Oregon State Football

As an Oregon State Beavers fan, it's been hard to stay positive.

2008 and 2009 both ended in disappointment, as our down-south rivals ended strong Rose Bowl bids. Then 2010 was filled with ups (such as beating USC) and downs (such as losing to Washington State). Topping things off was a 2011 record of 3-9, the Beavers' worst since 1996.

Despite the bleak outlook, there are signs of sunshine in OSU's future.

2011 standouts, Sean Mannion (QB) and Scott Crichton (DE), both received freshman All-American honors.

Heading into 2012, the Beavers might see their best recruiting class in a long time. They have 22 commitments in total, including two defensive 4-star recruits.

Looking at the pieces in place, the Beavs have a good shot at returning to Pac 12 dominance, but there's still work to be done.

2011 was very telling of Mike Riley and the OSU team he's assembling. There's still a lot of holes to be filled.

Return to Fundamentals

Despite the fundamentally sound teams of football seasons past, the 2011 Beavers played some of the ugliest football I've ever seen.

Mike Riley is usually a general about this kind of stuff, but nothing stuck in 2011.

One of the biggest fundamental flaws was tackling. This was incredibly evident during the 35-0 Wisconsin shellacking. Then there was the first half of the Utah game which might have been the worst I've ever seen.

Tackling caused the OSU defense woes all season long. It seemed everyone was leaping through the air, trying to force momentum and tackle from over the top. Instead, they should have let their big bodies create their own force and drive into ball-carriers.

In a conference that features diverse and athletic offenses, you have to play sound defense. The first part of that is learning the fundamentals and putting it to practice. If the Beavers want to return to being a defensive powerhouse they're going to have to revisit the roots of good play.

The second fundamental flaw in OSU's play has been ball control.

In the Beavers' 12 games they fumbled the ball 25 times. They had three fumbles in half of their games, and their only game without a fumble was against Washington State. To put it in perspective, opponents fumbled the ball a mere 16 times against the Beavers. Only two opponents saw three fumbles, while four teams saw zero.

In his time as a Beaver, Jacquizz Rodgers never once fumbled the ball. The fact that OSU only went one game without a fumble is inexcusable.

Then there's the 18 interceptions Sean Mannion threw. From what I saw, they were very rarely deep passes. Most of the time, his interceptions came on short passes down the middle of the field. Mannion is still young, but he needs to read defensive schemes better, especially those over the line.

Turnovers were a huge part of OSU's offensive woes in 2011. The fumbles are a huge eyesore, and they definitely need to learn better ball control. The interceptions weren't pretty, but as Mannion matures he'll get better.

If Riley can get his defense to make their tackles, and get the offense to hold onto the ball, we'll be looking at an incredibly different team in 2012. It seems simple, but fundamentals can be the difference between a great football team and a bad one.

Continue to Develop That Offense

No one knew what kind of offense the Beavers would have without Jacquizz Rodgers. It was predicted to be a much poorer one. Too be honest, I was pleasantly surprised last season. 

The Beavers saw great development from their young wide receiving corps. Marcus Wheaton led the team with 78 catches for 986 yards (sixth in the Pac-12). Freshman Brandin Cooks had 31 catches for 391 yards and three touchdowns.

The greatest improvement was seen at quarterback. After the continuing saga of Ryan Katz, freshman Mannion was eventually thrust into the starter's role. In his inaugural season, he threw for 3,332 yards (fifth) accumulating 16 touchdowns. 

The biggest enigma facing Oregon State seems to be running back. In 2011, it was rush by committee, as the Beavers rotated through Malcolm Agnew, Jovan Stevenson and Terron Ward.

Over the last two seasons, Riley has recruited four 3-star tailbacks.

I'm not saying OSU needs to return to the days of Steven Jackson and Jacquizz Rogers, but they need to work better to establish the run.

