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Game
12 - OREGON STATE VS USC
Hello
Beaver Fans,Man
these bye weeks are really throwing may whole week
off. And knowing what bowl game you are going to
has really thrown me off as well. It was only last
night that I realized that we had to play USC on
Saturday. I was so busy trying to figure out how
I was going to attend both the women's and men's
basketball games in Corvallis on Saturday and still
have time to help my wife with our daughters sleepover
birthday party I totally forgot there was a football
game as well on Saturday. This along with about
50,000 other things on my plate has me going in
every which way.Has
everyone ordered there bowl game tickets??? I have
even though it looks like I will not be able to
attend this year I still wanted to support the program.
Souvenir's! Someone take photos for me please. Wish
I could go this one sounds like loads of fun. Much
better game then the Insight Bowl, what a joke that
was other then the Beaver parties. They were awesome.But
more on the Lobos in a few weeks.THE
GAMEThe
week the Beavers have the task of having to once
again go down to LA to play the Trojans. How many
times is that in the last 7 years ?? 6?? It seems
we never get them at home any more. Probably because
we beat them here last time and now they are chicken
to play here again. Yah, if I had their team I would
be chicken as well...NOT!If
the world were a far place we should win this game.
After all, we beat Cal and Cal beat USC. But it
does not work that way and we have to go to the
Lions Den and face the enemy there. You
look at that team and what they have done this year
and you say we have no chance of winning this game
and I would say you are correct. USC is a powerhouse
team this year. They are averaging over 41 points
per game and only allowing 18. That is pretty amazing
stuff. But
hey, upsets happen and that is why we play the games.
Except of course when it comes to determining a
champion and then we leave it up to the sportswriters
and computer nerds to figure it out. From
all I have read and seen of this team they deserve
to be in the National Championship game and most
likely will be.BY
THE NUMBERSUSC
and Oregon State are statistically the two best
teams in the conference. But as we learned in the
Civil War, stats don't always tell the whole story.
USC
ranks first or second in 11 categories and the Beavers
rank first or second in 10 categories.The
big areas of difference and advantage for USC are
turnover margin, they rank 1st with a +17 and the
Beavers are last at -5. Another is sacks and sacks
allowed, USC is 2nd in sacks and 1st in sacks allowed
while the Beavers are 8th and 5th. USC's defensive
line will have a field day if OSU's offensive line
does not play its best game of the season. USC
ranks seventh in pass defense and first in rush
defense. So the Beavers will be forced to throw
the ball if the line cannot open wholes for Jackson
to run threw. If they cannot open whole and protect
Anderson it will be a very long day for the Beavers.
Penalties
will once again be a big factor. USC is 2nd in least
amount of penalties and OSU is last. The Beavers
need to keep their heads together and play smart.
The officials may have a lot to do with how the
game plays out. It would be difficult to not favor
USC as an official and give them the benefit of
calls knowing that a win sends then to the Sugar
Bowl. THE
SERIESThe
Beavers have had their share of troubles with USC
over the years. USC holds a commanding 55-8-4 series
edge over Oregon State. The Trojans have won the
last two games.OSU's
Mike Riley is 0-2 vs. USC and the Trojans' Pete
Carroll is 2-0 vs. the Beavers. OSU's last win in
the series was 31-21 in Corvallis in 2000.
Remember
what I said about having to play USC in LA? The
Beavers have played USC at USC 43 times out 67 games
and are 3-37-3 vs. USC in Los Angeles. The Beavers
have not done well at home either and are 2-11-0
in Corvallis, 2-6-1 in Portland, 1-0-0 in Tacoma
and 0-1-0 in Pasadena.
It
has been 43 years since the Beavers last victory in
LA 14-0 in 1960.
