Spring Break
Oregon State takes the "dam noise" to Berkeley
Tori Hill
Issue date: 11/6/09 Section: Sports
By Tori Hill
The Daily Barometer
The beginning of November brings about a slew of excitement, especially for Beaver Fans. Not only does the early holiday season blossom with the thoughts of Thanksgiving, but it also unfolds the second half of Pac-10 play in the world of college football.
In the past three years, the Oregon State Beavers have come close to perfect in the home stretch of their Pac-10 season. In 2006, head coach Mike Riley's team won seven of their last eight conference games and ended the season with a Sun Bowl victory over Missouri.
Following the success of 2006, the Beavers won six of their seven final conference games in 2007, sending them to the Emerald Bowl to pull out a 21-14 victory over Maryland. Last year, Riley's team did it again. Finishing the 2008 season with another six victories of their final seven conference games, the Beavers went to the Sun Bowl where they defeated Pittsburgh 3-0.
If history is any indicator, OSU is on track to a strong finish once again. Ever improving, the Beavers have won three of their last four conference games, dropping only one of these last four games to the USC Trojans, 42-36.
Riley's squad got off to a slow start, falling to a then-ranked No. 17 Cincinnati and the Arizona Wildcats in the early part of the season. Following the loss to Arizona, the Beavers traveled to Arizona State where they clinched their first win in Tempe since 1969, overcoming the Sun Devils 28-17.
Since their win against the Sun Devils, Oregon State has steadily improved on both sides of the ball. Offensively, senior quarterback Sean Canfield is leading the Pac-10 in total passing yards, averaging 255 yards a game and is third in the conference in passing efficiency, with eleven touchdowns and only four interceptions. Canfield has positioned OSU at the top of the conference in total pass offense and second in pass efficiency, right behind Stanford.
Defensively, the Beavers have improved dramatically. In their last contest against UCLA, the defensive line doubled their total sacks for the season, coming up with four sacks against the Bruins and increasing their season total to eight. Leading OSU's defense is junior defensive tackle Stephen Paea, with a total of three sacks.
The Daily Barometer
The beginning of November brings about a slew of excitement, especially for Beaver Fans. Not only does the early holiday season blossom with the thoughts of Thanksgiving, but it also unfolds the second half of Pac-10 play in the world of college football.
In the past three years, the Oregon State Beavers have come close to perfect in the home stretch of their Pac-10 season. In 2006, head coach Mike Riley's team won seven of their last eight conference games and ended the season with a Sun Bowl victory over Missouri.
Following the success of 2006, the Beavers won six of their seven final conference games in 2007, sending them to the Emerald Bowl to pull out a 21-14 victory over Maryland. Last year, Riley's team did it again. Finishing the 2008 season with another six victories of their final seven conference games, the Beavers went to the Sun Bowl where they defeated Pittsburgh 3-0.
If history is any indicator, OSU is on track to a strong finish once again. Ever improving, the Beavers have won three of their last four conference games, dropping only one of these last four games to the USC Trojans, 42-36.
Riley's squad got off to a slow start, falling to a then-ranked No. 17 Cincinnati and the Arizona Wildcats in the early part of the season. Following the loss to Arizona, the Beavers traveled to Arizona State where they clinched their first win in Tempe since 1969, overcoming the Sun Devils 28-17.
Since their win against the Sun Devils, Oregon State has steadily improved on both sides of the ball. Offensively, senior quarterback Sean Canfield is leading the Pac-10 in total passing yards, averaging 255 yards a game and is third in the conference in passing efficiency, with eleven touchdowns and only four interceptions. Canfield has positioned OSU at the top of the conference in total pass offense and second in pass efficiency, right behind Stanford.
Defensively, the Beavers have improved dramatically. In their last contest against UCLA, the defensive line doubled their total sacks for the season, coming up with four sacks against the Bruins and increasing their season total to eight. Leading OSU's defense is junior defensive tackle Stephen Paea, with a total of three sacks.
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