Pac-10: Oregon State stuns USC

Oregon State’s freshman tailback Jacquizz Rodgers can still make that claim, darting under and around players a lot bigger than him, if not holding a national TV audience spellbound, while ably filling out a bright orange jersey that advertises that single digit.

The USC Trojans, the nation’s top-ranked team before it was outhustled, outplayed and outcoached in an opposing stadium these guys have come to loathe, no longer have that right.

Welcome to Mr. Rodgers’ neighborhood – it’s definitely a family hangout.

Jacquizz Rodgers ran 37 times for 186 yards and two touchdowns and his older brother James Rodgers, a sophomore slotback, caught two touchdown passes, the two Texans accounting for all four Oregon State trips to the end zone Thursday night as the Beavers pulled a reverberating 27-21 upset of USC at Reser Stadium, sending their orange-shirted fans spilling onto the field in Corvallis, Ore. The outcome not only threw the national championship race wide open, it made the odds-makers – pegging the Trojans as 25½-point favorites – look silly.

This was Oregon State’s second victory over a No. 1 team, both coming at the expense of USC, the Beavers shocking the O.J. Simpson-led Trojans 3-0 at home in 1967.

This was the second consecutive time that Oregon State has upended a heavily favored USC team at home, beating the then-third-ranked Trojans 33-31 in 2006.

The youngest Rodgers got the party started by taking advantage by ripping off big gains from the outset and piling up 117 yards rushing in the first half alone.

“I was hiding behind the line,” Jacquizz Rogers wisecracked. “I’m a small dude. They couldn’t find me.”

Rodgers’ final rushing total was the most against the Trojans’ defense since Texas quarterback Vince Young churned out 200 yards against them in the 2006 Rose Bowl.

“He ran the ball hard,” USC safety Taylor Mays said of Rodgers. “He ran the ball with a lot of heart. He was not intimidated. He was not scared at all.”

While Oregon State could celebrate the heroics of Rodgers and his brother, the Pac-10 had a brutal week when it came to retaining star power. California running back Jahvid Best, the league’s leading rusher entering the weekend, suffered a dislocated left elbow and could be lost indefinitely. Washington quarterback Jake Locker broke his right thumb while throwing a block and could be finished for the season. Stanford running back Toby Gerhart suffered a concussion and sat out most of the game against Washington. Trojans linebacker Rey Maualuga suffered a fourth-quarter knee sprain, couldn’t continue and after the game rode a golf cart to the locker room. Even the younger Rodgers limped off one-legged with a sprained ankle after his final carry of the game.

With fans holding up signs such as the one that proclaimed, “We ain’t scared,” Oregon State came ready to play, rushing out to a 21-0 lead by halftime and leaving USC (2-1, 0-1 Pac-10) stunned by it all.

No TV football analysts figured the Beavers had much of a chance, though ESPN, in scheduling this game for its Thursday evening time slot, apparently thought anything was possible because blowouts do nothing for ratings.

Oregon State coach Mike Riley, a former USC assistant coach, proved once more he’s a highly capable game-day strategist. He had the Beavers attack with Rodgers and the run game whereas most analysts had figured the Beavers’ best hope would have been through the air. Riley had his team motivated, both mentally and physically, with both lines stepping up their play, particularly his still fairly inexperienced defensive front.

USC came away physically frayed. Besides Maualuga, All-America safety Taylor Mays missed several plays in the opening half with a chest injury yet played again. Offensive tackle Zack Heberer had to be carted off with a toe injury. Linebacker Brian Cushing broke his hand.

“They played better than us, they played harder than us and they made all the plays they need to play,” USC coach Pete Carroll said.

“They beat us up, plain and simple,” Trojans fullback Stanley Havili said.

Scoreboard:

Oregon State 27, USC 21
Stanford 35, Washington 28
Oregon 63, Washington State 14
Fresno State 36, UCLA 31
California 42, Colorado State 7

Team of the Week: Oregon State

The Beavers (2-2, 1-1 Pac-10) have bounced back impressively with a pair of solid victories at home after their blowout loss at Penn State. The heroes were many against USC: the Rodgers brothers, quarterback Lyle Moevao (18-28-167-2 TDs passing), safety Greg Laybourn (team-best 11 tackles, 28-yard interception return), the offensive line and in particular the defensive line. Oregon State’s front four in its stop unit, Victor Butler, Pernnell Booth, Stephen Paea and Slade Norris, provided an impressive push, helping limit Trojans tailback Joe McKnight to 10 yards rushing on seven carries, and USC collectively to 86 yards on 22 rushes.

Disappointment of the Week: USC

So fearsome against Virginia and Ohio State and then christened Pete Carroll’s best USC team, the Trojans were nothing special in Corvallis. They couldn’t get their hands on either Rodgers brother, couldn’t bend backward either one of Oregon State’s front lines and couldn’t foam at the mouth on command.  

Player of the Week: Jacquizz Rogers, Oregon State

The kid known as “Mr. Touchdown” back in his native Texas rushed for nine yards the first time he touched the ball, seven the next. Just 5’7” and 193 pounds, Rodgers was fearless and tireless, particularly on the Beavers’ third drive of the game. He carried the ball six times in 11 plays, capping the 62-yard march with the first of his two touchdown runs.
 
Freshman of the Week: Jacquizz Rogers, Oregon State

His career high in three previous games was 110 against Hawaii. He had 99 at Penn State. His 186 against USC likely won’t stand as a personal best very long.

