ASU game thoughts

Photo Source: Unathletic

The Beavers are traveling to Tempe to try and avoid an 0-4 start. The point spread is around  +18 ASU.  Agnew might play, Rogers is playing. Maybe it will be a close game.  Maybe ASU gets pass happy and blows out OSU.

Apparently none of the OSU coaches feel fan frustration with their performance this season.  I find this disturbing, but understandable. The coaches have to focus on what they can control. The fact that they are incompetent based on performance and fan opinion doesn't really matter. 

The Beavers have to get better from the coaches down to the training staff if they are going to win even one game this year. The question is what is Riley going to do about the situation? What if the Beavers start 0-4? 0-5? 0-6?

I believe there could be a fluke win or two this year, but that's all they will be, flukes. Damn shame. 

My prediction ASU 35- 14

*Please prove me wrong OSU

What is up with the black uniforms ASU?

If anyone else is watching the Mizzu vs ASU game, did you get a load of ASU's uniforms? Really? 

This is getting ridiculous. Every team that has a hint of black is changing their uniforms to ALL black. This is a stupid trend. Has anyone seen the Green Bay Packers uniforms lately? Or Boise State? Really?

Oregon State's colors are black and orange. All black or all orange or a mix makes sense. 

I am sorry, but ASU's colors are not black. Erickson is trying to emulate OSU, since that is the last place he was successful at I guess.

*if I am using the term "really" too much, I am sorry this world is full of donkeys that never cease to surprise me.

PS- ASU is up 16-10 at halftime- maybe it's the uni's......

3 minutes of boneheaded plays

I was watching the replay of the OSU vs ASU game, and it was kinda painful to watch. There were sprinklings of great plays, and heavy doses of stupidity.

With about 4 minutes left OSU had the ball on offense and a 11 point lead. They had 3rd down and long, the play gets in late from the sideline, Katz rushes the team to the LOS. The offensive line breaks down against a 4 man rush, Phillip in particular misses a simple chip block, then watches a DL run by and blast Katz as he scrambles downfield. Then as Katz gets up Burfict from ASU head butts Katz, within a split second Phillip pushes Burfict and the ref's pull their flags. The Beavers could have gotten a first down by Burfict's dumb move, but Phillip stepped in, instead it's 4th down.

The next play is a punt and it's blocked by ASU. Next play ASU runs it up OSU's ass for a TD, then a 2 point conversion.

This kinda BS is bad. 8 pts in 1:30 of game play. OSU needs to learn to finish strong. They didn't against Louisville and they didn't against ASU.

UofA is better than ASU. Shit, ASU nearly came back from 11 pts in 3 minutes.....

OSU holds on for a victory!

(photo source: ESPN/AP)

FINAL SCORE: 31-28

This was an exciting game. Turnovers were key. Katz played his best game, 2 TD's and no TO's. Nice.

Quizz simply went off this game. His first TD was an ESPN top 10 play, then busted 75 yarder too.

The defense bent but didn't completely break. The DB's made a couple nice plays. ASU racked up a boat load of yards, but less than their season avg.

BOX SCORE

Quizz goes 75 yds for a TD

The OSU D kept banging with ASU, gave up 3.

Next posession OSU gets the balls back and boom. Quizz makes his longest run ever.

OSU 31, ASU 20

Beavers fail on 4th and 5

The Beavers have little confidence in Justin Kahut.

ASU's RB- Lewis is running up and down, right and left against the Beavers today. He's got 12 carries for 80 yards so far.

24-14 OSU Halftime

Katz makes some great throws against ASU with minimal time left. Bishop, Halahuni , all made plays.

So far the Beavers are proving me wrong- prediction wise. The defense is bending, but not breaking.

James Rodgers is out of this game

Sorry I forgot to mention this. James is not playing against Arizona State because of his concussion suffered against Boise State.

17-14 OSU

The Sun Devils drove down the Beavers throat and scored. Dockery got called for holding on 3rd down near the goal line. The Oregon State defensive line needs to pick it up and start pushing. The offense needs to continue to score each drive. The defense is not going to stop anyone.

17-7 Oregon State

Awesome drive. Katz hits Nichols on a long slant for the TD. He had all day.

1st Quarter Analysis

OSU is gaming today. The OSU defense is competing, as well as the offense. This looks like a track meet so far.

The OSU players who impress- Quizz. Cameron Collins, Doctor.

131 yds for OSU vs 119 for ASU.

1 TO by ASU, 0 TO by OSU.

Katz is still only 50% comp.

Quizz has 55 yds on 10 carries- IN THE FIRST QTR!

Quizz scores on an unbelievable run!!!!

