Current Sagarin conference rankings

Heading into the conference season I thought I'd take a look at how the conferences stack up. I like the Sagarin ratings from USA Today. Here's the top-16:

Jeff Sagarin NCAA basketball ratings

CONFERENCE CENTRAL MEAN SIMPLE AVERAGE TEAMS

 1 BIG TEN          = 83.07  82.59  ( 1)   11
 2 ATLANTIC COAST   = 81.93  82.22  ( 2)   12
 3 BIG EAST         = 81.16  81.80  ( 3)   16
 4 SOUTHEASTERN     = 80.85  81.14  ( 4)   12
 5 MISSOURI VALLEY  = 80.39  79.97  ( 5)   10
 6 BIG 12           = 80.04  79.87  ( 6)   12
 7 PACIFIC-10       = 78.70  79.15  ( 7)   10
 8 ATLANTIC 10      = 77.44  77.15  ( 8)   14
 9 MOUNTAIN WEST    = 75.95  76.26  ( 9)    9
10 WESTERN ATHLETIC = 75.82  76.06  ( 10)   9
11 MID-AMERICAN     = 75.54  75.15  ( 11)  12
12 COLONIAL         = 75.05  74.77  ( 12)  12
13 HORIZON          = 74.12  74.20  ( 14)   9
14 WEST COAST       = 74.03  74.75  ( 13)   8
15 METRO ATLANTIC   = 73.36  73.11  ( 16)  10
16 BIG SKY          = 73.29  73.20  ( 15)   8

The Pac-10 is 7th. Not sure how the Missouri Valley conference is 5th. The other surprise is that the ACC is second. Hopefully the low Pac-10 ranking means the Beavers will get to 8 wins again in conference.

Here's the Pac-10 as a whole and how they rank this pre-season:


HOME ADVANTAGE= 4.63     RATING    W   L  SCHEDL (RANK) VS top 10 | VS top 30
 11 Washington          = 88.13   10   0   67.94 ( 322)    0   0  |   1   0
 16 UCLA                = 86.86   10   1   75.73 (  97)    0   1  |   2   1
 30 Arizona             = 84.24    7   3   77.51 (  45)    0   1  |   0   2
 64 Washington State    = 80.70    7   2   71.94 ( 248)    0   0  |   0   1
101 Southern California = 77.89    8   2   68.11 ( 321)    0   0  |   0   0
112 California          = 76.82    6   3   69.80 ( 299)    0   0  |   0   0
124 Oregon              = 76.00    5   5   72.18 ( 240)    0   1  |   0   1
133 Oregon State        = 75.44    6   4   72.72 ( 223)    0   0  |   0   0
155 Arizona State       = 74.34    6   3   68.76 ( 315)    0   0  |   0   0
200 Stanford            = 71.05    4   4   69.03 ( 310)    0   0  |   0   0


Washington at 10-0 doesn't look nearly as impressive when you take into account that they had one of the easiest pre-season schedules in the nation. But I do think they will be good. Meanwhile Arizona and UCLA had one of the toughest, which makes their records all the more impressive. No one else in the conference has any excuses for their average records, including the Beavers. The Pac-10 is only 3-5 against top 30 teams and 0-3 against top-10 teams. Looks like the Pac-10 is a bit down this year.

Some new articles about the OSU baseball

Baseball season isn't here yet, but the buzz around the upcoming season is already starting. I'll mix in some baseball articles as things get closer, but here are a couple of articles to wet your whistle.

First, an article about Tyler Graham and Bobby Pfennigs, an OSU wrestler, from their hometown newspaper.

Great Falls Tribune - CMR graduates find success at Oregon State

Last spring, Graham became the only Great Falls native ever to play in the College World Series. A 14th-round draft choice of the Chicago Cubs, Graham might also be the only Electric City ballplayer to ever turn down a pro contract.

"The Cubs offered a great deal, but I thought coming back I could have a lot better year," said Graham, who hit .307 with 24 RBIs and 21 stolen bases last year at Oregon State. He played leftfield and batted second, but will move to centerfield and hit leadoff this season.

"I know what I have to do to get drafted in a higher round, and I plan to do it," said Graham, who worked out all summer on his strength and speed. "I've put in a lot of hard work already and I'm going to continue to do it."

And the Beavs are ranked #3 in the first preseason poll!

CSTV.com - Preseason Collegiate Baseball Division I Poll

1 Texas          56-16 496 1
2 Florida        48-23 492 2
3 Oregon State   46-12 490 7
4 Nebraska       57-15 489 6
5 Rice           45-19 487 16

Beavers beat Texas-Pan American and look good doing it

Nice win by the Beavers last night. I have definitely seen improvement from the early part of the season. The effort level is higher and the guys are sharper. DeWitz and Fontenet are coming around and Cuic has started hitting his shots. It will be interesting to see if the Beavs can pull off an upset this weekend at Mac court. That would be a huge win.

Articles about the game:

Corvallis Gazette-Times - Beavers secure an easy victory

The Oregonian - Oregon State 78, Texas-Pan American 54 Cuic fuels Beavers off bench to third win in row

Pac-10 Hoops Preview from Tuscon

Here's a nice article from Arizona giving a few pre-season grades on the upcoming Pac-10 men's basketball season starting this week.

Arizona Star - Analysis by Brian J. Pedersen : Preseason tells little, means less

What is the difference between Washington's 10-0 record — its best start in 30 years — and the 4-4 mark Stanford has posted so far? Or between the nine wins in 11 games recorded by USC and the six victories in 11 tries by Oregon?

Absolutely nothing.

The only record that matters now is the one each Pac-10 team has in league play, which for everyone is 0-0 heading into Thursday's openers.
...
Oregon State (6-4): Though still unable to play well outside of Corvallis, the Beavers might have found their go-to guy in senior guard Chris Stephens. He had a monster run at the Rainbow Classic in Honolulu and is shooting great (53.1 on field goals, 92.7 on free throws). Grade: C plus

I think most Beaver fans would generally agree with that grade. Inconsistency has killed them. However, I think Chris Stephens is back after a year taking a back seat to everyone else.

Cheap tickets available for Dec. 28th OSU Men's Basketball game.

The OSU Men's basketball team is in action tomorrow night (Wednesday) against Texas-Pan American. Don't know much about them, but it is the last pre-season game before the Pac-10 gets started this weekend in Eugene.

For those looking to go to the game, check out this deal:

$5 Tickets Available for Dec. 28 Game

Last-minute holiday shoppers have the opportunity to pick up excellent tickets to the Dec. 28 men’s basketball game between Oregon State and Texas-Pan American at Gill Coliseum, as some tickets will be made available for just $5 each.

Because student attendance for the game is expected to be low, these tickets are for general admission seating in section 11 (which is ordinarily student seating).

Tip-off for the game is at 7 p.m. Visit the ticket office in Gill Coliseum or call 1-800-GOBEAVS to place an order.

Come on out and watch the Beavs!

Oregon State football team notes

The Trib has some news on the junior college recruits that Oregon State landed recently during the early JC signing period:

Portland Tribune - Oregon State football

Dorian Smith, a 6-3, 255-pound defensive end who had about two dozen sacks at College of the Desert the last two seasons, should contend for a starting spot. Coye Francies, a 6-2, 195-pound cornerback who had 10 interceptions at American River this fall, should push returning starters Keenan Lewis and Brandon Hughes. Joey LaRocque (6-2, 230), from College of the Canyons, had 11 1⁄2 sacks this fall and is capable of winning a starting outside linebacker job.
Clinton Polk, a 6-2, 220-pound tailback from Scottsdale CC, will provide insurance behind Yvenson Bernard and could see more time than the reserves did last season.
Defensive ends Alex Fa’agai and Keith Robertson of Foothill College are expected to sign with OSU on Feb. 1, the date high school players can do so. Fa’agai should be available for spring practice, but Robertson’s arrival may not come until summer because of academic issues. If that’s the case, he may redshirt next fall.
The Beavers also received a verbal commitment from Tom Hansen, a 6-2, 220-pound high school linebacker from Sacramento, pushing their list of signees or commitments to 21. OSU coaches do not expect to sign Ismail Abdunafi, a defensive tackle from Bakersfield College who told a scouting service last week he was coming to Corvallis.

I'm glad that Dorian Smith already signed. He should be a monster.

Another disconcerting part of the article shows that Lamar is transferring. A week ago he was just thinking about transferring. I still think they should swtich him to RB in an effort to keep him. Or at least WR. I wrote about this a week or so ago: Lamar Herron should change positions to....

Too bad that recruiting is all we have to talk about, but maybe the extra time will allow our coaches to do a better job with it. Go Beavs!

Bowl season is nearly upon us, check out the staduims using Google Maps

I found this site that, has direct links to each stadium site for all the college football bowl games this season. It's a pretty cool use of Google maps.

Check it out:

Stadium NaviGator - Rose Bowl

Look down the right side for all of the bowls this year.

Here's another one:

MergeTek.com - Map of 2005-2006 College Bowl Stadium Locations

It's the season of giving and a local Portland girl needs help.

Read this story about Nikolette Harris and see if there's anything you can do to help. This reminds me a bit of the Austan Pierce story. Read on.

