Spring Break
Defense wins bowl battle
Terry Horstman
Issue date: 1/6/09 Section: Sports
Sophomore defensive tackle Stephen Paea didn't show up in the box score much, but play after play, Paea was able to penetrate the Pittsburgh offensive line and clog up any hole the Panthers attempted to make for their star running back.
The veteran secondary of the Beavers was key in keeping the goose egg on the board. It didn't matter who was in at quarterback for the Panthers; they were only able to complete 9 out of 28 passes for a dismal 2.7 yards per play.
Going into the Sun Bowl, Pittsburgh was averaging 356 yards and 29 points per game; the Panthers had not scored less than 17 in any game this year. Yet, the Oregon State defensive coordinator, Mark Banker, and the Beaver defense set a new low for the high-scoring Pittsburgh offense in every category.
It may not have been the game Beaver fans hoped to see, but a win is a win and the way the seniors played deserves to be remembered as some of the best in the history of OSU football. That's why the Sun Bowl may have been our team's best performance of the year; no other win this season solidified what Oregon State football is about - defense, character, and getting the job done no matter how many players are on the injured list and no matter how terrible the broadcasters for CBS may be.
Terry Horstman, sports writer
sports@dailybarometer.com
The veteran secondary of the Beavers was key in keeping the goose egg on the board. It didn't matter who was in at quarterback for the Panthers; they were only able to complete 9 out of 28 passes for a dismal 2.7 yards per play.
Going into the Sun Bowl, Pittsburgh was averaging 356 yards and 29 points per game; the Panthers had not scored less than 17 in any game this year. Yet, the Oregon State defensive coordinator, Mark Banker, and the Beaver defense set a new low for the high-scoring Pittsburgh offense in every category.
It may not have been the game Beaver fans hoped to see, but a win is a win and the way the seniors played deserves to be remembered as some of the best in the history of OSU football. That's why the Sun Bowl may have been our team's best performance of the year; no other win this season solidified what Oregon State football is about - defense, character, and getting the job done no matter how many players are on the injured list and no matter how terrible the broadcasters for CBS may be.
Terry Horstman, sports writer
sports@dailybarometer.com
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