Nov. 14, 2011

OSU vs Washington Game Notes

THIS WEEK
Oregon State (2-8, 2-5 in Pac-12 overall) plays its final home game of the 2011 season Sat., Nov. 19 against the Washington Huskies (6-4, 4-3). Kickoff is set for 12:36 p.m. with live television coverage by ROOT Sports NW.

SENIOR DAY
The following Beaver seniors will make their final playing appearance at Reser Stadium; Darrell Catchings (WR), Cameron Collins (LB), Burke Ellis (OG), Kevin Frahm (DT), Dominic Glover (DT), Joe Halahuni (TE), Brandon Hardin (CB), Johnny Hekker (P), Grant Johnson (C), Michael Lamb (OG), Ryan McCants (RB), Lance Mitchell (S), Ben Motter (DT), Josh Parish (LB), Marcus Perry (LS), Mike Remmers (OT) and James Rodgers (WR).

GAME 96
The series dates back to 1897 when Oregon State won a 16-0 decision at home. Overall Washington has the advantage 58-33-4 thanks mainly to a 25-2 run between 1975 and 2003. OSU had a six-game win streak snapped in a 35-34 double overtime loss at Husky Stadium last season. Jacquizz Rodgers had 140 yards and three touchdowns for OSU in last year’s game.

RODGERS NEARS SECOND AND THIRD CAREER RECORDS
Senior receiver James Rodgers is closing in on the school record for career receptions, currently second with 218 catches (9th among active FBS players). He needs two more to tie the all-time leader – 2005 Biletnikoff Award recipient Mike Hass (pronounced like pass). He also needs two touchdown receptions to tie the record of 20 by both James Newson and Hass. Rodgers already holds the school record for all-purpose yards with 6,336 (5th among active NCAA FBS players).

POYER BREAKUPS
Junior corner Jordan Poyer is tied for second in the nation and first in the Pac-12 with 15 passes defended (breakups + INT), including four against Arizona. Poyer is closing in on the school record for one season of 19 held by Andrae Holland (1998).

MISSING STARTERS
Oregon State’s injury situation has steadily gone from bad to worse, although it is hopeful that Grant Johnson (C) will be able to play Saturday and that Jordan Bishop (WR) and Feti ‘Unga (LB) who played last week will be ready to resume their starting positions. As it is, projected starters at the beginning of the year have missed 47 games – Josh Andrews (G/6 games); Michael Philipp (OT/Season); Joe Halahuni (TE/2), Malcolm Agnew (RB/5), James Rodgers (WR/2), Grant Johnson (C/2), Jordan Bishop (WR/1), Taylor Henry (DE/1), Castro Masaniai (DT/4), Kevin Frahm (DT/1), Cameron Collins (LB/1), Feti ‘Unga (LB/3), Lance Mitchell (S/1), Brandon Hardin (CB/Season).

WIN THE TURNOVER BATTLE, WIN THE GAME
Over the last 96 games, Oregon State is 36-8 when committing fewer turnovers than its opponent, 9-28 when committing more and 9-7 when even. OSU hasn’t been on the positive side of the turnover ledger in recent weeks and with 22 for the season ranks tied for 108th – compared to tied for 12th in 2010 (16) and tied for second in 2009 (11) for both seasons.

AIR ATTACK
Oregon State enters Saturday’s game 20th in the nation for pass offense at 281 yards per game; a mark should it stand for the season would be the highest for a Beaver team since the 2005 club finished 10th in the country at 296.5. The Beavers’ 422 pass attempts (Texas Tech leads with 490) and 267 completions both rank eighth in the nation. The team is averaging 27 completions per game, which would lead to a school record of 320 (319 current record in ’09). Quarterback Sean Mannion is on track to finish the season with 3,228 yards passing, which would be an OSU record for a freshman and the fifth-highest total for a single season in OSU history – Derek Anderson has the school record with 4,058 in 2003,  3,615 in 2004 and 3,313 in 2002; Sean Canfield had 3,271 yards in 2009.

1,000-YARD RUSHER STREAK
Oregon State’s streak of having a 1,000-yard rusher will come to an end this season. OSU has had a 1,000-yard rusher every season starting in 2006 – only Georgia Tech, Wisconsin and Penn State can make the same claim.

THIS CENTURY IN THE PAC-12
USC owns the most victories in the Pac-12 Conference this century with 118 (104 with vacated wins), followed by Oregon (108), OSU (87), Cal (82), Arizona State (77), UCLA (76), Stanford (68), WSU (63), Washington (62), Arizona (58). Utah has 102 victories this century and Colorado has 65.

SCORELESS FIRST
Oregon State’s defense has not allowed a first-quarter point this season in five games – Sacramento State, Arizona State, Arizona, Washington State and Stanford. Opponents have scored just 31 points in the first quarters combined, but have 135 in the second (the most against OSU for one quarter).  Three of OSU’s games (Sac. State, Arizona, Stanford) have been a scoreless tied after the first.

THE GOOD NEWS IS …
For the eighth consecutive season Oregon State failed to reach Oct. 1 with a winning record – combined 12-19 (39%) – that’s the bad news. The good news is, the Beavers are a combined 39-19 (67%) in the months of October, November and December starting with 2004. 