ESPN.com - Message boards spark fundraising campaign

Twelve-year-old Nikolette Harris' favorite sport is soccer. Her favorite college is Oregon State. But as the little girl lays in a Portland, Ore., intensive care unit, fighting leukemia for a third time, her likes and dislikes are quickly starting to change.

That's because of the swell of support she's receiving from college football fans across the country.

Nikolette suffers from acute lymphoblastic leukemia, the most common cancer found in children. According to the National Cancer Institute, 80 percent of children afflicted with ALL will recover from the disease. But Nikolette has already done this. Twice.

Problem is, Nikolette's body has grown resistant to chemotherapy treatments and she needs a life-saving bone marrow transplant. But the cost to her family -- after insurance -- is expected to top $125,000.

...

But that's nothing compared to what's happening on college football message boards across the country. In a place where most fans gather to complain about play calls, gripe about coaches, gossip about recruiting and trash upcoming opponents, fans have gathered to try and help save a little girl's life.

It all started on the Oregon message board, EDuck.com, where Susan Flad, a longtime Ducks fan, posted a message explaining Nikolette's story and asking for donations. Flad's mother, Betty Holden, was an instructional assistant at Nikolette's elementary school, watching up close as the child battled leukemia as a first- and third-grader.

"I still remember my Mom talking to me [about her] trying to keep from crying as this third-grader explained what chemo was, why she was bald and everything else," Flad said. "So I wanted to help. When I originally tried to gather donations in my office I got a total of five dollars. So I thought I'd give this a whirl."

The idea took off, with Oregon fans donating more than $4,000 in less than a week. Another fan saw the posting and, with the Ducks scheduled to face Oklahoma in the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl on Dec. 29, challenged Oklahoma fans to beat Oregon's donations. After 14,000 page views and 225 posts on OUInsider.com, Flad said Sooner fans have raised close to $12,000 for Nikolette.

Check out her website here:
www.curenikolette.org

They have raised about $45,000 so far, but still need more help.

Thanks for taking the time to read this.

Football Attendance by conference

FanBlogs had a nice post on the Football attendances for each conference in 2005. I'm always interested in how the Pac-10 compares to the rest of the nation.

SEC Leads Nation in Football Attendance : Fanblogs College Football Blog

Conference	G	Total Attendance	Total Capacity	Average	Percentage
SEC	75	5,593,699	5,741,371	74,583	97.43
Big 12	72	4,204,574	4,425,186	58,397	95.01
Big Ten	69	5,007,067	5,333,226	72,566	93.88
ACC	72	3,762,511	4,150,596	52,257	90.65
Pac-10	60	3,448,759	4,063,411	57,479	84.87
Big East	46	1,812,406	2,170,505	39,400	83.50
Mountain West	48	1,693,216	2,154,584	35,275	78.59

In 2005, a total of 5,593,699 fans attended 75 games hosted at SEC institutions, an average of 74,583 fans per game, which is also best in the nation. SEC stadiums were filled to 97.43 percent of capacity for each home game in 2005, which was also best in the nation. The SEC has led the nation in percentage of capacity since the statistic was first kept in 1983.

The question is, who is dragging down the Pac-10?

Stanford with their 50% capacity. Thank goodness they are downsizing. Next worst is UCLA at 70%. That's rough considering the USC factor and the Rose Bowl is huge.

Here's the full list:

Attendance Report

Nice article on a new Beaver volleyball recruit from Salem

For those interested in volleyball (Washington just won the National Championship) here's a story on a local recruit:

StatesmanJournal.com - Cochran rises to the top

The 6-foot-3 Cochran was such a dominating force this year that she was named first-team all-Valley League, the Valley League player of the year, first-team all-Class 4A state tournament, first-team all-state and is the Statesman Journal All-Region volleyball player of the year

OSU Men's Basketball gets a quality win

That was a good win for the Beavs. The guys are starting to look more like they did a year ago. DeWitz dunking and hitting 3's, Fontenet driving and hitting 3's, and Stephens sniping from the outside. Stephens simply pulled them to victory. That's what he used to do two years ago and kinda got away from it last year. He needs to start driving a bit more and trying to make things happen like last night. I think the key was that Stephens got hot and they rode him.

Since I still don't think they have a true #1, but a lot of guy who can score, they need to ride the hot hand. If DeWitz is going off on his man, feed him. Any number of guys could get hot and score in bunches on this team. Stephens, DeWitz, Cuic, Marcel, Tsakarakis, or Fontenet could all score over 20 on a given night. It's about matchups and exploiting the best matchup on any given night.

The defense stepped it up as well and played a bit better. But again the other team was more aggressive on D. Oh well. The Beavs need a really good showing in Hawaii to get some precious wins back in an effort to get to post-season play.

The Oregonian - Beavers cash in on Stephens

Corvallis Gazette-Times - A sorely needed victory

“Today was the first time I was able to say we had a competitive effort for a full game,” John said. “We talk about a buzz word for us, and it’s energy. And at times earlier in the season you wouldn’t see it, a will to win. Today was the first time I saw that collectively in the kids’ eyes, a will to win that won’t be denied.”

Interview with Tim Euhus from Rochester

Here's a little interview with Buffalo Bills tight end Tim Euhus. Tim, an Oregon State star, has become a steady contributor to the Bills. Here's a bit about what he is doing lately.

Rochester Democrat and Chronicle - Bills Q&A: Tim Euhus

What keeps you motivated when you're on a 4-9 team that isn't going to the playoffs?

"To me it's still going to work every day and proving that I belong here. As far as not going to the playoffs, we didn't go last year so it's not like I've had that taste in my mouth. So I'm going to just keep working hard until I can get that taste."

...

Have you had much success on eBay with any great deals or steals?

"I went to Oregon State and we're the Beavers, so my wife doesn't know about it yet, but I just got a beaver pelt that I'm going to hang up next to my college helmet. I just finished refurbishing my basement — my major in college was construction engineering — so I just built the basement and had a blast doing it, and I have a little trophy area down there so I'm going to hang the beaver pelt."

...

What do you think you will do once your football career is over?

"I've thought about that a lot. I'd like to coach high school basketball at some point, whether that's when I'm 35 or I'm 50. I haven't put the idea of coaching tight ends in college out of my mind; I think that would be something cool to do if I get in the right situation. But I'm also not afraid to put to use my degree in construction engineering and maybe get into that industry."

Great job Tim! You represent Oregon State well and you make us proud!

Oregon State Men's Basketball vs. Georgia

The Beaver basketball team is playing in the biggest game of their
preseason today. The Georgia Bulldogs aren't top-25 material yet, but at 7-1 and a strong freshman class they will be a tough opponent.

Beavers Face Georgia at Rose Garden on Saturday

The game will air on FSN at 2:30pm. Technically, it's a home game. But it's at the Rose Garden so who knows which Beaver team will show up.

Some articles around the game:

The Oregonian - OSU remembers a season of basketball glory
Even the fans find it hard to forget when Charlie Sitton and the 1980-81 Beavers were ranked No. 1

The Macon Telegraph - Bulldogs enjoy surprising run

Dawgs return to court: Oregon St on tap

Corvallis Gazette-Times - OSU’s Marcel Jones elevates his game

Lamar Herron should change positions to...

OK, so this is a little old but I wanted to make a comment about it.

Portland Tribune - On Campus

Lamar Herron, a part-time starter at safety and Oregon State’s kickoff return man as a sophomore this fall, is considering a transfer. Herron is upset he lost his starting job to true freshman Al Afalava midway through the season. OSU coaches were considering moving Herron to outside linebacker last fall, but he wants a shot at receiver.

First, I think Lamar is way too good of an athlete to let go. Just from his kickoff returns it's obvious there is some major potential for offensive prowess. Even his high school coach thought his worst position was defense. I've seen a lot of people suggesting that he switch to wide receiver. I say make Lamar a RB. Wide Receiver is much harder than running back. Sure Bernard is at RB, but there are a lot of talented WRs on the team already. Especially if Marcel Love is able to come back next season. WR routes can take a while to learn and not everyone can catch everything.

After watching Lamar return kick offs so well I think he is best when there are people in front of him that he can go around or through. He would be a perfect downhill runner. I think he could be a huge stud a RB. What do you say Coach?

Fall Sports Roundup - How did Oregon State perform this fall?

Beaver sports this fall could be summed up as the slow fade. OSU's football, men's soccer, and women soccer all had hot starts and looked poised for post-season play. However, all faded down the stretch and just missed postseason. The Volleyball team had a successful rebuilding year going 7-11 in conference and 11-13 overall. The womens cross-country team is steadily improving as they finished 12th out of 30 at the NCAA west regional.

Even though the teams didn't perform quite as well and Beaver fans would have hoped, all the teams were very competitive and many individual players stood out. Achedemically, the Beavers fall sports excelled as they nabbed the 4th most number of players on the All-Academic team for the Pac-10. Only Stanford, Cal, and ASU had more than the 37 the Beavers had. That's a lot of players.