The Beavers have a great young quarterback and a wide receiving duo on the rise. In order to bring the offense to its full potential they need to be able to rush a consistent 80 to 100 yards per game in order to better establish option plays and take some pressure off Mannion.

Win the Games That Count

There are two parts to this.

First, are the out-of-conference games. OSU is a good place to play football, and they've proven time and time again that they should never be discounted. Yet, when it comes time to show off on the national stage, the Beavers continuously fall short.

Since Mike Riley took over in 2003, the Beavers are 18-14 in out-of-conference play. Not too bad. When it comes to ranked teams, that record becomes 1-7.

It's easy to beat the Portland States of the world, and OSU can do that year in and year out. Beating teams like Wisconsin, Boise State, Penn State—that's where respect is won.

Beating out-of-conference teams won't win the Beavs a Pac-12 title. However, it will instill confidence and command respect. In other words, if OSU plays like a team that should be feared, the dominoes will fall in place.

The other piece of the "games that count" puzzle is beating the University of Oregon Ducks.

The Civil War is one of the biggest events in Oregon, and over the last few years the whole world's been watching.

The 2008-2009 Civil Wars were determinants for who went to the Rose Bowl. The 2010 game was the final hurdle for the Ducks before heading to the BSC National Championship Game. 2011's Pac-12 North champion would have been Stanford if not for the Civil War.

No matter how important the last four Civil Wars have been, Oregon Sate continues to come up short.

The biggest statement the Beavers can make is getting over the Civil War roadblock and prove they're the best team in Oregon.

Final Remarks

I have been at OSU for four years now, and I've seen a lot of great football. I've also seen a lot of bad football, with last year's team taking the cake.

I believe in the Beavers and what they can do.

I think Riley has great coaching acumen. I think Mannion could be one of the best quarterbacks in Beaver history. I think Wheaton could make folks forget about Sammy Straughter.

None of that matters if they can't fix the little things. If the OSU Beavers want to become a powerhouse, they need to reexamine what they're doing wrong and do what it takes to fix it.

There is a cloud over Corvallis at the moment as news hits that Oregon State defensive lineman Fred Thompson has died of a heart attack. 

The 18-year old would have been 19 on Sunday. News came by way of Twitter on Wednesday night. Football writer for The Oregonian, Paul Buker tweeted the following news that no doubt placed a pall over the tight-knit community. 

Buker continues with this tweet. It seems that details are very scarce at this time. Our thoughts go out to the family and the entire Beaver community. 

Buker goes on in the next tweet to state, "or what the circumstances were."

According to his Oregon State bio, Thompson was "A California native, 2009 Cream of the Crop recipient, athlete of the year, first team All-City and NorCal Region best defensive tackle." 

Thompson was a self-professed goofball that played the game with enthusiasm and passion. He will be the first to tell you that he was always out to have a good time. 

When asked to describe himself, Thompson replied with zeal, "I’m a goofball, so I am always dancing. I can dance really well. I can juggle. I am a music guy, but I like making beats."

We are sure to find out a great deal more behind the circumstances of this tragic incident. For now, all we know is that college football has just lost a bright young talent that lit up those around him. 

The Beavers are giving the fourth ranked Cardinal all they can handle—they only trail 17-7 at halftime.  

Here are five adjustments Mike Riley and Co. need to make to take this game down to the wire. 

Get in Andrew Luck's Head

That fourth quarter interception from last week is still in the back of Andrew Luck’s mind. Michael Doctor has already picked him off once and he has made a few other throws that could have gone the other way. 

If the Beavers are going to come back in this game they need to take advantage of more of these mistakes. 

First Down Defense

Andrew Luck completes over 80 percent of his passes on first down, which helps the Cardinal offense always stay ahead of the chains. 

If the Beavers can force Stanford into more second and 10 situations, they can give their defense a huge advantage by making the Card more predictable on offense. 

Extend the Cardinal D

The secondary is undoubtedly the weak link of Stanford’s defense. Sean Mannion and the Beavers would be best served to stretch the field with Markus Wheaton and James Rodgers. 

