregon State is coming off a heart breaking loss against rival Oregon which also cost them a shot at their first Rose Bowl appearance since 1965. Oregon State traditionally finishes the season strong, but a big drop from the Rose Bowl where the Pac-10 champ goes down to the fifth spot to the Vegas Bowl is a huge let down.

BYU always tries to be balanced and will need to be to win this game. Look for BYU to give a heavy dose of RB Harvey Unga early and then start throwing to TE Dennis Pitta. For either of those to happen the BYU offensive line needs to perform well which has been a problem in a few games this year.

If the line holds up QB Max Hall should have a great passing day since Oregon State is 87th in the nation in passing while BYU is 18th. Oregon State will need to do what most teams -- minus Air Force -- do is to either double or shadow TE Dennis Pitta and force Max Hall to find someone else to pass the ball around to. Even if Pitta is slowed down BYU has other weapons to make things happen and rack up the yards. Max Hall will need to not force the pass if Pitta is not open. Look for a heavy dose of Unga to wear down the Beaver defense.

BYU's defense has had great games and then not great games. It seems that BYU's defense gets up for the big games and in other games takes a while to get in their groove. Tonight's game BYU will need to stop RB Jacquizz Rodgers from getting in the open field since he is elusive and very fast. That speed going up against a BYU defense that is more power then speed will be interesting. OSU's starting QB Sean Canfield is one of the most efficient in the country with a 148.6 passer efficiency rating. The BYU line will need to disrupt Canfield who rarely throws any picks who has only six on the year.

Oregon State brings in their own weapons starting with senior QB Sean Canfield as mentioned above is a very efficient passer, and one who does not make mistakes. Oregon State will run an offense similar to Utah which consists of quick short passes and allow their play makers specifically Jacquizz and James Rodgers. Both are play makers with speed which will cause some type of problems for the BYU defense.

Defensively Oregon State is a typical Pac-10 defense that will allow some points and yards while engaging in a shoot out. Their defense is middle of the pack in the nation and is solid in rush defense, but their achilles is the pass defense that is 84th in the country. If BYU is to get off in the passing game then the Beavers could be in for a long night. They will need to get pressure on Hall and force him into bad passes that will end up as turnovers.

Expect for this game to be a high scoring affair that comes down to the last quarter or the last few possessions. This will be a very pro BYU crowd as the drive from the Salt Lake area is about six hours, so expect around 70 percent of Cougar blue.

Total Yards Per Game:

OSU: 419 (28th); BYU: 437 (18th)

Passing Yards Per Game:

OSU: 294 (16th); BYU: 299 (13th)

Rushing Yards Per Game:

OSU: 144 (64th); BYU: 148 (60th)

Points Scored Per Game:

OSU: 32 (23rd); BYU: 34(13th)

Here are the season highlights from Oregon State and is provided by Athletix Nation (not to be confused with out own Athletics Nation blog) a new partner for the SB Nation network of blogs.

video platform video management video solutions free video player

For a team specific perspective go check out Building the Dam SB Nation's Oregon State site and Vanquish the Foe the BYU site.

Q&A: Las Vegas Bowl with Oregon State's Blogger

Layton — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 19:31:51 -0000

Our good friend over at Building the Damn, Oregon State's SB Nation blog, has answered five questions from Vanquish The Foe about tonight's matchup...

1 - What will be the Beavers' general game plan for stopping Max Hall, Harvey Unga and BYU's versatile offense?

For one, the Beavers are going to have to switch things up in the secondary due to the loss of Tim Clark to a broken leg in the Civil War. Brandon Hardin will get the start at that cornerback spot, but it also means that the secondary is now even more thin than it was before the Clark injury. Patrick Henderson, who is a veteran but lacks size, will probably see more plays, and true freshman Jordan Poyer, one of the best athletes on the team, will be utilized as a backup corner, moving over from his normal reserve safety spot.

The fact that the secondary is depleted means that it's up to the defensive line to make life difficult for Max Hall. He's had no problems getting the ball into the end zone all year, and Steven Paea and the line will have to make sure that he at least he doesn't have all the time in the world to find Pitta, Jacobsen, Ashworth, and others downfield. The pass rush has been improving as the year has gone on, but this may be their most important opportunity to prove themselves in the final game of the season.

2 - What should Bronco Mendenhall and the Cougars be the most concerned about? (The Rodgers brothers? OSU's pass rush? Etc.)