Ashland Article - 37 Oregon State University Athletes Named To All-Academic Teams

Individually, there were some great performances this fall season. Here's a look at who excelled on the field or court:

Football:

* Mike Hass: Fred Biletnikoff Award winner (best wide reciever), ESPN.com All-America team, Walter Camp All-America team, All Pac-10 First Team
* Alexis Serna: Lou Groza Award winner (best place kicker), American Football Coaches Association All-American Team, All Pac-10 First Team
* Trent Bray: All Pac-10 First Team
* Keith Ellison: All Pac-10 First Team
* Sam Paulescu: All Pac-10 First Team
* Sir Henry Anderson: All Pac-10 Second Team
* Derrick Doggett: All Pac-10 Second Team
* Jeremy Perry: Pac-10 Co-Freshman of the Year
* Keenan Lewis: Rivals.com All-Freshman second team

Men's Soccer:

* Robbie Findley: NSCAA Far West All-Region first team, All-Pac-10 first team
* Ryan Johnson: NSCAA Far West All-Region second team, All-Pac-10 first team

College football as a business

Very interesting post. College football is starting to look a lot like Major League Baseball.

FanBlogs: BCS Teams' Revenues and
Expenses

BCS Top Teams:

	Total Athletic	Football	Football	Net Football
School	Revenues	Revenues	Expenses	Contribution
Texas	$89.7M	$53.2M	$14.5M	$38.7M
Ohio State	89.7	51.8	25.7	26.1
Georgia	68.8	50.9	12.5	38.4
Notre Dame	57.6	41.8	15.1	26.7
Auburn	50.9	40.6	16.4	24.2
LSU	60.9	39.7	12.1	27.6
Penn State	60.8	33.2	10.7	22.5
USC	60.7	29.3	16.7	12.6
Virginia Tech	45.7	25.3	13.8	11.5
Florida State	39.0	18.3	9.1	9.2
Miami	39.8	17.2	10.7	6.5
West Virginia	35.9	17.2	11.3	5.9
Oregon	40.1	16.8	9.5	7.3

I was interested in how Oregon State stacked up.

The Equity In Athletics Disclosure Website

	Total Athletic	Football	Football	Net Football
School	Revenues	Revenues	Expenses	Contribution
Oregon State	$36.7M	$22.3M	$10.2M	$12.1M

There's some very interesting information in that website. I'd recommend taking a look for yourself. BTW, How did OSU make more money on football than the U of O? Must be the bowl game last year. How does Oregon make so much more money off of the other sports?

Oregon State hoops gets pounded on CBS Sportline

Kind of a weird assessment from Gregg Doyel over at CBSSportline.com. Maybe that's why it's called the morning knee-jerk.

CBS Sportsline: Monday Morning Knee-Jerk: What moron picked Texas?

Best team: Duke. That 97-66 win against No. 2 Texas was reminiscent of Illinois' early season blitzkriegs a year ago. Wow. Everyone who thought Texas was going to win, raise your hand. (It's going to be hard typing the rest of this with one hand.)

Worst state: Oregon. The University of Oregon is a mid-major capable only of beating other mid-majors -- and Oregon State isn't even capable of that. The Ducks were blown out by 30 by Illinois, while the Beavers were crushed at Portland, an ignoble bookend to their earlier blowout loss at Tennessee Tech. Maybe Oregon and Oregon State can meet in the NIT. Assuming either of them can get to the NIT.

His definition of mid-major must be different than mine. If you play in a top league and make it to the NIT, are you a mid-major? Strange. But come on, there's got to be a worse state than Oregon. What about Delaware or something?

OSU Men's Basketball: Another road loss

I missed most of the Portland game last night, but I did see the end of the game. Too bad that's the only part of the game I saw. Portland was hitting every 3 it took and OSU was missing everything they took. Unfortunately, they weren't even taking good shots. They best thing they did was drive and get fouled because I don't think they got a good look in the last 8 minutes.

Here's the problem. They lack a go-to guy. They don't have a #1 scorer. No David Lucas. No Steve Johnson. Not even a Corey Benjamin. They don't have anyone that want the ball down the stretch. Stephens used to be able to be that guy a couple of years ago. I think Marcel Jones could be that guy. But maybe not this year. Cuic has gotten much more aggressive down low, which I like, but he's not hitting shots.

It should be an interesting season. I'm interested to see how Jay John works with this group of guys.

OSU's Mike Hass and Alexis Serna named top players in the country at their positions

Wow. Congrats to Alexis and Mike. It is totally deserved for both players. Plus, Alexis gets two more seasons to get better! Simply amazing guys.

Lou Groza award winner - Alexis Serna

Biletnikoff award winner - Mike Hass

Go Beavs!!!

Statesman Journal - Big night for the Beavers

Corvallis Gazette-Times - Hass, Serna bring home national honors

Both Oregon State players made for feel-good stories. Serna made national news for coming back after missing three extra-points in a 22-21 overtime loss at LSU in his first game as a freshman.

Hass finished his OSU career as the first Pacific-10 Conference player with three 1,000-yard receiving seasons after joining the Beavers as a walk-on who did not draw interest from any Division-I program coming out of Portland’s Jesuit High School.

“Oregon State’s two-for-two,” Hass said. “Me and Alexis are the first players from Oregon State to go to the award show and we both won. It’s not a small program like people make it out to be. It shows that you can come to OSU and win awards like USC and Texas.”

The Oregonian - OSU walk-ons walk off with awards

Hass and Serna's achievements were made even more remarkable by the fact both are former walk-ons who didn't have a single Division I scholarship offer between them. It was the first time in the 15-year history of the ESPN awards that Oregon State had a finalist at the show, let alone two individual winners.

David Lucas signs with Befica in Portugal, and more

The Beavers are not resting on their laurels after the comeback win over UNLV. They understand they need to get better and start playing more consistent. Read on:

Statesman Journal - Beavers moving beyond UNLV comeback win

One of the bright spots this season for the Beavers, in addition to the emergence of Jones, has been the play of fan favorite Liam Hughes.

The 7-foot-3, 320-pound sophomore center has looked like more than just a long-term project. He blocked two shots and scored one point in five minutes of action in the first half of the UNLV game.

"You have to deal with him," John said. "He energizes the whole crowd and he (scored) a point."

David Lucas has found a home in Europe. He'll be playing in Portugal with a couple other Americans.

David Lucas, an all-Pac-10 forward last season who averaged 18.5 points and 7.0 rebounds, signed a professional contract last week with Benfica of Portugal.

"It was the right deal at the right time," said Lucas, who is one of three Americans on the team.

Sports Illustrated's All-America Team

Sports Illustrated released it's college football All-American team. No Oregon State Beavers made the first team, but there were a few mentions.

SI.com - NCAA Football - SI's All-America Team

Second Team and Honorable Mention


Second Team

WR Mike Hass, Oregon State


Honorable Mention

RB Yvenson Bernard, Oregon State
K Alexis Serna, Oregon State

Spotlight articles on Marcel Jones and Jack McGillis

A couple a good articles appeared in the local papers yesterday profiling new scorer Marcel Jones and true freshman Jack McGillis.

The Portland Tribune: Jones rises off bench, energizes OSU offense

Marcel Jones has emerged as a viable offensive go-to-guy in the first few games of the season. Anyone who can stop and pop like he has in the last couple of games should be looking to score on a regular basis. He is a prototypical 3 who is smooth and can hit the outside shot. If he can get better defensively, he will be a starter for the next 3 years.

“Marcel is an offensive-minded player who gives us energy,” OSU coach Jay John says of the Los Angeles native.
...
Jones has been Oregon State’s most consistent player, shooting a team-best .595 from the field and .818 from the foul line. He ranks as the No. 2 scorer with 13.5 points per game and is tied for the team lead with a 6.3 rebound average.

Corvallis Gazette-Times: Beavers glad McGillis waited to sign

McGillis was a late signee who took the place of Kenny Hooks, who left the program in the off-season. He's a tall kid who played QB in high school and is an outside sharpshooter.

“We didn’t know anything about Jack, but when we saw a film on him we really liked the kid and thought he would be a good one for us,” Reinert said. “He’s a good competitor, defends his position well and rebounds. And the one thing he can do really well is stick shots.”
...
McGillis improved steadily as a shooter, averaging 12 points a game as a sophomore, 17 points as a junior and 19.9 his senior year. He was 60 percent from the field and 49 percent from 3-point range that final season.

Clinton Polk commits to football team

Here's an article from the GT about Keston Kristick and Clinton Polk. Two of the newer recruits for coach Mike Riley.

Corvallis Gazette-Times: OSU football team lands two commits

Running back Clinton Polk out of Scottsdale Community College is headed to OSU, according to Scout.com. The 6-foot-2, 220-pounder was a previous OSU recruit out of Phoenix’s Desert Vista High, but spent his first three seasons at the junior college.

Latest Beaver Recruits

Two new signings over the last week or so. Some much needed DE help and another good looking LB to get in the pipeline. Marquez Herrod looks especially good on the d-line. I think he could be very special here at OSU.


Keaton Kristick

Scout.com - Keaton Kristick

Article on Kristick
Tucson Citizen - Football Playoffs: 'Huge' drive lifts Lancers to win

...
A 3-yard TD run by Eafon with 1:13 left in the third quarter had given the Lancers a 10-7 lead, but St. Mary's took the kickoff at its own 31 and burned eight minutes on a 17-play drive behind the bruising running of Kristick, a 6-foot-3, 225-yard fullback.
...
"I have a lot of trust in my coach, and whatever decision he mades, I approve of that," Kristick said. "I really respect coach Farrell."