If they swing for the fences enough, they might just hit on a few.

Big Plays from the Freshmen

This is a young Beavers team.  If they are going to pull off the upset, Mannion and Malcolm Agnew are going to have to play beyond their years.

Get Reser Rockin'

The longer the Beavers can keep the Reser faithful in this game, the better chance they have at taking this thing down to the wire.    

After tough starts, the BYU Cougars and Oregon State Beavers seem to be figuring things out as we get deeper and deeper into the 2011 season.

The Cougars started the season as a trendy sleeper, but they all but fell off the radar after losing two straight games to Texas and Utah. They have since won three straight, and are on pace to play in a bowl game for a seventh straight season.

The Beavers were absolutely wretched at the start of the season, but they won their first game against Arizona this past weekend. They might just be ready to surprise people.

On Saturday, these two teams are going to hook up for an afternoon of football in Corvallis. Let's take a look at what we can expect to see.

Where: Reser Stadium

When: Saturday at 4:00 p.m. ET

Watch: Fox College Sports/KBYU

Listen: Live streaming audio on KSL.com and OSUBeavers.com; KSL 1160 AM, KSL 102.7 FM and Sirius 143 for BYU; Beaver Sports Network and Sirius 139 for Oregon State.

Betting Line: Oregon State -1.5, according to Sportsbook.

Key Storyline

The Beavers are coming off their first win of the season, and they can delight in the fact that they pretty much cost Mike Stoops his job. They won't cost Bronco Mendenhall his job if they win, but they can spoil what will be a homecoming of sorts. Mendenhall coached at Oregon State in the 1990s.

Who Might Not Play for BYU

The USA Today notes that defensive end Graham Rowley is dealing with an ankle injury and offensive lineman Houston Reynolds is dealing with a foot injury. Both are questionable for Saturday.

Who Might Not Play for Oregon State

The Beavers are a little more strapped for players than the Cougars are. Defensive tackle Dominic Glover (academics), running back Malcolm Agnew (hamstring), guard Josh Andrews (knee), wide receiver Micah Hatfield (hand) and running back Jovan Stevenson (head) are all questionable for Saturday.

BCS/Top 25 Poll Implications

There are neither. Both BYU and Oregon State are a long ways away from the AP Top 25, and both of them are well out of the BCS picture. Both teams are merely trying to become bowl eligible.

What They're Saying

BYU has been pulled out some wins in close games this season, and Jay Drew of The Salt Lake Tribune points out that this is nothing out of the ordinary for Mendenhall's Cougars:

"In his seventh year, Mendenhall is 18-7 in games decided by seven points or fewer. However, in the past five seasons (2007-2011) he is 16-2 in one-touchdown games, with 17-16 losses to Utah last season and Texas last month the only blemishes."

When asked about it, Mendenhall chalked this trend up to the "maturity" of his players. Kind of a stock answer, but it's hard to argue the point.

Meanwhile in Corvallis, Paul Buker of The Oregonian penned a good piece about the difficulties the Beavers are having with their running game in the post-Jacquizz Rodgers era:

"The numbers had not been encouraging for the OSU ground game. After rolling up 266 yards rushing against Sacramento State, the Beavers had just 24 against Wisconsin, 88 against UCLA, and 47 against Arizona State."

On the bright side, the Beavers did have 128 yards rushing against Arizona. Sophomore running back Jovan Stevenson picked up 99 of those.

BYU Player to Watch

Keep an eye on junior quarterback Riley Nelson. He's looked pretty good since coming on in relief of the embattled Jake Heaps, and the odds are good that he will be under center again for the Cougars against Oregon State. Nelson has racked up 490 total yards in the last two weeks.

Oregon State Player to Watch

I think it has to be Jovan Stevenson. Buker reported on Tuesday that Stevenson isn't likely to practice until Wednesday, but it sounds like he's going to be okay to go on Saturday. If he is, he'll be looking to build on his recent success against a stout BYU front seven.