The offense is dynamic, and can beat you in many ways. Sean Canfield is right up their with Max Hall as one of the best quarterbacks in the nation, and he's done it by being accurate and making big plays. WR Damola Adeniji has been a big surprise this season and will do his best to keep the BYU defense honest as they look to key on the Rodgers brothers. Now, James and Jacquizz are probably the ones that Mendenhall and company are most worried about... they're playmakers. It's a good sign whenever Quizz and break into the second level with regularity, and as soon as safeties start keying on Quizz, James becomes a even bigger threat out of his flanker spot. And let's not forget about Joe Halahuni, who has become a big threat at the tight end position.

3 - Who is the one Oregon State player VTF isn't necessarily familiar with and should be aware of going into the bowl game?

Damola Adeniji isn't a guy who is putting up huge numbers on the stat sheet, but his contributions to the offense and his rise to prominence make him arguably the most important player on the offense. After Darrell Catchings was injured early in the season, Damola has made Beaver Nation forget about what we lost in Darrell by providing similar production. He never expected to play football again after graduating from West Salem high school, but now he's playing in his final college game as a starting wideout for the Beavers. He's improved his route running and blocking, and is a big reason why this offense is so dynamic.

4 - What caused the Beavers to struggle early in the season - specifically against a disappointing UNLV team and perhaps against Arizona in Corvallis?

Don't forget that Beavers also struggled against Cincinnati, a team that finds themselves playing in a BCS game now but looked beatable on September 19 in Corvallis. What we repeatedly keep seeing out of these Mike Riley coached teams is these early season slow starts. The Beavers tried to buck the trend this year with a more manageable pre-season schedule, but still emerged from the month of September with a 2-2 record. The slow start is not something we saw for the first time this season, trust me. It's something we're starting to get used to.

5 - What is the general perspective at BTD on the MWC's recent success toward gaining future respectability from the BCS?

I think it's games like tonight's that OSU fans and Pac-10 fans in general judge the Mountain West on. If the top tier MWC teams (TCU, BYU, Utah, etc.) can continue to do damage in BCS bowls and win games against the automatic-qualifying conferences, they'll continue to get respect. And obviously, the MWC is 7-3 against such teams since 2004, so they're well on their way. But Mike Riley and his team, as well as Beaver Nation in general do have a great deal of respect for this BYU team we'll be playing tonight. It'll be a great game, that's for sure. It's also interesting to note that Oregon State's next two games-- tonight's, and the opener next year-- will be against the best two teams out of the MWC, BYU and TCU. We'll see how that goes.

Bonus Question - Any sense of pride at OSU knowing that Bronco Mendenhall is an alum and has had overwhelming success in Provo?

Sure, it's always nice to see OSU grads go on to do great things whether it be as coaches or players in the professional ranks. Mendenhall is a great coach and has turned BYU around, much like Riley has done at Oregon State-- and I'm sure there's nothing but respect between coaching staffs.

Las Vegas Bowl Preview: Oregon St. vs. BYU

Layton — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 00:39:05 -0000

It's good to be home again...

In what has become a holiday tradition for BYU and its fans, this year's edition of the Las Vegas Bowl (I need to add MAACO in there somewhere) is going nontraditional. Two ranked teams, and hopefully two teams that really care to be there. We know Max Hall and the rest of the seniors want to go out with a win, and we're keeping our fingers crossed the Beavers show just as much interest.

The powers-that-be at ESPN rated this the 7th-best bowl game this year, ahead of two BCS games, and if it lives up to that kind of hype we should a doozy on our hands--in a good way.

In every position on offense, BYU holds a pretty substantial edge against the Beavers' defense. Oregon State's passing defense ranks 87th nationally (6th in Pac-10), giving up 237 yards in the air, and that was with their starting CB, Tim Clark, who won't be playing due to a broken leg he suffered against Oregon. The biggest reason to such weak pass coverage numbers is their front seven rarely put pressure on the quarterback (15 sacks on the season). These numbers, along with a patched secondary that also gave up 20 TDs, and you've got Max Hall in a candy store all night long. It's a pretty good bet 10 Cougars could have receptions in this game, and Harvey Unga will run for at least 80 yards.

Continue Reading After the Jump...

As for the Cougar defense stopping Oregon St., the focus will have to be on Jacquizz Rodgers. BYU struggles against speed, and that's exactly what he is. Rodgers averages 115 a game, can break a play wide open at any time, and will line up behind center in the wildcat formation. He will be a true test for BYU's big, physical D-line. If BYU can make them one-dimensional, the Cougars will have a pretty good shot at beating OSU.

