Cliff Kirkpatrick

As usual, the Oregon State football team is a big-time underdog when facing Southern California. The latest line favors No. 4 USC by 20.5 points.

Here are extensive notes about what to look for in the game. Here’s a link to my main GT story in Tuesday’s edition. It’s on RB Jacquizz Rodgers, last year’s USC game and his thoughts going into this one. Here’s a link to the USC scouting report.

Saturday’s game is sold out in the 93,607-seat L.A .Memorial Coliseum. That will be the largest OSU-USC crowd ever.

Injury update
RB Ryan McCants (knee) is back full speed and will be the No. 2 ball carrier this week. … WR Darrell Catchings (ankle) is still expected back for the Washington game. … OT Wilder McAndrews (wrist) returned to practice, but broke a finger on the same hand. He’ll be wrapped up and sent back out there. … S Anthony Watkins (shoulder) will miss two more games. … S Suaesi Tuimaunei (various dings) is back to practice.

UPDATE: Reserve OG Colin Lyons went down with a knee injury in Tuesday’s practice. It didn’t appear to be serious. After icing it he walked off the field on his own.

Third down conversion
The Beavers have held the last two opponents, wins over Arizona State and Stanford, to 5 of 27 (19 percent) on third down conversions as compared to the previous two losses to Cincinnati and Arizona to 10 of 25 (40 percent).

In the last two victories, opponents have been at third-and-5 or less twice, failing to convert on both. Those same two opponents have been unsuccessful at third-and-9 or more at 0-for-5.

The Beavers have converted 13 of 26 (50 percent) in the last two contests as opposed to 12 of 32 (38 percent) in the previous two.

Ranked opponents
The Beavers have won six of its last 12 games against nationally ranked opponents through the 2006 season with wins over No. 1 USC (2008), No. 2 California (2007), No. 3 USC (2006), No. 18 Oregon (2007), No. 19 Pittsburgh (2008 Sun Bowl) and No. 24 Hawaii (2006). NOTE: This was updated thanks to kersting13 doing some digging. Google is your friend now, not old-school paper files.

Passing first downs
OSU has been more successful gaining first downs through the air with a Pac-10-leading 76. The Beavers have 41 on the ground, near the bottom of the conference. Opponents have managed 81 (second most allowed in the Pac-10) first downs passing, but only 34 on the ground.

Run the ball
Since the 2002 season, OSU is second in the Pac-10 for the number of times a player reached 1,000 yards rushing with six (missing only 2004). California leads the conference with seven, followed by the Beavers, Oregon (5), USC (3), UCLA (2) and Stanford, Arizona, Arizona State, Washington and Washington State with one each.

Video report
The above video of coach Mike Riley on Tuesday, talking with the media. The one below is of S Lance Mitchell. The volume was low on the first question. It picks up.

Bye weeks
OSU has won its last seven games after a bye week. Since Riley’s return in 2003 is 8-2. Even in his first two years of a major rebuilding process in 1997-98 he was 1-1 following a bye. Here is a closer look at the results after a bye week in the Riley tenure:

• Sept. 20, 1997 vs. No. 21 Stanford L 27-24
• Nov. 21, 1998 vs. Oregon W 44-41 (OT)
• Oct. 18, 2003 vs. Washington L 38-17
• Nov. 15, 2003 vs. Stanford W 43-3
• Dec. 6, 2003 at No. 2 USC L 52-28
• Oct. 16, 2004 at Washington W 29-14
• Oct. 15, 2005 at No. 18 California W 23-20
• Sept. 23, 2006 vs. Idaho W 38-0
• Oct. 27, 2007 vs. Stanford W 23-6
• Dec. 1, 2007 at Oregon W 38-31 (OT)
• Sept. 25, 2008 vs. No. 1 USC W 27-21
• Nov. 1, 2008 vs. Arizona State W 27-25

Road warriors
OSU has the longest road winning streak in the Pac-10 at five games (Arizona State and UNLV this season, and Arizona, UCLA and Washington last year). There have been six wins away from Reser Stadium counting the Sun Bowl, but that’s considered a neutral site.

The Beavers haven’t won six straight road games since capturing five in a row in 1969 (Iowa, ASU, UW, Cal, UO) and the first road game of 1970 (Oklahoma ).

Red zone
The Beavers lead the Pac-10 and are tied for third in the nation for red zone scoring percentage at 95.8 percent, scoring on 23 of 24 opportunities. Seventeen have been TDs and six on FGs.

QB battle
Saturday’s game features two of the top quarterbacks in the Pac-10 in OSU’s Sean Canfield and USC’s Matt Barkley. Canfield ranks third in the conference for passing yards per game at 234.2 while Barkley is first at 267.6.

Canfield is on school-record pace for single season passing completion percentage (67.9 percent) that is held by Matt Moore (60.6 percent) in 2006.

Run defense
The Beavers enter this week ranked third in the Pac-10 for rush defense, allowing 97.7 ypg. The defense has kept each of the previous six opponents leading rusher under his average. USC enters the week second allowing 67.7 yards.

Rodgers brothers numbers
RB Jacquizz Rodgers is second in the nation for TDs scored rushing with 13. Navy’s Ricky Dobbs has 17. He is only six short of the school record for TDs scored on the ground for a season.

WR James Rodgers has four TDs receiving, meaning the Rodgers brothers have accounted for 17 of the team’s 21 (81 percent) TDs.

James Rodgers averages 180.2 ypg in all-purpose yards, which ranks first in the Pac-10 and eighth in the nation. Jacquizz Rodgers is third in the conference at 161 and 15th nationally.

James leads the Pac-10 (t-14th nationally) for receptions per game at 7.2 and for receiving yards per game at 90.7. Quizz is at 6.3 receptions per outing, which is second in the conference.

The last time a player led the Pac-10 for all-purpose yards, receptions per game and receiving yards per game was Bobby Wade of Arizona in 2002 – prior to that Gyn Milburn of Stanford in 1990 and Vincent White of the Cardinal in 1982 did it.

It’s been a while
The last time OSU won at USC at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum was 1960 – the streak has reached 21 games. To put into perspective here are some interesting facts the last time the Beavers won there Sept. 16, 1960:

• President: Dwight D. Eisenhower
• Vice President: Richard M. Nixon
• OSU head coach: Tommy Prothro
• Gallon of gas: $0.31
• Avg. home cost: $16,500
• First class stamp: $.04
• Gallon of milk: $0.49
• Billboard Top Song: “It’s Now or Never” by Elvis Presley
• Age of Mike Riley: 7
• Most of the current OSU players’ parents were not born.

Tweet This Post 

Related posts:

1. Cliff: UCLA press briefing (updated)
2. Cliff: Cal press briefing (updated)
3. Cliff: Civil War press briefing (updated)
4. Cliff: Arizona press briefing (updated)
5. Cliff: ASU press briefing (updated)