THE
BOTTOM LINEIt
will take the Beavers very best to beat the Trojans
in LA on Saturday. I really give them little to
know chance of winning. If USC were only going to
the Rose Bowl they might overlook the Beavers but
with National Championship game on the line they
will be fired up and ready to play. I think it also
hurts the Beavers in that they already know where
they are going to play in a Bowl Game and nothing
else to play for but pride. But that may help them
to play with no pressure and just have fun with
the game. They have nothing to lose and the Trojans
have everything to loose. It just depends upon how
the players react to the situation.I
look for it to be close in the first half and then
USC to put the game away in the second half. Anderson
will not hold up under the pressure from the USC
line and throw some picks and we will make some
mistakes on special teams that cost us field position
and points.FINAL
SCOREBeavers
20
USC 41
I
HOPE I AM WRONG!!!
|
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|
TEAM
|
DATE
|
Home/Away
|
|
Sacramento
St
|
08/28
|
WIN
40-7
|
|
@
Fresno St.
|
09/05
|
LOSS
14-16
|
|
New
Mexico St.
|
09/13
|
WIN
28-16
|
|
Boise
St.
|
09/20
|
WIN
26-24
|
|
Arizona
St.
|
09/27
|
WIN
45-17
|
|
@
CAL.
|
10/04
|
WIN
35-21
|
|
Wash.
|
10/18
|
LOSS
17-38
|
|
@
Wash. St.
|
10/25
|
LOSS
30-36
|
|
Arizona
|
11/01
|
WIN
52-23
|
|
Stanford
|
11/15
|
WIN
43-3
|
|
@
Oregon
|
11/22
|
LOSS
20-34
|
|
@
USC
|
12/06
|
AWAY
|
BY
THE NUMBERS
*indicates advantage
| SEASON
STATS |
OSU |
USC |
| SCORING
OFF.(PPG) |
31.8(2) |
41.3(1)* |
| SCORING
DEF.(PPG) |
21.4(3) |
17.9(1)* |
| PASSING
OFF(YPG) |
308.5(1)* |
288.3(2) |
| PASSING
DEF. (YPG) |
205.2(1)* |
257.7(7) |
| RUSHING
OFF.(YPG) |
140.2(3) |
168.1(2)* |
| RUSHING
DEF.(YPG) |
89.2(3) |
61.4(1)* |
| TOTAL
OFF |
448.7(2) |
456.4(1)* |
| TOTAL
DEF. |
294.4(1)* |
319.1(3) |
| TURNOVER
RATIO |
-5(10) |
+17(1) |
| SACKS
TAKEN |
26(8) |
42(2)* |
| SACKS
ALLOWED |
28(5) |
13(1)* |
| PENALTIES(YPG) |
112.5(10) |
51.2(2)* |
| THIRD
DOWN CONV. |
38.4(3)* |
35.7(5) |
| THIRD
DOWN DEF. |
29.4(2)* |
36.3(8) |
| FORTH
DOWN CONV. |
30.8(7) |
45.0(5)* |
| PUNTING |
35.9(8) |
43.1(1)* |
| PUNT
RETURNS |
5.3(9) |
7.5(8)* |
| KICK
OFF RETURNS |
14.7(10) |
22.9(3)* |
| RED
ZONE OFF. |
85.7(1)* |
79.6(4) |
| RED
ZONE DEF. |
67.6(1) |
70.6(3) |
| FIELD
GOALS |
.850(2)* |
.818(3) |
| TIME
OF POSS. |
31:41(1) |
29:29(6) |
2003
Season Standings
PAC
- 10 STANDINGS
AFTER WEEK 14 |
| Team |
Pac
10
|
Overall
|
| USC |
6-1
|
10-1
|
| Washington
State |
6-2
|
9-3
|
| Oregon |
5-3
|
8-4
|
| California |
5-3
|
7-6
|
| Oregon
State |
4-3
|
7-4
|
| UCLA |
4-4
|
6-6
|
| Washington |
4-4
|
6-6
|
| Stanford |
2-6
|
4-7
|
| Arizona
State |
2-6
|
5-7
|
| Arizona |
1-7
|
2-10
|
|