However, if BYU stops the run, that doesn't guarantee a win. Here's why: Jacquizz's twin brother, James Rodgers. He's got 87 catches for 1004 yards this season. He's small, but he's a great route-runner and the fastest guy on the team. Logan and Bradley will have their hands full, and they will need help from the safeties.

The key to the Beavers' passing game is their senior QB, Sean Canfield. He's thrown for more than 3100 yards this season, has 21 TDs and only 6 INTs. However impressive these are, he really shines with his completion percentage (70%). BYU's going to have to fluster him (though a senior, it's his first year playing), get him out of the pocket, or sack him before he can deliver it. If he completes 70% against BYU, it could be a very long night.

In the Beavers four losses this year, they have given up at least 36 points. BYU is certainly capable of scoring that many points, and should they jump on OSU early and often, they'll have won their 3rd bowl game in 5 years.

I saw a computer simulation (not video game) with the outcome of 1,000 games between OSU and BYU. The simulation took into account nearly every circumstance, stat, etc. The final average score was 25-24, Oregon State. These teams are so evenly matched I wouldn't be surprised if it goes down to the final drive.

BYU 31, Oregon St. 28

Offense NCAA Rankings:

Total Yards Per Game:

OSU: 419 (28th); BYU: 437 (18th)

Passing Yards Per Game:

OSU: 294 (16th); BYU: 299 (13th)

Rushing Yards Per Game:

OSU: 144 (64th); BYU: 148 (60th)

Points Scored Per Game:

OSU: 32 (23rd); BYU: 34(13th)

Poll

Is this the best non-BCS bowl game this season?

The Enemy of My Enemy, Part I: The Rose Bowl

Bama Hawkeye — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 11:15:09 -0000

As we begin preparing for the year in which the Big Ten shocks the college football world by winning five of its seven bowls, let's learn about the opponents. Oh sure, we could turn to the fans of our opponents and ask them questions about their beloved cats, birds, and bees. But this site was founded upon the idea of rivals. That's why we're talking with our opponents' rivals. After all, the enemy of my enemy is my friend.

As we look at the Rose Bowl, AndyPanda of the outstanding Oregon State blog, Building the Dam, was kind enough to answer these questions that we had about the hated Oregon Ducks.

1. What schemes worked best for you on defense against Oregon's motion Pistol, spread sweeps, and zone read attack?

The key to contending with Coach Chip Kelley's spread option read offense is to play assignment football, and maintain gap and assignment discipline, and do it all night long. A traditional style pro defense. You cannot over-pursue, and one step can be too much, as the speed Oregon has will run into, or cut back thru, any gap a mistake opens. The Ducks' offense is predicated on option reads, and Jeremiah Masoli is a master at quick recognition and decision making.

Masoli isn't an exceptional thrower, but he is good enough to capitalize on an assignment error, as was evidenced when OSU's James Dockery over-committed on Jeff Maehl, and there was no safety support. The result was an immediate over the top 73 yard touchdown.

And while Masoli is rightly known for his running ability, his reads can just as easily result in someone else being the star. With cornerback Tim Clark already out with a broken leg, all conference Keaton Kristick missed only one play with a tweaked wrist. Masoli immediately sent LaMichael James thru where Kristick and Clark would have been for a 52 yard touchdown.

Those two plays, one break down, and one where a personnel vulnerability existed, were the difference in the game, producing over a quarter of the Ducks' total yards, and underscoring how important it is to maintain discipline against Oregon's offense on every play.

2. What's going to happen when Ohio State's (C) Michael Brewster (296 lbs), (RG), Bryant Browning (312 lbs), (LG) Justin Boren (315 lbs), (LT) J.B. Shugarts (298 lbs), and (RT) Jim Cordle (297 lbs) line up against Oregon's (LDT) Brandon Bair (250 lbs) (RDT) Blake Ferras (290 lbs), (RDE) Kenny Rowe (230 lbs), and (LDE) Will Tukuafu (272 lbs)? That's an average of 43 pounds difference at each position. Do the Buckeyes get burnt, or does Oregon get crushed?

A variety of blitzes and stunts will happen. The Oregon linebacking crew of Eddie Pleasant, Casey Matthews, and Spencer Paysinger are fast enough that they can come from anywhere, and if an offensive line releases to pick up the blitz, Tukuafu is strong enough, and Rowe is fast enough, to recover despite being initially stopped, and still make the play.

