Oregon State-TCU: Can the Beavers Run Over Horned Frogs?

The No. 24 Oregon State Beavers begin their impressive out-of-conference slate with a trip to Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas for a made-for-ESPN matchup with No. 6 TCU.

The trip is being heralded as a homecoming for the Beavers' two stars, Heisman candidate RB Jacquizz Rodgers and his older brother WR James Rodgers.

The Rodgers brothers combined for over 1,700 yards rushing and over 1,500 yards receiving last season as the Beavers came up just short in their campaign for a Rose Bowl berth.

The Rodgers brothers face what may turn out to be their most significant test of the year as they face the Horned Frogs defense that finished the last two seasons as the top defense in the country.

Moreover, Oregon State enters this contest with an inexperienced quarterback.

Jacquizz Rodgers burst into the national scene with a memorable and dominating performance against USC in 2008, where he devastated one of the top defenses in the country on the way to one of the best upsets of that season. Since then, he has continued to put up impressive numbers and should do so again this season.

But can he do it against TCU?

Looking back at last season, Oregon State struggled against the better run defenses it faced. Excluding the opener against FCS Portland State, the Beavers ran below their opponents' average allowed rush yards in seven of 12 contests.

In their four contests against top-30 run defenses, the Beavers averaged a paltry 91.25 yards per game and lost three of the four contests.

TCU finished 2009 with the No. 1 total defense, the No. 3 run defense, and the No. 6 pass defense. TCU dominated common opponents UNLV and BYU.

While TCU lost stars DE Jerry Hughes and LB Daryl Washington from its defensive front, TCU had only one returning starter among the front six in 2009 and still managed to hold opponents to 80 yards per game rushing.  

TCU's pass defense should continue to be impressive and should be more than enough to control Oregon State's young quarterback.

TCU should be able to keep Oregon State to under 15 points.

On offense, TCU returns the No. 5 running attack in the country combined with the veteran leadership of QB Andy Dalton. TCU's powerful ground assault eats up clock time and opens up TCU's opportunistic passing attack.

Can Oregon State Pull an Upset?

We can be assured Beavers coach Mike Riley has been watching the tape of the Fiesta Bowl repeatedly in order to look for clues about stopping TCU. Boise State took TCU out of its game plan and stopped the TCU offense. 

TCU, while still in the game until the final interception, never found its groove on offense and was forced by Boise State to rely on its passing game.

In order for Oregon State to repeat Boise's success, it must spread confusion on defense and offense. With the speed of the Rodgers brothers, trick plays could be effective. On defense, stopping the TCU run attack will give the Beavers a chance to stay in the game.

Ultimately, if TCU can unleash its impressive array of running backs and stop the Rodgers brothers, this game will be as one-sided as the current Vegas line. But Riley does well as an underdog, so do not be surprised if the game is closer than the Vegas line.

TCU 31, Oregon State 18