Marquez Herrod

Scout.com profile - Marquez Herrod

North County Times - San Pasqual's Herrod commits to Oregon State

"He cares about graduation rates. He wants his players to get their degrees. He promised to take care of me, make me part of the Oregon State family, and I need that."
...
Herrod said the promise of playing time his freshman season also had a lot to do with his choice.

"They need defensive ends," Herrod said. "They told me that because of the numbers, I'll get a chance to play defense as a freshman, and if not, then certainly special teams.
...
"they're a young team, a team that's building for the future. So there are opportunities for young players. I really feel I'm getting in on something good."

Another couple of nice articles on Marquez:

North County Times - Once down and out, foster child Herrod is making a name and a future for himself at San Pasqual

UNION-TRIBUNE - Football helps Herrod leave past behind

Oregon State football assistant Robin Ross leaves to coach Western Washington

The Robin Ross era at OSU ended before it really got going. The linebackers coach, Robin Ross, has left OSU to take his first head coaching job at Western Washington. Ross was heavily involved in recruiting as well, so coach Riley will have to find someone dynamic to replace him.

Here's the article:

The Bellingham Herald - Western picks Ross

Beavers men's hoops make nice comeback to beat UNLV

Finally, the team is looking like they may be ready for the season. Specifically, the seniors Jason Fotentet and Nick DeWitz look like they are starting to play with confidence and no so tentatively. Plus, Cuic is looking like a real post player with strong moves to the basket instead of the fade-aways he shot last season. Lastly, Marcel Jones needs to continue to look for his shot because he is one of the best offensive weapons we have. I'm very impressed with Marcel.

Some thoughts:

* It seems like the book on the Beavers is to play them very physically. They seem to get rattled with pressure defense and very physical defense. They need to get over that. Luckily the refs were calling fouls this game so the Beavs could sort or stay close until they started hitting shots in the second half.

* The guards need to make something happen early. Drive and dish. Drive and pull up for a shot. I want to get it into the post too, but early in games the guards seem like they aren't totally into the game yet. Against UNLV when they started driving, we started scoring.

Game stories:

Corvallis Gazette-Times - Beavers get the point, win

"It was really emotional at the end,” Fontenet said. “I’m not going to say any names, but a couple guys on the team crying. I saw coach (Kevin) Mouton crying. It was guts and heart."

The Register-Guard - Better effort brings OSU back from blowout brink

The Oregonian - Big second-half rally saves Beavers

Article on Calvin Hampton: Men's Basketball big man

Here's a look at Calvin Hampton from the Gazette-Times. From what I've seen he will be a good one in a year or two. Too bad he isn't red-shirting.

Corvallis Gazette-Times - Hampton learning on the fly

“We saw tremendous upside in him, with the ability to be a pretty good player after some hard work,” assistant coach Kevin Mouton said. “You can’t coach 6-10. And not many kids that size can jump like him.”

...

Previous coaches just sent him out to cause havoc. He didn’t enjoy shooting or rebounding. The only thing he liked was blocking shots.

“I got stuck in that and it became a problem,” Hampton said. “I didn’t develop skills. I was just out there. I didn’t have the rebounding and scoring mentality after that. That kind of damaged me. That’s why it’s hard to get acclimated to the system. It seems like I’m not getting it, but its just so much of a struggle that I’m so stuck in my old ways.”

...

“He’s a sponge and he’s learning,” Mouton said. “We’re excited how quickly he’s picking it up. He’s going to fit perfectly into our puzzle. He’ll do anything for anybody, and I really respect the kid for his work ethic.”

For being a guy who just blocks shot, he has great balance and even the start of some good moves. He's closer in his shooting accuracy than Jeffers was when he first got here from what I've seen in limited action. I'm hoping for some good things from Calvin.

Beaver Men's Basketball news

Beaver Basketball has a semi-big game coming up against UNLV on Saturday at 2pm. It is televised on FSN NW. So here's the latest news coming out of the men's hoops program this week:


The Beavs lose another player to injury. Michael Johnson is out for season with a broken foot. To add to the pain, Jeffers is hurt with a sprained knee.
Corvallis Gazette-Times - Johnson breaks his foot

Jay has the team working harder in practice. Time to lay the groundwork for a successful season, eh?
The Oregonian - OSU hopes harder practices will adjust attitude
Corvallis Gazette-Times - John creates a tougher practice

Jay John has his own website now.
OSUBeavers.com - Jay John Website

And he got a contract extension for 5 years.
SI.com - John gets contract extension


Go Beavs!

Oregon State Basketball

The Beavers men's basketball team has stumbled out of the gate. There are some encouraging things in the first few games, but the results haven't been great. I've watched one exhibition game, one home game, and the Fresno St. game on BSN last night. I think the football team has infected the basketball team here early. Turnovers are killing them. Many of the turnovers are due to the heavy defensive pressure but many are very preventable mental mistakes. Like picking up your dribble too soon, jumping without knowing where you are going to pass, and just bad passes.

There have been some nice surprises. The key is that the guys who are stepping up here early in the year cannot fade in the Pac-10 season. Cuic is starting off great again. Hurd is much better on the offensive end. Marcel Jones looks like he will be a nice offensive option. And Chris Stephens is back.

Unfortunately, a few guys haven't been able to really contribute like last year. I'm not sure if Nick DeWitz is hurt, but he's not nearly as explosive as last season. He is passing up 3's he would stroke last season. He needs to get on track. Jason Fontenet needs to start looking for his shot a bit more. He can stroke the 3, but hasn't really been shooting much in the first few games. He should shoot at least four 3's each game. And Jeffers is hurt. That hurts on the front line. Oh, and what happened to Angelo? Is he in the doghouse? Not only is he not playing much, he's not shooting much.

If we can keep the guys going who are playing good going strong and get the big scorers from last year going, then we should be ok. But if this is a bunch of streaky guys, then we could be in store for a step back. A few guys have to bring it every night and be consistent or else this team won't know where to look for points down the stretch.

I like this group of guys and hope they pull together and have another good season. We've got to keep the momentum rolling.

Ken Goe actually writes an intelligent article about the Beavers

Ken Goe of The Oregonian has been taking shots at the Beavers all season in his columns and attempts at humor before the game. But I guess he didn't want to kick the Beavers while they are down. Check out his post-game column:

Save judgment on Riley for a year

Thanks seniors. Good luck in the future.

The season is over. So I'll say goodbye and thanks to all over our seniors. Especially Mike Hass, Sir Henry Anderson, Alvin Smith, Josh Hawkins, Colt Charles, Sam Paulescu, Trent Bray, Jason Ellison, Dan Haines, Kevin Swanigan, and everyone who contributed this season. Thanks guys. You will be missed.

Pregame Civil War thoughts

The Beavers are two touchdown underdogs and most local media has predicted the score to be about 41-21 in the Ducks favor. I agree that it will be a tough task to win, but I think at the very least it will be a close game. Here's why:

1. The Beavers defense has improved from last in the conference earlier in the season to 4th in the Pac-10. They are first in the Pac-10 against the run. That's a lot of improvement.

2. Every game that Kellen Clemens has not been a part of has been a close game. Down to the wire. I think that's because their offense simply isn't as good or efficient without Clemens. Their offense had been over 500 total yards 3 straight games until Clemens went out. Only one game since has been over 400.

3. Oregon State has a good running game again. The Ducks have given up a ton of yards on the ground the last three games. The Beavs should be able to move the ball even if Gundy doesn't have the game of his life.


If the Beavs were going to pull the upset then I think they would need to do this:

1. Run the ball effectively.

The Beavs need to keep their defense off the field and that means eating some clock. If Yvenson Bernard can get rolling early that will take a ton of pressure off of Gunderson.

2. Have a positive turnover margin.

The Beavers must force turnovers and take care of the ball. I think a +2 or +3 turnover margin would give them a great shot at winning the game.

3. Make the Duck QBs beat you with long drives.

Don't let them get any long bombs. Stuff the run and take away the long stuff and see if Dixon and Leaf can put together a 15 play drive with a lot of accurate short range passes. Not only will that test their ability, but it will give you more chances to get an INT or a fumble or make something happen.

4. Get the ball first in the second half.

I swear that every time the Beavs get the ball first, they lose. I don't know why that is, but please don't take the ball first!



Its almost here! Let break the streak of home wins now!

GO BEAVS!

Mike Riley writes a touching article about his wife, Dee Riley

A nice article by Mike Riley. He should have saved this one for Valentine's Day...

The Portland Tribune: Dee Riley keeps coach grounded

She lives her principles. She doesn’t compromise — I mean that in a good way. There are things that are right or wrong, and that’s the way she lives her life. Every part of our family has been positively affected by that.

I have a feeling that Mike Riley is a lot like that too.

And a little recent history...

A little Civil War history

For those newer Beaver fans, here's a little history on the Civil War from the Alumni Association.

