2002 Football Bowlgame Special 1

MY INSIGHT BOWL SCRAPBOOK - CLICK HERE

THE DISASTER IN THE DESERT

Well another football season is over and like last year, it ended in disappointment. Unlike last year, the season was a successful season (8-5), second best record since 1964. It just was not the ending we all would have liked.

I should have seen it coming. The whole trip to Phoenix just did not feel the same as it did two years ago. The timing of the game was wrong. None of my friend's wives would let them attend the game so I went solo. My flights were delayed. I missed most of the Beaver social on Christmas Night and there was a total lack of electricity around the stadium on game day.

Then there was the game itself. If Ringling Brothers were to have a bowl game, it would be the Insight Bowl. It was not a football game, it was a circus and a football game got in the way. Endless time outs for television. They had some local weather guy hosting the event and during almost every timeout he had some other stupid thing to say or do. It just did not feel like a football game.

The only saving grace to the weekend was the alumni tailgater before the game. It was held at Alice Coopers Sports bar just two blocks from the stadium and it was jam packed. The band and the cheerleaders were there. Benny Beaver was lucky enough to have his photo taken with yours truly. The tailgater was a rockin good time for all. Perhaps we as fans left our game in the bar before the game as well.

As a side note. Has anyone noticed the lack of our special teams to perform this year? We given up at least two punt returns for TD's and perhaps more. (I cannot remember). Well, being the investigative reporter that I am, I have learned that there are internal grumblings about the Special Teams coach, Noel Mazzone. The report from inside the locker room is that players are "not real comfortable with him". Mazzone is also the running backs coach. I can think of several occasions during the season where I saw Erickson having a rather heated discussion with his special teams coach. Hopefully the family squabbles can be worked out before next year.

The Beavers lost to the Pittsburgh Panthers 38-13 in the Insight Bowl on the 26th in Phoenix. The lost was a combination of several different events.

1. Pittsburgh is a good team with a great defense.
2. The inability of the Offensive line to open holes for the running game.
3. Derek Anderson making poor decisions as to what to do with the ball.
4. Dennis Erickson making questionable play calls in certain situations.
5. Dennis Erickson not preparing his team well enough for the game.
6. One Big holding penalty at the wrong time.
7. Some very poor tackling on one punt return.

The Beavers never seemed to be in rhythm on the field. The defense looked confused in the first half but held together well. In the second half they collapsed under the pressure of always having to defend their half of the field as Pittsburgh was constantly starting in OSU territory. PITT blew open big holes in the line for big running gains and then would pick the open receiver when the coverage broke down.

Anderson looked out of control. Perhaps he was too pumped up. His passes to open receivers in the first half could have blown the game open early, but he overthrew the receivers almost every time by a step or two. Just a little more air under the ball and we are up by two or three td's.

Jackson too seemed to be to up for the game. Granted the line did not open any big holes for him to run threw, but he did not hit the line with any speed or force. He was constantly looking for the big play, bobbing and weaving and not moving forward. The idea is to where down the defense. If you don't take advantage of your size and strength and hit the other guy hard, you don't where him down. Jackson should have put his shoulder into the line and hit them hard early in the game. It might have started to make them hurt earlier.

The only bright spots in the game for the Beavers were James Newson and Kirk Yliniemi. Newson had 10 catches for 165 yards and one TD, giving him 1284 yards and 12 TD's on the season. Yliniemi was 2 for 2 on field goal attempts giving him 15 in a row and 15/16 for the season. Newson will most likely be rated as one of the top 5 receivers in the nation next year and Yliniemi will an all conference candidate.

POST GAME BY THE NUMBERS
 

CATEGORY	BEAVERS	PITTSBURGH	ADVANTAGE
Passing	319 yards	183 yards	OSU
Passing Att/Comp/int	21-45-1	13-26-0	PITT
Rushing	8 yards	117 yards	PITT
Rushing Att/Ave.	32/.25 ypc	41/2.85 ypc	PITT
Postitive Rushing Yards	56 yards	134yards	PITT
Negitive Rushing Yards	-56 yards	-17 yards	PITT
Total Off.	327 yards	300 yards	OSU
Total Plays/Yards per play	77/4.25ypp	67/4.48 ypp	PITT
Penalties	9/90 yards	7/55 yards	PITT
Punts/Ave.	6/40.2	7/41	PITT
Turnovers	2	0	PITT
Time of Pos.	30:20	29:40	PITT
First Downs	20	21	PITT
Final Score	13	38	PITT

All in the entire trip to the desert will be a memorable one for me. The tailgater was great, Bank One Ballpark is a beautiful BASEBALL park. It was fun sitting in the bar after the game with PITT fans talking about the game. Their fans were real nice and not at all like the Notre Dame fans had I encountered at Fiesta Bowl. They were as shocked at the outcome of the game as we were. They did not expect PITT to dominate the game the way they did. They think the Beavers will be even better next year and so do I.

Now it is time for us to look to basketball and support our basketball team as the conference season starts this week with Arizona State coming to town.

Hope to see many of you at B-Ball games. Spring football is only 2 ½ months away and it is 8 months till next football season.

Look for Beaver basketball newsletters starting this week.

GO BEAVERS!

BFS