A sustained power running game can work against the Ducks, as Stanford demonstrated, but it must start with an effective passing game that pushes back Oregon's back seven. The key to overcoming the Duck defense is to prevent them from running toward the line of scrimmage, which allows them to capitalize on their speed.

3. The Beavers put 30 points up on the Ducks in the first 35 minutes of the game. The final 25 minutes saw the Beavers only get a field goal. How was OSU able to dominate the Ducks early, and what did Oregon do late to turn the tide?

Early on, Oregon St. quarterback Sean Canfield was on, and by completing a number of passes, was able to keep the Oregon defense backpedaling much of the time, not attacking the line of scrimmage.

What Oregon did in the second half was keep the ball away from Oregon St. The Ducks are known for being a quick strike offense that doesn't need a time of possession advantage to generate points and wins, but few teams will win a firefight against the Rodgers brothers and Canfield. Against the Beavers, the Ducks played defense with their offense.

Oregon knew the best way to curb the Rodgers are to have them standing on the sidelines as much of the time as possible. With a boost in their power running game from LeGarrett Blount, Oregon held the ball for about 18 and a half of the last 26 minutes, and over 13 minutes in the last 17 and a half minutes. The Beavers only had one fourth quarter possession.

So limited in their number of opportunities, the weather, in the 20's, resulted in a couple of dropped balls off receivers' hands, resulting in a field goal instead of a probable touchdown, and another stalled drive. And the difference in the game when the Ducks were able to keep the Beavers' offense off the field for over six minutes at the end of the game. Both Kenjon Barner and Masoli won individual matchups, where the OSU defense was in position to make the play, and one on one, just got beat. The Ducks converted three fourth downs in the game, two on the final drive.

4. Much of the rest of the country looks at Oregon as having fashion models, not football players. Has the Oregon fan base embraced the Phil Knight-ification of their football team, or would they rather focus on the game?

The Oregon fan base loves Uncle Phil, who epitomizes the high dollar image most of them aspire to. And if any aspect of the image in any way causes a distraction of any sort, that's just another advantage they gain.

Admit it. You wish he went to your school.

5. What can Buckeye fans do in advance of the game to most annoy Oregon fans?

Remind them of the Stanford and Boise St. games, where they were physically dominated, then talk about how good Washington is going to be soon. It doesn't matter if Washington actually will be good or not; they hate the Huskies, almost as much as the Huskies hate them. Or talk about how college football games should be "dry" events. [ed. note: The Rivalry, Esq. does not and cannot endorse dry sporting events. We encourage Buckeye fans to use the other recommended methods of criticism]

Thank you again to AndyPanda of Building the Dam. We wish the Beavers the best of luck in beating the hell into BYU in the Las Vegas Bowl.

Early Bowl Links

sroufe — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 03:00:45 -0000

More photos » by Paul Connors - AP

2 months ago: Oregon State quarterback Sean Canfield cocks his arm to throw a pass against Arizona State in the first quarter of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 3, 2009, in Tempe, Ariz. Oregon State won 28-17. (AP Photo/Paul Connors)

Browse more photos »

After missing Rose Bowl berth, Oregon State ... hungry - Las Vegas Sun
Apology for hate rant wasn't coerced, Hall insists - Salt Lake Tribune
Beavers lead All-Pac 10 picks - Salem Statesman Journal
BYU 1-on-1: OSU a good matchup for Cougars in Vegas - The Daily Herald
BYU coach can vividly remember 1986 game ... - The Oregonian
BYU energized for fifth straight bowl in Las Vegas - Las Vegas Sun
Cougars claim their mood, motivation better this year - Deseret News
Cougars eager for crack at Oregon State - Deseret News
Cougars ready for Las Vegas this year - Salt Lake Tribune
How my dad and Bronco beat BYU - Salt Lake Tribune (Kragthorpe)
Last time OSU beat BYU, ... Mendenhall was playing ... - The Oregonian
Las Vegas Bowl matchup has OSU's interest - Corvallis Gazette-Times
Max Hall want's to look ahead, not to past - Deseret News
BYU's Mendenhall recalls days as player, aide ... - Las Vegas Review-Journal
Mendenhall says he won't be emotional ... - Corvallis Gazette-Times
...No coaches, few players around as OSU accepts bid - The Oregonian
On First Glance: BYU - Building the Dam
Oregon's horrific ... loss to BYU in '06 is a cautionary tale ... - The Oregonian
Representatives say all nice things ... - Corvallis Gazette-Times
Schlabach ranks Las Vegas Bowl as 7th Best - Building the Dam

Seven of 12 All-Pac-10 Beavers On First Team

AndyPanda — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 22:04:45 -0000

Twelve Oregon St. Beaver footballers received All Pac-10 honors, seven on the first team.

