Pac-10 Review: Beavs Flop; Ducks Fake out Fresno; Bears Beat Down Gophers; Huskies Crumble at OU

by user Deuelio

The Pac-10 was once again a mixed bag in its second week of play. It started horribly when the Beavers were pushed around at Boise State and got worse when Stanford was pushed around by San Jose State. At least Boise is a top-25 caliber team. The Cardinal should be ashamed. Washington played well for a half, but the Ducks and Bears saved the Pac-10’s face on the second Saturday of the 2006 football campaign.

Major Blues from a Mid Major

The Oregon State/Boise State rivalry means a lot to at least half participants in the series. The half that cares were the ones who didn’t roll over when down 14-0 early. The one’s who actually had some fight when their backs to the wall. The one’s who represented their school, state and fathers with some pride, guts and determination. Boise State deserves all the credit in the world. The WAC power kicked around that poor Pac-10 school like schoolyard bullies taking lunch money.

Oregon State, playing the role of the bespectacled nerd, obliged, handing over their lunch money and pride quicker than you could say “Smurf Turf.” True indeed, the Beavers bolted to a 14-0 lead but an ill-time Matt Moore interception led to a huge momentum swing as the Broncos scored the next 42 points. Oregon State put up little of a fight despite some trash talk in the week leading up to the game.

Sophomore tailback Ian Johnson rushed for 240 yards in the first 20 carry game of his career and single-handedly crushed the Beavers will. Oregon State’s defense was in a prevent. Something prevented them from stopping the Broncos. Somebody should inform Mike Riley and the Beavers that tackling is not optional in football. It’s a requirement.

Now, the likeable Mike Riley’s job security is tenuous at best. More losses like this and the “Beaver Nation” will be ready for mutiny. Funny that a program that has endured nearly 30 years of losing has one good year and is now entitled to winning every year. The fact remains, Riley has taken the program backwards and left it with little passion, pride and attitude.

Part of me wonders how well the Beavers would do in the WAC. I don’t think they’re gritty and tough enough to compete with Fresno, Boise and Nevada, let alone Cal, Oregon and USC.

Oregon Fakes out Fresno State

The #20 Oregon Ducks moved to 2-0 by pulling out a hard-fought road win at Fresno State Saturday night. Despite not having Jonathan Stewart, the Ducks generated enough offense to win the game. Of course, as usually happens when Fresno State plays in a big game, the Bulldogs committed several miscues that cost them dearly.

Early in the fourth quarter with the score tied, the Ducks lined up to kick a field goal. The kick was blocked but a Fresno State player tried to recover the loose ball but couldn’t control it. Oregon’s Matt Toeaina recovered the ball at the Fresno State five for an Oregon first down. Backup tailback Jeremiah Johnson carried it in on the next play to give the Ducks the lead.

Fresno drove down and scored on a fourth down play with Dwayne Wright, who was sensational and incredibly durable for the ‘Dogs. With the score knotted at 24, the Ducks moved down the field with precision before stalling out inside the Fresno five. Fresno State, with a blocked kick already to their credit, rushed hard up the middle and to the right of Oregon’s line. Oregon Coach Mike Bellotti called an option fake field goal where holder Brady Leaf would option left with kicker Paul Martinez as the pitchman. H-back Dan Kause slipped into the endzone for a pass option leaving two Fresno State defenders to cover three Oregon offensive players. Both Bulldog players clobbered Leaf but not before he could pitch to Martinez for the game winning score. Hill felt his special teams call was too ambitious and Fresno had “gone to the well once too often”. But Hills’ teams play aggressively and that’s why they're so good.

But his aggressive coaching is detrimental to Fresno’s success. His teams play hard, they play with passion, but they don’t always play with their brains. Hill fires his players up. Gets them hopping mad and ready to kill someone. But so often when you’re too fired up, your mind doesn’t work and you attempt to grab a loose ball when you don’t need to. Or you get too aggressive trying to block a kick allowing an experienced coach with good talent to take advantage. Fresno and Pat Hill may have let one get away Saturday night with this aggressive attitude. Once Hill finds that area where guys are ready to play and completely focused for a whole game, the ‘Dogs will take another step.

