Condoms Broken by Beaver

Upset? Yes. Shocking? Not really. A heavily favored USC losing to an also-ran PAC-10 opponent (of two) has become an annual event. Its strange how the Trojans completely intimidate out of conference opponents. Their hype and image preceeds them and those schools psyche themselves out before even taking the field. But the PAC-10 isn't feeling intimidated... and The Beavers weren't feeling the love for the Trojans either.

Things look bleak for USC to make it to the National Championship game. With the entire conference looking like poop, the Trojans will have a very low strength of schedule. Loosing to a then 1-2 Beaver squad will drop them significantly in the polls. Couldn't have happened to a more deserving program.

The Haves and the Have Nots

There is definitely a rift developing in the PAC-10 between the good programs and those that are going to take a drubbing this season. You can squarely put Oregon State and Washington State in that arse beating category. The Beavers lost by 31 in an inept performance against Penn State. That doosie was only to be topped by the Cougars who got buried by 63 points at the hands of the Bears.

Man. We better not lose to either one of these teams. That would really, really suck.

Opponent Spring Practices

Spring practice wrapped up last week and all our opponents have completed their sessions as well. Here is a look at the news stories coming out of those camps and what our boys might expect to face this fall.

Tennessee

The Vols have spent some time retooling their offense as well this April. Like the Bruins, Tennessee heads into the 2008 season with a new coordinator, three other new offensive assistants, a new scheme, new terminology and a new quarterback. Jonathan Crompton, a red-shirt junior, is the likely starter for the fall. He will be out of action for the next month after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his throwing elbow.

There will be more of an emphasis on the running game this time around and the Volunteers have a good one in Arian Foster. The Vols return all five offensive line starters from last season and they will provide a big front for Foster, who's closing in on Tennessee's all-time rushing record.

BYU

The Cougars return a very potent and experienced offense this season. One area to watch is their offensive line. A big and powerful group last season, they've been dinged by the injury bug this spring. BYU returns a lot of players at the skill positions including QB Max Hall who had good games against UCLA last season. Junior wide receiver Austin Collie had a good spring and he'll challenge the Bruin's inexperienced secondary this fall.

On defense, the Cougars lose standouts Kelly Popinga and Bryan Kehl. Following in their footsteps, junior Matt Bauman has asserted himself as the new leader of the linebacking corps. He had a good spring and the BYU defense is starting to gel despite not returning many players from last year's squad. Their secondary is young and there might be an opportunity for our offense to throw on them this year.


Fresno State

One of the goals of the spring for Fresno State was to add some depth to a team that returns 10 starters on offense. To help fascilitate that, the veterans didn't see a lot of reps during the scrimmage. QB Tom Brandstater only had 5 pass attempts while his backup took most of the snaps behind center. The Bulldogs have a new offensive coordinator his season in Doug Nussmeier and it will be interesting to see if he opens up an FSU offense mainly known for a strong running game. They have a lot of experience along the line, though many of those starters missed time this spring with nagging injuries.

While the offense is mainly set, the defense has some had some holes to fill this spring. The Bulldogs lost Marcus Riley and Trevor Shamblee, two of their best linebackers. In their place, a host of young players are looking to fill those spots. They also have to fill the shoes of Tyler Clutts, one of their best defensive ends. They don't really have any super stars on this side of the ball and they lack a true leader.

Arizona

The Wildcats remind me a lot of our own team. An inconsistent offense. A defense without any big super stars. They're a work in progress that always seems to be rebuilding each and every season and this team is still struggling to learn the air-raid offense installed last season.

One area where the Wildcats will have some experience is at quarterback. Willie Tuitama is back for his third season and he had a decent spring. He threw for 231 yards on 20 completions out of 36 attempts and one touchdown during the spring game. The running game looks decent and their offense could be exciting if it really gets going.

The defensive side is going to struggle this season. They have a lot of new faces and not a lot of a talent. They lose two of the best corners in the league with Antoine Cason and Wilrey Fontenot departing. They do have some guys stepping up in Devin Ross and sophomore Mike Turner; both had good springs. Highly regarded recruit, Robert Golden, is coming in the fall to add some depth in the secondary.

