SB Nation - James Rodgers

Leave It In Las Vegas!

AndyPanda — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 07:08:33 -0000

Either OSU didn't learn from the year's first venture to Las Vegas, or maybe they did. After one of the weaker performances of the season in the second week, also on a windy night, the return trip was a poster case for the saying that what happens in Las Vegas stays in Las Vegas.

After four losses by 25 points all season, this one was by 24. And it wouldn't have been that close but for a pair of perfect passes by quarterback of the future Ryan Katz.

The Las Vegas bowl was the worst defensive outing of the season, and the 12^th. worst of 13 offensive showings, and it came at a bad time, in front of the entire country.

After struggling with the Vegas dessert winds, and then the two home losses that followed, also in the wind, a passing attack and a kicking game that wasn't prepared for windy conditions was inexplicable, and inexcusable.

The second game at the end of the season with a national audience on ESPN, on nights with no other football, this one was much more damaging to the OSU brand than a close loss to Oregon was. That game was generally seen as a good game, one that either team could have lost, but one both teams walked away from with more respect than they entered with.

This one was a lost opportunity to look like OSU belonged in the national spotlight. A spotlight that they will again be in come September, in Dallas, against a TCU team that is markedly better than the BYU unit that reeled off 37 consecutive points when the game was in question. A spotlight that will be harsh if another effort that looks like something less than the showing that emerging power Middle Tennessee displayed Sunday results.

Instead, the skeptics from the rest of the BCS regimen, as well as the Mt. West Conference, saw nothing that will cause them to take another look. Poor fundamentals and poor decisions don't just produce poor results, they expose poor preparation.

By all pregame analysis, the Maaco Bowl Las Vegas, matching two ranked teams for the first time ever, was expected to be one of the top five post-season contests of the season. Instead, the Beavers were beaten in every quarter, so much so that most of the country probably didn't stay around to see anything after midway in the third period.

All-Pac-10 first team quarterback Sean Canfield, who had a 70% completion rate in the regular season, was below 50%, as was Katz. The Rodgers brothers, usually good for around 300 yards between them, were held below 200 yards total, and rarely saw any space to run against a BYU defensive unit that dared OSU to show them something different.

Only Damola Adeniji had what could be considered a good night, hauling in seven balls for 107 yards and a touchdown. No one else among the other eight Beavers with a catch exceeded 40 yards.

And while Oregon St. started strong, with two defensive stops and two sacks, once the Cougars adjusted, the Beavers never counter-adjusted. BYU running back Harvey Unga was held to 71 yards, and no rushes for over eight yards, but quarterback Max Hall overcame the windy conditions that confounded Canfield for much of the night for 19 completions out of 30 attempts, producing 192 yards, and three touchdowns.

Hall had receivers open all night, the product of precise route running, and another indication of preparation, while Canfield threw into double and even triple coverage repeatedly.

The theme of the night was a surprising lack of adjustments from the OSU side. With nearly three weeks between games, BYU shouldn't have taken OSU by surprise, or without options. Unless there was an assumption that this might somehow be easy?

The institution didn't approach the event that will be the lasting showcase of the year with a sense of urgency at any level. While it was evident the team was unprepared, that was just symptomatic of the approach to the event. Around campus almost daily, there was never any indication from the top administrative level that this event happening, much less important.

That message trickled down the chain. For example, while BYU sent their full band in support, OSU decided that they should leave 2/3 of theirs at home. When there is a lack of commitment from the powers that be, is it any surprise that's the message the team, that left apparently about 2/3 of their game at home, got?

As a result, the ESPN money for the preseason trips to Texas and Boise, plus the Louisville game, will have to go a long way. Because the Las Vegas audition won't produce a rush to pick up Oregon St. for a lot of weekly games as next season rolls along. Should the daunting task of two road games against BCS bowl teams that return as many or more starters than the 17 the Beavers bring back not go well, the marketing department could well be looking at a team that is on a 1-4 run come the start of conference play.

And BYU's well conceived defensive strategy, one that absolutely pushed the Beaver offensive line around almost all night, put the Heisman Hype for Jacquizz Rodgers on the back of the bottom shelf, at least for a while. That takes away another reason for lucrative television selections, and makes filling Reser more unlikely.

In difficult economic times, wasting a rare opportunity to showcase your most marketable assets by being unprepared when the lights go on is hard to fathom. And not what you would expect from those we all pay a lot to make sure Beaver nation is at their best.

No one will accuse Oregon St., or at least their students, of not trying. But the old college try doesn't displace SEC programs, or even the leading mid-majors. BYU recognized the magnitude of the opportunity, and came loaded for bear. The Beavers didn't.

And while an eight win season isn't bad, it was the fewest wins in four years, and the most losses. Also the first time a Riley squad has been beaten in a bowl game, much less embarrassed. Only in his first year as head coach in Corvallis (1997), then in the 5-6 2005 season, and now in 2009, has a Riley team finished the season with two losses.

