Cliff Kirkpatrick

Here’s an excerpt from Oregon State football coach Mike Riley’s Tuesday press conference heading into Saturday’s Cal game. It’s a more concise version that last week’s transcript.

What do you think of the matchup between QBs Sean Canfield and Kevin Riley?
“It’s an exceptional matchup. Sean has had a good string of games. I’m proud of him. And of course Kevin Riley is good. We have a great respect for him and what they do offensively in general.”

Does Canfield have NFL potential?
“I don’t think there’s any doubt he could go to camp anywhere and fit in physically. And his growth as a leader and decisions-maker has to be intriguing to those people.”

How did you double your sack total in one game last week?
“We had more general pressure. The game for three quarters was how you like to play it. We controlled the run pretty well. And then you get in better pass situations.”

What makes Cal LB Mike Mohamed so good?
“When guys get that many tackles, it’s never system only. There’s a part of fitting into a scheme then there’s other factors — speed, decisiveness and making a play. That’s what this guy does. He flashes to the ball, plays fast and finishes. When you are tackling that many people there’s a reason they get that many tackles.”

What’s it going to take to stop Cal’s running game?
“In a blink of an eye (Jahvid) Best is gone. (Shane) Vereen is really good. They have a great 1-2 punch. You can never relax on the back side of a play. You can never take a bad angle. We have to get a lot of people to the party. Being sound and filling all the spots you need to fill on the run defense and having the correct pursuit angles is huge for this game.”

What’s the key to stopping Cal defensively?
“It’s about big plays. If you look at the running game of Best and Vereen and their ability to go for big gainers, that’s obvious. Kevin Riley has had a ton of big passes this year. He can throw the ball and has the capability to reach most areas on the field.”

What is OSU’s key offensively?
“We have to run the ball and be effective with our play-action game on first down, coming off our run. And then we have to be good on third down. And continue our red zone success.”

What are your thoughts on the rest of the season?
“I like this team a lot. We have more defining moments ahead of us. If we continue to grow and do what we have to do, we’ll be successful. Then we have to prove it. This is a big, big game for us in the conference. We can make a lot of headway with a win.”

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