Arizona State

ASU had a break-out season last year, but will they continue with that success in 2008? RB Shaun DeWitty adds some depth to the Sun Devil's running game. Along with Keegan Herring, this team should continue to perform well on the ground. Carpenter was only able to complete 7-of-21 passes for 88 yards in their spring game. They still have a lot of problems with their offensive line and it doesn't look like they've solved those problems yet.

Erickson looks to add more of a spread-element to his offensive strategy. The team practiced with more four and five-receiver sets and tailback screens this spring. ASU might be making a name for itself as a defensive team this season. The defense was impressive throughout spring and dominated the spring game.

USC

Across town, the Trojans are getting ready for another dominating season. They had a battle at quarterback that everyone knew would end in Mark Sanchez getting the starting job. So it was no surprise when he came out of the spring game as the leader. Mitch Mustain and Aaron Corp held their own, though, and the Trojans look loaded at the position for the foreseeable future.

One big piece of news was that Joe McKnight ended up missing the last week of practice because of eligibility problems. Those likely won't translate into him missing time this fall but it did give the other running backs a chance to shine. The leaders at running back for next season would be C.J. Gable, Staffon Johnson, and Allen Bradford.

On defense, junior cornerback Kevin Thomas, who missed the 2007 season because of a shoulder injury, has played well during the spring. He's already worked his way into the Trojans' third cornerback spot and he has the potential to take the job from starters Cary Harris and Shareece Wright.

California

The Bears had a lot of questions to answer this spring. The biggest one is who will be the starting quarterback? Nate Longshore has a lot of experience but he struggled mightily in Cal's downward spiral last season. Kevin Riley had his fair share of struggles as well, but he impressed in their bowl victory over Air Force. Unfortunately, Longshore missed the entire spring because of a pectoral injury. The decision, according to coach Tedford, could come as late as the week before their home opener.

Injures have also set back other skill positions on offense. Running back Javid Best is out with a hip injury. Which hurts because the Bears lost James Montgomery this off season when he transfered to WSU. Wide receiver Jeremy Ross is also sidelined with a sprained ankle. That leaves a lot of inexperienced guys getting playing time this spring and a lot of unresolved questions on the depth chart.

On defense, the Bears have been using a three man front during the spring. Redshirt freshman Bryan Anger has been wowing onlookers with his punting ability. He should help their special teams unit this fall.

Stanford

Like so many teams in the conference, the Cardinal are searching for a starting quarterback for the 2008 season. Tavita Pricthard, who lead them to their huge victory over the Trojans in the Coliseum last season, is the front runner at this point. He struggled, however, in their spring scrimmage where he only completed 12 of 28 passes for 106 yards. That leaves an opening for Alex Loukas and transfer Jason Forcier (Chris Forcier's brother).

Oregon

No team in the PAC-10 lost more offensive weapons this past season than the Ducks. The dynamic duo of Dixon and Stewart won't be wearing their Oregon uniforms this season and that has left the Eugene faithful asking a lot of questions about their backfield. They may of gotten at least one answer in LeGarrette Blout. The Duck's running game got a boost from the big, 235 lb running back. He bulldozed his way to 68 yards on just 5 carries during their spring scrimmage and he's drawing high praise and favorable comparisons to Stewart.

Oregon State

Oregon State struggled on offense last year but their defense kept them in a lot of games. Unfortunately for the Beaver Believers, that sturdy defense front seven won't be back this season. They did have some depth at linebacker and it looks like some young talent, including Keaton Kristick, Bryant Cornell, and Dwight Roberson will be an adequate replacement.

On offense, the Orange and Black get back standout receiver and return-man Sammie Stroughter. He'll be a big boost to a passing attack that had it's ups and downs last season under first-year quarterback Sean Canfield. Also back from injury is guard Jeremy Perry who missed all but one game in 2007 because of a broken leg. The rest of the offense was hit pretty hard by graduation, including the loss of running back Yvenson Bernard. They'll have a lot to work out this fall if they want to stay in the top-half of the conference standings.