Here's hoping for a successful showcase season in the all-star games and then the scouting combines for Sean Canfield and Keaton Kristick. Otherwise, Las Vegas, known for separating visitors from money, and a poor plan, may cost these Beavers far more than any casino could.

The returning players are the type that will come back from holiday break and on their own go to work. Anyone really think James Rodgers won't take it to yet another level in his offseason work?

But the most important off-season work won't be on the field in spring practice. It will be done in offices in the Valley Football Center and Gill Coliseum, when what went wrong is (hopefully) carefully analyzed, and a new plan is crafted.

Beaver Beatdown: BYU Throttles Oregon St., 44-20

Layton — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 06:58:01 -0000

More photos » by Daniel Gluskoter - AP

(AP Photo/Daniel Gluskoter)

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Ah, that was nice.

The 2009 Las Vegas Bowl proved to be a tremendous bookend to another tremendous year for BYU football, a season that started with a miracle win against Oklahoma, a regular season that ended with a super-sweet overtime win over Utah, and another 11-2 season.

Thanks seniors for four incredible years, unmatched by any period at BYU. We'll miss you.

On a breezy night (sarcastic understatement), BYU proved to be the better, more aggressive team from the get-go. And how sweet is it to beat up on Pac-10 schools? Considering this team was ranked in the top 20 and one quarter away from the Rose Bowl, this is real sweet. Probably more impressive than that win in Dallas in early September...

Speaking of that win against the Sooners, as I was watching the Cougar D stifle OSU, it was almost a carbon copy in terms of effort, speed and aggression. Say what you will about the defense, but when they have a month to focus and prepare on one opponent they play extremely well. They held arguably the best player on the field, Jacquizz Rodgers, to 63 yards on 18 carries--the same guy who averaged 115 yards per game this season. This was the guy who was supposed to blow the game wide open for the Beavers. His brother, James Rodgers, had over 1,000 receiving yards this season: tonight (against a small, slow BYU secondary) he managed only 30 yards.

Almost as a side note, they held OSU QB, Sean Canfield, to 19-40 for 168 yards and forced him to throw a costly interception--a ball that was hawked by Scott Johnson. This is a guy who had completed 70% of his passes all year.

And if anybody's thinking the BYU defense was this productive only because OSU was disappointed to be playing in Las Vegas and not Pasadena, think again. Oregon St. guard, Gree Peat said, "Emotionally we were ready for this game. We came in here and expected to win. It didn't work out that way. That's a credit to BYU. They came ready to play. There are no excuses for the loss."

As for the Cougar offense, though it wasn't his best night, Max Hall was, again, good enough. Given the conditions, he was excellent. We knew going into the game he would have a big advantage against OSU's inexperienced and patchy secondary, and he delivered by throwing three TDs and no interceptions. Once again, the leading receivers the Dennis Pitta and Andrew George, combining for 9 receptions, 91 yards and 1 touchdown. When BYU absolutely had to have a first down, Hall found those guys--just like he's done all year. Throw in the production of Harvey Unga and Manase Tonga and the Cougars proved why their offense is so hard to stop.

By the way, Max Hall became only the second BYU quarterback to win two bowl games in a career. The other QB to do such a thing? A guy by the name of Jim McMahon.

So, what does this win mean? In the grand scheme of things, probably not a lot. BUT, the MWC continues to prove it can play on any stage with anybody in the nation. By dismantling a second-place team from a BCS conference, another feather is placed in the cap for future ammunition in the execution of the pathetic criminal system known as the BCS. It's too bad TCU won't be able to fire the gun this year...

BYU now has won 11 games in three of the last four years, and won 10 in 2008. Since 2006, only four other programs have put together such a record. When this senior class began their journey four years ago the entire focus was to return BYU to its past glory and dominance. Not only did they do it, but they've exceeded it. BYU is program that has been built to last, to stay relevant, and perhaps now, is ready to take football in Provo to the next level. One day that crystal football will have to be coming back to BYU...

BYU Manhandles Oregon State 44-20

Jeremy Mauss — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 06:33:58 -0000

More photos » by Daniel Gluskoter - AP

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Final - 12.22.2009	1	2	3	4	Total
Oregon St. Beavers	7	0	0	13	20
BYU Cougars	14	9	7	14	44

Complete Coverage >

Do not let the score fool anyone this was more of a blowout then the 24 point BYU victory. To break it down even further the game was won by BYU and then the wind edge out Oregon State as well in this game. Yes the wind was terrible and saw the net that catches the field goals get tangled up and the sky cam removed, but that was not the reason Oregon State loss. Neither was the fact that this was a let down for just missing out on the Rose Bowl.