WOW. Two changes of direction, stiff arms, speed. Quizz just went off. You will see this on highlight reels.

10-7 OSU.

Dockery makes another INT

He saved Bankers' ass with this one. It's still 7-3 ASU.

7-3 ASU

The Beavers put together a nice drive but stalled at the 10 yard line. Kahut hit the chip shot.

7-0 ASU

The ASU QB throws a knuckle ball to his WR crossing the middle of the field. He gets hit by two OSU DB's and shrugs it off into the endzone.

If OSU's offense doesn't perform, this could get ugly. The OSU D is looking unprepared.

SF Giants are more important than the Beav's

Is that wrong? For some reason my attention has been focused on the SF Giants playoff run. Gotta luv the Orange/Black of pro baseball. The Giants have had a great season, they sucked the first few months, and now they are about to win the Division and make the playoffs. Can the Beavers follow this same storyline? They have for the past few years, but this year feels different.

I am just not interested in the ASU/OSU game as much. The Erickson led OSU team tribute at halftime is kinda cool, but weird because I want the Beavers to crush his team into oblivion the same day I am paying tribute to his efforts in 2000. WTF?

It seems like it's all been said about the Beavers this fall, and there is not much more to point out when it comes to OSU's flaws.

Duh, the defense is not good this year.

Duh, there is a new QB who isn't as efficient as they need when the defense is crap.

Duh, the lack of roster depth/talent-stemming from uncoordinated recruiting efforts, is a huge issue.

The ASU game is not a toss up. James Rodgers is still hurt from his concussion, and concussions are not easy to return from. The Beavers get +3 for being the home team. But ASU is better statistically and against good opposition.

My prediction- ASU 35-21. Please prove me wrong Beavers.

Beavers deliver a victory against ASU

(AP Photo/Paul Connors)

Congrats to the Beavers for breaking a really long streak tonight! It's been 40 years since the Beavers won in Tempe.

Team Stat Comparison
1st Downs	14	26
3rd down efficiency	5-11	4-18
4th down efficiency	0-0	5-7
Total Yards	295	406
Passing	216	338
Comp-Att	18-30	32-58
Yards per pass	7.2	5.8
Rushing	79	68
Rushing Attempts	24	31
Yards per rush	3.3	2.2
Penalties	5-28	10-80
Turnovers	1	2
Fumbles lost	0	1
Interceptions thrown	1	1
Possession	24:36	35:24

ASU comes close

(Pic Source: ESPN/AP Photo/Greg Wahl-Stephens)

The Beavers won a close one last night(27-25), and it looks like each week is going to be tough going forward. ASU was hungry, just like I predicted. They played hard the whole game.

OSU's defense bent, but didn't break. They played tough.

The injury bug is the biggest key to OSU running the table. Moevao is a big loss if he is out for an extended period. Canfield has the physical tools, but I am not convinced he is as mentally tough as Moevao. His pick against ASU is why it was even close. But he did play an excellent second half, the jury is still out.

OSU's secondary seems to have multiple personalities. It seems like teams get away with a lot of big plays in the passing game. Yet OSU's DB make plays sometimes. The OSU prevent defense is not good at all.

Arizona, Cal, and UCLA will be tough. So will Oregon, but they seem to have transformed into a running focused offense. Not sure what to think there.

ASU, myth or reality

This week's game against ASU is not a gimmie like WSU and UW. Yes, this team is underachieving. Yes, OSU is rolling.

OSU is getting recruits, and love from everywhere. Riley is the best coach OSU has had in the last 50 years, and he deserves all the love he is getting these days. OSU is getting verbal commits left and right-which is good.

But the Beavers need to win. They need to beat ASU. That is all that matters.

If OSU loses to ASU this season will be just okay.

If OSU beats ASU this season has the potential to be historic.

OSU is in the playoffs now

OSU has to treat each game now as a playoff game, there is no other way to look at it. Riley is doing a good job preaching a game by game approach, but that's not too hard against two crappy Washington schools.

The next five games are going to be brutal. There are no gimmies. ASU is hungry. But Riley is undefeated on bye weeks. ASU has underachieved all year, which means they are going to be ready to breakout and overachieve. OSU has the game at home, which should help. Rain would help too.

OSU looks pretty healthy, which is good too.

Regarding my prior remarks about putting in McCants more often, I did not mean that as a gripe against Quizz. He is the man. I hope his head doesn't get too big though. His demeanor on the field makes me a little worried. If he is trying to be Barry Sanders, great. But, if he's freaked by the attention, then that's another problem. Spelling him with McCants might be a long term smart coaching move at this point.