Four members of the Beavers' offense are on the first team, including Sean Canfield, quarterback, Jacquizz Rodgers, running back, James Rodgers, wide receiver, and Greg Peat, guard.

Joining the first team from the defense are Keaton Kristick, linebacker, and Stephen Paea, tackle. And Suaesi Tuimaunei was named the first team special teams player that is not a kicker or a return specialist.

The seven were more than any other team placed on the first team.

Placekicker Justin Kahut was named the second team kicker, behind All-American Kai Forbath of UCLA.

Center Alex Linnenkohl was one of four Beavers to receive honorable mention, as were three linebackers, including middle linebacker David Pa'aluhi, and outside linebackers Dwight Roberson and Keith Pankey. Roberson and Pankey are notable for this accomplishment, because neither were full time players, instead splitting time at the position.

The offensive player of the year was Stanford running back Toby Gerhart, while UCLA tackle Brian Price was named the Pat Tillman defensive player of the year.

First year coach Chip Kelly was named the Coach of the Year, after leading the Oregon Ducks to the Pac-10 title, and winning the conference by as much as two games for the first time since 1991.

The complete list is available on the Pac-10 site.

2009 Las Vegas Bowl: BYU vs. Oregon State

sroufe — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 23:33:15 -0000

More photos » by Greg Wahl-Stephens - AP

Oregon State sophomore RB Jacquizz Rodgers (1) has run for 1,377 yards (13th in the nation) and 20 touchdowns this season. Rodgers, his brother James and Beavers QB Sean Canfield are three of the biggest offensive weapons in the Pac-10. (AP Photo/Greg Wahl-Stephens)

Browse more photos »

The VTF bowl scenario poll overwhelmingly reflected a desire for the Cougars to go up against USC - whether it was in Las Vegas or San Diego. But while some might be a bit disappointed for not drawing the Trojans, it's not like Oregon State is some kind of consolation prize. They are an excellent football team and will be a tough opponent. The No. 16 Beavers are the second-highest ranked team in the Pac-10 and narrowly missed playing in the Rose Bowl when they turned the ball over on downs (on the Oregon 28 yard line) late in the fourth quarter and lost 37-33 in the Civil War.

The Beavers won at Cal, and lost close games to Arizona, Cincinnati and USC. In fact, their loss at USC is their only loss this season to a currently unranked school. Interestingly, Oregon State also came to Sam Boyd Stadium earlier this season and squeaked out a win over a feisty UNLV program.

We'll discuss the Beavers more as the bowl game approaches, but for now let's be very, very pleased with this result. The program gets a larger payout than playing in the Poinsettia, probably a greater home field advantage than playing Arizona or UCLA in prior years, and there is the intriguing angle of Mendenhall coaching against his alma mater. This is exciting!

GO COUGARS!!!

Official Announcement - BYU Athletics

"Building the Dam" - Oregon State Blog at SB Nation

Oregon State statistics after the jump...

Passing

		Passing									Rushing					Sacks
	G	Rating	Comp	Att	Pct	Yds	Y/G	Y/A	TD	INT	Rush	Yds	Y/G	Avg	TD	Sack	YdsL
Sean Canfield	12	103.0	284	406	70	3103	258.6	7.6	21	6	46	-161	-13.4	-3.5	1	-	-
Ryan Katz	3	60.0	12	21	57.1	186	62	8.9	0	0	7	-7	-2.3	-1	0	-	-
Lyle Moevao	1	0.0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	-	-

Rushing

		Rushing					Receiving
	G	Rush	Yds	Y/G	Avg	TD	Rec	Yds	Y/G	Avg	TD
Sean Canfield	12	46	-161	-13.4	-3.5	1	0	0	0	0	0
Jordan Jenkins	1	2	6	6	3	0	0	0	0	0	0
Ryan Katz	3	7	-7	-2.3	-1	0	0	0	0	0	0
Ryan McCants	4	6	25	6.3	4.2	0	1	4	1	4	0
James Rodgers	12	54	289	24.1	5.4	0	87	1004	83.7	11.5	9
Jacquizz Rodgers	12	255	1377	114.8	5.4	20	74	509	42.4	6.9	1
Jovan Stevenson	7	25	136	19.4	5.4	1	5	59	8.4	11.8	0
Markus Wheaton	8	11	79	9.9	7.2	1	7	77	9.6	11	0