The first drive of the game Oregon State was buzzing along and scored nearly at will on a four play 37 yard drive to open up the scoring. Then BYU went on a 30-0 run to bust open the game, but prior to that BYU tied the game on a methodical drive of 14 plays, 84 yards, and lasted six minutes. Then on Oregon State's next possession they fumbled the ball and BYU returned it for a score and then proceeded to punt and BYU had another drive of nearly six minutes for a field goal. Before Oregon State could do much they were down 17-3, and then 23-7 at the half while controlling the ball for approximately 18 minutes of the first thirty.

Oregon State's receiver James Rodgers had zero first half touches which is just another reason why Oregon State was done early, but more so do to their mediocre defense that allowed BYU to do as they wish on offense. By the time anyone from Oregon State was able to do anything the game was over as BYU lead 37-7 before Oregon State put some more points on the board.

Field position played a huge roll in this game as the wind was just going crazy through out the entire game. The Beavers were having problems punting the ball and their punter had four kicks for a total of 104 yards but had a long of 64. Take away that 64 yarder and that changes things drastically with three points at 40 yards or 13.3 yards per punt. Besides that 64 yarder Johnny Hekker had punts of 28, 6, and 6; that is right two punts under ten yards.

The short punts were great to watch as one did an extreme right hand turn to go out of bounds and then another started off as a decent kick but then hit an imaginary wall and then started going backwards. Passing was wacky as well with wounded ducks and non spirals going everywhere.

So, the question to be asked about the Pac-10 was the league full of parity or just mediocre teams? More will be answered tomorrow once Utah plays Cal, but it is looking more along the lines of mediocrity for the Pac-10. BYU crushed a team that was so close to going to the Rose Bowl, Utah nearly beat the Pac-10 champs Oregon, and besides USC's win over Ohio State the next best win from the Pac-10 was a victory over actually the Oregon win over Utah. Arizona did beat Central Michigan which would be the leagues third best win.

The Mountain West is now 2-0 in bowl games and is looking to become 3-0 once Utah takes on Cal tomorrow night.

Bowl Games Gameday Thread: Tuesday, December 22nd, 2009

Drew K — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 00:45:09 -0000

Let me begin by introducing myself and just give a brief history of my interest in college football. I began watching football in general at a very young age and my passion for the sport has just increased more and more as the years have gone by. I did not start paying very close attention to college football, religiously like I do now, until I was a freshman in college, but had always watched games here and there since I was a teenager. I went to school at a private University in Oklahoma not too far from Norman and naturally found myself rooting for the OU Sooners being that my school did not have a football team of it's own. I still have a lot to learn about the sport as the game is constantly evolving. I believe that one can never know enough about something and there is always something new to learn. My role on this site will be to continue posting the offseason discussions for NinersNation and to help carry us through the bowl season in looking at some of the key players that will be playing in these games. The main objective I think is to provide more insight for those that don't follow as regularly and give a more clear picture as to who we should be looking at for now and for the future.

Out of the three Bowl Games that there has been, two out of the first three have been great games to watch. Now we are moving in on some of the bigger name schools and I imagine it will only get more interesting from here on out. Tonight in The Maaco Las Vegas Bowl we will see the #14 ranked BYU Cougars taking on the #18 ranked Oregon State Beavers at Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Cougars come in to this matchup with a record of 10-2 overall and 7-1 in the Mountain West Conference. The Beavers come in to this matchup with a record of 8-4 overall and 6-2 in the Pac-10. This should be a very interesting game with lots of players to put on the watch list. Both schools have produced great NFL talent (one of the most significant to Niners fans; Steve Young) and there are a few candidates in this game coming out as well. Below, we will take an in-depth look at some of the key players, stats, and other information regarding the game.

# 14 BYU COUGARS VS. # 18 OREGON STATE BEAVERS

MAACO LAS VEGAS BOWL PREVIEW

COUGARS:

The BYU Cougars shocked the world in their first game of the season taking out the #3 ranked Oklahoma Sooners along with Heisman winning Quarterback Sam Bradford. That game gave them all the confidence in the world and from there they took the NCAA by storm. This game will mark the fifth time in a row that the Cougars will appear in the Las Vegas Bowl. The Cougars are putting up 34.8 points a game and most likely will in this one as well. Losing the last time they appeared, the Cougars will look to bounce back and wipe the slate clean with a win tonight. Let's take a look at some of the key players now...

Key players to watch for the Cougars:

*Note: Inside the brackets next to the players names are the jersey numbers for those that don't follow these two teams on a regular basis to keep track of.

[# 15] Max Hall QB 6'1" 201 (Senior):

While Hall is not the biggest QB, he does not lack anything in the skill department. Hall has been one of the most efficient passers in college football. He will definitely have some scouts in the stands tonight and it will be his best opportunity to bump up is value in the 2010 NFL Draft. While Hall transfered from ASU, he still managed to rack up over 11,000+ yards in passing over three years. He has 40 career TD passes and a career completion percentage of 66%; one of the most accurate quarterbacks in college football.

