Oregon State-Utah: Can Beavers Take Down No. 15 Utes in Salt Lake?

The city of Corvallis, as well as the nation, is still buzzing about OSU's victory over the former No. 1 Trojans—not just the win itself, but the way OSU went about its business by bullying USC in Reser Stadium.

As quickly as the fans rushed onto the field, fans, players, and coaches have since turned their attention to the next daunting task that lies ahead of them.

The Beavers head to Salt Lake City to take on the No. 15 Utah Utes in a Pac-10 vs. Mountain West showdown.

The Pac-10 has had a rough go against MWC and WAC opponents this year, but OSU hopes to remain perfect against the two conferences after beating Hawaii (WAC) at home two weeks ago.

Utah has started fast (5-0) and may face its biggest challenge yet come Thursday night. The game can be seen nationally on the Versus Network at 6:00pm ET.

OSU is riding high and hopes to ride that momentum through Salt Lake and return home with a win to begin preparation for the Washington schools and the remainder of conference play.

With Jake Locker hurt and WSU still struggling, OSU could very well rattle off five in a row and be in the hunt for the Pac-10 title come their Nov. 1 home matchup against Arizona State—if they can take care of business in Utah.

But until then, we look at what's directly in front of us: the Utah Utes.

Utah Offense

After suffering a season-ending knee injury in 2006, 2007 had QB Brian Johnson poised for big things in his junior season. 

But in their opener vs. OSU in Corvallis, Johnson was injured again and played in only nine games in the '07 season.

This year the athletic senior quarterback is healthy and hungry.  Johnson has led Utah to an unbeaten record and a top 15 spot nationally.

Having already gained over 1,000 yards through the air, Johnson has been very efficient, completing nearly 70 percent of his passes.

Where Utah may falter is on the offensive line.  The unit has already allowed 12 sacks, and the constant pressure and lack of time in the pocket could be directly linked to Johnson's interceptions.

Ball security has been a bit of an issue for Utah.  The Utes have been intercepted five times and put the ball on the turf 12 times but have been lucky to fall back on half of their fumbles.

Either way, the Utes still manage to put points on the board.  Utah is 16th in the nation in scoring at 38 points per game.

Last year's injury to running back Matt Asiata sidelined him for the entire '07 season and allowed then-junior Darrell Mack to step in and gain over 1,200 yards.

This year, both are healthy and give Utah a great 1-2 punch in the backfield.  The two have combined for 639 yards on the ground and have hit paydirt nine times. 

Both are used equally and are very productive.

What makes Utah so scary on offense is their balance.  Defenses are having a tough time stopping the run while also trying to contain the quick releasing Johnson and his three receivers, Brandon Godfrey, Brent Casteel, and Freddie Brown.

The receiving trio all have over 200 yards and average more than 10 yards a catch, and Godfrey and Brown have found the end zone twice.

With only statistics to go on, on paper it looks as if Utah is balanced and spreads the ball well to a number of offensive threats.

Turnovers have troubled the Utes thus far, and with an opportunistic Pac-10 defense coming to town, the Utes had better take care of the ball and keep their defense fresh.

Utah Defense

With the 16th-ranked offense in the nation, you'd think that Utah wouldn't have to play much defense with such a high scoring offense. 

Not the case.

The Utes are stout on the defensive side of the football and have given up only 92 points in their first five games (19.6 per game).

Defensive success can almost always be traced back to stopping the run, and Utah has done so in impressive fashion.  The Utes give up only 60 rush yards per game and are fifth in the nation in rush defense at only two yards allowed per carry.

The secondary has taken advantage of errant throws, hauling in four picks through week five.  Utah gives up 171 yards a game through the air, and eight of the 12 touchdowns given up have been in the passing game.

With the emergence of OSU running back Jacquizz Rodgers, who seems to be getting better every week, this could be the key matchup in the game.

Utah's main concern will be stopping the shifty Rodgers, who racked up 186 vs. the Trojans last week and was nearly impossible to bring down on first contact.

Beaver Game Plan

With the newfound success of the run game, OSU should rely heavily on Rodgers and the vastly improved offensive line.

The Beavers executed for four quarters last week and will look to control the ball and wear out the defense this week.

Where OSU is so dangerous is downfield in the intermediate crossing routes. When the run game is effective and allows for play action, the Beavers are very tough to stop offensively.

If the line can give Moevao time like they have the past two weeks, Morales and Stroughter should have big games down the field.

Moevao has only been sacked five times this season, is completing 61 percent of his passes, and has not thrown an interception in his last 62 attempts.

Injury updates include S Al Afalava (groin), CB Brandon Hughes (Hamstring), WR Sammie Stroughter (hip), and K Justin Kahut (hip), all of whom were practicing yesterday and are game time decisions for Thursday.

OSU has faltered in the kicking game as of late.  The return of Kahut will be a boost for the Beavs and allow them to tack on the three points they've had trouble getting when stopped on third down.

Beaver fans are wondering which OSU team will show up this weekend.  Will it be the team that got run over at Penn State, or will it be the team that showed the nation how you execute and control the ball against USC?

QB Lyle Moevao has not turned the ball over in his last two games and will need to continue this trend.

The defense has forced six turnovers in the last two games and if given the right opportunity could seize momentum with an interception.  This will be much more difficult if Afalava and Hughes are unable to go.

Keys to the Game for OSU

1) Establish the line of scrimmage and run the football.

2) Mix in play action and Stroughter deep

3) Continue to play aggressive defense and pressure the quarterback

4) Lyle Moevao needs to remain productive.  He hit his check down receiver very well last week and continued to move the chains and sustain drives.

Prediction

With Utah caught on a short week, OSU has two more days to prepare than the Utes do.  This could provide a schematic advantage for the Beavers.

The Beavers had success last year on the ground.  Yvenson Bernard rushed for 165 yards as the Beavs went on to a 24-7 victory.

If OSU can run the ball and limit big plays in what should be a wild venue in Salt Lake, I like the Beavers winning and emerging into the polls at No. 24.

OSU 33, Utah 27