Woe is Wazzu

There isn’t much defense being played at Washington State (1-4, 0-2 Pac-10) this season. The Cougars coughed up 63 points to Oregon, and it wasn’t even a season high. They gave up 66 to California earlier in the month. They were torched for nine touchdowns in each outing. They made things easy against the Ducks, fumbling the ball away on their first two possessions deep in their territory, both leading to instant scores. They were down 42-7 early in the second half when Oregon (4-1, 2-0 Pac-10) started substituting liberally.

Oregon’s 1-2 tailback punch of LeGarrette Blount and Jeremiah Johnson each scored three times, while wide receiver Jaison Williams came up two.

“We just don’t have enough in the tank,” first-year Cougars coach Paul Wulff said. No argument there. The 129 points allowed in his first two Pac-10 games is the most in the 92-year history of the league, surpassing the 111 a porous Arizona team permitted in 2001.

Return to sender

Bryant Nnabuife plays special teams for California (1-3, 1-0 Pac-10) – it just seems like the Golden Bears have devoted part of their playbook to him. For the second time in four games, the junior-college transfer returned a blocked punt for a touchdown. He provided the game’s first points in the first quarter in Cal’s romp over Colorado State, scooping up a ball deflected by freshman linebacker Mychal Kendricks and packing it 30 yards to the end zone.

In the season opener against Michigan State, Nnabuife retrieved a ball swatted down by fellow defensive back Brett Johnson and returned it five yards for the game’s first points, again in the first quarter. Obviously, the guy likes to set the tone.

Nnabuife was not the only DB who found the end zone against Colorado State. The aforementioned Johnson returned an interception 43 yards for a score and cornerback Syd’Quan Thompson raced 73 yards on a punt return for another six.

Cal has returned three kicks for TDs in four outings, with linebacker Zack Follett scoring on a blocked field goal return at Washington State.

Kimble is no bench fugitive

Stanford’s back-up tailback and former starter Anthony Kimble was ready to go in a big way when first-teamer Toby Gerhart suffered a first-quarter concussion at Washington and was pointed to the bench for the rest of the game. Kimble came in and rushed for a career-high 157 yards, scoring on 83- and 13-yard runs, for the Cardinal (3-2, 2-1 Pac-10).

“It has been frustrating to a point, but as long as we win it’s understandable,” Kimble admitted of his reserve role after starting for three seasons.

“Everybody on the team trusts and knows Anthony Kimble,” Cardinal coach Jim Harbaugh said.

Embattled in Seattle

Washington coach Ty Willingham not only had a team open 0-4 for the first time in a career that includes Stanford and Notre Dame, with Seattle fans calling for his head well before this weekend, he lost his best player, quarterback Jake Locker, to a broken right thumb in the first half against Stanford and possibly for the season. Locker was hurt while throwing a block and stayed in for two more plays, pulling himself when wildly overthrew a wide-open receiver near the end zone, unable to grip the ball. Willingham is now 11-29 in four seasons with the Huskies, a situation that has everyone expecting a coaching change at season’s end.

“This one is very difficult for me to stand before you because I felt like we had a football team that would be able to go out and win,” the Washington coach said solemnly in his post-game news conference.

Whose house?

Fresno State brought between 15,000 and 17,000 fans with them for the UCLA game at the Rose Bowl, almost making it a home outing for Pat Hill’s team. A crowd of 73,963 was in attendance. The red-shirted followers among them had plenty to cheer about as their Bulldogs (3-1, 0-0 WAC) maintained the upper hand throughout and pulled out a five-point victory. Bruins players were not amused by the strong Fresno fan turnout, which actually was encouraged by the UCLA marketing department, eager for seat revenue.

“They brought the whole city with them,” Bruins defensive tackle Bryan Harwell complained.

“I hate red,” sniffed fellow UCLA defensive tackle Brian Price. “I felt like a bull.”

Short yardage

Cal’s Jahvid Best dislocated his left elbow against Colorado State, but there was no fracture. His return is uncertain. … Washington also lost starting middle linebacker Donald Butler with a concussion for most of its game against Stanford. … Oregon had defensive end Terrell Turner go down with knee ligament damage. … In his first college start, Washington State quarterback Marshall Lobbestael, a redshirt freshman, completed 22 of 41 passes for 192 yards and two touchdowns, with senior Brandon Gibson catching 10 passes for 103 yards. … Oregon State cornerback Brandon Hughes missed the second half with a thigh injury, while Beavers wide receiver Sammie Stroughter was in and out against USC dealing with a hip injury and cramps. … Oregon has outscored Washington State 116-21 in its last two meetings. … UCLA tailback Kahlil Bell, out since the opener with an ankle injury, rushed 20 times for 73 yards and a touchdown before sitting out most of the fourth quarter with more ankle problems. … UCLA’s 1-3 start is its worst four-game start since 1983, when Bruins coach Rick Neuheisel was the starting quarterback and the Bruins opened 0-3-1 before winding up in the Rose Bowl. … Bruins kick return man Terrance Austin set a school record with 206 yards, a total that didn’t include the 100-yard opening kickoff return he had called back by a holding penalty. … In relief of Locker, Washington back-up quarterback Ronnie Fouch, a redshirt freshman, hit 12 of 27 passes for 186 yards and a score, and ran for another touchdown. … Cal’s victory over Colorado State left the Pac-10 1-5 against Mountain West teams. … Last word: USC’s loss at Oregon State was its third consecutive setback in games played in the state of Oregon, prompting Trojans quarterback Mark Sanchez to remark, “This state ain’t no good to us.”