2001 Football OSU vs USC

BEAVERS FAIL TO WIN AT USC AND IT HURTS DEEP

This was another team we should have beat. What happened to the scoring? Where was Simonton? Why? Why? Why? It was a nightmare of a game and I could not seem to wake up from. Drive down inside the 20, fail to score, Drive down inside the 20, fail to score. Get the picture. The Beavers did most of what they should do to win a football game over a team they should, except for one thing, scoring at the end of the drive. 

The Usually reliable Ryan Cesca, who has not missed inside the forty this season misses a 35 yarder with 6 minutes to go for the lead and misses again with 33 seconds to go for the lead. Ken Simonton runs into his own man on the 10 yard line on a breakaway touchdown run with time running out to be stopped. Then fumbles the hand-off on the next play for no gain. 

The Beavers hold tailback U to 33 yards rushing for the game and only 171 yards passing while OSU offense rushes for 181 yards and passes for 203. OSU has 9 more first downs then USC. OSU has the ball for almost 7 minutes longer then USC. USC does not score an offensive touchdown in 60 minutes of football. Who does it sound like won the game. NOPE you're wrong! WE FAILED TO WIN! They won? How could that be?

This game summarizes the season for OSU football. After what was the greatest season in school history and the most fun I have ever had in my 40+ years on this planet we have come way down to this. How could it happen? Whose fault is it? Since football is a team sport, it is the teams fault. No one person is responsible for this crash to the bottom. The team needs to play with the same heart and desire they did last season. Linebacker Kori Dickerson of USC said this after the game. "He's kind of different this year, he isn't the same Ken Simonton as in the past. I don't know if he's hurt or trying to do to much." I think you can apply that to statement to most of the team. 

Thankfully that nightmare is over and we have all awakened to a new day. As with all nightmares they do come to an end. Lets hope that this one does not return. This team has three games left to try and salvage something positive from what was a season of high expectations. Perhaps we all can learn something about ourselves and expectations. No matter what anyone thinks of you, you still have to perform when the time comes. If you don't perform when it counts the fall can be even bigger. In todays world you are only as good as your last game. So come on Beavers, Lets get down to work, do the work the way you know you can and  lets make the next game a new start and kick some husky butt.
 

CATEGORY	BEAVERS	USC	ADVANTAGE
Passing Off.	203 yards	171 yards	OSU
Rushing Off.	181 yards	33 yards	OSU
Total Off.	384 yards	204 yards	OSU
Time of Pos.	33:11 min.	26:49 min	OSU
Turnovers	3	2	USC
Penalties	5-45	4-30	USC
First Downs	20	11	OSU
Final Score	13	16	USC

---

Current PAC-10 Standings
Team	Pac 10	Overall
Oregon	5-1	8-1
Washington State	5-1	8-1
Washington	5-1	7-1
Stanford	4-2	5-2
UCLA	3-2	6-2
USC	3-3	4-5
Oregon State	2-4	3-5
Arizona State	1-4	4-4
Arizona	1-5	4-5
California	0-6	0-8

BFS