Washington

The Huskies were delt a tough blow when they lost their best offensive lineman in center Juan Garcia with a foot injury this spring. A 6th year senior, Garcia was a second-team, all-conference selection last year, starting every game at center for the second consecutive year. Their line will be young and inexperienced, so it makes the loss of a seasoned veteran hurt even more.

After missing on hiring DeWayne Walker away from UCLA, the Huskies hired Ed Donatell, who spent 12 of the previous 13 seasons coaching in the NFL. Their defense will likely be a work in progress this season as their defensive line losses many of their starters. The Huskies are hoping to tap into some of their true freshman who enroll this fall at defensive tackle. That's not a good sign for the Dawgs as freshman rarely make an impact on the line.

Washington State

One of the stars of the Cougar's spring scrimmage was Michael Willis. The converted defensive back has been moved to wide receiver for the 2008 season. Willis pulled down 6 receptions for 129 yards and a touchdown during the game and he could be a another big target along with talented receiver Bradnon Gibson. Of course the Cougs still need to find a quarterback who can throw to these guys. Fifth year senior Gary Rodgers is the heir apparent to Alex Brink but he could be challenged by junior Kevin Lopina, who had a solid spring.

Head coach Paul Wulff is also introducing a new no-huddle spread offense this season. He'll run that offense behind a veteran line that returns four starters but no stars at running back. Things are so thin at tail back that when the spring session ended, WSU only had one healthy player available. Chris Ivory missed part of the spring with injury and he has also struggled to stay academically eligible. Dwight Tardy also watched the rest of the team from the sidelines due to injury.

Wulff and his staff switched to a new 4-3 defense moving standout linebacker Andy Mattingly to defensive end. This squad has struggled with depth and injuries in the past and they still need to find players in their two deep after the spring. WSU' returns three returning senior starters at linebacker including Greg Trent but their secondary has a lot of holes.

(Photo Credit: AP Photo/Wade Payne. Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)

Sammie Stroughter May Miss Season

It looks like Oregon State is being dealt a blow this year. It was recently reported that Sammie Stroughter may miss the season and red-shirt. Stroughter has been dealing with some personal family issues that have kept him out of training camp since August 8th. He was supposed to be a starting wide receiver and punt returner this year for the Beavers. This is a tough loss for OSU as Stroughter returned 3 punt returns for touchdowns last year including a huge one against USC to claim that victory. In fact, he was one of the main reasons why I predicted the Bruins would lose to the Beavers up in Corvallis this year. You always hate to see a player miss time for any reason. We definitely wish him and his family the best.

This does increase UCLA's chances of winning this difficult road test, however. Without Stroughter as a receiving target, new quarterback Sean Canfield will have one less weapon to help in the passing game. It also takes some pressure off of Perez to keep the ball out of Sammie's hands on punts. We'll see how things shake out in the first few months, but I think this game might be back in the win column for me.

2007 Preview: Oregon State

At the end of September, the Bruins will be heading up to Corvallis Oregon for the first time since 2002. The Beavers made believers of their fans last season, winning 10 games with thrilling victories over USC and Missouri. This team returns a lot of talented players on both sides of the ball with the only question mark at quarterback. Our boys will definitely have their hands full in this difficult road game.

The Bruins coasted to victory last year and in 2005 but this year will be a very different story. Taking on a very good Oregon State team on the road will not be easy and this looks like a trap game for our boys. The Beavers are much better than UCLA's four previous opponents and they have star athletes at a lot of positions. I think there are four key games that will determine if the Bruins have a successful seasons and this is one of those games. If the Bruins can come away with a victory then it will be a very good sign for the rest of the 2007 campaign.

