The greatest three-year stretch in Oregon State football history (perhaps in the history of O.S.U. sports) concluded with a nine-win 2008 season, one defined by the program-making win over U.S.C. and a school-record seven consecutive Pac-10 victories. When I say program-making, I don’t mean to say that the Beavers have not already arrived as a bona-fide national program; thanks to Coach Mike Riley’s deft touch, Oregon State has been a top-30 program for the better part of a decade. But for much of the college football world, the team’s home upset over the Trojans, then the No. 1 team in the land, brought to light just how far the Beavers have come since 1996. The university hired Riley in 1997, and the results, though slow at first (8-14 from 1997-98), have been spectacular. For me, the 2008 season summed up everything that is great about the O.S.U. program: a batch of largely underrated, lightly-regarded high school prospects whose success has come about due to hard work, toughness and an underdog mentality. However, after cruising to seven wins in Pac-10 play and with three of its four losses coming to Top 25 competition, Oregon State’s days of sneaking up on the opposition are over.

OSU coach Mike Riley was limping slightly because of a strained Achilles heel he suffered while jogging.

But Riley should be ready for the Beavers' opener with Portland State. So should tailback Jacquizz Rodgers, named the Pac-10 offensive player of the year last season as a freshman, and his brother James, a wide receiver who has redefined the fly sweep.

UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel closed his remarks by pointing out how difficult it is for Pac-10 teams to play all nine of their conference opponents every year.

t’s never easy at Oregon State, with a football program that Rodney Dangerfield swore would never get its due respect.

When Oregon State opens training camp on Aug. 10, Gabe Miller and Will Darkins will both begin in earnest to stake their claim for a major role at a new position.

The former Lake Oswego High greats both took their initial snaps on the opposite side of the ball during spring practice. Soon, the heavy lifting begins for both.

“Maybe we’re both getting back to our natural positions,” says Darkins, a sophomore who will move from middle linebacker to fullback.

Predictions came fast and furious during the annual Pacific-10 Conference football media day in Los Angeles on Thursday.

Head Coach of the Oregon State Beavers, Mike Riley, joins Softy from PAC 10 Media Day.

Missing four training camp practices didn't seem like much for Andy Levitre â€" until the Buffalo Bills rookie guard made his debut Monday.

After holding his own in individual blocking drills against rookie defensive tackle David Lindquist, Levitre had far more difficulty handling Kyle Williams and Spencer Johnson as the two Bills veterans blew right past him.

"It wasn't the greatest day for me, but I'm planning on doing a better job tomorrow," Levitre said a day after signing a four-year contract. "Going full speed in pads was a little different for me, but I'm kind of picking up on it."

RACICE, Czech Republic â€" Oregon State junior Devery Karz earned a silver medal at the U23 Rowing World Championships on July 26 as part of the United States lightweight women’s quadruple sculls team.

Romo was back in and ran a successful screen to MB3 who followed a block from Kosier. They tried a dump off to MB3 next but Jason Williams broke it up. Roy made a short catch in front of Scandrick, they tried a draw from the shotgun but Matt Stewart stuffed it. Romo hit Felix short over the middle but Victor Butler popped the ball out from behind for a fumble. Romo finished with a pass in the flats to Lattimore. Kitna hit Bennett on a pass, then tried an off-tackle with Choice but Ware and Ratliff both penetrated into the backfield. Ware followed that up by sacking Kitna. Kitna finished by overthrowing Willie Reid on a deep crossing pattern. Rudy Carpenter then tossed a sweep to Lattimore who made a beautiful cut towards the middle for good yards, then they tried a dump pass but Jason Williams was all over it.

The team locked up a pair of fourth-rounders as well with wide receiver Louis Murphy and linebacker Slade Norris.

Adam Pearce has been named Oregon State assistant men’s soccer coach, new coach Steve Simmons said Friday. Pearce has been the head men’s and women’s coach at Spring Hill College in Mobile, Ala., the past three seasons.

“Adam Pearce is an up-and-coming coach with an extreme passion for teaching the game.

SAMMIE STROUGHTER: It's not often a seventh-round draft pick makes a splash as a rookie, but the wide receiver is this year's sleeper.

This is a story of courage, of an athlete/coach robbed of his physical abilities â€" but not his dignity â€" in the prime of life.

(The Following Article is about the Starting Quarterback for OSU's Week 1 Opponent, Portland State)

You think Drew Hubel can fling a football? You ought to see him play the guitar.

Oregon is the first state in the U.S. that requires state universities to interview minority candidates when hiring head coaches or athletic directors.

conference portion of Pac-10 media day Thursday that both Rodgers brothers are healthy and ready to go when training camp begins Aug. 10. QB Lyle Moevao is not 100 percent, yet, but Riley hopes he’ll be ready to play by the first game.

“Lyle Moevao should be healthy by the first game, and somewhere in camp he will be ready to go (practice full-time),” Riley said. “I’m hoping to have two healthy quarterbacks by the time of the first game.”

How much will he play?

“I don’t know the answer to that,” Riley said. “We have to get into camp. We’ll be careful with his pitch count. He’s not ready today to take a normal number of snaps in practices. I’ve thought about a number of scenarios with him, but none of them matter until he’s ready.”

The Pac-10 has been walking the walk on the football field, witness a winning record vs. every other FBS conference since 2000.

But in this fast-paced media age when image is everything and spinning reality is critical to creating perception, the conference used its media day Thursday to do a better job talking the talk.

Which means just about every coach at some point during his presentation cocked his head thoughtfully, conjured a pained look and said in so many words, "Golly, there are just no weeks off in this conference! And we just beat each other up."

# Mike Riley and linebacker Keaton Kristick.

# Riley said Kristick was voted team captain "by the biggest margin that I've ever seen."

Oregon State - While six people wanted to say that the Beavers would win the Pac-10 this year, the overwhelming majority (53%) said that Oregon State would sneak past the likes of Cal and Oregon to take the #2 spot in the conference. That means that the BtD is projecting the Beavers two win the Civil War... go figure!

More production duties tonight, but we’re not complaining. An air-conditioned office isn’t such a bad place to be when it’s a bazillion degrees outside, down here in the unforgiving concrete jungle otherwise known as downtown Corvallis.

THURSDAY, southeast PDX ... great job by Pac-10 writer Ken Goe today at Media Day but I wanted a breakdown (with photos) of Riley's achilles injury and mention of the eerie series of mishaps lately: Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh falls off a ladder, hits concrete (no serious injuries) ... Riley hurts himself while jogging (c'mon, coach) and weeks ago Eugene Register-Guard columnist George Schroeder (an avid runner) blows HIS achilles. ... nasty stuff. ... meanwhile, with the government about to pull the plug on the "cash for clunkers'' program, there is less likelihood of this scribe being traded in for a younger, more energy-efficient model so we're back for another season on the Behind the Beavers Beat unless one of my tweets gets me fired.