Brock Osweiler leads the Sun Devils.
The Oregon State football faces long odds Saturday night at No. 25 Arizona State. The Sun Devils are 17.5-point favorites.
Here’s my main story in Tuesday’s GT on what coach Mike Riley thinks of the Sun Devils.
Here’s my ASU scouting report. It’s a look at what the Beavers can expect.
Here’s the notebook with stuff you may have missed on the blog.
Here are more notes headed into the game. More will come of the Riley presser later today.
For the eighth consecutive season the Beavers failed to reach Oct. 1 with a winning record (12-19). However, they’ve are 37-14 in the final three months of the season starting in 2004.
WR Markus Wheaton is tied for third in the conference and tied for 17th nationally for receptions per game at 7.0. He’s seventh in the Pac-12 in receiving yards a game at 91.3
After QB Sean Mannion became the starter last week, he’s now the only starting freshman QB among BCS teams.
MLB Kevin Unga leads the Pac-12 in tackles per game with 10.3 a game. He had 31 after three games, and a career-high 14 last weekend against UCLA.
12 comments
beaverpride says:
Sep 27, 2011
Cliff,
The Beavs are 2-8 in the last 10 games. In the losses, the Beavs have either been blown out or made critical coaching/execution mistakes that contibuted to the loss.
See game stories for UW, UCLA 2010, Sac St and UCLA 2011.
In the UW game, Riley goes for 2 in OT and fails… he recently admitted this was a mistake.
UCLA 2010, Beavs have ball 1st and 10 near mid field with 1:17 to go in tie game and give the ball back to UCLA on a punt with 0:48 and loses on last second FG… are you kidding me?!
Sac St… Beavs don’t execute to get the ball in middle of field on potential game winning FG.
UCLA 2011… 4th and 1 on 34 and the Beavs fail to get the play called right.
If the Beavs are in close games the rest of the year, do you have confidence that the coaching staff will have the Beavs prepared to execute?
Cliff Kirkpatrick says:
Sep 27, 2011
That’s a two-prong question. It’s like leading the horse to water, but will he drink?
The coaches will prepare the players, but will they execute?
The answer: sometimes, sometimes not.
beaverpride says:
Sep 27, 2011
Cliff,
As a coach, I believe there is a difference between preparation and effective preparation. When my players fail to execute it usually can be addressed in how I coach and prepare my players. A team can execute yet fail to get the desired result. The trend with the Beavs is the coaches are making poor decisions within the game that is putting the players at a disadvantage to execute successfully.
OSUSupporter says:
Sep 27, 2011
Cliff, I just can’t help feeling this season is unraveling because of the poor leadership we’ve seen by the head coach Riley and his staff. I break this down into four areas (4):
1) Fire in the Belly: Well “golly gee whiz” works well with the 60 year old alums, it doesn’t cut it win 18-23 year old kids. Riley needs to get MAD, get agitated and show some emotions both on and off the field. Mothers may like “Howdy Doody Riley” but the kids don’t respect it.
2) Discipline/Consistency: Being so weak when it comes to suspended players Castro Masaniai and Joe Lopez he lifts the suspension so it won’t harm the players on the team. What a joke! It’s like me grounding my son from a friend’s birthday party because he got in a fight at school but then allowing him to go anyway so the others at the party would have more fun. Riley lost huge respect from everyone with this poorly thought out move.
3) Loyalty to Coaches: Riley seems to pride himself on having the same staff year in and year out but the fact is his assistants just aren’t that good and need to GO! But Riley in his blind loyalty doesn’t see anything wrong or if he does, he doesn’t admit it. What comes from his mouth is just the same old verbal diarrhea about “not giving up”, “stuff we will get better” and “we have to go on”. What he needs to do is look in the mirror and at his “family” of coaches and clean house, cause this staff “ain’t getting it done”!
4) Lack of Loyalty to Players: Riley handled Ryan Katz poorly and others on the team see that. Ryan didn’t deserve the public humiliation thrown at him by Riley and his staff. Their lack of communication and then public display of disloyalty was disgraceful. How do you take a “star” player on the team and suddenly cast him aside into the gutter? Where’s the loyalty to Ryan? What does that show to the other players on the team? Who would want to play for a coach/staff that does that to a starter and “star” player? No wonder Junior Espitia jumped ship as soon as he could.
So Cliff, your take on the above would be nice to see. My take is obvious….I think Riley and his staff have/are doing a poor job and unless they change (or go) then we are destined to continue to get the same results.
wcjr says:
Sep 27, 2011
Bite your tongue big time! There are many of us 60+ year-old alumni not satisfied in the least with “golly, gee whiz.” Many more than obviously you can possibly imagine!!
OSUSupporter says:
Sep 27, 2011
Ok my bad, sorry wcjr…..Everyone seems to be tired of the same ‘ol, same ‘ol….
