PAC-10 Position Breakdown: Is There a QB Showdown at Oregon State?

Two experienced quarterbacks return to Corvallis for their senior years. Both have winning records in their careers and each has won a bowl game with the Beavers.

Sounds like a spring QB dual for the ages, right?

Wrong.

Unfortunately a surefire competition for the starting job never had the chance to develop.

Redshirt senior Lyle Moevao underwent surgery to repair damage to his shoulder in February and has been shut down from practicing until mid to late July. Moevao was the starter for most of last season, but he was noticeably affected after suffering the shoulder injury on Nov. 1 against Arizona State.

With Moevao sidelined for the spring, fellow senior Sean Canfield has claimed control of the No.1 spot at QB.

Beaver fans are very familiar with Canfield. In 2007, he was the team’s starter for nine games until suffering a shoulder injury against USC that kept him out of the following fall QB competition with Moevao.

The situation was eerily similar to this year’s, only with roles reversed. That season, Canfield was 165-286 for 1,661 yards with nine TDs and 15 INTs. He was the winning QB in an Emerald Bowl victory over Maryland.

The 6'4" 220 lbs. left-hander played a backup role in 2008, but when he was called upon, Canfield delivered in a big way.

Last November, Canfield helped lead the Beavers to a comeback win at Arizona that kept OSU’s Rose Bowl hopes alive (even if only for one more week).

He was 20-34 for 224 yards with one TD. The performance gave Oregon State coaches and teammates a chance to see Canfield’s leadership qualities on display. For his career, Canfield has thrown for 2,699 yards with 17 TDs and 19 INTs.

So far this offseason, Canfield has been solid. The fifth year senior enjoyed an excellent spring camp despite a shaky performance in the Beavers' spring game, which saw him go 20-32 for 182 yards, one TD, and three INTs.

Canfield has a big arm to go along with a big frame, and his deep ball should be utilized a lot this season. In order to succeed, he must cut down on his turnovers in 2009.

Heading into fall, Canfield is the clear favorite for the starting job, but a competition may surface when Moevao comes back healthy.

Senior Lyle Moevao has put together a very impressive body of work over his career. He is 11-4 as a starter and his 3,410 career passing yards are sixth in school history.

In 2008, Moevao had a breakout year, throwing for 2,534 yards with 19 TDs and 13 INTs.

The 19 TDs trail only Jonathan Smith and Derek Anderson for most ever in a season by a Beaver QB. Although his shoulder injury slowed him down, Moevao finished the season as the starting quarterback in OSU’s 3-0 Sun Bowl win over Pittsburgh.

The 5'11" 225 lbs. California native is compactly built and does not shy away from physical contact. He has been known to throw huge blocks despite being a QB, and plays with a fiery nature.

The former high school defensive end lost 20 lbs. before the start of 2008 in order to prepare for being a starting QB in the Pac-10.

He doesn’t have the arm srength that Canfield does, and he isn’t very mobile, but he is a gamer that makes plays in a variety of ways.

Moevao has been praised for his leadership and colorful personality on the field. He will not be ready until mid-July (at the earliest), and will therefore have to make up ground in a hurry.

Oregon State has a few other QBs that could find playing time in 2009. Canfield’s main backup during the spring was redshirt freshman Ryan Katz. The Santa Monica, CA native has a very live arm and throws a good deep ball.

He completed 10-21 passes for 101 yards in the spring game. The No.3 during spring was sophomore Justin Engstrom. The 6-5 Engstrom has game experience for OSU against Hawaii, UCLA, and Washington State in 2008.

He was 8-15 for 48 yards and one INT in the spring game.

The most intriguing QB on the roster is junior Peter Lalich. The 6'4" 226 lbs. Lalich started against USC last season for Virginia, but he is eligible to play this season after transferring from UVA in September of 2008.

The UVA's athletic department decided to dismiss Lalich from their football program after he had some run-ins with the law, including minor traffic offenses and underage purchase and possession of alcohol.

Lalich will try to put the past behind him and get a fresh start in Corvallis.

In his career with the Cavaliers, Lalich was 74-135 for two TDs and four INTs. Coming out of high school, he was rated as a four-star QB prospect by both Scout.com and Rivals.com.

He made a great first impression with Beaver fans at the spring game, going 10-17 for 214 yards with two TDs and zero INTs.

Lalich is still early into learning Mike Riley’s system and won’t play this season, but he has huge upside and a bright future. He has three years of eligibility to play two at Oregon State.

My Take

It would have been interesting to see which QB came out of spring with the starting job had Moevao been healthy. I like Canfield’s measurable traits more, but I like Moevao’s intangibles.

My gut feeling tells me that we may see both again this year.

With the multi-talented Rodgers brothers (RB Jacquizz and WR James) on offense, either one of these QBs just has to be consistent and not turn the ball over. Mike Riley does more with less than any other coach in the conference, and he seems to be confident with either quarterback.

The guy that really interests me is Peter Lalich.

Remember, both Canfield and Moevao are gone after this year. Despite his problems in the past, I think Lalich could be a good one with Riley as his mentor. Look for the Virginia transfer to make an impact at some point for the Beavers.

-Sam Saig, www.allpac10.com