FRESHMEN LINEMEN SET RECORDS
True freshman defensive end Dylan Wynn has set an OSU record with five fumble recoveries, which also leads the NCAA. Teammate freshman-redshirt Scott Crichton has forced a school-record matching four fumbles (tied for fourth).

THIRD DOWN CONVERSATION RATE
OSU’s defense is allowing a 55 percent success (36-65) rate on third down attempts in the first half, but just 38 percent (23-60) in the second half. Overall, opponents are converting on third down 47 percent of the time, which ranks 101st in the NCAA – Pac-12 counterparts Colorado, UCLA and Washington rank lower.

“IT IS AN O-S-U….”
OSU public address announcer Mike Stone’s trademark saying (the crowd completes it with “first down”) when OSU moves the chains at Reser Stadium has become a tradition and it comes most often following a pass from Sean Mannion. Of OSU’s 202 first downs, 66 percent (134) have been via the air. Only San Jose State (68%) and East Carolina (67%) have a higher percentage of first downs via the pass. THAT HURTS
Usually among the national leaders for fewest penalty yards, OSU has been plagued by the yellow flags this season averaging 69.4 yards (11th in Pac-12/117th in NCAA). Opponents have 27 first downs via the penalty this year (20 all of last year) which is the most in the nation. 

REJECTION
Oregon State has blocked five kicks (2 fgs/2 punts/1 PAT) this season, the most since 2001. The school record is 10 by the 1998 team. Defensive lineman Andrew Seumalo blocked an extra point and field goal against UCLA.

RESER RECORD
Oregon State’s home record of 52-20 this century at Reser Stadium is third best in the Pac-12 Conference, trailing Oregon (61-13) and USC (58-14).   

FIRST-TIME STARTERS
Oregon State has played 23 first-time starters to this point in the season, including running back Malcolm Agnew in the season opener – he is the first true freshman running back to ever start an opener for the Beavers. First time starters include Agnew, Josh Andrews (OG), Brandin Cooks (WR), Kevin Cummings (WR), Scott Crichton (DE), Michael Doctor (LB), Grant Enger (OG), Geoff Garner (C), Jordan Jenkins (RB), Colin Kelly (OT), Sean Mannion (QB), Castro Masaniai (DT), Ryan Murphy (S), Jordan Poyer (CB), Colby Prince (TE), Rashaad Reynolds (CB), Andrew Seumalo (DT), Jovan Stevenson (RB), Feti ‘Unga (LB), Anthony Watkins (S), Terron Ward (RB), Dylan Wynn (DE) and Clayton York (FB).

RPI THIS
Since the 2003 season, when Mike Riley took the controls of the program for the second time, nine of the 11 road non-conference opponents have finished the season in the Associated Press Top 25 (Wisconsin TBD) 2004 – LSU (No. 16); 2005 – Louisville (No. 20); 2006 Boise State (No. 6) and Hawai’i (No. 24); 2007 Cincinnati (No. 20); and in 2008 Utah (No. 2) and Penn State (No. 8).  2010 TCU (No. 2) and Boise State (No. 9). Only Fresno State in 2003 and UNLV in 2009 failed to make the final poll. Thanks to Brooks Hatch formerly of the Corvallis Gazette-Times for this nugget.     

100-PLUS USUALLY A W
When a Beaver rushes for 100-plus yards it usually equals a victory. OSU has won 24 of its last 28 games (86%) when a rusher gains 100 – the only four losses in that period -- Oct. 2, 2008 at Utah (Jacquizz Rodgers 101 yds), Oct. 24, 2009 at USC (Jacquizz 113), Oct. 16, 2010 at Washington (Jacquizz 140) and Sept. 3, 2011 vs. Sacramento State (Malcolm Agnew 223). Quizz, his brother James Rodgers, Yvenson Bernard and Matthew Sieverson are the individuals who have accounted for the 100-yard outings.

63-7
That’s the record of Oregon State when it leads after three quarters with Mike Riley as head coach. Since the start of the 2004 season it is 45-3.

WOODCHIPS
Center Grant Johnson is on the Rimington Award Watch List … tight end/H Back Joe Halahuni is on the Mackey Award Watch List … receiver/returner James Rodgers is on the Paul Hornung Award Watch List … receiver Markus Wheaton is on the Biletnikoff Award Watch List …  Johnny Hekker is on the Ray Guy Award Watch List … Bill “Earthquake” Enyart, who lettered as a running back at OSU from 1966-68, will be inducted into the 2011 National Football Foundation Hall of Fame this December … OSU’s offensive line combined for 91 starts entering the season, the second most in the Pac-12 (Colorado, 97) … former Beaver All-American running back and current NFL standout RB Steven Jackson will be inducted into the inaugural MAACO Bowl Las Vegas Hall of Fame … OSU committed 139 yards in penalties (13) at Arizona State Oct. 1; the most since 141 yards vs. Arizona Nov. 1, 2003 … Sean Mannion set a school record for completions (40) and attempts (66) against Arizona State … OSU scored 27 points in the second quarter vs. Arizona, the most in a single quarter since a 2003 game vs. Arizona.