Dennis Dixon is turning into a great quarterback right in front of our eyes. The redshirt junior completed 23 of 36 passes for 240 yards, including several dropped passes that could have seen his totals skyrocket. Jaison Williams was the leader of the receivers, both good and bad. He dropped two sure TD passes, but still had six catches for 106 yards. He has size (6-4) and speed that make him a perfect weapon for the Ducks.

Now, the Ducks get the game they’ve been waiting for. The one they circled but didn’t let on that they had. Revenge against the Sooners would be sweet for Oregon, but they have issues to deal with. Top cornerback Jackie Bates is likely gone for the season after breaking his leg. Bruising halfback Wright rushed for 154 time consuming yards and with another decent running back coming in next week, the Ducks have got to improve in this area.

For now, the Ducks are 2-0 and enjoying it as they proceed into the meat of their schedule.

Cal Rebounds at the Expense of Minnesota

A week after an embarrassing loss on the road at Tennessee, the Cal Bears responded with a 42-17 thrashing of Minnesota in their home opener. Sophomore Nate Longshore, making just his third career start, was sensational completing 22 of 31 passes for 300 yards and four touchdowns. The Bears offense rolled, as all facets were clicking.

Longshore had a huge game, WR’s Lavelle Hawkins (9 rec’s, 125) and DeSean Jackson (7, 114, 3 TD’s) were unstoppable and running back Marshawn Lynch added 139 yards and two scores on 27 carries. It was a complete and total role reversal from the opener and has left many in the Bay Area thoroughly confused. But either way, Minnesota got a firsthand look at what many in the Pac-10 and around the nation expected Cal to look like.

Potent offense, stingy defense and victories in bunches.

Minnesota came to Cal with one of the nation’s potent rushing attacks. Granted, when you’re down by a bunch there isn’t really time to run the ball 30-35 times a game. Cal defended the Gophers well and if it weren’t for a 99-yard kick return for a touchdown, the defense would have held the Gophers without a touchdown after Minnesota’s opening drive.

Cal gets another chance to turn their offense loose when they host 1AA Portland State before hosting Arizona State in their conference opener. Look for Cal to hammer the Vikings and move into the ASU game with a ton of confidence.

Washington Stays with Oklahoma…for a Half

Maybe Oklahoma was looking past the Huskies. Maybe the Huskies are better than their 35-29 win over San Jose State indicated. Maybe the Sooners aren’t quite as good as their national ranking would lead you to believe. Or perhaps Adrian Peterson is really good.

The junior running back had 20 carries for 107 yards and two scores in the second half, as the Sooners turned a 13-13 halftime score into a 30-13 lead. In truth, the Oklahoma offense was not one dimensional like the Huskies would have liked. Quarterback Paul Thompson completed 9-11 passes for 170 yards and a touchdown in the second half. Combine Thompson’s ruthless efficiency with Peterson’s determined running, the Sooners looked very sharp offensively.

Still, the Huskies were able to stick around for the half and were poised to cut the deficit to three midway through the third quarter after recovering a Thompson fumble at the OU four. The Huskies immediately returned the favor by fumbling on second down and then watched as the Sooner offense marched down the field before Peterson scored on a 17-yard touchdown run. Just like that, a possible three point deficit exploded to 17 and the raucous Memorial Stadium crowd wanted blood.

Leading 30-13 the Sooners did not step on the throttle and zoom away from the Huskies. They merely kept Washington at bay with field position, ball control and patience. Washington quarterback Isaiah Stanback is an exciting quarterback who is strong and mobile. OU’s stellar defense hounded him into a horrible day and the Huskies don’t have the weaponry to overcome a bad day from their best player.

Now the Huskies face a ruthless, piss mad Fresno State team who are dying for a chance to beat Washington. After losing to Oregon last week in a close, hard fought game, I’ve got a feeling that Pat Hill and the Bulldogs are intent upon ruining Washington’s day. A win gives the Huskies some confidence heading into a home date with UCLA, a loss could spell another horrible year in Seattle.

Elsewhere around the Pac-10

San Jose State shocks Stanford…WSU beats up Idaho…UCLA gets by Rice 26-16…Arizona manhandled by LSU 45-3…Rudy Carpenter throws five TD’s in ASU’s win (survey req’d to review) over Nevada

Date

Wed 09/13/06, 7:15 am EST