Offense

The Beavers have to replace former UCLA-transfer, Matt Moore, at quarterback this season. Moore definitely had some up-and-down games at Oregon State, but he did lead this team to 10 victories and the #24 passing attack in the nation last year. Now, against UCLA, he was pretty miserable. In his two performances from 2005 and 2006, he accounted for 2 touchdowns and a whopping 5 turnovers (2 interceptions and 3 fumbles). If Moore's replacement can cut down on the bad decisions and hang onto the ball then the Beavers will be much more difficult for the Bruins to beat.

After the spring game, no clear leader emerged at the position. Sean Canfield, a red-shirt sophomore who was Moore's backup last season, is the tentative leader at this point. The 6'4" Canfield was the heir-apparent coming into camp, but he didn't really impress during the spring. Lyle Moevao is the other option and the big, scrambling JC-transfer brings a totally different dimension to the offense. There is a possibility that both could be used in a dual-quarterback system. We'll have to wait until training camp wraps up to know for sure.

The Beaver running game is powered by Yvenson Bernard. I wouldn't say he was exactly "under the radar" last year as a lot of teams knew he was a good back. But Bernard did emerge last year as a player you have to account for in your defense scheme. Bernard has put up two thousand-yard seasons and he is a first-team all PAC-10 selection. It's curious, though, that the Beavers only had the 8th best rushing attack in the conference in 2006. Some of that comes from Bernard having so many touches, which inflates his totals. He racks up some big numbers but his averages are, well, pretty average. When you look at his all purpose yard average, he ranks behind Chris Markey and most of the other conference backs. The Bruins did an excellent job containing him last year, 54 rushing yards on 16 carries, and stopping him this time will be even more crucial with an inexperienced quarterback at the helm.

The good news for Bernard and Canfield is they have one of the best (if not the best) offensive line in the PAC-10 blocking for them. They are experienced (one 3-year starter, and two 2-year starters) and left guard Jeremy Perry is the best guard in the conference, easily earning first team PAC-10. Center Kyle Devan is the leader and anchor of the line and Roy Schuening rounds out a very talented core to this squad. Kevin Brown and Brigham Harwll will definitely have their hands full in the middle. The only new face is Junior Tavita Thompson, at left tackle, who has been a backup for years. He'll face the quick and agile Bruin ends, so he might be a point of attack for the UCLA defense. If the Bruin D-line gets out muscled by this group then things could get ugly real quick up in Corvallis.

Canfield will have an experienced set of receivers at his disposal this season. That includes Sammie Stroughter, who is arguably one of the best receivers in the conference. Brandon Powers returns at the slot back position and he'll look to improve on his 445 yards and 1 touchdown form last season. The Beavers will need to replace their tight end and sophomores Howard Croom and John Reese are the likely candidates for the job. Both were used sparingly last season in primarily blocking roles. The Bruin secondary will need to bring their A-game and not let this group make any big plays, while likely committing Horton to help stop the Beaver running game.

Defense

The Beavers rely on a traditional 4-3 front, but the key to the Oregon State defense is their line backing crops. They may not be as athletic and strong as the Trojans, but this group does an excellent job in all aspects of the game. They are an experienced trio of seniors and the OSU coaches will ask them to be big play makers all season long.

Derrick Doggett, the speedy outside linebacker, was all over the field last season recording 5 sacks, 3 interceptions, and 85 tackles. Now in his 5th season up in Corvallis, Doggett has emerged as a force on this team. Co-captial Alan Darlin is the strong presence in the middle and Joey LaRouque brings some more talent and experience to this unit. The Beavers are deep at the linebacker position and they will likely rotate players during the game. In the past, the Bruin offense has relied heavily on screens, dragging tight ends across the field, and little dink-and-dunk passes to move the ball. That might prove difficult against this squad. They have a knack for finding the ball and are excellent in short-route pass coverage.

In front of the linebackers is an experienced and solid foursome. Three seniors will likely start with Curtis Coker and Jeff Van Orsow back in their familiar spots. The other senior, defensive end Dorian Smith, lead the team in sacks last season. He won the starting spot by the end of the season and his contribution helped spark a struggling defense. Abraham and Kia will definitely have to step-up to keep the pressure off of Ben. The second string for the Beavers is also full of juniors and seniors, so this group is very deep and our O-line will likely see a lot of fresh legs throughout the game.

