Cliff Kirkpatrick

Much of the talk about the Oregon State football team going into Saturday’s game at USC is about the offense being able to move the ball like it did last year.

However, stopping the Trojans is just as big of an issue. The Beavers have had success there, too, in the two wins in the last three meetings. The feeling from the players is they can do the same this time around.

“The offense is the same,” DT Stephen Paea said. “What we have to do is fill our gaps and wrap up. They are not a special team, but they find ways to win.”

Before you get up in arms about what Paea said about USC not being special and it being bulletin board material, English is his second language. So let me translate what he meant. What special meant was gimmicky. It’s not the spread. It’s basic football, which OSU plays well against.

Paea feels the success of the defense from last year started from the work of DEs Victor Butler and Slade Norris and S Al Afalava bottling up the run and pass. Those guys were NFL draft picks last year.

“Then it was everybody playing together,” Paea said. “Everybody was pumped up. It was a good feeling.”

Can the Beavers do it again without them? Paea felt they could, but that’s a lot of talent that has yet to be replaced at the same level.

“Everybody feels the same about this game,” Paea said. “We haven’t done anything, yet. We have to show up and play well. It’s a football game we have to win. The defensive line just has to grind it out so the linebackers can do their job.”

AD search?
Michigan announced that AD Bill Martin will retire next September. Why do you care? OSU AD Bob De Carolis began his career there in 1979 as an administrative assistant, then business manager and softball coach. He worked there in various capacities until 1996.

I’ll have to ask him if his resume is in the mail the next time I see him. I’m sure he’ll avoid me now.

Last year he was in the running for the Indiana job, and he’s a Big Ten kind of guy. So I wouldn’t be surprised.

De Carolis is a good candidate for any AD job in the country with what he has done at OSU. If you like him or not, if he ever leaves it would be a big loss to the program.

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5. Cliff: Paea staying