INSIDE SLANT

It should have been a dominating win by Oregon State. And on the scoreboard it was, with the Beavers beating Washington State 42-10.

But in between the Beavers scoring on their first three possessions and later scoring the game’s final 21 points, what happened? Washington State closed within 21-10 at halftime.

“We started out real good and then got to a dry area and got to halftime and knew we were beating ourselves,” Oregon State’s James Rodgers said. “We didn’t really make adjustments (in the second half), we just came out and executed better.”

That they did. The Beavers outgained Washington State in yards by a margin of 298-87 over the final 30 minutes, holding Washington State to three first downs in the second half. The yardage difference ended up substantial, with Washington State held to 192 yards while Oregon State finished with 567, including a season-high total of 283 rushing yards.

“It’s never quite like you want it to be, but I’m glad we won,” Oregon State coach Mike Riley said. “I think we’ll look at it, and there’s a lot of things we would have liked to have done better, but that’s life.”

Life now for the Beavers becomes preparing to play Oregon with the Pac-10’s Rose Bowl berth at stake Dec. 3 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene. The Beavers (8-3, 6-2 Pac-10) would play Ohio State in Pasadena on Jan. 1 if they can beat the Ducks (9-2, 7-1) because the two teams would tie for the title, and the tiebreaker is head-to-head competition.

The 2008 regular season ended with Oregon State needing to beat Oregon to reach the Rose Bowl for the first time since 1964, but the Ducks trounced the Beavers 65-38 to hand the Pac-10 title to USC.

“We’re just going to come underneath them, and no one is going to really expect us (to win). We’re stealthy,” Oregon State senior linebacker Keaton Kristick said.

NOTES, QUOTES

• RB Quizz Rodgers scored two touchdowns against Washington State to raise his season total to 19, which ties the Oregon State record. He shares it with Ken Simonton and Steven Jackson. Rodgers also has scored 120 points this season, with the Oregon State record 132 by Jackson, who added a half-dozen two-point conversions that year.

• Even after Washington State put up a first-quarter field goal, Oregon State has allowed only 20 points by opponents in first quarters this season, and never more than seven points in a first quarter. Oregon State has outscored its 11 opponents 95-20 in the opening 15 minutes of games.

• It was a nice gesture by the Beavers to take injured quarterback Lyle Moevao along on the trip to Washington State. He counted as one of the 64 players allowed to travel, but the leadership of the senior has long been noted, particularly during this season lost to first a shoulder injury and then a foot injury. Moevao can also make the final trip to Oregon because there is no limit for players when the travel is done by bus.

Game Ball Goes To:   The Oregon State offensive line—The starting group didn’t allow a quarterback sack and cleared the way for the Beavers to rush for a season-high 283 yards. No unit for the Beavers has improved as much this season as the offensive line, which has allowed for the balanced and productive offense that has put Oregon State in contention for the Pac-10 title.

Keep An Eye On:   Oregon State quarterback Sean Canfield continues on pace to break the school record for completion percentage in a season, raising his accuracy mark to .703 by completing 22 of 29 passes against Washington State. That’s well ahead of the Oregon State record, and closing in on the Pac-10 mark of .707.

Quote To Note:   “Amazing. I’m really proud of how these guys have battled back to this point.”—Coach Mike Riley, on his team winning six of seven to get within one win of the school’s first Rose Bowl berth in 45 years.

STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL

Looking Good:   All the usual suspects led Oregon State in receiving against Washington State, but this game also offered a look at the Beavers’ depth and future. Freshman TE Colby Prince had his first collegiate catch, and it was a fourth-down reception to keep a drive alive. Another freshman, Kevan Walker, had his first collegiate reception, too, and he continues to see more time as an alternative punt returner. Markus Wheaton also had a reception and ran three times for 38 yards, including his first collegiate touchdown, as the Beavers expand his role on fly sweeps and reverses.

Still Needs Work:   Teams should be cleaning up their play at this time of the season. Instead, the Beavers had a season-high 13 penalties for 107 yards against the Cougars. Washington State wouldn’t have had a touchdown except for the Beavers having four penalties for 45 yards on the 80-yard drive, including one for a hit out of bounds and another for a helmet-to-helmet tackle of a quarterback after he’d thrown the football. If the Beavers can’t control their emotions in a rout, how will they handle themselves in Autzen Stadium with the Rose Bowl on the line?

Roster Report:  

• The Beavers will be glad they have extra time before they play Oregon on Dec. 3. It might allow starting DT Brennan Olander to recover from a knee injury suffered early against Washington State, though there is some initial fear of a ligament tear that will be analyzed this week. Also out for the second half of the Washington State game was starting TE Brady Camp with a shoulder injury. Camp isn’t often used as a receiving target, but he’s the best blocker of the Oregon State tight ends.

• Jovan Stevenson got all the work for a backup running back at Washington State because Ryan McCants didn’t make the trip due to illness. Stevenson had six rushes for 61 yards and a touchdown, including a 39-yard run. He still needs to add strength, but the true freshman continues to show he can hold up as a reliever for Quizz Rodgers.