[# 45] Harvey Unga RB 6'0" 239 (Junior):

A big bruising RB will try to tire out the Beavers defensive line this evening and has proven he is capable all year long. Unga finished the year with 1016 yards which marks the third year that he's done so. He also had 10 TD's and averaged 5.5 a carry this year. His career stats for BYU are 3384 yards rushing, 35 rushing TD's and a 5.0 yards per attempt. He also will finish with 1070 yards receiving and 9 more TD's so he will be used in the passing game as well.

[# 32] Dennis Pitta TE 6'5" 248 (Senior):

Pitta will be Hall's primary guy tonight and has been all year. Todd McShay has stated that Pitta will most likely be a 2nd or 3rd rounder in the 2010 Draft. Pitta broke the schools record for TE's in receptions. This year he has 57 receptions, 784 yards, and 7 TD's. His career stats are 199 receptions, 2680 yards receiving, and 18 TD's... his average has been 13.5 a reception. Hey will the key player against OSU and will need to have a huge game.

[# 70] Matt Reynolds OT 6'6" 320 (Sophomore):

Reynolds will be a top prospect after next year. He is a big but fast powerful Tackle. If we need some depth next year after hopefully drafting an OT this year, Reynolds could be a nice addition in later rounds for the 2011 draft. I personally will be watching how this young future prospect plays.

[# 22] Andrew Rich DB 6'3" 215 (Junior):

Rich is the best player that the Cougars have on defense. He will have his hands full with the Rodgers brothers this evening and it iwll be a great test. His career stats are 102 Tackles, 2 Fumbles Forced, and 5 Interceptions. Rish also recorded 1 Sack on a safety blitz so they may send him a couple times this game.

[# 84] Jan Jorgensen DL 6'3" 260 (Senior):

Jorgensen will need to get pressure on Canfield tonight and if he can't it's going to be a long day for the Cougars secondary. He has 28 career sacks and has been one of the better defensive linemen for BYU's defense. With 210 career tackles and 1 fumble forced he should have some impact on the game tonight.

Led by Coach Bronco Mendenhall (4th year, 38-13)

BEAVERS:

Winning five out of their last five bowl games in the last five years, The Beavers enter this matchup with high hopes of maiking it six years in a row with a bowl game victory. This team is just as dynamic on offense as BYU and has been averaging 32.4 points per game. The Beavers when in the redzone have a conversion rate of 96% which is scarey to a team like BYU who is not known for their defense. I look for the Beavers to go blow for blow with BYU this evening.

Key players to watch for the Beavers:

[# 5] Sean Canfield QB 6'4" 220 (Senior):

Very accurate is an understatement to attach to Canfield's name. This quarterback will have a bunch of weapons to go to througout the course of this one. The Senior had 1st team ALL-PAC 10 honors to close out the season and I expect him to play like it tonight. Canfield finishes the year with a 65% completion rate, 5802 yards passing, and 25 TD passes.

[# 1] Jacquizz Rodgers RB 5'7" 193 (Sophomore):

Rodgers, brother to the other Rodgers on the team at WR, rushed for over 1000 yards in each of his first two seasons. This year he finishes 1377 yards with an average of 5.4 a pop and 20 TD's. Since his freshman year, Rodgers has been no stranger to the endzone and currently has 31 career TD's thus far in his collegiate career.

[# 8] James Rodgers WR 5'7" 185 (Junior):

Small, quick, fast, explosive... just a few words to describe this very good WR. Much like his brother, he went over the 1000 yard mark this year as well. He finishes the year with 9 receiving TD's. We will also more than likely see Rodgers returning kicks and punts tonight. He has 1700+ career return yards on kickoffs and 151 yards on 13 punt returns this year which is an average of 11.6 yards an attempt. Should be exciting to see the Rodgers brothers tonight...they should be a handful.

[# 80] Damola Adeniji WR 6'3" 219 (Senior):

On the other side of Rodgers is quite the opposite in style. Decent hands and a tall target for Canfield, Adeniji has been another nice option in this game and will give DB's a nice challenge as he can go above the competition to grab a ball out of the air. This is Adeniji's first year starting as a Senior but has developed as a nice third option and has scored 4 times this year.

[# 10] Lance Mitchell S 6'2" 205 (Sophomore):

Mitchell is by and far probably the best guy the Beavers have in their secondary. Nice size for a college safety and good instinct to get to the ball. Mitchell will need to have the game of his life to give the Beavers their best chance in this matchup. He leads the team in interceptions with 3 this year and 25 return yards to tack on to that.

[# 54] Stephen Paea DT 6'1" 293 (Junior):

Good technique and quick off the snap. Paea was ranked in my top 25 DT's to begin the year. He did not have the greatest year but I believe will be up for this game. He may stay in college one more year to try and work on his stock but should be a notable players to watch.

