BFS Current Story

BEAVERS AT #6 STANFORD, CAN THEY KEEP IT GOING? WE BELIEVE!

11-27-2010 - The Beavers run through a gauntlet of top ranked teams continues today in the bay area against the #6 ranked Cardinal of Stanford. The Cardinal will be the Beavers 5th top 20 team this season and the 4th on the road.

This season has been a never ending challenge for the Beavers who played well early in the season in losing close games at Boise State and TCU. Then winning big games against Louisville Arizona St. and Arizona. After losing James Rodgers for the season in Tucson against Arizona the Beavers entered the Twilight Zone by losing 3 of their next 4 against 4 of the bottom 5 teams in the PAC-10.

But just when you think the season is over the Beavers pull off the upset at home against #20 USC in a route 36-7.

So what can we expect this week? The team that took #4 TCU to the end in Texas only to lose by 11 at the last minute? The team that went to Tucson and stole a game from then #9 Arizona? The team that dismantled #20 USC at Reser?

Or do we see the team that lost in overtime to a below average Husky team in Seattle? The team that slept their way threw a last second loss to a bad UCLA team. Or, Heaven Forbid, the team that never came to play when the woefully bad Cougars of WSU came to Corvallis and got shellacked at home 31-14.

I am sure these are the questions that Coach Riley and his staff have been asking themselves all season.

This team has so much talent and so much potential that at the start of the season it seemed impossible to think that the Beavers would not make it to a bowl game. But here we sit at 5-5 with two games left on the schedule. Both against top ten teams. Personally I have given up trying to figure this group out and I am just going to go with the flow today and pray that they have learned their lessons and will come to play hard and keep that fire in their belly's that we saw last week against USC. They will need all of that and more to win either or both of these last two games.

BY THE NUMBERS

The Beavers this year are 5-5 for the season. The teams they have lost two have a combined record of 33-22. That does seem so bad, but when you take out BSU at 11-1 and TCU 12-0 you are left with three losses to teams with a combined record of 8-21.

The Beavers wins this season come against teams with a combined record of 29-25 with Arizona and USC being the top two teams the Beavers have defeated this year. We are 1-4 on the road this year. The only road win coming in Tucson against #9 Arizona.

KEYS	STATISTIC	OSU	STAN	Advantage
.	Records	5-5 (4-3)	10-1 (7-1)	STAN
.	Scoring Offense	27.3	40.5	STAN
.	Scoring Defense	24.7	19.5	STAN
.	Total Offense	331.4	467.1	STAN
.	Total Defense	393.4	329.5	STAN
.	Rushing Offense	127.7	215.2	STAN
.	Rushing Defense	164.3	130.6	STAN
.	Passing Offense	203.7	251.9	STAN
.	Passing Defense	229.1	198.8	STAN
.	Pass Efficiency	136.8	161.0	STAN
.	Pass Defense Efficiency	137.6	118.0	STAN
.	Kickoff Returns	26.3	21.7	OSU
.	Punt Return Average	15.4	10.5	OSU
.	Interceptions	10	14	STAN
.	Punting NET	36.1	35.8	OSU
.	Kickoff Coverage	40.9	46.8	STAN
.	Field Goals	6/10=.600	16/18=.889	STAN
.	PAT Kicking	33/35=.943	52/55=.945	STAN
.	Sacks by	29	24	OSU
.	Sacks Against	28	4	STAN
.	First Downs	182	277	STAN
.	Opponent First Downs	221	205	STAN
.	3rd Down Conversions	36.3	57.5	STAN
.	3rd Down Defense	46.0	37.1	STAN
.	4th Down Conversions	33.3	78.6	STAN
.	4th Down Defense	43.8	56.5	OSU
.	Penalties	57.1	44.3	STAN
.	Time of Possession	27.55	35.14	STAN
.	Turnover Margin	+11	+9	OSU
.	Red Zone Offense	83.3	89.6	STAN
.	Red Zone Defense	80.0	77.8	STAN
.	Home Field Advantage	.	STAN	STAN
32	Totals	6	26	STAN

The statistics are a nightmare for the Beavers. Stanford won 26 of 32 categories. The biggest thing the Beavers are going to have to overcome is Stanford's ability to run the ball and avoid the sack. Andrew Luck has only been sacked 4 times this season. Where Ryan Katz has been sacked 28 times. This game is going to be won or lost in the trenches. Whichever team controls the line of scrimmage will win this game.

THE BOTTOM LINE

This is a Mount Everest type of challenge for the Beavers today. Stanford has probably the best team in their history playing this year. Coach Harbaugh has them playing with confidence. They have threats all over the field and Luck is their best offensive weapon with his ability to run the ball. The Beavers have not played well against teams that run the ball so this is a major challenge.

I feel the Beavers will be able to move the ball against the Cardinal. Their defense is good but not great. So if the Beavers offense can score some points it will be up to the Beavers defense to win this game. I do not think we can win a shootout with Stanford. If we can control Luck and play the type of inspired defense we played last week against USC, then the Beavers can pull off the upset.

I believe we can do this. Good Luck Beavers!

FINAL SCORE

BEAVERS 27
STANFORD 24

GO BEAVERS!

BFS