Stanford vs. Oregon State Football 2009
Gerhart, Rodgers Brothers in Spotlight for Pac-10 Game
Oct 5, 2009
Coach Jim Harbaugh’s Stanford team has managed a 4-1 start for the first time since 2001, and leads the Pac-10 with a 3-0 record. The Cardinal has won three games – all at home – since dropping a 24-17 decision at Wake Forest on Sept. 12. Last week, Stanford topped UCLA 24-16 in a Pac-10 contest.
Oregon State, strangely enough, is on a two-game home skid. Coach Mike Riley’s Beavers (3-2, 1-1) lost in Corvallis to No. 8 Cincinnati and Arizona in Corvallis before winning 28-17 at Arizona State last weekend.
Saturday’s game is scheduled for 4 p.m. PST and will be telecast by Fox Sports Net. It will spotlight two of the nation’s top running backs.
Stanford’s Toby Gerhart ranks third in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision with an average of 130 yards per game. Jacquizz Rodgers of Oregon State is 20th with an average of 101.60.
Gerhart is a 6-foot-1, 235-pound bruiser who can fend off hits and keep the legs churning for extra yards. The senior has rushed 120 times for 675 yards and eight touchdowns, averaging 5.4 yards per carry.
But just as Gerhart is fast for a player of his formidable size, Rodgers is strong for someone who’s only 5-7, 191. The sophomore is fast and shifty, but he can still pound for yards between the tackles.
Rodgers has run 95 times for 508 yards and nine TDs, gaining 5.3 yards per rush. He’s also come up with 33 catches for 187 yards, giving him an average of a 139 all-purpose running yards per game. Gerhart, who has four pass receptions this season, averages 137 all-purpose yards a contest.
One advantage Oregon State has is that Stanford has only one Gerhart, and the Beavers have two players named Rodgers. Receiver James Rodgers, the brother of Jacquizz, is gaining a 187 all-purpose running yards per game – 50 more than his brother and Gerhart.
James Rodgers Is Standout Receiver, Runner, Returner
James Rodgers leads the Beavers with 37 catches for 466 yards and three touchdowns, and he’s also rushed 21 times for 126 yards, specializing on fly sweep plays. In addition, the 5-7, 185-pound junior is OSU's primary return man. He averages a stellar 13.7 yards per punt return and 23.7 yards per kickoff return.
The Rodgers brothers lead an offense that averages 372 yards per game – 124.4 rushing and 247.8 passing. Oregon State is tallying 27.0 points a contest.
Quarterback Sean Canfield has completed 111 of 164 passes for 1,115 yards. The senior has thrown seven TD passes and been intercepted twice. Other than the Rodgers brothers, Canfield’s top target is Damola Adenji, who’s made 21 catches for 281 yards and two touchdowns.
What the Beavers haven’t done well is protect the passer. They’ve given up 16 sacks.
OregonState Strong vs. Run, Weak vs. Pass
Oregon State’s defense, meanwhile, has recorded just three sacks – 117th of 120 teams in the FBS. And the Beavers are giving up 285.2 passing yards per game. But on the other hand, the Beavers will be able to take on Gerhart with a run defense that’s allowing just 87.4 yards on the ground.
In any case, OSU is getting a lot of tackles from Keaton Kristick. The linebacker leads the team with 42 – 12 more than linebacker David Pa’aluhi, the No. 2 man on the Beavers’ tackling list.
Cornerback James Docker has broken up a team-high six passes for a team that’s allowing 22 points per game. Safety Lance Mitchell has five pass breakups in addition to 25 tackles.
Stanford Balancing Things Out
A key to Stanford’s success in 2009 will be its ability to establish balance on offense, so opponents can’t key on Gerhart. The Cardinal did that quite well last week, passing for 198 yards while running for 212 against a tough UCLA defense. On the season, they’re running for 221.8 yards per game and passing for 188.2.
Redshirt freshman quarterback Andrew Luck has played efficiently, hitting on 64 of 13 passes for 940 yards and four TDs. He’s been intercepted twice and has been sacked just three times.
Ryan Whalen is the primary receiving threat, making 22 catches for 378 yards and two TDs. Sophomore Chris Owusu has added 16 catches for 247 yards and two touchdowns, and he’s also scored three TDs on kickoff returns.
Owusu is averaging 55.6 yards per return, and Stanford as a team is averaging 41.1. The Cardinal also has a dangerous punt returner in Richard Sherman, who’s scored a TD while averaging 13.7 yards.
Stanford is putting up 31.2 points per game, two touchdowns more than its defense is giving up.
Cardinal Defense Solid
The Cardinal defense has been sound, yielding 324.8 yards per game, and a solid pass rush has been a key factor. Stanford has 11 sacks on the season, with defensive end Kaiser coming up with 4.5.
Stanford managed just one sack vs. UCLA last week, when the Cardinal defense line was hampered by injuries, but the Bruins passed just 20 times. And Stanford did mount strong pressure in turning back the Bruins’ final drive.
Linebacker Clinton Snyder leads Stanford with 39 tackles. Safety Bo McNally is second with 31 and linebacker Cheke Amajoyi is next with 28. Safety Delano Howell has added 27 tackles and has two interceptions.
Keiser has 20 tackles, including 7.5 for losses. Will Powers and Chase Tomas have two sacks apiece.
Stanford Holds Series Lead over OSU
Stanford leads Oregon State 48-24-5 in a series that dates back to 1919, and the Cardinal defeated the Beavers 36-28 last year. But OSU has won six of its last eight, and eight of its last 12 games vs. Stanford.