Led by Coach Mike Riley (6th year, 56-42)

WHEN: 8:00 EST, 5:00 PST

WHERE: SAM BOYD STADIUM, LAS VEGAS, NEVADA

TV: ESPN & ESPN HD

SATELLITE: SIRIUS, XM

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

Complete Coverage >

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.

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?

We're All Americans, But We're Not All All-Americans

Oops Pow Surprise — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 20:51:28 -0000

by Charlie Neibergall - AP

Iowa's Pat Angerer (43) celebrates with teammates Allen Reisner and Dace Richardson, right, after Iowa blocked a Northern Iowa field goal on the final play. Iowa won 17-16. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

View full size photo »

As is usually the case after a 10-win season, the accolades are beginning to pour in for the Iowa Hawkeye football team. Everyone and their mom has an all-conference or All-American team, but the two that actually matter--Walter Camp and the AP--are now out. And for the 33th year in a row, the unanimous selection for player of the year is Frank Stallone*.

More importantly, the AP named three Hawkeyes to their All-American teams. While nobody made it onto the first team, thanks to Ricky Stanzi's ankle injury--come on, you know if he stays healthy and Iowa goes 11-1 and finishes at #5 or so, even the guys on defense get a little bit more of a bump--both Bryan Bulaga and Pat Angerer made it to the second team, while Tyler Sash made third-team AA as a sophomore. A fine moment for all three players (two of whom, as we insular and provincial types are quick to point out, are native Iowans).

Meanwhile, the Walter Camp Foundation agreed with the AP, naming Bulaga and Angerer to their second team as well and effectively establishing the two as the de facto MVPs of their respective sides of the ball. We have a little beef with each designation, but for wholly different reasons.

First, though Bulaga is by far the best pro prospect on the line as of right now and was utterly dominant in 2008, the reality is that even notwithstanding the 3-week absence as he recovered from thyroid issues, he struggled in 2009. Brandon Graham and O'Brien Schofield manhandled Bulaga. And while those are two very good defensive ends, so was Aaron Maybin, the 11th pick of the 2009 by the Buffalo Bills and Bryan Bulaga's personal prison bitch after Iowa-PSU 2008. There was a substantial dropoff in play by Bulaga in 2009, and voters just didn't notice it when it came time to hand out awards.

Meanwhile, Dace Richardson was actually very good in his return to the line, and he got a fair amount of media attention when mid-season awards were being handed out. Then his ankle was rolled up on against Michigan State, and he disappeared from both the depth chart and voters' attention. But why should he have been punished for an ankle injury while voters looked past Bulaga's absence of a similar length? It's all past reputation, and that's not really fair to guys who come from nowhere and work their butts off--especially in their senior year, where there's no chance for any payoff in the "rewarded in Year X for play in Year X-minus-1" system that's come to be when it comes to honoring offensive linemen.

What this comes down to is that if the AP were to select an Iowa lineman for All-American this season, we'd have preferred it be Dace--though we'll certainly "settle for" Bulaga instead. If both men are playing their last game for Iowa next month, as lots of speculation suggests, then they've both had stellar careers in the black and gold and we wish them well.

On defense, on the other hand, Pat Angerer didn't really establish himself as the most dominant player for that Iowa defense, but that's hardly through any fault of his own. After all, one usually does so by being simply better than his teammates, and the talent level on the Iowa defense this year was both so high and so consistent that it was hard to see Angerer as someone who was the best player on defense. After all, you could always come back with, "well why not Sash? Or Adrian Clayborn? Or Amari Spievey? Or A.J. Edds? Or, hell, Jeremiha Hunter?" We're not saying that Angerer was the 6th best player on the Iowa defense by any means--just that ranking the top 5 or 6 or so would be impossible, because the gaps would be so miniscule that personal preference could easily mean a 3- or 4-spot swing here or there and it wouldn't even be objectionable.

Angerer's accolades, then, come from two areas: 1) his name, which is everything you could ever hope for times infinity; 2) and his stats, which sort of sneak up on you for the same reasons mentioned in the previous paragraph. As mentioned before, he was 5th in the nation in tackles at 11.3 a game. That's pretty outstanding, especially since--as TRE noticed during the season--Angerer's real strength might have been in pass coverage, not run support.

Still, absent game-changing plays, it's somewhat difficult to notice the overall impact a player has on a game. And all of those game-changing plays seemed to happen to other players--most notably Sash and Clayborn, and to a lesser extent Spievey.

Thus we have a weird ambiguity about how we look at Angerer's standing as the most highly-lauded member of the 2009 Iowa defense. It's not that he didn't deserve it--far from it--but with a defense like Iowa's, you could basically pick a name out of a hat and feel relatively confident that you made a good choice. It was that kind of year. Effectively singling out Angerer for praise, then, seems unusual and almost a little unfair. Oh well. There are worse problems to have.

Full AP All-American teams are after the break.