Beaver eClips - Carry Me Back

Civil War lore

In a nutshell: OSU enters this Saturday's Civil War game in Eugene needing a win to remain bowl-eligible. The Ducks sport a 9-1 record, a top-10 ranking and have a possible BCS bowl bid on the line. Not only is this the oldest football rivalry in the West...this year marks the 109th meeting between the two schools...it may also be the most colorful.

In the beginning: OSU won the inaugural match in 1894, 16-0.

Overall: OSU is 44-54-10 all-time. Since 1997, the annual slugfest has been a back-and-forth affair, with each university winning at home and losing on the road. But has it always been this way? No. For the most part, the series has been characterized by long stretches in which one school has "owned" the other. For example, beginning in 1898 and for the next 23 years, OSU managed but six wins against 11 losses. Of the 10 ties the two programs have racked up (the most of any OSU opponent, in or out of conference), six of them occurred during this period. Not until 1936 would the Beavers finally enjoy a long run of success, with but eight losses (against two ties) in a 38-year period that stretched to 1974. But nothing lasts forever. The coin flipped in 1975 with a 14-7 OSU loss in Eugene. After this, Oregon State would not record another win over its archrival until Dave Kragthorpe's squad accomplished the feat, 21-10, in 1988.
Doubling-up: The two schools faced each other twice in one season in 1896 and again in 1945. UO won both games the first time, OSU both the second.

Ties: The last 0-0 tie in NCAA history was recorded at the 1983 Civil War game in Eugene. Because both teams entered the contest with losing records and going nowhere, the game is sometimes referred to as the "Toilet Bowl." In 1994, the NCAA adopted overtime rules to render tie games a thing of the past. However, no "tie" for the Beavers was more disappointing than the Civil War game of 1957. OSU beat the Ducks 10-7 to finish atop the Pacific Coast Conference with a 6-2 record, 8-2 overall. Because the Ducks had also finished the conference with an identical 6-2 record (7-3 overall) and because the PCC had a "no repeat" clause for appearances in the Rose Bowl (OSU had gone the previous season), it was the Lemon Yellow and not Prothro's Orange and Black that made the trip to Pasadena to face Ohio State.

Say what? The football field at Autzen Stadium is named for popular UO coach Rich Brooks, who played football for OSU from 1960-62. After graduation, he served as an assistant under Beaver boss Dee Andros. Brooks is tops among Duck coaches for Civil War victories. Current "Voice of the Beavers" Mike Parker is a UO graduate. Autzen Stadium and Mac Court public address announcer Don Essig is a Beaver alumnus and former member of the OSU Alumni Association Board of Directors.

Say WHAT? SU's alma mater, "Carry Me Back," was written by W. Homer Maris in 1919. Maris was a graduate of the UO, class of 1913. At the time he penned the song, he was a graduate student and faculty member at Oregon State

Riots and neutral sites: A riot at the 1910 game forced both schools to cancel the 1911 game. The rivalry resumed in 1912, but at a stadium located in Albany. Known at the time as the "State Championship Game," the series remained in Albany until 1915. Portland's Multnomah Stadium (now PGE Park) has hosted seven neutral site Civil War games. OSU is 4-4-1 when playing the Ducks outside Eugene or Corvallis.

Trick plays: During the 1933 season, Lon Stiner's team devised a special "pyramid play" to block field goal and extra point attempts. The clever maneuver featured 6-5 Clyde Devine being hoisted skyward by teammates to just the right height to tip the ball and change its direction. First tried against Washington State without fanfare, it was later used against the UO at Multnomah Stadium and captured on film by Portland news photographer Ralph Vincent. The image attracted worldwide attention and continues to be one of the most talked about and publicized photographs in OSU sports history. Stiner's "trick play" was subsequently outlawed by the NCAA.

Pranks: For many years, pranks were a mainstay of the series, with each school trying to outdo the other in nasty deeds. However, the prank of all pranks took place, not during Civil War week, but just before OSU's 1957 Homecoming game with Washington State. Posing as reporters from the Seattle Post Intelligencer, four UO athletes "kidnapped" members of OSU's Homecoming court and took them to Salem, where the parents of one of the "nappers" entertained the group with a sit-down dinner. The story made national news and a good time was had by all.

A MUST see for Beaver fans on this Civil War week

This is hilarious. A must see. Forward to all your Beaver and D**** friends.

Civil War slide show

You gotta Believe!!!

This is what I like to see! Beaver believers! We can win we just have to believe!

Mail Tribune: Beaver backers remain optimistic

Doom and gloom, however, weren’t on the Beaver Believers’ agenda Tuesday, when highlights of previous matchups against the Ducks were shown and head coach Mike Riley appeared in a video expressing his thoughts on the series.

"I think we’ll win," said Commons, who was accompanied by his wife of 60 years, Vivian. "I think we’ll surprise them."
...

"I’m not convinced this is as uneven a matchup as everyone thinks," said Thiesen.

How about this. Steve Preece and Dan Fouts discuss the Civil War:

Nothing’s civil about this war

“Dee always said it was for the right to live in the state of Oregon for a year,” recalls Preece, owner of a commercial real estate firm in Portland and TV analyst for OSU football. “He would say, ‘We’re playing for the state championship. It’s a game we cannot lose.’ ”

...

Preece knows the feeling. He bleeds Beaver orange. And he doesn’t want to hear from heretics who consider UO-Washington a bigger rivalry.

“Because of the 40-mile distance, Oregon-Oregon State will always be one of the most amazing rivalries in the country,” Preece says. “I don’t think there is another one like it anywhere. It really is an un-Civil War.”

Need a history lesson? Try this:

109th Civil War - Civil War recaps

2004: Oregon State 50, Oregon 21
The Men in Black dominated its rivals as they scored on 10 of 13 possessions en route to a series record 50 points. Quarterback Derek Anderson looked sharp as he threw for 351 yards and four touchdowns, including two to Mike Hass. The only bright spot for Oregon was Terrence Whitehead who carried the ball for 110 yards as the Ducks failed to make the postseason for just the first time in eight years. It was the first time in the Civil War's history that both teams had identical .500 records heading into the game.

2002: Oregon State 45, Oregon 24
On a crisp winter Saturday Steven Jackson ran for 153 yards and scored three touchdowns while quarterback Derek Anderson threw for 370 yards and four scores to pace a 45-24 win in Corvallis. Oregon rebounded from a 17-3 deficit to tie the score at 17-17 with 3:14 remaining in the first half. But the Beavers responded with 21 straight points to regain momentum heading into the final quarter. The Ducks had trouble with the ball turning it over four times.

OSU recruiting mention of Gabe Miller and his choices

For those looking for more recruiting information, here's a national article about Gabe Miller a TE/LB from Lake Oswego who is choosing between UO, OSU, Colorado, and Cal. Hopefully that Lake O to OSU connection keeps coming and we get Gabe.

Scout.com article on Recruiting

Oregon linebacker/tight end Gabe Miller said that two schools stand out in his mind – Oregon and Oregon State. The Ducks and Beavers lead big over California (no offer) and Colorado.

"Cal hasn't offered, but said they were really interested," said Miller, a 6-4, 230-pound four-star prospect from Lake Oswego High School. "They just want to review some more tape. They have a really good academic program and they've been near the top of the Pac-10 for several years."

Miller will be visiting Cal on Dec. 17 and said the Bears are recruiting him as a tight end. He has also scheduled a trip to Oregon State on Dec. 3. Miller has already visited Oregon (Sept. 24) and Colorado (Nov. 5).

"I thought my visit to Colorado was really cool," Miller said. "I liked all the pre-game stuff they did with Ralphy the Buffalo. I also liked hanging out with the players and feeling like I was a student there. It's a really fun and laid-back place. I like how well they've done this year. Nobody expected it and they are probably gonna win their division."

Miller says that Oregon and Oregon State are recruiting him the hardest. Miller's team is currently 10-0 and in the second round of the playoffs.

Two nice articles on two Beaver Seniors

Two nice articles on Alvin Smith and Keith Ellison. Two OSU Seniors who will be missed next year.

Alvin Smith:

Register-Guard: OSU: Smith making noise after disappointing start with Beavers

"A lot of people don't recognize what we do," said Smith, who also has 3 1/2 tackles for loss, three quarterback hurries, two fumble recoveries, one quarterback sack and a pass breakup.

"The idea is to grab the blocker so the linebacker can make the tackle. It's a lot of grunt work, but there's also a lot of intelligent play involved in it, too."

Keith Ellison:

Gazette-Times: Making a quick impact

“I’m glad I came here and I’m happy with the decision I made,” Ellison said. “It would have been nice to play here for four years, but I might not be in the same position I am now if I’d been here four years.

50-21...

50-21. We've got to get mileage out of that while we can. Even if we beat the Ducks this weekend I'm guessing it will be a little closer than 50-21. But maybe not, we could win 50-21 if they give up some turnovers and the 2 headed QB system breaks down.

Earlier this week I saw a quote that I find hard to believe. But if it's true, then maybe they are overlooking us. That could be good in our quest for a second consecutive 50-21 win.

Salem Statesman Journal: Injuries may force battle of backup quarterbacks

Anthony Trucks, a senior outside linebacker for the Ducks, is putting no special significance on playing the Beavers.

"The only reason it's special is that it's my last game at Autzen Stadium," Trucks said, "and I can't lose my last game at Autzen Stadium."