Unlike the previous four opponents, the Beaver secondary is experienced and stocked full of upperclassman. They do lose a key member in strong safety Sabby Piscitelli. He was the emotional leader of the secondary and his 5 interceptions lead the team. His replacement, Daniel Drayton, was the nickle back last year, but he has some big shoes to fill. The rest of the unit is solid and very experienced. Keenan Lewis and Brandon Hughes are 3-year starters and Al Afalava rounds out the group at free safety.

The Beavers held UCLA to a season low 12 competitions last year. If it wasn't for a huge 45-yard TD pass to Marcus Everett and some key turnovers, we may not have scored more than a few field goals. I expect this defense to be highly motivated and eager to get some revenge for the last two defeats down in Pasadena. Ben is going to have to make some plays if the Bruins are going to reliably move the ball this time around. The Oregon State defense is very aggressive and they can be vulnerable to big plays.

Special Teams

The Beavers have, arguably, one of the best special teams units in the entire conference. They return every single player, save one, from their kickoff, kick return, punt return, and punt coverage units. They were excellent in all 4 areas last season and special teams coach, Bruce Read, was rewarded for his leadership with a job in the NFL.

Alexis Serna is back kicking field goals and he is solid from all over the field. He won the Lou Groza award his sophomore season, which is kind of like the Heisman for kickers. He'll be automatic for the Beavers from close range, so our defense will have to keep him as far away from our end of the field as possible.

Sammie Stroughter is back on punt return and he'll look to add to the 3 touchdowns he scored last year. Perez will have to get better at directing his punts as we don't want Stroughter to get anywhere close to fielding one against us. That could hurt our defense as punting out of bounds tends to lose you some net yards. Needless to say our punt coverage can't afford to make any mistakes.

The Verdict

This game just smells bad to me. The Beavers have lots of talented players on both sides of the ball and one of the best special teams units in the conference. It will be played on the road, where UCLA has struggled the last few years. The Beavers have defended the Dam well recently including that crazy shoot-out victory over USC last season. Matt Moore probably did more to hurt Oregon State in their last two games against UCLA then help. If his replacement can just hang onto the ball then the rest of the team should be pretty difficult to stop.

With Norvell installing a new offense, I have a feeling we'll struggle at times in some of the early games. The first four opponents have some weaknesses we can exploit and our defense will keep us in those games no matter how poorly the offense performs. In this game the margin of error will be much smaller and a big mistake on special teams or an untimely turnover could cost us a victory. I think we could drop an early road contest and this game looks like it will be the one. If Ben performs well and the offense gets clicking then we absolutely have the potential to win. At this point, however, I have a feeling this is our first defeat of the season.

CalPoly's Prediciton: UCLA defeat. 4-1 (2-1).

Beaver Bulletin

Recruiting rankings for the last 4 years (Scout.com is the first number, Rivals.com is the second):

2007: #40, #47, 33 commits
2006: #41, #43, 30 commits
2005: #51, #47, 19 commits
2004: #34, #26, 26 commits

2006 statistical rankings (National ranking is the first number, PAC-10 rank is the second):

Total Offense : 45, 6.
Scoring Offense: 36, 4.
Rushing Offense: 81, 8.
Passing Offense: 24, 4.
Total Defense : 59, 6.
Scoring Defense: 54, 4.
Rushing Defense: 29, 3.
Passing Defense: 46, 3.

Game info:
September 29. Time and TV package are still TBD.

More Reading

• ESPN PAC-10 Spring Guide.
• ESPN PAC-10 Spring Wrap Up.
• USA Today OSU Inside Slant.
• CFN 2007 Preview of Oregon State.
• Oregon State 2006 NCAA Stats.
  
• Oregon State 2006 Bruin Roar football Stats.
  

(photo credit: Ghetty Images)