Beavers bowl-eligible after big win over UCLA

Defense stands out as Oregon State goes to 6-3; Rodgers brothers shine, too

By Kerry Eggers

The Portland Tribune, Nov 8, 2008, Updated Oct 30, 2009

Slade Norris (right) of Oregon State celebrates as the Beavers get a 28-point victory at UCLA.

LISA BLUMENFELD / GETTY IMAGES

PASADENA, Calif. – The Rodgers brothers, Jacquizz and James, had another big day.

But top billing for Oregon State’s 34-6 victory over UCLA Saturday at the Rose Bowl goes to the Beaver defense.

UCLA managed only 237 yards total offense – including 48 on the ground – and the Beavers’ version of the Orange Crush forced four turnovers and kept the Bruins out of the end zone all afternoon.

Coach Mike Riley and quarterback Sean Canfield both used the same adjective to describe the Oregon State defense – “awesome.”

“Our defense just had a special night,” Riley said.

First-year UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel and his celebrated offensive coordinator, Norm Chow, “tried a number of things,” Riley said. “Norm is such a good coach, and he has all this stuff he’s attempting to get going, but our defense answered in a lot of ways all the time today.”

UCLA (3-6, 2-4) collected only 97 yards offense in the second half as the OSU defense seemed to gather steam and the Beaver offense came to the party in front of a crowd of 83,478.

Oregon State (6-3 overall, 5-1 in Pac-10 play) broke open a 3-3 halftime tie with a second-half onslaught that provided the Beavers with their sixth win in seven games and secured their bowl eligibility for the eighth time in 10 years.

More important, Oregon State held its positioning in the race to the Rose Bowl. If the Beavers win out in their final three games against California, Arizona and Oregon, they’ll become the first OSU team in 44 years to hit Pasadena in the postseason.

“Coming into every season, the Rose Bowl and the Pac-10 championship is in the back of everybody’s mind,” said Canfield, the 6-4, 225-pound junior from Carlsbad, Calif. “But something Coach Riley preaches is taking things one game at a time. Our team buys into that. It contributes to our success.”

The victory was the first for Oregon State in six tries against UCLA dating back to 2000 and ended a personal nine-game losing streak against the Bruins for Riley, counting his four years as offensive coordinator at Southern Cal.

“It’s nice to not have to talk about that anymore,” Riley said with a smile.

Oregon State compiled 423 yards with a balanced attack that included 201 yards rushing and 222 yards passing.

As usual, the Rodgers brothers put on a show. Jacquizz toted the ball 34 times for 144 yards and a touchdown to push his season rushing total to 1,089 yards – a Pac-10 freshman record – and hauled in a TD pass. Backup Ryan McCants, also a freshman, carried eight for 58 yards, including a 35-yard score.

“Quizz makes what should be a loss into a 3-yard gain,” Canfield marveled. “He’s real smart, especially for a true freshman. Along with Ryan, they’re lightning and thunder.”

James Rodgers caught six passes for a career-high 115 yards, including one he turned into a 75-yard play on Oregon State’s first possession. The sophomore flanker also had three kickoff returns for 73 yards.

Pressed into his first starting duty of the year with the shoulder injury to Lyle Moevao, Canfield completed 16 of 22 passes for 222 yards and two TDs. He was shaky at times in the first half, fumbling at the UCLA 4-yard line to wipe out one scoring opportunity, then serving up an interception near the goal line while underthrowing an open Sammie Stroughter.

“Sean was late with that throw,” Riley said. “That was going to be a big play.”

Canfield was better in the second half, firing two scoring strikes and flawlessly running the offense.

“He hit some balls that started looking pretty good,” Riley said. “I commend Sean for coming back, keeping his poise and leading this team to a win in the second half.”

Oregon State’s defense harassed UCLA quarterback Kevin Craft all afternoon. He completed 20 of 42 passes for 189 yards, was sacked three times and intercepted twice. Beaver defenders had three picks in the fourth quarter off Craft and Chris Forcier.

The Bruins were 2 of 14 on third-down conversions, including 0 of 7 in the first half.

“The guys up front did a great job,” OSU safety Greg Laybourn said. The Bruins “had a couple of good runs here and there, but couldn’t establish the run game because the front seven was really disruptive. We put them in third-down positions, which gave us the opportunity to pressure them and keep their quarterback uncomfortable the whole game.”

Laybourn made the biggest defensive play, intercepting a Craft pass and returning it 53 yards to the UCLA 16 to set up a touchdown that gave Oregon State a 24-6 lead early in the fourth quarter. Craft unloaded the ball just as he was being hit by OSU defensive end Slade Norris.

“I’m just glad Slade didn’t hit (Craft) a second sooner,” Laybourn said. “He got great pressure on (Craft) and made him just throw it up there. I happened to be in good position for the interception.”

Oregon State’s special teams came up big against a UCLA team that had the Pac-10’s best specialty units. Sophomore Justin Kahut made both field-goal attempts, from 32 and 38 yards. True freshman Johnny Hekker, who came into the game with a 35.9-yard average, punted five times Saturday for a 48.8-yard average. OSU coverage held Terrence Austin, second in the Pac-10 in kickoff returns (25.1), to a 21.2-yard average on five returns.

The first half was one of frustration for Oregon State. The Beavers had the ball in UCLA territory on five of eight possessions but came away with only a Kahut field goal.

Oregon State struck first, after Canfield connected on a 75-yard pass to James Rodgers on OSU’s second play from scrimmage. On second-and-eight from the OSU 8, Canfield launched a bomb for Rodgers, who came back for the underthrown ball, caught it and raced to the UCLA 17.

But the Beavers could move only two yards and settled for Kahut’s 32-yard field goal and a 3-0 lead with 10:32 left in the first quarter.

UCLA responded with a long drive covering nine plays and 68 yards. But the Bruins stalled at the OSU 12, and Kai Forbath’s 29-yard field goal made it 3-3 with 6:44 remaining in the period.

That was all the scoring in the half, though Oregon State had chances.

The Beavers blew a golden opportunity after a UCLA turnover in the second quarter. On third-and-10 from the UCLA 20, Craft was sacked by David Pa’aluhi while trying to pass, and Norris recovered on the Bruin 8. After a personal-foul penalty, the Beavers had the ball first-and-goal on the 4.

But on first down, Canfield bumped into H-back Joe Halahuni as he tried to get a handoff to Jacquizz Rodgers, and UCLA’s Rahim Moore recovered the fumble at the OSU 11.

“That was on me,” Canfield said. “I have to tuck the ball and give it to Quizz. The play clock was running down, and I didn’t come out as well as I should have and ran into Joe.”

After a UCLA punt, the Beavers were in business again, advancing to the UCLA 32. But Canfield’s bomb for an open Stroughter was underthrown and intercepted by Moore at the Bruin 1.

At intermission, “it was a game,” Riley said. “It felt just like last week (a 27-25 win over Arizona State). It was going to take all three hours and 26 minutes to win it. Luckily, we got it going a little bit and made it more comfortable than that.”

Even tied going into the second half, the Beaver players still felt confident.

“We knew we hadn’t been playing well and things hadn’t gone our way,” Laybourn said. “But we were really calm at halftime. Everyone was pretty much saying, ‘Just keep doing what we’re doing and things will go our way.’ “

“We regrouped,” Canfield said. “The feeling was, just come out the second half and do what we do. And we did.”

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