Tucson, AZ (Sportsbooks) - The 21st-ranked Oregon State Beavers will try continue their remarkable run and move one step closer to capturing the Pac-10 title, as they take on the Arizona Wildcats in Tucson this weekend.
After losing to Stanford (36-28) and Penn State (45-14) to open the season, the Beavers were left for dead by many. The program however, rallied by winning seven of its next eight outings, including a huge upset of then top- ranked USC (27-21) back in late September. That win is especially important, as it will serve as the tie-breaker if OSU and USC were to finish atop the Pac-10 standings. There is a good chance of that happening considering USC is 7-1 within the conference and OSU 6-1. Last weekend, the Beavers moved closer to their first Pac-10 title since sharing the honor in 2000, as they defeated California 34-21 at home.
"I was really proud of our team for being relentless," stated head coach Mike Riley on the win. "That's what I thought we were. There were a lot of things that happened; they made some plays. When we came out of halftime and it was a tight game, I just didn't think our guys were going to get beat."
It was the fifth victory in a row for OSU, which edged closer to its first Rose Bowl appearance since 1965. With a win this weekend, the Beavers would have a shot at clinching their spot in the Rose Bowl against rival Oregon at home on November 29th.
OSU though, shouldn't look past this weekend's opponent, as Arizona is more than capable of ending its dream run. The Wildcats, who are aiming for their first seven-win campaign in a decade, have alternated wins and losses over their last six games, including a wild 55-45 setback at Oregon last weekend. On a positive note, Arizona now returns back home, where it has gone a solid 4-1, with that lone loss coming to USC (17-10).
Arizona leads the all-time series with OSU, 20-10-1, but the Beavers have won eight of the last nine meetings and three straight in Tucson.
Offensively, the Beavers have been effective as well as efficient, averaging 416.6 ppg while committing just 14 turnovers. The offense has had success on the ground (172. ypg) as well as through the air (244.6 ypg) and is averaging a hardy 33.7 ppg. Last weekend, OSU gained 339 total yards, including 194 on the ground, as it defeated Cal. Freshman Jacquizz Rodgers continued his terrific campaign, as he led the way with 144 yards and a score on 27 carries. Rodgers currently leads the Pac-10 in rushing with 1,233 yards and he has also posted 11 touchdowns on the ground. He is vying to become the first-ever freshman to lead the Pac-10 in rushing. Quarterback Lyle Moevao returned from injury last weekend and he threw for 145 yards on 14-of-28 pass attempts.
"I felt pretty good," stated Moevao about his return to the starting lineup. "It was a little rough to start off but it won't be long until I'm back to normal again."
Moevao is one of the better quarterbacks in the conference and he has completed 61.9 percent of his throws for 218.6 passing ypg this season. Sammie Stroughter, James Rodgers and Shane Morales are Moevao's top three targets and they have accounted for 141 catches, 1,864 yards and 14 touchdowns this season. James Rodgers, brother of Jacquizz, was a big factor in last weekend's win over Cal, as he rushed for a touchdown and returned a kickoff 86 yards for another score. He also paced the club with six receptions for 50 yards.
OSU's defense has been every bit as good as its offense, as the unit is holding opposing teams to 21.8 ppg and just 288.9 total ypg. The Beavers have done well to stop the run (109.3 ypg) and slow down the pass (179.6 ypg) and they have also recorded 20 takeaways and 28 sacks. Last weekend, OSU and its defense were stout, limiting Cal to a mere 232 total yards, including only 85 on the ground. The defense came up with five sacks and two turnovers and even scored a touchdown when Keenan Lewis returned an interception 25 yards to paydirt to seal the victory. Greg Laybourn led the way with eight tackles, while Victor Butler had seven stops and 1.5 sacks. On the season, Laybourn paces OSU with 83 stops and he also has three interceptions to his credit.
The Wildcats have been prolific on the offensive side of the ball this season and they are averaging a healthy 39.7 ppg behind 412.9 total ypg. Arizona has been able to move the ball on the ground (172.4 ypg) and through the air (240.5 ypg) and is converting 44 percent of the time on third downs. In last weekend's bout, the Wildcats rolled up 527 total yards, including 199 rushing, but it wasn't enough to overcome three turnovers in a loss to Oregon. Keola Antolin led the charge for the Wildcats, rushing for 87 yards and four touchdowns on 20 carries. It was a tremendous performance by Antolin, who has rushed for 398 yards and nine scores on the year. Nic Grigsby however, is still the team's top rusher with 941 yards and 11 touchdowns on the season. Willie Tuitama threw a pair of crucial picks last weekend, but he still finished with 328 yards and two touchdowns on 29-of-45 pass attempts. The talented quarterback has enjoyed a fine campaign and has thrown for 2,321 yards, with 18 touchdowns against seven interceptions. Tight end Rob Gronkowski has been one of his favorite targets and he has made 34 catches for 500 yards and eight touchdowns in just seven games. He is also coming off a big performance in which he grabbed 12 balls for 143 yards and a score last weekend.
Despite a couple of poor efforts, Arizona's defense has been rather good this season, limiting opposing clubs to 22.7 ppg and 307.3 total ypg. The defense is giving up 138.4 ypg on the ground and just 168.9 ypg through the air and has forced 21 turnovers, including 14 interceptions. The Wildcats, though, are coming off one of those poor performances, as they allowed 504 total yards in a loss to Oregon last weekend. The team was abused for 206 rushing yards by Oregon, which averaged 6.9 yards per carry in the game. Arizona only came up with one turnover and one sack and that simply wasn't enough to counter all the yards surrendered. Nate Ness, who leads the team with 64 tackles on the year, had eight stops in the losing effort.
