Oregon State 2007 Preview

Oregon State’s remarkable football renaissance enters its 10th season this fall and shows no signs of abating. The Beavers return 15 starters and both kickers, and are in position for their seventh bowl game since a program that was the butt of national jokes during 28 consecutive losing seasons began its turnaround in 1998 with a five-win season.

Coach Mike Riley is hopeful the Beavers can maintain the blue-collar, lunch-bucket mentality they’ve adopted under his watch for the life of the new six-year contract he signed in the offseason, a deal that could keep him in his hometown through the 2012 season.

“We might be favored in a few more games,” Riley says. “But I don’t want to change the approach. My goal is to have hard-working, happy guys.”

Riley’s approach saw the Beavers win eight of their final nine games, place third in the Pac-10 and defeat Missouri 39–38 on a last-second two-point conversion in one of the most thrilling Sun Bowls ever. That impressive stretch drive drove away most of the naysayers who were openly calling for Riley’s job after a 2–3 start punctuated by blowout losses to Boise State and California. Signs calling for his dismissal were visible at several games, critical posts flooded Internet message boards, and the columnist at the state’s largest newspaper predicted a 4–9 finish. Instead, the Beavers recovered from their slow start to win 10 games for only the second time in school history.

“We have built depth, the foundation for this season and future ones, at just about every position,” says Riley, 38–34 overall in his two stints (1997-98, 2003-present) with the Beavers. “We need to solidify a couple positions, particularly quarterback, but even there I have a lot of confidence in the players we have competing for the starting job.”

Quarterbacks
Riley did it successfully at USC during the Trojans’ 1995 Rose Bowl year, but he generally doesn’t like to alternate quarterbacks. However, the two-headed monster of Sean Canfield and Lyle Moevao might not give him any other alternative. Canfield is a 6'4", 225-pound lefthander who is a classic dropback passer with outstanding poise and pocket presence. Moevao is an athletic, 5'11", 230-pounder who has a quick release and gives the Beavers a running dimension. Canfield played sparingly as Matt Moore’s backup early in the year and completed 28-of-45 passes for 335 yards and two TDs, with two interceptions. Moevao, a transfer from El Camino College who turned down Nebraska, redshirted. “Sean is exactly where we told him he needed to be after two years,” Riley says. “He has three years left to be the starter and is very capable of that. Sean is a classic passer, and Lyle is a natural thrower with some athleticism. It’s a feasible thought that both could play.” Whoever plays must complete the intermediate-range passes that are the staple of Riley’s one-back, three-wide offense.

Running Backs
Tailback Yvenson Bernard isn’t big (5'9", 202) or exceptionally fast, but he’s the best all-around back in the Pac-10 and enters his senior year as the unquestioned team leader. It was Bernard who convinced Riley to go for two points in the final seconds when trailing 38–37 in the Sun Bowl, and Bernard who barreled over on the two-point conversion for the 39–38 victory. Bernard has rushed for 2,628 yards and has 80 receptions for 592 yards in his two seasons as a starter. He missed one game in 2006 but has been durable (595 carries) and productive (25 TDs), and is a solid blocker. Senior Clinton Polk is the backup; he gained 100 yards in a 33–31 upset of USC in his only start. Sophomore Micah Strickland and senior Andy Stewart alternate at fullback in the rare instances OSU uses a two-back formation.

Receivers
Senior split end Sammie Stroughter had a breakout season (74-1,293, 5 TDs). Stroughter and physical senior slotback Brandon Powers (39-433, 1 TD) are entrenched as starters for the second year in a row, but the flanker and tight end positions are up for grabs. Senior Anthony Brown has the experience at flanker but was suspended for three games before being reinstated for the bowl game (though he did not play in the Sun Bowl). Junior Chris Johnson will challenge Brown. Sophomore Howard Croom is the most versatile tight end, with sophomore John Reese and redshirt freshman Brady Camp battling for the H-back position OSU frequently uses. Redshirt freshman Gabe Miller was the top recruit in Oregon in 2006; he’s suffered two torn Achilles’ tendon injuries but is expected to be good to go this fall after sitting out spring.

2007 Schedule
A. 30	Utah	W
S. 6	at Cincinnati	W
S. 15	Idaho State	W
S. 22	at Arizona State	W
S. 29	UCLA	*
O. 6	Arizona	W
O. 13	at California	L
O. 27	Stanford	W
N. 3	at USC	L
N. 10	Washington	W
N. 17	at Washington State	W
D. 1	at Oregon	*
Games in bold represent swing games. W or L indicates a projected win or loss.

Offensive Linemen
All five 2006 starters earned some form of Pac-10 postseason honors, and four are back. Senior right guard Roy Schuening and senior center Kyle DeVan are three-year starters; junior left guard Jeremy Perry is a two-year starter; and junior right tackle Andy Levitre started the final 11 games in 2006 after an injury to starter Josh Linehan. Offensive line coach Mike Cavanaugh has instilled an aggressive attitude that has turned this unit into one of the Pac-10’s finest. The biggest concern is left tackle, where junior Tavita Thompson is expected to move into a starter’s role after two years as a backup.

Defensive Linemen
The Beavers lost an element of experience and toughness with the departure of end Joe Lemma and tackle Ben Siegert, but plenty of talent returns, bolstered by the late inclusion of former Oregon prep standout Keith Robertson. Starting end Jeff Van Orsow and starting tackle Curtis Coker are back, augmented by ends Dorian Smith and Victor Butler and tackles Gerard Lee and William Akau’ola Vea, each of whom made significant strides during OSU’s season-ending 8–1 finish. The Beavers had 47 sacks last season, led by Smith’s nine, and Riley is optimistic this unit can be as good or better than its immediate predecessor.

Linebackers
OSU loves to point to former stars/NFL veterans Nick Barnett, Richard Seigler and James Allen in portraying itself as the West Coast version of “Linebacker U.” That could be more than recruiting lip service again this year, with starters Alan Darlin, Derrick Doggett and Joey LaRocque returning for their senior seasons. Doggett was second-team All-Pac-10 and returned two of his three interceptions for touchdowns. LaRocque had a team-best 98 tackles, and Darlin had five sacks and 7.5 other tackles for a loss. Their backups also see considerable time in the playing rotation. “This group solidifies that (Linebacker U) motto,” Riley says. “We have guys who are very quick and physical.”

Defensive Backs
Three of four starters are back, including junior corners Keenan Lewis and Brandon Hughes. They’re backed by Coye Francies, a physical senior who could be considered a third starter since he plays so much. Senior Daniel Drayton and juniors Bryan Payton and Al Afalava will rotate at safety. OSU doesn’t play with a traditional free or strong safety, so their skills are interchangeable to each position. “I really like the makeup, from top to bottom,” Riley says. “It might be the best we’ve had in my tenure at Oregon State.”

Specialists
Senior Alexis Serna won the 2005 Groza Award, was a semifinalist in ’04 and ’06, and will be a contender again. He has 62 career field goals, has made 106 consecutive extra points since his memorable 0-for-3 meltdown at LSU in 2004 in his first college game, has range up to 60 yards, had 36 touchbacks in 82 kickoffs in 2006 and is not fazed by the Northwest’s rainy November weather. “We take Alexis for granted sometimes,” Riley says. Sophomore Kyle Loomis is a solid punter, and Stroughter is among the country’s best punt returners, with a 15.7-yard average and three TDs. Coordinator Dave Ungerer is new, but he’ll have veteran units to work with as 23 of 24 starters are back from the 2006 kickoff and punt coverage/return units.

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