Key Matchup

Speaking of that front seven, it must corral Stevenson and any other running back the Beavers throw at it. That will make things much tougher for freshman quarterback Sean Mannion, and that's not a good thing for Oregon State seeing as how Mannion has had some turnover issues this season.

On the Hot Seat

Mike Riley cooled his seat by leading the Beavers to their first win this past Saturday, but a few more wins can only help his job security. If things turn around and start going south again, he's going to be in trouble.

Prediction

Both teams have turned things around after slow starts, but I think the Cougars are the better team. It won't be pretty, but I see them taking this one.

BYU 21, Oregon State 20

It has been a long season for the Oregon State Beavers thus far to say the least. After a disappointing 5-7 season in 2010, hopes were much higher for 2011.

The Beavers are a pitiful 0-3 (0-1 Pac-12) with the hardest part of their schedule still ahead of them. Losses to Sacramento State and UCLA will be nothing compared to the likes of Arizona State, Stanford, Washington and Oregon.

This team in all likelihood won’t make a splash in Pac-12 championship talks, but that shouldn’t doom the season. Injuries have plagued this team and their chances of making any kind of impact this year.

Here are the five major injuries that have plagued this team in 2011…

Malcolm Agnew: Hamstring 

Agnew was the one bright spot in the Beavers’ loss to Sacramento State, rushing for 233 yards and being their only form of offense. Agnew has had a nagging hamstring injury and hasn’t seen the field in the Beavers' last two games. Agnew is listed as probable to return against the Arizona State Sun Devils, and Oregon State could use him sooner rather than later.

Josh LaGrone: Knee 

LaGrone was in a battle with Anthony Watkins for a starting safety job, but that became irrelevant once word came out of his injury. LaGrone injured his knee this offseason, and it was reported early on that he would in fact be out for the Beavers' entire 2011 season.

Joshua Andrews: Knee 

Andrews was lost for a minimum of 4-5 weeks during the Beavers’ bye week, and the injury could turn out to have him out much longer than that. Andrews earned a starting guard spot this season, and his void on the line has been felt.

Michael Philipp: Knee 

Philipp was one of only two returning starters on the offensive line for the Beavers, and it has recently come out that he will be lost for the season after undergoing knee surgery. Philipp can take a medical redshirt and retain a year of eligibility.

Brandon Hardin: Shoulder 

Perhaps no injury across the country had more of an impact on a team in college football than the loss of Brandon Hardin for the Beavers. Oregon State's veteran corner, Hardin was prepared to enter his senior season as one of the top defensive backs in the entire Pac-12. A shoulder injury in the offseason has put Hardin out indefinitely, and there’s no news on when to expect a return (if he does).

Note: James Rodgers' injury occurred in 2010 and he has seen playing time for the Beavers, therefore he is not on the list of currently injured players.

Oregon State Beavers vs. No. 25 Arizona State Sun Devils

Kickoff time: 7:30 PM PST

Tempe, AZ

It seems like it was just yesterday that Dennis Erickson was patrolling the Beaver sidelines. In reality it has been nine seasons since Erickson left Oregon State for greener pastures, but fans still remember the excitement and success Erickson brought to university.

In Erickson’s first season he led the team to a 7-5 record, the first above .500 season in 29 years for the historically bad program. The very next year, Erickson took the team to a whole new level going 11-1 and earning a share as conference champions.

The 2000 Oregon State squad missed out on an opportunity to play in the national championship game, and instead went on to the Fiesta Bowl for 41-9 victory over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (one of largest margin of defeats in Notre Dame history).

With expectations higher than ever in 2001, the Beavers entered the season ranked No. 1 by numerous preseason magazines, most notably Sports Illustrated. The Beavers offense was depleted with the losses of Chad Johnson (Ochocinco), Mitch White and T.J. Houshmandzadeh leaving the high-powered offense, plus key linebacker DeLawrence Grant also gone to the NFL.