First team
Offense
	   Quarterback -- Colt McCoy, senior, 6-foot-2, 210 pounds, Texas.
	   Running backs -- Toby Gerhart, senior, 6-1, 235, Stanford; Mark Ingram, sophomore, 5-10, 212, Alabama.
	   Tackles -- Russell Okung, senior, 6-5, 301, Oklahoma State; Trent Williams, senior, 6-5, 318, Oklahoma.
	   Guards -- Michael Johnson, senior, 6-6, 305, Alabama; Mike Iupati, senior, 6-6, 330, Idaho.
	   Center -- J.D. Walton, senior, 6-3, 305, Baylor.
	   Tight end -- Aaron Hernandez, junior, 6-2, 250, Florida.
	   Wide receivers -- Golden Tate, junior, 5-11, 195, Notre Dame; Jordan Shipley, senior, 6-0, 190, Texas.
	   All-purpose player -- C.J. Spiller, senior, 5-11, 195, Clemson.
	   Kicker -- Leigh Tiffin, senior, 6-2, 212, Alabama.
Defense
	   Ends -- Jerry Hughes, senior, 6-3, 257, TCU; Derrick Morgan, junior, 6-4, 272, Georgia Tech.
	   Tackles -- Ndamukong Suh, senior, 6-4, 300, Nebraska; Terrence Cody, senior, 6-5, 365, Alabama.
	   Linebackers -- Rolando McClain, junior, 6-4, 258, Alabama; Greg Jones, junior, 6-1, 228, Michigan State; Eric Norwood, senior, 6-1, 252, South Carolina.
	   Cornerbacks -- Joe Haden, junior, 5-11, 190, Florida; Javier Arenas, senior, 5-9, 198, Alabama.
	   Safeties -- Eric Berry, junior, 5-11, 203, Tennessee; Earl Thomas, sophomore, 5-10, 197, Texas.
	   Punter -- Drew Butler, sophomore, 6-2, 201, Georgia.
Second team
	   Quarterback -- Tim Tebow, senior, Florida.
	   Running backs -- Ryan Mathews, junior, Fresno State; Dion Lewis, freshman, Pittsburgh.
	   Tackles -- Bryan Bulaga, junior, Iowa; Chris Marinelli, senior, Stanford.
	   Guards -- Rodney Hudson, junior, Florida State; Mike Pouncey, junior, Florida.
	   Center -- Maurkice Pouncey, junior, Florida.
	   Tight end -- Dennis Pitta, senior, BYU.
	   Wide receivers -- Mardy Gilyard, senior, Cincinnati; Danario Alexander, senior, Missouri.
	   All-purpose player -- James Rodgers, junior, Oregon State.
	   Kicker -- Kai Forbath, junior, UCLA.
Defense
	   Ends -- Von Miller, junior, Texas A&M; Brandon Graham, senior, Michigan.
	   Tackles -- Gerald McCoy, junior, Oklahoma; Jared Odrick, senior, Penn State.
	   Linebackers -- Pat Angerer, senior, Iowa; Brandon Spikes, senior, Florida; Sean Weatherspoon, senior, Missouri.
	   Cornerbacks -- Perrish Cox, senior, Oklahoma State; Kyle Wilson, senior, Boise State.
	   Safeties -- Taylor Mays, senior, Southern California; Rahim Moore, sophomore, UCLA.
	   Punter -- Zoltan Mesko, senior, Michigan.
Third team
Offense
	   Quarterback -- Kellen Moore, sophomore, Boise State
	   Running backs -- LaMichael James, redshirt freshman, Oregon; Jacquizz Rodgers, sophomore, Oregon State.
	   Tackles -- Dennis Landolt, senior, Penn State; Ciron Black, senior, LSU.
	   Guards -- Brandon Carter, senior, Texas Tech; Jeff Byers, senior, Southern California.
	   Center -- Chris Hall, senior, Texas.
	   Tight end -- Dorin Dickerson, senior, Pittsburgh.
	   Wide receivers -- Freddie Barnes, senior, Bowling Green; Demaryius Thomas, junior, Georgia Tech.
	   All-purpose player -- Dexter McCluster, senior, Mississippi.
	   Kicker -- Hunter Lawrence, senior, Texas.
Defense
	   Ends -- Jeremy Beal, junior, Oklahoma; Brandon Sharpe, senior, Texas Tech.
	   Tackles -- Brian Price, junior, UCLA; Dan Williams, senior, Tennessee.
	   Linebackers -- Sergio Kindle, senior, Texas; Cody Grimm, senior, Virginia Tech; Navorro Bowman, junior, Penn State.
	   Cornerbacks -- Brandon Harris, sophomore, Miami; Alterraun Verner, senior, UCLA.
	   Safeties -- Tyler Sash, sophomore, Iowa; Mark Barron, sophomore, Alabama.
	   Punter -- Matt Reagan, senior, Memphis.

