Cliff Kirkpatrick

The Oregon State football team should get back on the winning track Saturday with a Pacific-10 Conference home game against UCLA as a 9-point favorite.

Read my main story in Tuesday’s GT looking at the Bruins. Here’s a link to the UCLA scouting report.

Check out the video of coach Mike Riley, addressing the media on his team Tuesday. That’s TE Joe Halahuni in the bottom video. The injury update has been added to the end of the post.

“It’s a major game for both teams,” Riley said. “We are getting to the more defining moments for our year. We are both coming off losses. It’s a pivotal deal. We have to live in a vacuum and get ready for their best shot and improve in some areas.”

To be clear on the TV coverage of the game, kickoff is at 1 p.m. FSN will start taping it and show the game in the northwest and L.A. starting at 3:30 p.m.

Riley reaction to suspension
Riley didn’t say anything specifically about the Pac-10 suspension of the official who didn’t make a call on the clothesline on James Rodgers, but he was pleased the action of first-year commissioner Larry Scott.

“It was fairly unique,” Riley said. “I think it was a definitive call by the commissioner.”

Canfield numbers
Senior QB Sean Canfield is on pace to shatter the team record for completion percentage for a season. He has completed 68.2 percent (163-for-239) of his attempts. The record is held by Matt Moore at 60.6 percent (229-for-378) in 2006.

Canfield is seventh in the nation for completion percentage, trailing Arizona’s Nick Foles (72.3), Texas’ Colt McCoy (71.7), Houston’s Case Keenum (70.1), Florida State’s Christian Ponder (70.0), Central Michigan’s Dan LeFevour (70.0) and Brigham Young’s Max Hall (68.2).

He averages 58 pass attempts per interception this season after entering the season with an interception every 22 attempts.

Canfield also is fifth all-time at OSU with 4,433 passing yards and for touchdown passes with 28. He needs one touchdown to tie Moore for fourth.

Quizz numbers
Sophomore RB Jacquizz Rodgers is on record pace for the most points for a season by an OSU player, held by Steven Jackson in 2003 with 132.

Rodgers has 90 points with five regular season games to play. His 15 total touchdowns are second in the nation, trailing 16 by Navy’s Ricky Dobbs.

For overall rushing he is eighth at OSU with 2,063 yards and if he gains his average of 115.7 against UCLA he will jump into sixth place.

He also needs five rushing scores to tie for the single-season school record with 19 by Jackson in 2003 and Ken Simonton in 1999 and 2000.

James numbers
Junior WR James Rodgers averages 182.1 yards a game for all-purpose yards, which is first in the Pac-10 and seventh in the nation. At his current pace, he would set the school record for all-purpose yards with 2,186. The record is held by Jackson in 2003 with 2,015.

He leads the Pac-10 for receptions per game at 7.1 and for receiving yards per game at 85.7. 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. Gyn Milburn of Stanford in 1990 and Vincent White of Stanford in 1982 accomplished the feat previously.

Rodgers add
Last season the Rodgers brothers combined for 3,333 all-purpose yards. This year they are on pace to accumulate 4,053 yards in the regular season.

Red zone action
The Beavers lead the Pac-10 in red zone scoring percentage at 93.3 percent, tied for 10th in the nation. OSU has scored on 28 of 30 attempts, 21 with touchdowns and seven field goals.

Tough teams
OSU’s three losses this season have been to three top-25 teams. No. 4 USC, No. 23 Arizona, No. 5 Cincinnati have a combined record of 18-3.

Injury update
DT Mitchel Hunt (knee) is out for the year, Riley said. … James Rodgers (knee) and Jacquizz Rodgers (ankle) will ease into practice. … James Rodgers cracked a tooth on that hit from USC’s Taylor Mays. … WR Geno Munoz (hip) is questionable for the UCLA game.

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Related posts:

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