Whatever. I've heard otherwise. If you can't get a little extra fired up after a 50-21 drubbing last season, you are a loser. I love how arrogant the Ducks get around Civil War time. They like to think that the Civil War is no longer a rivalry and that they are a level above the Beavs. Whatever. I think if anything the Beavs were a level above the Ducks last year. I mean 50-21. Yikes.

"My team is playing with a very good confidence," Bellotti said. "I don't think an arrogance, but confidence."

Whatever. I saw arrogance on the field against WSU. I hope the Ducks get smacked in the mouth this Saturday.

Then there's this classic:

The Oregonian: Roles are reversed, not Civil War feelings

Asked how his younger players develop such a dislike for Oregon State so quickly, Oregon coach Mike Bellotti fired the first shot over the bow:

"You go to Corvallis. One time," he said.

Wake up and smell the wood mill. I've been to Eugene. It's not anything special. In fact, people like to think it's all hippies and organic food but it's more trailer trash and rednecks then it is anything else. The typical Duck fan looks a lot like the OSU fan stereotype. And the typical Beaver fan is looking less and less like that stereotype.

50-21!

GO BEAVS!

CIVIL WAR!!!! Jokes and other stuff.

It's Civil War and that means Duck jokes!

If you want to kill a few virtual ducks, a friend an I created a little online Duck hunt game many years ago while at OSU for a Java class. Kill some Ducks!!!

My DuckShoot Game

It no longer works quite like it used to, but it still sort of works.


JOKES!

Duck Jokes from BeaverFootball.com

The Duck Hate Page

This one's a classic:

A first grade teacher explains to her class that she is an Oregon Duck. She asks her students to raise their hands if they were Ducks too. No one really knowing what an Oregon Duck was but wanting to be like their teacher, their hands explode into the air like fleshy fireworks. There is, however, one exception. A girl named Kristen has not gone along with the crowd.

The teacher asks her why she has decided to be different. "Because I'm not a Duck." Then, asks the teacher, "What are you? "Why, I'm a proud Oregon State Beaver," boasts the little girl. The teacher is a little perturbed now, her face slightly red. She asks Kristen why she is a rebel. "Well, my mom and dad are Beavers, so I'm a Beaver too." The teacher is now angry. "That's no reason," she says loudly. "What if your mom was a moron, and your dad was a moron. Would you be a moron too?" A pause, and a smile. "No, then," says Kristen, "I'd be a Duck!"

Behind the Beavers Beat: Civil War Joke?

Oregon State football latest verbals: Alex Fa’agai and James Dockery

The Beavers received another set of verbal commitments last week from a big defensive lineman and a wide receiver.

DL/DE Alex Fa'agai will be a JC transfer from Foothill College who will have 3 years of eligibility left. Looks like he is a stud just based on the stats he compiled during his 7 games this season. 10 sacks and 50 tackles?! Nice. Riley is really upgrading the defensive line for next year. I'm starting to get excited about next season already.

WR/S James Dockery from Palm Desert High School is a fast kid who looks like he may have some great potential. He runs a 4.5 40 and is good sized at around 6'2". 60 catches for 1,088 yards in his Junior year and looks well on his way in his senior year. He also plays safety and had a ton of tackles and a few Interceptions from that position.


Alex Fa'agai

Scout.com Profile

Had 10 sacks and appx. 50 tackles in seven games from DE/DT spots before injury in Week Seven. Has 3 years to play 2. On pace to graduate winter quarter, be eligible to enroll at Div-IA school in January and participate in spring ball.

Gazette Times Notes

The Beavers continue to pile on the verbal commitments. They received their 15th last week from Alex FaÂ’agai of Los Altos, Calif, according to several recruiting Web sites.

HeÂ’s a 6-foot-3, 265-pound defensive lineman who runs a 4.8-second 40-yard dash. FaÂ’agai plays for Foothill College and will be a junior in the fall with three years of eligibility left.

High School Honors


James Dockery

Scout.com Profile

Old Scout.com Article on James

During his junior year, Dockery had 60 catches for 1,088 yards and 13 touchdowns and added 79 tackles and 7 interceptions on defense.

Academically, he said he was in solid shape with his GPA and he scored a 1500 on the SAT.

Palm Desert's Dockery decides on Oregon St.

"I'm Oregon State all the way," Dockery said. "They believe in me and can't wait to get me up to the program and get me on a ritual. They told me I can have my choice if I want to be a redshirt freshman or maybe play special teams. Who knows? If I work hard enough in the offseason, maybe I can take somebody's spot."

Game Article with many mentions of James: Palm Desert rallies past La Quinta for perfect ending

Our big guy came up with big plays - and that's Dockery," Blackburn said.

Dockery caught a 33-yard pass to set up the eventual game-winning touchdown and then thwarted a La Quinta rally with an interception in the final four minutes to lift Division VIII No. 1 Palm Desert to a 24-21 victory that capped the first perfect regular season (10-0, 5-0) in school history and clinched an outright DVL championship. The Aztecs last won the DVL title in 1996.

"My coach tells me playmakers make plays and that's what I try to do," Dockery said. "I know I have a target on my chest with all the extra accolades I get, so I have to go out there and show I'm worthy."

Game Article with photo

2005 Stats



Full OSU recruit list from CSTV.com

BlogPoll Week 12

Finally, 'Bama lost. I honestly didn't feel they deserved to be ranked #3, but being undefeated it's hard not to put them up there. Now I can drop them. #1 and #2 are fairly obvious and really should be the NC matchup barring anything wild happening. If either should lose, I'm not sure if there's an obvious team to take over the #2 spot. Miami would the ones I'd consider first at this point.


1 Southern Cal
2 Texas
3 Miami (Florida)
4 Louisiana State
5 Virginia Tech
6 Penn State
7 Ohio State
8 Notre Dame
9 UCLA
10 Alabama
11 Oregon
12 Auburn
13 Georgia
14 West Virginia
15 Michigan
16 Fresno State
17 TCU
18 Texas Tech
19 Louisville
20 Minnesota
21 Wisconsin
22 South Carolina
23 Florida
24 Iowa State
25 UTEP


Almost:

Florida State
Boston College
Cal


Out:

Colorado
Cal
Florida State


Here's the experts:
CBSSportsline.com: Polls

Oregon State Basketball is rolling

I didn't get to see any of the scrimmages or the first game. So my first look at the hoops squad was last night in their final exhibition game against Lewis & Clark. They made us look very good. It wasn't just the starters either, but everybody looked good. I was especially impressed with some of the new guys. Jack McGillis was hitting three and playing very confidently. Brett Casey was playing backup point guard and handled their full court pressure very well. Calvin Hampton was solid on D and on the boards. It looks like he could get some decent minutes backing up the big men for OSU.

There wasn't too much not to like, so I'll touch on a few of the things that were good to see. Lamar Hurd was more aggressive and looked to take his shot more often. Sasa Cuic had some fire and looked more aggressive on the boards than he was last year. Stephens was looking to score a lot and was driving to the basket a lot like he did a couple of years ago. We need him to be a scorer. Angelo looked aggressive, but in control. He passed up 3's a couple of times to drive it to the hole. Also, he only took one shot that was more than a foot away from the 3 point line. I think he stepped up his game.

It's still unclear exactly what this team will be like this year, but they ran a ton and all could shoot so it could be a very good year.

One more side note, they were using an international 3 point line and key so a lot of the 3's the guys made turned into 2's. So in a real game the score would have probably been about 5-10 points higher.

Corvallis Gazette-Times: Easy victory for the Beavers

OSUBeavers.com: OSU Pounds Lewis & Clark, 110-63

(Jay John on how the team’s depth past the first six looks) “I don’t know. Marcel’s proven himself, certainly. Angelo is going to be there, I mean he’s a player. So Marcel and Angelo have certainly stepped up, and then from there Brett did a nice job forcing turnovers. And then the young guys got some minutes, and they got to go hard. Calvin, Liam, Jack and Mike, it’s a new experience for them to get game-style minutes. Everybody’s going to keep improving as long as they have the mindset that they’ll go hard all the time.”

The Oregonian: Oregon State 110, Lewis & Clark 63 Stephens leads Beavers in final exhibition

Beaver football woes

Bummer. It’s been really rough for Beaver fans at home this season. A 3-3 record at home is not going to get you very far. Especially when it could have been worse. I think the thing that really has shaken my confidence in this team is that the thing they were really good at during most of the season fell apart the last few games. I have felt since the Cal game that if the game was close, we would find a way to win. But instead in the Arizona game and the Stanford games they didn't find a way to win. Here’s what defined the Beavers team this season: mistakes. Not just little mistakes, but big ones. It started out as big pass plays and fumbles. Then as the season has gone on it has transitioned to penalties and interceptions.

Biggest mistake that the coaching staff has to remedy: not running the football. How do you give what may be our best weapon in the second half of the season only 22 carries? Give him 13-15 more chances and see how much easier the game last weekend is. Especially with a new QB in Gunderson who is having trouble connecting with the receivers.