*Did you know he was in Tombstone, a.k.a. the SINGLE GREATEST MOVIE IN HISTORY? And in a phenomenal scene, to boot.

Ranking the 2009 Pac-10 Football MVPs: Part I

Avinash — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 11:00:29 -0000

More photos » by Ben Margot - AP

Mike Mohamed had some big plays this season. Was it enough to be a Pac-10 MVP?

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In case you missed it, here's Part 1: the LVPs of their respective teams.

This post got too long, so I had to split it into three. Here are the honorable mention categories and the Pac-10 players and units ranked #30 thru #21 (#20-11 coming this afternoon, #10-1 coming Friday morning). Let's dive into it.

Honorable Mention

Jeff Locke, Reid Forrest: You know your team's in trouble when your punters are higher than anyone on your offense. And in Forrest's case, you know your team is royally fucked when your punter is the only one on your team who appears on this list.

Donald Butler: Didn't really do anything spectacular this year, but 96 tackles will get you on this list.

Daniel Te'o-Nesheim: So will 9.5 sacks and 12.5 TFL. Too bad the Huskies defense ranged from 'sheer brilliance' to 'human atrocity'

Ed Dickson: I'll be nice as possible about this--FUCK ED DICKSON. AGGGGGHHHHHHHHH.

Damola Adeniji: Despite all the production of James Rodgers, he wasn't Canfield's main target on 3rd down. Probably because secondaries keyed in on Rodgers, Adeniji racked up 27 catches in that situation, 21 for first downs, 5th in the country. Only 49 catches overall, but considering he only had 1 last season, I'll say this is a slight upgrade.

Chris Polk: Finished this season on a tear: Five ninety+ yard games and a 1000 yard season overall. Hard to measure his impact though, since the Huskies lost three of those games and Locker and the defense were the focal points of the other two.

Trojan offensive line: Lost season for these guys. 17 sacks allowed, 40 tackles for loss allowed, only a top 40 rushing offense. Ho-hum for them. I would've dreamed of something like this for the Bears.

Mike Mohamed: Cal's most productive defensive player on a not-so-great defensive unit. You have to give massive props for a 100 tackle season (his 104 tackles were tops in the Pac-10). And he saved another Cal season from sliding into disaster with a crucial interception in the Big Game.

Kyle Williams, Dmitri Nance: Solid production considering their quarterback struggled to complete half of his passes. Plus I feel bad for Williams ending his career like that.

Syd'Quan Thompson: If Cal had ONE guy (Hagan, Hill, Nnabuife, Conte, Rope Guy, someone) step up at corner on the other side of the field, who knows how our season turns out. We sure as hell don't get lit up by Oregon, USC or UDub on defense (Syd's limited ability in the final game pretty much assured we were screwed against Locker).

He was still a fabulous open field tackler when he got the chance, and when quarterbacks threw to his side of the field, he usually shut down. Like Asomugha in Oakland, that kind of effort only gets rewarded with first team All Pac-10, and minimal impact on the box score. So while his talent is easy enough to gauge, it's really hard to measure his value. Which is why he's honorable mention and not on the top 30.

After the jump, here's #30-21. If there are any thoughts of players or units left off, or guesses as to who will end up in the top 20, leave them in the comments.

#30 Damian Williams, #29 Joe McKnight

via theoraclesays.files.wordpress.com

These two are actually the first since Bush and White to break 100+ all-purpose yards a game since Bush and Leinart. Solid seasons, but other than McKnight on the final drive against Ohio State and Williams tearing up Notre Dame, how many moments do you remember concerning these two? That kind of year for the Trojans. It's up in the air whether either will return too.

#28 Ryan Whalen

via www4.pictures.zimbio.com

6th in the Pac-10 in receptions, turned into Luck's best passing threat when Owusu went Section Eight in the biggest games. Thought about ranking him higher, but I don't have any Whalen moments to really justify putting him further up. Perhaps the Cardinal fans can refresh my memory...oh, wait, there are no Cardinal fans. #28 it is.

#27 Arizona's receiving corps (Turner, Criner, Roberts, Dean, Douglas)

via www.azstarnet.com

Five guys with 30 catches or more? Now that's spreading the wealth around. By contrast, Cal had only one receiver (Jones) catch more than 30. Obviously, Cal isn't built to be a passing offense, but still, this is a far cry from two-three years ago. Sigh.

#26 UCLA's secondary

via images.ocregister.com

I know Rahim Moore led the nation in picks, and Alterraun Verner had another fine year--but how good are these guys? Other than shutting down Jonathan Crompton and whoever the hell Kansas State's quarterback is, the Bruins pass D has been surprisingly average. Even Kevin Riley burned them deep. I repeat, KEVIN RILEY BURNED THEM DEEP. Does this happen to good secondaries?

Oh well...at least Moore is capable of that "deep, longing, alluring, penetrating, soul-piercing, heart-tugging look".