Receiving

		Receiving
	G	Rec	Yds	Y/G	AVG	TD
Damola Adeniji	12	49	701	58.4	14.3	4
Jordan Bishop	6	11	135	22.5	12.3	1
Brady Camp	5	5	40	8	8	2
Darrell Catchings	2	2	24	12	12	0
Howard Croom	1	1	4	4	4	0
Joe Halahuni	11	34	474	43.1	13.9	3
Casey Kjos	5	8	68	13.6	8.5	1
Ryan McCants	4	1	4	1	4	0
Aaron Nichols	7	11	176	25.1	16	1
Colby Prince	1	1	12	12	12	0
James Rodgers	12	87	1004	83.7	11.5	9
Jacquizz Rodgers	12	74	509	42.4	6.9	1
Jovan Stevenson	7	5	59	8.4	11.8	0
Kevan Walker	1	1	16	16	16	0
Markus Wheaton	8	7	77	9.6	11	0

Kicking

		Field Goals								PAT
	G	0-19	20-29	30-39	40-49	50+	FGM	FGA	PCT	XPM	XPA	PCT	pts
Justin Kahut	12	-	-	-	-	-	22	27	80.0%	43	44	100.0%	109

Team Stats - Game Averages

	Pts	Yrds	Pass	Rush
Offense	10.2	419.4	275.3	144.2

Reflecting on the Civil War: Oregon comes through in all the big moments

jtlight — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 00:16:25 -0000

More photos » by Rick Bowmer - AP

I like this picture more than the one Beaver fans always post. But it's also more important, as this run occurred in a game with the Pac-10 title on the line.

Browse more photos »

Well, I've had almost 24 hours to digest what has happened in the world of Duck football, and, it's still as beautiful as ever. And while the game wasn't perfect, we saw our Ducks grow up over the last two games. Oregon pretty much blew through their first 5 Pac-10, winning by margins of 39, 46, 14, 24, and 27. Everything looked easy, the Ducks got some great breaks and took advantage of them to turn games into blowouts.

However, the contests against Arizona and Oregon State were not so easy. In both games, the Ducks faced adversity. But when the game was on the line, this Duck team made the plays it needed to. The offenses showed poise and confidence, and seemed to have an ingrained belief that they would come through. There was a confidence in this team that we haven't seen in some time.

To me, the play of the game was the 4th and 6 conversion to Jeff Maehl. This was a conversion the Ducks simply had to have. OSU had all the momentum at that point, up by 9 points after scoring touchdowns on their previous two drives. But Jeremiah Masoli threw a strike, that has handled by Maehl right as he was hit, and the Ducks kept the drive alive.

Without that conversion, winning that game becomes very difficult. But that's what this Duck team has done. They have converted the biggest plays of the game over and over again. They executed to the highest level and have shown the desire and confidence of a championship team.

It was this attitude that propelled the Ducks to become the first team to be Pac-10 champions by two whole games since the 1991 Washington Huskies.

Let's also give props to the defense. They had no easy task, going against an incredibly accurate passer in Sean Canfield, and the best wide receiver in the conference in James Rodgers. Yet, the Duck defense put the game on their shoulders. OSU was never able to develop a run game, and seemed to almost totally abandon it in the second half. The Ducks held the Beavers to 83 yards on 25 carries. And that lack of a rushing game forced OSU into many long 3rd down conversions. The Ducks held the Beavers to 5/14 on 3rd down. Previously, the Beavers had converted just over 48% of their third downs.

While the Ducks had defensive issues on two OSU drives (to end the first half and start the second half). However, outside of those two drives, that Oregon defense gave up only 214 yards on 50 plays, for a mere 4.3 yards per play. It's easy to point to the 33 points and the two drives where OSU looked very good, but outside of that, the Ducks bottled up the OSU offense, took them off their normal offense, and forced them away from their typically balanced attack. By the end of the game, the Oregon defense looked fresh and energetic, and the OSU offense was struggling. When the Ducks were able to get pressure on Canfield, he stood no chance.