As down as I feel I don’t want to overreact. I don’t want to get too high when we win or too low when we lose. When people tend to count this team out, they do quite well. If there was ever a week that they are going to be completely counted out it's this one. Oregon has continued to win, but they are not completely settled at QB. Those young guys could easily have a really bad game in a rivalry game. Plus, some overconfidence could set in. They are beatable and the Beavers have a chance.

With this team it seems like just when you think that the Beavs are done they come back and surprise you. On the other hand, whenever it looks like they are ready to break through they let mistakes get in the way.

Unlike John Canzano I do think they should play in the Civil War because you still have to play the game. To say the season is over is just being reactionary. But that’s what John is. He is Chicken Little and the unsatisfied father in some after-school special all rolled into one. When you’re playing well, it’s never good enough (exhibit A: Ducks this year). If you ever lose then the season is over (exhibit B: the Beavs this year and early last year). Enough about that.

So let's see what happens this weekend and hope we can spoil the Ducks hopes and start their slide into next season.

Relink to my hoops preview

I'm away on business travel so I thought I'd do a little recycling. Plus, the basketball season is starting so I wanted to get a little hoops content up here. After a really early hoops preview from Collegehoops.net I gave my thoughts on the team and the preview. I think this still basically applies because I have yet to see any games this season. More links on hoops to come in the next few days.

BTW, the Beavs offically signed their 4 recruits for next season and the official article is here:

Men's Basketball Announces Four Signings

---

From the July 31:

Collegehoops.net Top 144 - Oregon State Preview

Here is Joel Welser's prediction:

"...Projected Conference Rank: Losing David Lucas is huge and the loss of J.S. Nash doesn’t help either. Yet it is a solid team that will be built around Nick DeWitz, Chris Stephens, Sasa Cuic, Lamar Hurd and Jason Fontenet. There won’t be many easy games against Pac-10 opponents this year and the Beavers haven’t proven that they can do much of anything on the road. A few conference victories away from the Gill Coliseum would put OSU higher than 9th in the conference, but it will be tough for Jay John’s squad to pull that off. The bench has options and Kyle Jeffers would most likely get relegated to starting on the pine if OSU needed to play three guards with Jason Fontenet stepping into the starting role.

Projected Post-season Tournament: none..."


Yea, this is probably fairly accurate. Assuming no one makes any major improvements from last year and the newcomers don't make much of a splash I would predict they will be a little worse than last year. Probably just under .500. However, I think that people will improve and we should be able to at least sustain last year's level. Plus, everyone is in the tournament this year which means everyone has a better shot to win a first round game.

Looking at the new schedule, it does look a bit tough but about the same as last year. (Full Schedule)

BTW, we're not the only ones dealing with a big loss. Arizona (Frye, Stoudamire), ASU (Diogu), and Washington (Conroy, Robinson) all have pretty big holes to fill. Cal should be better with the return of their big man and Stanford is sure happy Hernandez stayed.

I predict the Beavs will parlay the confidence gained last season into a couple more road wins. If they get bigger crowds due to last season's success they may be able to repeat last seasons home record. That would be good, but they may not be able to win virtually every Pac-10 home game. So that would make it a wash.

It's a tough team to read and a lot depends on the success of players such as Jeffers, Hurd, and Angelo. Guys who haven't quite broken out to become major offensive threats. We need go to guys. Cuic and Stephens are go to guys as long as they can find some consistency. DeWitz is the go to guy. We need some breakout seasons from the new/young guys to really keep last season going and make a push for an even better season this year.

The first few games should be really revealing.


Go Beavs!

Big game this weekend vs. Stanford

Doesn't get much bigger than this game, does it? I can't wait for this weekend. It's gonna be cold, damp, and perfect football weather. Unless you live in mild Palo Alto. Those kids won't be ready for the cold and wet and hopefully they can't cope.

Big game Beavs. We gotta have a win!

BlogPoll Week 11

I can't figure out how Alabama is still undefeated. Man are they living on the edge. The defense is strong and I guess that wins games. UCLA laid the biggest egg of the weekend with Florida St. and Boston College hot on their heels. Florida is hanging on somehow. Just doing what it takes to win. Can't complain about that.


1 Southern Cal
2 Texas
3 Alabama
4 Miami (Florida)
5 Louisiana State
6 Virginia Tech
7 Penn State
8 Georgia
9 UCLA
10 Notre Dame
11 Ohio State
12 Oregon
13 Texas Tech
14 Florida State
15 West Virginia
16 Auburn
17 Florida
18 Wisconsin
19 Michigan
20 Fresno State
21 TCU
22 Colorado
23 Louisville
24 Minnesota
25 Cal

Watching:

Boston College
UTEP
Northwestern
Iowa
Georgia Tech
South Carolina
Iowa State
Boise St.

How to mess up a free throw shooter

Basketball season is just around the corner. So I thought I'd post this snippet from an article on the NBA that I found over at the Duck blog on the Oregonian. I know, I know. I don't know how I got there but at least something productive came of it.

This should be handed out at games in the student section behing the basket. Read on:

ESPN.com: Lies, damned lies and NBA myths

6. The Crowd Can Affect Free-Throw Shooting
A few words for everyone sitting behind the basket: Sit down. Shut up. For the love of John Wooden, lay off the Thunderstix.

Fact is, you're not making much of difference.

"The balloons, the signs, all that stuff that goes on behind the basket never bothered me much," says former NBA guard Steve Kerr, an 86.4 percent career shooter from the foul line. "The only thing I was ever distracted by was the situation."

Kerr has company. Lots of it. Last season, the 25 teams with split stats listed on NBA.com shot an average of 75.7 percent from the foul line at home and 75.3 percent away, a whopping difference of 0.4 percent. Ten squads even shot better on the road.

Guess what? All those noisemakers aren't going to make a guy miss.

All of which suggests that those oh-so-clever BRICK signs aren't exactly getting the job done.

"Just sitting there yelling, waving your arms, that doesn't work," says Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas. "It has to be something you haven't seen before."

Such as?

"When I was at Arizona, the Oregon Duck had this big smile," Arenas recalls. "He stands in the back, kicking the goal over and over. We must have missed six free throws straight because we were laughing at him."

As it turns out, Thunderstix and wiggling balloons have little effect because the brain simply blocks out random motion, like white noise on a television screen. According to this Slate.com article, fans behind the baseline would be better off moving side-to-side in unison.

Why? Confronted with a field of background motion, observers tend to believe that they are moving while the background remains still -- think of sitting on a stopped subway train while an adjacent train passes. David Whitney, a visual scientist at the University of California-Davis, has demonstrated that a field of background motion can influence hand motions, such as the flick of the wrist on a free throw.

Kerr concurs.

"The most effective one I've seen might have been at Duke, or maybe Kansas," he says. "As soon as the guy was about to shoot, the fans would all move from the right side to the left. It would create this visual of everything moving."

Put those same fans in Duck costumes? Now we're getting somewhere.

If you could get sychronized, just moving back and forth as one sea of humanity could be really distracting. Might even make someone sick. That would be awesome.

Stories on the Beavers victory over Washington

Some articles on the games from the local papers:

Corvallis Gazette-Times: Piling on the dawgs

The defense allowed only two plays of 25 yards or more, and forced three turnovers. Both those areas have been a concern.

Linebackers Keith Ellison and Trent Bray were disruptive to everything Washington (1-8, 0-6) tried.

They combined for three quarterback sacks and forced a fumble each.
...

“The change at quarterback helped us,” defensive tackle Alvin Smith said. “We knew he wasn’t as mobile, and it took away their best threat.”

Now the Beavers face their next bottom line. They need one more win in the final two games to become bowl eligible.

I love to see the defense dominating someone. Even if they are the worst team in the Pac-10. This year has been rough for Beaver fans to watch the pride of our team, the defense, get beat so badly. Game ball goes to the D and Alexis Serna.

Corvallis Gazette-Times: Serna enjoys kicking at Husky Stadium

Serna tied former UCLA star John Lee’s Pacific-10 Conference record on Saturday. Lee was also 6-for-6 against San Diego State in 1984, when kickers could use a two-inch tee as an aid. The NCAA record is seven.
...

He is 22-for-24 this year and 39-for-44 lifetime on field goals. He’s made 56 consecutive extra points since his much-documented 2004 meltdown at LSU in his first start, when he missed three extra points in a 22-21 overtime defeat.
...

“Eight-for-10 on field goals are NFL numbers, 7-for-10 are college numbers,” Read said. “Alexis is kicking with the pros right now.”

How nice is it to have a solid kicker. Man, I'm so happy he's going to be here for another 2 years. We've been lucky with Ylinimi and Serna over the last few years.

Corvallis Gazette-Times: True Beavers fans brave the elements

“At least the rain’s falling straight down now,” cracked Sally. “In the beginning the rain was falling sideways, and that was a lot worse.”

The Portland Tribune: Serna’s six field goals sink Huskies

“The defense was outstanding,” Riley said. “They physically stayed after the Huskies. They never found anything they could do. It started with our good run defense. We made them throw and then we got after the quarterback.”

The Oregonian: Serna's hot right foot takes some of the chill out of Seattle

The conditions were miserable.

Biting cold.

Rain coming down sideways.

A strong wind that made the passing game an adventure for both teams.

And Oregon State coach Mike Riley loved every minute of it.