I wasn’t at the UCLA post-game where I heard Riley got a standing ovation. Who the heck were those people? Riley staffers? Why on earth would anyone give Riley a standing ovation?
If Riley had the best interests of OSU in mind, he would resign and let us hire someone who will shake things up and get us back on track. NikeU supporters want Riley to stay, as they do Neweasel and Stoooooops as they will keep their teams at the bottom of the Pac-12.
Cliff Kirkpatrick says:
Sep 27, 2011
1. There’s a balance of being a screamer on the sidelines and be not so emotional you can’t think straight. Riley is calm, which is a good thing. I think the assistants should be the screamers. However, too many of his assistants have his personality.
2. I’ve been on the record of not liking how that was handled.
3. Riley’s approach is a good one. He’s not going to say his team sucks or he’s giving up. That would be worse.
As for loyalty to coaches, all coaches have that. Stability of coaches is considered important for a program to grow. That has helped OSU most of the time. Changes were made in the offseason with Newhouse being ousted.
If you are talking Banker. His scheme should be different. I’ve been on record not liking it anymore.
Langsdorf does what Riley wants. Riley is an offensive coach, and most of his attention is there.
4. The Katz deal is very puzzling. The decision to go with Mannion is fine and sound, but how it was handled odd. However, that’s how things go with all positions. QB is just more public or in the public eye.
And Riley has been loyal to his players to a fault before. This change of it being just business is what makes it odd.
OSUSupporter says:
Sep 27, 2011
Cliff, thanks for your thoughts…as usual they are insightful yet PC at the same time (Odd is a pretty neutral description).
My hope is that the coaches get amped up and practice is more urgent and the team plays with passion and energy….which will result in wins down the road.
Duane says:
Sep 27, 2011
It’s probably just me. I’m not the golly gee type. More like the get out there and kick ass type. In my high school sophomore year we went 0-9 and three of those losses were 60+ to 0 by playoff quality teams. We knew going out the gate, we were toast, yet I visualized us winning before every game. Our coach’s brother somehow knew Ara Parsegian, who hand wrote us a letter of encouragement. My senior year we went 6-3 and those three losses were, yup, to the very same teams but only soundly beaten by one. The reason I tell this is that I learned to not give up.
Lately, the talk around here has been negative and short-sighted. Over the past few seasons (’10 excepted) I’d take a little joy in reading comments of the other P10 teams as they wailed and gnashed their teeth. It dismays me now to read the negative comments of OSU by OSU fans and knowing it only adds joy to the fans around the league. I still think Riley has what it takes to mold and maintain a solid program here. Plus, I don’t know enough about football (or I’d be a coach) or the dynamics of coaching at OSU to lob a lot of the so-called expertise Riley is getting.
I hate losing. Did I mention that I hate losing? Anyway, I saw a lot of potential in the ucla game. And I saw so much opportunity to win. That made the loss so much more painful. I think there’s a chance for this group to catch fire and do some damage this year. If not, I know they’ll have what it takes the next 2-3. But that’s just me. GO BEAVS!
dili says:
Sep 27, 2011
Cliff, I have a question that I often have wondered about and perhaps you don’t have the answer but I want to ask it neverthaless. Does Riley ever read your comments on your blog? I understand he has alot on his mind and perhaps takes the view that “I don’t answer to the fans”. I don’t know? But it seems to me he might be wise to consider what many of us fans are saying over and over again; that his coaching assistants are bringing him down big time. Do you know if he reads what we are saying, positive or negative? Or does DeCarolis, or any of his assistants? If he (or any of them) does I would like for him (they) to specifically respond to comments that ask for changes in our offensive play calling, our defensive schemes, and other important points that have been raised, and give us some specific information that things are going to change for the better, what he his plans are specifically to make things better. Not just general BS that “I see some positives in this game”, “we’re young and need to get better,” “we had some mistakes we need to work on”, that kind of bull. Can he give us some direct responses on our concerns about what he intends to do, and give us some hope? I really feel as the coach he needs to try to aliviate growing discontent with his program. I would like for you to consider bringing him on so he can answer specific questions from the fans. If he will not do this and make changes, I fear there will be a huge drop in support next year, and it is his responsiibility if this happens. Thanks for your consideration, Cliff
Cliff Kirkpatrick says:
Sep 28, 2011
No he doesn’t read newspapers, blogs or whatever. Veteran coaches learn not to do that. It’s a distraction.
De Carolis used to read blogs, mine and others, but learned the same thing.
I’ve asked Riley in the past to do something regular to do a fan interaction with me, and decided not. My idea came from a co-worker who did that with him in San Diego, while with the Chargers. He found it hookie in the good times, and during the bad times it was repetitive of the same stuff.
Riley answers stuff specifically without giving game plan away. Yesterday day, he talked about blocking and coverage position, and how some players were doing it right but then just got beat. He wants them to not get beat.
dili says:
Sep 28, 2011
Thanks for the info Cliff