Oregon State vs. USC Football 2009
Beavers Aim to Defeat Trojans for 3rd Time in 4 Years
Oct 20, 2009
So the Trojans will have very little reason to relax when they play host to Oregon State in a Pac-10 Conference football game Saturday, Oct. 24, at Los Angeles.
USC (5-1 overall, 2-1 Pac-10) has won three straight since its stunning 16-13 loss to Washington. And coach Pete Carroll's team is now ranked No. 4 by The Associated Press and holds the No. 7 position in the Bowl Championship Series sandings.
But the Trojans certainly had to labor hard for their last victory, stopping Notre Dame in the final seconds for a 34-27 road triumph
Oregon State (4-2, 2-1) had a bye last week, and scored an impressive 38-28 win over Stanford in its last game. The Beavers will be aiming to defeat USC for the second consecutive season and for the third time in four years.
OSU topped then-No. 1 USC 27-21 last season, and also upset the Trojans 33-31 in 2006 to halt their 27-game winning streak.
But USC has at least one trend going hugely in its favor. Oregon State has not defeated the Trojans in Los Angeles since 1960. Since then, Southern Cal has gone 21-0 vs. the Beavers at the Coliseum.
Saturday's game is scheduled for 5 p.m. PST and will be telecast by ABC. It will mark the 73rd meeting between the schools. USC holds a 58-10-4 lead in a series that began in 1914.
Rodgers Takes Another Crack at USC Defense
Oregon State's 2008 victory over USC was ignited by running back Jacquizz Rodgers, who scorched the vaunted Trojans defense for 186 yards and two touchdowns on 37 carries.
Despite a long string of effective performances, Rodgers had not topped that rushing total until this year's matchup vs. Stanford, on Oct. 10. The 5-foot-7, 191-pound sophomore ran 33 times for 189 yards and four TDs.
The Trojans again boast a powerful defense, but the versatile Rodgers could still be up to the task. He's rushed for 697 yards and 13 TDs, averaging five yards per carry. And he's his team's second leading receiver with 38 catches for 269 yards.
Oregon State Still Hasn't Lost Fumble
The leading receiver happens to Rodgers' older brother James, who has 43 receptions for 544 yards and four touchdowns. James Rodgers is also a running threat, who's gained 136 yards on 23 carries.
Quarterback Sean Canfield, meanwhile, has completed 67.9 percent of his passes for 1,405 yards and eight touchdowns. He's thrown four interceptions.
Coach Mike Riley's team is averaging 28.8 points and 387.3 yards, which are solid totals but nothing to write home abut.
A negative area for OSU has been pass protection, as the Beavers have given up 19 sacks. A positive is ball security. Oregon State has fumbled just three times, and has yet to lose one.
OSU Defense Not Putting on Heat
The Beavers, though, haven't exactly been turnover-forcing machines themselves, barely managing one per game. Nor has Oregon State put much heat on opposing QBs, managing just four sacks.
So from a statistical standpoint, Oregon State's been a middle-of-the-road type of defense, yielding 23 points and 373 yards per game. On the other hand, the Beavers have tangled with potent offenses in Cincinnati and Arizona, which dealt OSU its only defeats.
Linebacker Keaton Kristick leads Oregon State with 50 tackles, and is followed by linebacker David Pa'aluhi (36) and safety Cameron Collins (34).
Safety Lance Mitchell has 31 tackle, an interception and five pas breakups, and cornerback James Dockery has broken up six passes. Standout tackle Stephen Paea, who's been repeatedly double-teamed, has 15 tackles.
USC Passing Game Begins to Click
The USC offense, less than stellar early in the season, is continuing to improve. The Trojans, who are averaging 29.7 points and 442.3 yards per game, are getting increased mileage from their passing game.
Freshman QB Matt Barkley is hitting 60.3 percent of his passes for 1,338 yards and five TDs, with three interceptions. Receiver Damian Williams is emerging as a star, making 28 catches for 467 yards and three TDs.
Also, tight end Anthony McCoy had his best game of the season last week, netting 153 yards on five catches. He raised his season totals to 14 catches for 350 yards.
Fullback Stanley Havili (14 catches, 207 yards) and running back Joe McKnight (12 receptions, 101 yards) have also been frequent targets. And speedy wide receiver Ronald Johnson, who had been sidelined because of a broken collarbone, returned to action vs. Notre Dame and a made one catch.
Despite all that, the running game remains USC's bread and butter. McKnight has run for 552 yards and seven TDs, averaging 6.4 yards per carry. Allen Bradford has added 228 yards and two TDs on a 6.3 average.
Trojans Lead Nation in Sacks
USC is allowing just 11.7 points per game, which ranks fifth in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision. The Trojans are also giving up only 260 total yards per contest, and lead the FBS with an average of 4.33 sacks per game.
Nick Perry has recorded eight sacks, and his 1.33 average ties him for fourth in the FBS. Everson Griffen is second on the team with six sacks, and he and fellow defensive end Perry have combined for 15.5 tackles for loss.
Michael Morgan paces Southern Cal in the tackles-for-loss department with 9.5 and the linebacker has 31 stops overall. Tackle Jurrell Casey has also been a force, collecting 26 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.
Linebacker Chris Galippo remains the Trojans' leader in overall tackles with 41. Star safety Taylor Mays is second, recording 38 in five games.
