Spring Break
Sean and Lyle
Grady Garrett
Issue date: 11/11/09 Section: Sports
When I looked into the eyes of Sean Canfield Saturday night on TV, I saw something special.
And no, I'm not talking about his Californian golden boy looks, or his "I've been here before, I can lead this team to victories on the road" sense of composure.
Beneath the facemask and under the eyes of the senior quarterback was a simple message sketched in white on a black backdrop.
The initials "LM" appeared under the quarterback's right eye, and the number "3" under his left.
As in "Lyle Moevao, #3," Oregon State's senior "backup" quarterback.
To understand the full complexity of the message, one needs to travel back five years ago and relive the tale of the two quarterbacks.
Sean Canfield came into Corvallis in 2005 ranked as a scout.com three-star and the No. 33-ranked quarterback in his high school class. Canfield, who was known for having a pro-style arm and poise, redshirted in 2005.
Lyle Moevao entered the scene in 2006 after playing one year at El Camino JC in Torrance, Calif. The high school defensive end wasn't sought after by many schools and didn't appear to have the makings of an NCAA quarterback.
Beaver Nation got their first glimpse of Canfield in 2006, when calls for the 6-4, 214-pound redshirt freshman southpaw to replace struggling Matt Moore began to pick up steam. Canfield appeared in seven games that year, but mostly in mop-up duty. A year later, Canfield began the year as the starter, but struggled and eventually injured his shoulder in the ninth game of the season.
Moevao introduced himself to Reser Stadium in the 10th game of the 2007 season, when he took over for Canfield. Seeing the 5-11, 225-pound right-hander lined up behind center was new to Beavers fans, but in the second quarter of the game against the University of Washington, Moevao threw a blindside block that left Huskies linebacker Grayson Gunheim lying on the Reser Stadium turf wondering where he was and who on earth that "quarterback" who just hit him was. Beaver Nation immediately fell in love with their new quarterback, and Moevao went on to lead the Beavers to four straight wins.
And no, I'm not talking about his Californian golden boy looks, or his "I've been here before, I can lead this team to victories on the road" sense of composure.
Beneath the facemask and under the eyes of the senior quarterback was a simple message sketched in white on a black backdrop.
The initials "LM" appeared under the quarterback's right eye, and the number "3" under his left.
As in "Lyle Moevao, #3," Oregon State's senior "backup" quarterback.
To understand the full complexity of the message, one needs to travel back five years ago and relive the tale of the two quarterbacks.
Sean Canfield came into Corvallis in 2005 ranked as a scout.com three-star and the No. 33-ranked quarterback in his high school class. Canfield, who was known for having a pro-style arm and poise, redshirted in 2005.
Lyle Moevao entered the scene in 2006 after playing one year at El Camino JC in Torrance, Calif. The high school defensive end wasn't sought after by many schools and didn't appear to have the makings of an NCAA quarterback.
Beaver Nation got their first glimpse of Canfield in 2006, when calls for the 6-4, 214-pound redshirt freshman southpaw to replace struggling Matt Moore began to pick up steam. Canfield appeared in seven games that year, but mostly in mop-up duty. A year later, Canfield began the year as the starter, but struggled and eventually injured his shoulder in the ninth game of the season.
Moevao introduced himself to Reser Stadium in the 10th game of the 2007 season, when he took over for Canfield. Seeing the 5-11, 225-pound right-hander lined up behind center was new to Beavers fans, but in the second quarter of the game against the University of Washington, Moevao threw a blindside block that left Huskies linebacker Grayson Gunheim lying on the Reser Stadium turf wondering where he was and who on earth that "quarterback" who just hit him was. Beaver Nation immediately fell in love with their new quarterback, and Moevao went on to lead the Beavers to four straight wins.
Note: writers will not reply to comments.
Be the first to comment on this story
Comments by registered users are approved by default.