Cliff Kirkpatrick

The Oregon State football team used its Wildcat formation with RB Jacquizz Rodgers at QB and QB Sean Canfield out wide as a WR for the second time this season on Saturday against UCLA.

Success was found again, so the Beavers revealed that they are calling the formation the Wild Beaver. So from here on out, that’s how I’ll address the formation in print and the blog. It amuses me to no end.

The wrinkle in the UCLA game was Rodgers throwing out of the formation. He hit TE Brady Camp for a 14-yard TD pass.

“The first time we ran that he threw a terrible ball,” QB Sean Canfield said. “Every week he got better at it. I went to him on the bench and asked him if he was trying to take my job.”

I was at the first practice Rodgers ran that play. It was during the bye week and he overthrew Camp badly.

“I didn’t run the route as tight as I should have,” Camp said of the first practice try. “We fixed it. But it still took me time to process the play (when it was called in the huddle). Then I got to the line, and said, ‘wait a second. Is this for real?’ Then it opened up perfectly.”

Camp has scored two TDs this season being wide open, catching floaters. Opponents don’t see him as receiving threat and leave him alone. That’s what makes these plays so effective.

However, watching them are interesting. The ball floated up there for a while. And you wonder if Camp is going to catch it because he rarely gets an opportunity and being that wide open is unnerving.

“I saw I was wide open and he threw it perfectly,” Camp said. “It seemed like an eternity the ball is up in the air. I looked around and saw I’m wide open. Then I was more excited for Quizz than myself. I can’t believe that actually worked.”

When coach Mike Riley was asked about the disbelief and uncertainty in Camp about the play, he laughed.

“That’s why we call him Eyeore,” Riley said.

Check out Rodgers’ throwing technique in the above photo. To hear Quizz talk about it, go to my previous blog and click the video of the Rodgers brothers.

Also, here’s a link to my main story in Sunday’s GT. It’s on the scrappiness of the Beavers to come back. Here’s a link to the notes. Here’s a link to the report card. For more photos from the game by the GT photogs like the one above and not mine like the one below, click here.

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The Oregon State football team survived a 26-19 win over UCLA on Saturday. My main story for Sunday’s GT had written itself with the Beavers doing so well, then it all fell apart.

The defense melted down. The pass rush was gone and the pass coverage was not as tight. Overall, the offense and special teams did well.

The offense should turn the four field goals into TDs, and the game would have been put away long ago.

“We are going to enjoy the win, but we all understand there was a lot of stuff that wasn’t perfect,” coach Mike Riley said. “But there was a lot of good football. We earned the win, and we made it harder on ourselves. We can work hard to correct that, and come back and try and make it better.”

But hey, it’s a win and now they coaches have something for hammer into the players during practice. The bottom line is one more win and the Beavers go bowling.

As for the video report, the above video is of QB Sean Canfield. The bottom on is on the Rodgers brothers.

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Happy Halloween from the town where orange and black are every day colors. It works well that the Oregon State football team plays its homecoming game today against UCLA.

Follow the blog before, during and after the game for updates and insight. I’ll be on a tight deadline even with a 1 p.m. game because my sons will be waiting for me to go trick-or-treating.

Here’s my PSA of the day with above video. The Horizon OSU plane is flying over the game right before kickoff. So brace yourself Corvallis. If you haven’t been reading the letters to the editor in the GT, the last flyover caused a big ruckus. It mostly from people who were anti-military.

Anyway as for the game, I picked the Beavers to win 28-7 in today’s Game Day edition. I kicked myself after it went to print. I should have picked 28-3 or 28-6 since UCLA mostly scores field goals.

To catch up on stuff going into the game, here’s a link to my main Saturday story focusing on the safeties and how they are doing and improving.

Here’s a link to my five keys to the game, and my players to watch. It’s DT Stephen Paea, who is due for a breakout game, and UCLA S Rahim Moore. He’s the nation’s leader in INTs.

Here’s a link to the UCLA scouting report, and to OSU coach Mike Riley’s view of them here. For some extra reading, here’s a link to a feature story on how Riley has fully handed the offense over the offensive coordinator Danny Langsdorf and the off-beat Q&A with Damola Adeniji.

That’s if for now. I’ll use this post the game/pregame thread. So comment away and ask questions. And follow me on at twitter.com/cliffgt.

I leave you with my youngest son’s favorite song every day of the year, but truly fitting today.

Pregame updates
I know you are not shocked by this one: The Beavers are wearing orange jerseys and black pants for the holiday.

First quarter
The crowd is terrible right after kickoff. OSU takes the opening kickoff for 9 plays, 41 yards and Justin Kahut kicks a 48-yard FG. OSU up 3-0,  10:35. That was his fifth of 40 or more yards this season.

MLB David Pa’aluhi (sick) didn’t start. Keaton Kristick is in the middle with Dwight Roberson and Keith Pankey on the outsides. Pa’aluhi appears on the second drive.

QB Sean Canfield looks a little sluggish passing. The second drive ended up in a punt.

Second quarter
This quarter has been pretty boring, but quick so that’s good. Neither team has been doing much. Kahut hit another FG, a 42-yarder. OSU up 6-0, 5:56.

RB Jacquizz Rodgers just threw a 14-yard TD to TE Brady Camp out of the wildcat. It was his first career pass. The play worked so well that there was no one near Camp. The pass as a tight spiral, too. OSU up 13-0, 1:12.

A good defensive stand for OSU allows it one more shot before halftime. Canfield finds James Rodgers for a 43-yard pass to give the Beavers a shot. Kahut hits a 27-yard FG as time runs out. OSU leads 16-0 at halftime.

Third quarter
UCLA gets on the board with a 25-yard FG. Due to penalties that helped, it was victory for the defense. OSU leads 16-3, 9:44

Beavers try a fake FG, but the play was called dead due to a delay call. That pushed OSU back five yards for a 49-yarder. Kahut was one yard short.

Fourth quarter
Beavers trying to run out the clock. All the backup receivers are being used – Markus Wheaton, Casey Kjos and Aaron Nichols. RB Ryan McCants getting some work.

Kahut hit a 31-yard FG to put OSU up 19-3 with 10:10 left in the game.

UCLA picks up a fluke TD with a 53-yard reception by Nelson Rosario, and got the two-point conversion. OSU lead 19-11 with 8:39.

UCLA made it a game. Drove the field and scored a TD with 2:06 left in the game. Taylor Embree catches one on Tim Clark and then a 2-point conversion. Game tied 19-19 with 2:06.

Clark needed help off the field with some injury.

Beavers come back with a 17-yard rushing TD by James Rodgers with 0:44 left in the game. It came off the fly sweep and he pushed through a pack of defenders. OSU up 26-19.

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