The one blight on the game were Duck mistakes. If Oregon had not gifted OSU 10 points in the first half, this game is much different. Similarly, Oregon had a stretch in the second quarter where the offense sputtered, and they squandered multiple opportunities to put the game away early, though OSU should get some credit for stepping up. But when the Ducks offense got rolling, OSU could simply not stop it. The final 4 drives for the Ducks: Touchdown, Touchdown, Field Goal, run out the clock.

But again, the whole game came down to the play in the final quarter, and Oregon dominated on both sides of the ball. They had two drives into OSU territory while OSU struggled to move the ball and scored no points.

Oregon was better prepared to play for four quarters. They were the better team, more explosive on offense, faster and more consistent on defense. They were also the hardest working team in the Pac-10, showing incredible focus throughout the entire season.

And that hard work has paid off. The Oregon Ducks are the best team in the Pac-10, by a good margin, and are going to be playing in the Rose Bowl on January 1, 2010. It couldn't get much better.

Where We Go From Here

AndyPanda — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 19:22:23 -0000

"Drat!"

View full size photo »

Now that we have all had our chance to share Benny's "Drat!" moment, the question is where do we go from here?

In the short term, we go to the TV to see whether we get lucky enough to go to San Diego for the holidays, and the Holiday Bowl, or back to Las Vegas, and Sam Boyd stadium, site of the Beavers' 23-21 win over UNLV on a windy night, for the Body Show Bowl, aka, the Maaco Las Vegas Bowl. More on the outcome of this on BTD later, after we see what Saturday's results, and Athletic Director Bob DeCarolis' cell-phone melting sales job, bring.

An important question for OSU fans for sure.

But on the subject of getting another shot at the Rose Bowl in the Civil War, and the third time being the charm, where we must go is back to work on line play.

With no intent to throw any of the Beavers' offensive or defensive linemen under the bus (they wouldn't fit under there any way), the fact remains that is where Oregon St. must make some more headway.

Losing conference games by five, six, and four points is why the Beavers are an 8-4 team, and a 6-3 team in conference, and solidly in the 11-35 portion of the college football world, and not in the 1-10 portion. Both the offensive and defensive lines share in the challenge.

I say challenge, not problem, because when you replace a bunch of NFL bound players, and still play for the Rose Bowl, you are doing a lot right, or the Beavers would be back with the Sun Devils and Huskies today.

Whether it's better footwork from Michael Philipp, strength training for Grant Johnson, or pass protection improvement by Mike Remmers (just some examples, not the only whole story), the Beavers have to get better at spacing their blocks.

Clearly having to settle for too many Justin Kahut field goals is a problem, but too often the problem with red zone and third and fourth down conversions started with poor production on first down. Jacquizz Rodgers doesn't need a lot of daylight, but he needs some room, and too often opponent defenses were able to jam up all the running lanes forcing the Beavers into long yardage situations.

Note that even though no Duck defenders have a clear shot at 'Quizz, there is no lane to cut into.

Just as serious, the defensive line had trouble getting up field, and as a result couldn't make stops when necessary. The Beavers were overall solid against the run, but when it mattered most, the Ducks ran for 288 yards, and they did it because they frequently carried the battle to the Beavs, rather that the other way around.

When Morgan Flint connected on a field goal in the fourth quarter, which took Kahut out of the equation, it was just the fourth time the defense forced a field goal in such a situation, against over 20 touchdowns. If settling for field goals was a problem for Oregon State, it certainly wasn't for the Beavers' opponents. Turn that one stat around, and OSU is a BCS team.

And even when the Beavers didn't give up a score, needing one more stop, they couldn't get it. Both USC and Oregon needed a first down to run out the clock, and they got it. Big games are usually won by your best players, and to make a difference, they have to be on the field. Sean Canfield, the best passing quarterback in the Pac-10, and the Rodgers brothers, the most dangerous and productive duo in college football, were left standing on the sideline.

Pasadena Bound!

Addicted to Quack — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 05:34:40 -0000

We saw a bit of everything. A long bomb. Blount force trauma. Sean Canfield playing out of his mind. And Jeremiah and LaMichael being amazing. Credit the Beavers for a valiant fight, but WE'RE GOING TO THE ROSE BOWL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Let me say that again:

WE'RE GOING TO THE ROSE BOWL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'll have some thoughts up later, but for now I just want to shout and smile.

Pac-10 Champions! Pasadena, here we come!