#25 Tyson Alualu

via cache.daylife.com

Kind of hard to say how bad the Bears defense would've been without Alualu cracking apart the line. His efforts alone helped shut down Minnesota's passing game in a tight 4th quarter. Extra linemen often were forced to commit to him, and it opened up the rest of the front to get after Arizona and the Furd's high powered offensive attack.

Unfortunately, he never really had a Mebane-like force on the line--he couldn't really disrupt the passing attacks the way his predecessors did How much of that was dictated by scheme or by his own pass rush methods is beyond my knowledge, but Cal's pass rush was far weaker than anticipated, far weaker than the 27 sacks they put up this year.

Still a great season for Tice though--Cal's run defense was top-tier, and a lot of that had to do with #44.

(Story that really depressed me this week: Bear Insider's look at how close Ndamukong Suh came to being a Golden Bear. Imagine Alualu and Suh coming together in the 3-4 the last two seasons, particularly last year. I'm getting bummed out now.)

#24 Jahvid Best

via www.pe.com

For a guy who was supposed to be a Heisman hopeful, it's shocking to see Best not even crack the top 20. But that's how it is in a frustrating season for Jahvid, whose season seemed to peak in Minneapolis. Still had some spectacular runs, but running behind the crappiest offensive line in the Tedford era, it could've been way, way better.

#23 Chris Owusu

via a.espncdn.com

A menace for us, and a big game-changer for the Furd, having huge returns on almost every opponent this year. Surprisingly (and stupidly), everyone in the Pac-10 continued to kick to Owusu long after he demonstrated he would outrace their coverage to the end zone. The Furd ranked 3rd in the country in kickoff returns, mostly due to Owusu's skills.

He gets bumped down a bit because if he could just hang onto a few passes (he dropped big catches in EVERY conference loss), the Furd are going to Pasadena.

#22 Kai Forbath

via tnjn.com

Laugh all you want that a kicker cracks the top 25. When a Bruins fan describes him as your most consistent player...well, that says a lot.

Take a look at the games Forbath swung this season.
~13 of UCLA's 19 points in a 4 point win over the Vols in Rocky Top
~11 of UCLA's 23 points in a 10 point win over the Sun Devils
~6 of UCLA's 24 points in a 1 point win over the Huskies
~11 of UCLA's 23 points in a 14 point win over K-State.

Add in these stats
~26 field goals, second most in the country behind Alabama's Tiffin
~99th scoring offense in the country

Not hard to say Forbath was UCLA's offensive MVP this season, isn't it? Switch Forbath with an average kicker and the Bruins win four games? Three?

#21 Shane Vereen

via dlerium.smugmug.com

(Image from dmo580)

Surprisingly had more impressive performances than Best this season, cementing away a Cal victory in Pasadena and being the workload in two upsets over the Wildcats and the Cardinal. Best racked up big numbers against two of the worst teams in the country and an FCS opponent, managing only one great game this season against a bowl-eligible team. Although Best ended up with more rushing yards, Vereen had more all-purpose yards thanks to his kickoff returns and his own pass-catching abilities. Most importantly, when the offensive line collapsed, Vereen had more of the elusiveness to slip away from encroaching defenders.

Best might be the better talent, but Vereen was the more valuable Bear for this Cal squad...but only by a little.

Coming this afternoon: #20-11.

TCU and Oregon State are Very Close to Play the 2010 Opener at Jerry World

Jeremy Mauss — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 22:30:13 -0000

More photos » by Donna McWilliam - AP

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Jerry Jones -- owner of the Dallas Cowboys-- is at it again with the help of ESPN to bring a showcase event to his still usponsored palace in Arlington, TX. The game is rumored to be Oregon State to take on TCU with The Portland Tribune saying this is basically a done deal:

"We’re still negotiating with ESPN, but I would hope in the next two weeks we’ll be able to get this thing accomplished," Oregon State Athletic Director Bob De Carolis said Monday.

The game set to be on opening weekend September 4th, and will be similar to the BYU-Oklahoma tilt. The only challenge is that TCU is currently scheduled to play Baylor and Oregon State is set to play Eastern Washington, but ESPN is helping the Beavers find Eastern Washington an opponent. The Baylor game might be able to be moved, because even if TCU adds this game they still need to fill one more non-conference game.

The pay out is anywhere from $300,000 to $1,000,000 for this game. Another reason for Oregon State to play this game is to give brothers James Rodgers and Jacquizz Rodgers who are from the area a game in front of some fans. If this game is added then Oregon State will play non-conference games against TCU, at Boise State, and Louisville at home. While TCU will be playing Oregon State, SMU, Baylor, and an opponent still not determined.

This would be a daunting game for Oregon State since they will be breaking in a new quarterback in a road game that is being played in close range of the TCU campus. The Horned Frogs will be primed for another shot at the BCS with a possibility of a national title run.

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.