The team finished a disappointing 5-6 while rival Oregon finished the season 11-1 and ranked No. 2 in the country. After a season that never lived up to expectations, rumors began to emerge that Erickson was interested in taking the head coaching vacancy at USC (eventually filled by Pete Carroll).

Erickson coached the Beavers for another season, finishing 8-4 but leaving for the NFL before his contract expired. Many Beaver fans have not forgiven Erickson for his quick and early departure.

Erickson returned to the NFL for the 2003 season, calling San Francisco his new home replacing former 49ers head coach, Steve Mariucci. Erickson’s first season ended in a surprising 7-9 record, far exceeding the level of skill of the team.

In 2004, Erickson and the 49ers went a pitiful 2-14 and eventually led to the two parting ways.

After a year off from coaching in 2005, Erickson returned to the sidelines, this time in Moscow, Idaho as head coach of the Idaho Vandals where he was offensive coordinator in 1974-75 and head coach from 1982-85. The season started off as expected, going 4-3 to start the season but finishing with five straight losses for a 4-8 record.

Erickson’s return to Moscow only lasted a season when Erickson was announced as the new head coach of the Arizona State Sun Devils.

Erickson’s first season in the desert has been his best since his departure from the Beavers in 2002. ASU finished the 2007 with a 10-3 finish that had the Sun Devils in or around the top 10 for a large part of the season.

The three seasons since have the Sun Devils at a dismal 15-21 record with no bowl appearances. Arizona State now finds itself 3-1 (1-0) and ranked No. 25 nationally in the AP Poll.

Erickson has a 1-3 record against his former Beavers and current Beaver head coach Mike Riley has a 5-3 record against the Sun Devils. Even though none of the Beaver players have ever played under Erickson or have any connection to the former Beaver coach, there’s no questioning that both of these teams would love a win against the other.

Apparently, the time is now for Sean Mannion and the Oregon State Beavers.

Head coach Mike Riley announced Tuesday that Sean Mannion will be the one and only starting quarterback for the Beavers, ending without a doubt the strangest quarterback controversy this season in college football. The question now is how can this season be saved?

Oregon State has started off 0-2 and given how the Beavers have played so far, the upcoming schedule looks daunting. The most winnable game on the schedule appears to be the next one, a match up against UCLA in Corvallis on September 24.

The schedule only gets tougher from there on out with each team seemingly on their way to a successful season. Even Washington State appears to have turned things around and leads the country in scoring offense at 61.5 points per game.

With that in mind, a bowl game seems like a stretch for the Beavers. While Mike Riley and co. have done stranger things, it's time to look towards the future.

With Mannion stepping in, the Beavers will start a redshirt freshman QB, and a true freshman at both running back (Malcolm Agnew) and flanker (Brandin Cooks). If they all remain healthy and perform the way everyone believes they will, this could be a fantastic trio of offensive weapons in years to come.

In addition to these three, there are other freshman who are already receiving playing time on offense—Obum Gwacham (WR), Terron Ward (RB), and Connor Hamlett (TE) all look to have tremendous potential.

On the defensive side of the ball, redshirt freshman Scott Crichton and true freshman Dylan Wynn look like they have the potential to make game-changing plays from the defensive end positions—something that has been missed desperately in previous seasons.

The future is bright for the Beavers and while there may not be much hope for this season, if Beaver Nation takes a look at the big picture, there is a lot to be hopeful for. This season can be saved by developing these freshmen and preparing them for the bright future that lies ahead of them.

After all, the last time Oregon State started a freshman at both quarterback and running back in the same season, their names were Jonathan Smith and Ken Simonton. Two years later, they were the key players on perhaps the best Oregon State team ever.

If I were a Beaver fan, I would start putting some money away for those 2014 Rose Bowl tickets right now. You just never know.