Stanford Grinds It Out in a Win Over Oregon State in Pac-10 Opener

It pains me to have to say it but, you were right.  The new front seven and young running backs that were questioned going into this season did not perform as OSU fans had hoped.

A hot night in Palo Alto proved difficult to say the least for the Oregon State Beavers.  A team historically centered around a tough fast defense gave up 210 yards rushing to a Stanford team that struggled all last year to run the ball.

While I still do not buy into Stanford being a legit threat in the Pac-10, they challenged the Beavers to be better, and OSU simply wasn't.

The inexperience of the linebacking crew, which so many Beaver supporters thought would pick up where the previous three left off, seemed tired and unable to finish tackles. 

It doesn't do much good to be in the right place, but not make the play.

Toby Gerhart looked like an All-American with his reconstructed knee, bouncing off OSU tacklers and gaining 147 yards on 19 carries.  Simple zone reads and good blocking from a veteran offensive line had the OSU defense on their heels all game. 

If you ask any coach what the key to winning is, most all will include stopping the run, being able to run on offense, and limiting turnovers. 

Oregon State did not stop the run, could not run the ball, and had costly turnovers inside Stanford territory.

Rather than pick apart the poor performance, I'll focus on the positives and what OSU did do right.

All questions were answered about junior quarterback Lyle Moevao.  Moevao looked decisive and sharp hitting just under 63 percent of his passes for 404 yards and three touchdowns.

In his second year under center, Moevao finally looked the part.  Aside from the interceptions and unforced turnovers, the game was managed well and OSU had their chances to win.

After Andy Levitre briefly went down with back, hamstring, and calf cramps OSU's offensive line consisted of underclassmen and walk-ons.

For the most part, the line held its ground giving up only two sacks. Moevao was given plenty of time to find his open receiver and looked comfortable standing in the pocket.

Whether the lack of running game was due to poor blocking or inexperienced backs, Oregon State NEEDS to try and run the ball more. OSU's play selection was 54 passes to 28 rushes.

An exciting wrinkle that had OSU fans raising an eyebrow was the two minute drill.  OSU charged down the field with under two minutes left in the half and scored to even the game at 17 going into halftime. 

The second half started off well with an OSU field goal that put them ahead 20-17.  From there on, it was all downhill.  A field goal and a safety later, Stanford went up 22-20 and never looked back.

In past years OSU has started games fast but was unable to score late in the game.  After an interception that stopped an OSU drive on the Stanford eight yard-line and a pick-six by Bo McNally, Oregon State could have packed it in, but they didn't.

OSU stormed down the field with five minutes left in the game and drew within eight points after a Moevao to Stroughter TD and two point conversion.

OSU was poised to have a chance at tying after the defense forced a three-and-out.  Moevao hit Darryl Catchings on a crossing route but Catchings fumbled into the end zone while stretching out for the goal line to seal OSU's fate.

Starting 0-1 in Pac-10 play makes the rest of the season an uphill climb to reach post season.  The task doesn't get any easier.  The Beavs are headed to a rowdy Beaver Stadium to face Penn State in week two.

Mistakes in the form of bad snaps, fumbles, interceptions, penalties, and poor clock management kept OSU from fully hitting stride. 

Aside from the glaring errors, there is still a sense of optimism from Beaver Nation. 

From what the offense showed, OSU can score points and can do it quickly.  Once the defense catches up, OSU could once again make a late season run at a decent bowl game.

The returns of Al Afalava, Jeremy Perry, and Pernell Booth are greatly needed and should boost production offensively and defensively.

In the end I believe Mike Riley did not have faith in his young running backs.  Oregon State was able to grind the game out with Bernard at tailback last year, but with a dinged up McCants and a green Jacquizz Rogers, Riley chose to air it out and almost fully abandon the run game.

While there were plenty of "you've got to be kidding me" moments, Oregon State showed heart and guts, nearly pulling off what would have been a great comeback victory on the road in Pac-10 play.

Offensive Statistics:

Passing    - Moevao 34/54  404 yds

Receiving - Stroughter 12 catches for 157 yds

                  -  Morales 13 catches for 151 yds

Rushing   -  Jacq. Rodgers 54 yds on 14 carries

                  -  Jam. Rodgers 88 total yards (49 rushing/39 receiving)

Punting   -  Hekker  32 yard average

Field Goal - Kahut  2/2 (27/23)

Defensive Statistics:

Tackles   - Cornell 11 (6 solo)

                 - Kristick 7 (2 solo)

                 - Laybourn 7 (4 solo) .5 sacks

                 - Strong-Butler 6 (1 solo) .5 sacks

                 - Slade Norris/Cameron Collins .5 sacks ea.

Miscelanious:

Penalties - OSU 12-100   Stanford 8-82

3rd Down Conv. - OSU 5/13  38 percent  Stanford 4/13 31 percent

Red Zone Scoring - OSU 4/6  67 percent (2TD 2FG) Stanford 2/2 100 percent (1TD 1FG)

Time of Possession - OSU 28:46  Stanford 31:14