"It was fun," Riley said. "Everybody should get a chance to play in that once in a while."

The Oregonian: When Beavers turn to Bernard, the tailback delivers

"There were a couple of times when he went head-to-head with some guys, and that's why I kept asking him, 'Ev, you all right? You all right? Keep going?' " Moore said. "And he kept saying, 'Yeah, I'm all right,' "

So Moore kept handing the ball to Bernard. And Bernard kept pounding into the line of scrimmage. And when it was over, Bernard had rushed 35 times for 122 yards in helping carry the Beavers to an 18-10 victory over the Washington Huskies.

It was Bernard's fourth consecutive 100-yard rushing game and pushed him over 1,000 yards for the season -- the first Oregon State tailback to reach that plateau since Steven Jackson in 2003 and the first sophomore to do so since Ken Simonton in 1999.

Actually, Jackson was a sophomore during his first 1000 yard season. He left as a junior, remember?

UW Recap: A win is a win

Yesterday's game against the Huskies is a huge argument for "take the points". It was a game in which the Beavers totally dominated but lacked creativity in the red zone so the score was much closer than it should have been. I can totally understand the coaches being a little gun shy in the red zone after Matt Moore absolutely killed them last week by not even giving them an opportunity to take the points. They definitely went conservative on offense in light of the rain, wind, and trying to get Matt's confidence back. But conservative was enough. Bernard pounded away and had another solid game. Matt Moore didn't make any big mistakes and kept the ball moving down the field.

The defense however went the other direction. They wanted to stop the big play so they took more chances and blitzed like they did against Cal. It's obvious what this defense needs to win. Pressure on the QB. Against WSU, Cal, and UW we had considerable pressure on the QB and won because of it. The secondary played much better as well. Nobody was running free 30 yards downfield. And even when the Huskies caught a ball it seemed like someone was there to tackle them or at least make the catch difficult.

Overall, good job in tough conditions. If that defense can show up against Stanford then we have a good shot at winning.

OK, now what happened in Tucson? I guess that 2 point loss to Arizona doesn't look so bad when formerly undefeated UCLA gets blown out by 38. Maybe this Tuitama kid is for real. In Eugene, the Ducks looked very beatable with their two-headed QB monster. If Ayoob was a better QB, Cal would have won that game.

Go Beavs! Beat the trees!

College football on TV

Another away game. For those not going to Seattle that means another potential day of college football channel surfing. Especially with the torrential downpour outside. Here's what to watch:


(Pacific Time)

Saturday, Nov. 5
Iowa at Northwestern, ESPN, 9:00 a.m.
This should be an interesting game. Northwestern has put up some serious points so it should be a fun game.

Tennessee at Notre Dame, NBC, 11:30 a.m.
If Tennessee was a little better this could be a classic game. But Tennessee is definitely strong enough to win with the defense they have.

Cal at Oregon, ABC, 12:30 p.m.
Very interesting game. How will Oregon do without their Senior QB?

Alabama at Mississippi State, CBS, 12:30 p.m.
For those who will not watch the Ducks unless it's the Civil War

Oregon State at Washington, FSN, 3:30 p.m.
If the pattern holds this season (WWLLWWLL), we will start a new 2 game winning streak in Seattle.

Miami at Virginia Tech, ESPN, 4:45 p.m.
This is the big game of the day. Two top-10 teams butting heads. Should be fun!

Stanford at USC, TBS, 7:00 p.m.
Upstart Cardinal against the Trojans. Could be a good first half until USC turns it on.

What fans attend games by percentage of stadium capacity.

There's an interesting analysis over at FanBlogs.com that analyzes basically what schools/conferences get the most fans in their stadiums. Obviously its easier to fill the stadiums in Pullman and Corvallis than it is in Baton Rogue, but it's still an interesting look at who does the most with what they have.

Which college football fans are going, or not going to games this season

Essentially - how much, in percentage points, are fans filling up their football stadium. The reasoning for this is simple. Does the school put butts in the seats if they have those seats available? By using this, we can tell what conferences as a whole are more popular by simple supply & demand.

School - 2005 % to date (2004 final %)

SEC - 95.2 (94.0)
Big 12 - 94.5 (92.1)
Big Ten - 91.4 (88.2)
ACC - 90.2 (93.6)
Pac-10 - 85.2 (78.7)
Big East - 85.0 (78.6)
MWC - 79.4 (77.6)
WAC - 67.3 (70.6)
MAC - 55.8 (59.3)
C-USA - 55.3 (53.4)
Sun Belt - 63.0 (49.4)

Pac-10
Oregon - 108.2 (107.5)
USC - 98.8 (92.6)
Oregon St - 97.7 (102.8)
Arizona - 95.3 (86.7)
Washington St - 92.0 (99.3)
Washington - 87.8 (89.3)
Cal - 85.7 (94.8)
Arizona St - 81.6 (85.1)
UCLA - 65.6 (66.1)
Stanford - 39.0 (42.0)

For a look at all the schools in the country and the entire article click the link above.

Vote for Mike Hass in fan Heisman poll

Jake over at the Beaver Believer Blog has found a site where fans can vote for the Heisman. Not officially of course. The good news is that Mike Hass is on the list. The bad news is that he's like 25th on the list. Time for Beaver fans to start voting!

Hass for Heisman

VoteForHeisman.com

Cost of a brand new half stadium: $80M. Getting spied on by OSU while at your tailgater: priceless.

Is anyone else a little concerned with the new story about OSU cracking down on drinking? It's not the drinking part and kicking out those who sneak in alcohol. It's the use of secret spy cameras that get me.

Cameras help catch drinkers at Reser

During Saturday's loss to Arizona, Oregon State Police trooper Jeff Smith watched Beavers fans in the stands and outside in the parking lots, using cameras and live video-feed technology installed during the stadium's recent expansion.

With four surveillance cameras trained on the stands and seven set up around the exterior, Smith watched a computer monitor in the newly set up security room, alert for any furtive movements, such as a fan pouring liquid from a flask into a soda cup.

...

With a zoom function capable of extending his view by about 600 yards, Smith spotted a young man chugging from the funnel of a ``beer bong'' across the street from the stadium.

OK. I can see cameras inside the stadium. But having cameras trained on the tailgating parties I think that may be going a little too far. Spying on people across the street? Ugh. At least now people know the range of the cameras and can make sure to get wasted out of the camera range.

What was it that Ben Franklin said? "To those who are willing to give up liberty for security, you will soon find yourself without either." Something like that.

Anyone else bothered a little by this?

The QB situation

Hind sight is 20-20. Anyone who says they would have pulled Matt Moore before he fumbled the ball on the 3rd to last possession is talking out of hindsight. He had just lead the Beavers to 2 touchdowns and got the Beavers within 2 points of Arizona. Not to mention the Beavers had driven within field goal range. Matt Moore was 14-15 before the interception. If someone can give me a good, realistic reason as to why Gunderson should have played at all in the second half before that fumble I'm all ears. I thought we should have ran the ball a little more down the stretch, but I thought Matt had settled down and was going to lead us to victory in the 2nd half once again.

Chris Matthews obviously thinks Matt Moore should have been pulled. But yet gives no reasons why other than he had 6 ints. 3 of which came in the final 6 minutes of the game. Do you put Gundy in after the fumble? Does that really give you your best chance to win?

Riley, Erickson, and Poor Decisions

I think people are being a little irrational. The only argument for pulling Matt Moore I can see is if you do it in the first half. Second half, there was no point in the game where it made sense. He was playing too well until the last couple of minutes.

As for the future, I think that Gundy should get a series or two a game where he can get a little real game experience. Let's see how he can do. But for the Washington game I agree with leaving Matt Moore as the starter. Lightning doesn't strike twice, right?

For more rational thinking read Brooks Hatch today:

For those who think coaching is easy...

BlogPoll Week 10

The polls get much easier to do around this time of year. Generally you've seen everyone play at least once and everyone has played someone decent. The top 3 are very strong again this year and I could see someone getting left out of the NC game again and not being happy. I think if we simply had a 4 team playoff then all would be well. There's never really been more than three teams at the top that could legitimately lay claim to being the best in the nation. That would end much of the playoff talk because it wouldn't be a watered down playoffs with 32 teams or anything like that. The bowls would stay and the real NC would have to win it on the field.

Of course barring anything bad, this is what will happen next year (Fox to sign deal for BCS games).


1 Southern Cal
2 Texas
3 Virginia Tech
4 Alabama
5 Louisiana State
6 UCLA
7 Miami (Florida)
8 Florida State
9 Penn State
10 Georgia
11 Notre Dame
12 Ohio State
13 Wisconsin
14 Oregon
15 Texas Tech
16 West Virginia
17 Auburn
18 Florida
19 Boston College
20 Michigan
21 Fresno State
22 Cal
23 TCU
24 Colorado
25 Louisville

OUT:

Minnesota
Northwestern


Others I'm paying attention to:

Minnesota
Northwestern
Louisville
Colorado
Iowa
Georgia Tech

Another Beaver Halloween pumpkin

I have to give props to Jake over at The Beaver Believer Blog. He took the Oregon State Beavers logo stencil and made his own Beavers pumpkin.

Check out the finished result over at his blog:

Beaver Pumpkin