BeaverBlitz.com - Beavers ready to battle Bruins

October 30, 2009

Raju Woodward
BeaverBlitz.com Staff Writer

It's not often teams gain momentum from a loss. But you could argue the Beavers may have last Saturday against Southern California. And not just because they had their chances to upset the then No. 6 Trojans. Far more impressive was the fact the Beavers put up 36 points.

And it's not far-fetched to think they could do the same or better this Saturday against UCLA. Because in addition to their offense finally clicking, the Beavers will be playing within the friendly confines of Reser Stadium and with a sense of urgency. They need to win to keep up in the Pac-10 race.

"We've had growth," said OSU coach Mike Riley at Tuesday's press confidence. "We are building confidence; we have a chance to build momentum, with that confidence. We can see a lot of good things about the identity of this team, about never quitting, and playing hard, and producing."

UCLA, which is 0-4 in Pac-10 play, is coming off a 27-13 loss to Arizona last Saturday. The Bruins have struggled offensively, ranking ninth in the conference in total offense, scoring offense, rushing offense and passing offense. The most points they have scored against a Pac-10 opponent this season is 26. Running back Johnathan Franklin has carried the UCLA offense, rushing for 469 yards and five touchdowns.

"Defensively, we've got to stop the run, and make plays in the secondary," Riley said. "We just got burned for a big play last week, so we've got to bounce back from that."

Fortunately, the Bruins' passing attack has been pretty nonexistent this season. Kevin Prince has thrown for just 729 yards and two TDs. UCLA has been much stronger on defense, ranking fifth in the conference in total defense. Where the Bruins have been strongest is against the pass. They allow 180 yards per game, second best in the Pac-10.

But none of that may matter against the Beavers because QB Sean Canfield is coming off the finest performance of his career. Against USC, he completed 30 of 43 passes for 329 yards, three TDs and no interceptions.

"A lot of things go into it and go unnoticed a lot of times but we're just in rhythm more than anything," Canfield said. "Being comfortable with the receivers and the play calling has been outstanding and the game plans have been outstanding and very consistent throughout. All that adds up and you get efficiency and production."

Added tight end Joe Halahuni: "They have some strong defensive linemen, linebackers, and they have a good secondary. It's going to be a challenge but we're going to be ready for it. It's going to be exciting and we're going to work hard."

If the Bruins are able to slow down the Beavers' passing attack, no problem. The Beavers can simply turn to Jacquizz Rodgers because the Bruins' weakness on defense is defending the run. They give up 159 yards per game, which ranks eighth in the Pac-10. Rodgers has rushed for 810 yards and 14 TDs.

Either way, the main thing for the Beavers is to get back on the winning track so they continue to gain momentum down the stretch.

BeaverBlitz's Three Keys to Victory:

1. Start strong. Finish soon: The Beavers should be able to get off to a fast start this Saturday. But can they finish off the Bruins early on as well? They have lacked a killer instinct at times this season, especially against Stanford. If they get out to a big lead, they can't let UCLA think it has a chance and let the Bruins get back into the game.

2. Put Pressure on Prince: If the Beavers have a concern it should be their pass rush. Even though UCLA's passing game has struggled, if the Beavers give Prince too much time, he could pick them apart. And that could mean the Bruins hang along longer than they should.

3. Continue to spread the ball around: Keeping UCLA on its toes will help the Beavers move the ball down the field and score points. Being too predictable could play into the hands of the Bruins' defense, which is solid.

FEATURED PRODUCT