Can the Beavers Beat Pitt?

by The Orange Joe on Dec 17, 2008 2:29 PM PST Comment 26 comments

Simple question: can the Beavers overcome these obvious obstacles and beat Pitt?

1. No Rodgers Brothers.
     (Who are statistically %60 of the offense, and dynamically %80.)
2. A running game that consists entirely of 1 inexperienced freshman RB.
     (Who, no offense, needs to be told he's really a fullback.)
3. The letdown of going Sun instead of Rose.
     (Sounds weird, when you remember that this was supposed to be a rebuilding year.)
4. A terrible FG kicker.
     (2 good kicks v Arizona excepted.)
5. A new kick returner, as opposed to a great one.
     (Any way you could do this too, Sammie?)
6. Low fan attendance.
     (Who can blame us?
     "Yeah, I'd like a 2-way flight to El Paso, on New Years' Week, please?"...
     "Uh, sure thing. Aaand, how many children are you willing to, uh, part with?")

Fortunately, this is the scenario:
If we lose, nobody, including the national media, can or will blame us.
If we can somehow overcome these obstacles to beat 18th-ranked Pitt, it'll be every bit as impressive to Beaver Nation, and (if they pay attention,) the national media, as the Arizona win, and maybe even close to matching the SC win.

So in conclusion:
GO BEAVERS!
DAM PITT!

Poll

Final Margin: OS vs. Pitt?

Beavers by 1-10

25 votes

Beavers by 11-20

8 votes

Pitt by 1-10

8 votes

Pitt by 11-20

12 votes

53 votes | Poll has closed

0 recs | Comment 26 comments

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Comments

I said Beavers by 1-10

This is going to be such at tough game, but I know how well Riley does in bowl games so I think you have to take the Beavs.

by ConnorOSU on Dec 17, 2008 2:47 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Riley... one helluva coach

You guys are luck to have him. Here’s hoping for a good recruiting class for you guys and for a great so-called ‘rebuilding’ season where many counted you out. Go get ’em Beavs!!!!

I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member

by TheMightyErik on Dec 20, 2008 1:49 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Correct

by ConnorOSU on Jan 1, 2009 5:01 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Riley

The whole “no Rodgers brothers, new kick returner” thing plays right into Riley’s hands. The guy wins every bowl game. All he needed was something like this to be able to say “nobody believes in us” to the team. I said Beavers by 1-10. In their 2 conference losses against Rutgers and Cincinnati, they gave up 670 yards passing and 9 passing TD’s. My prediction is that Sammie and Morales go off in their last college game. This will spread the defense out and allow the running game to break loose no matter who’s running the ball. They averaged 29 pts per game, so if the defense plays like it has most of the year (I won’t go there in this post) they shouldn’t need a ton of offense to win.

27 – 17 Beavers

Death before Dishonor.

by MarineCorpsDuck on Dec 17, 2008 7:36 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Morales is a Senior?

Kicker.

by qrsouther on Dec 17, 2008 7:57 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Roster

I thought he was…and if you click the Roster link above it says he is. He might not be, but I was under the impression he is.

Death before Dishonor.

by MarineCorpsDuck on Dec 17, 2008 8:08 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

You're probably right

I was just wondering because I for some reason thought he was an underclassman.

Kicker.

by qrsouther on Dec 17, 2008 8:12 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

No he is

It’s unfortunate, this was the first year he got any PT and he showed how amazing he was. Beaver fans are already talking about how Riley really missed the boat not playing this guy last year

I support Takimoto in his effort to support Roger Kieschnick in his quest to becoming the best Kieschnick ever to play professional baseball.

by The VD Special on Dec 18, 2008 12:39 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Last year was a good year for him too.

He was a good possession guy.

His hands and his willingness to stretch out for a ball will be missed.

I left my wallet in El Segundo.

by ArbyOSU on Dec 19, 2008 12:10 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Sounds a bit like Terence Scott

My HDTV is a JustinTV streamer who doesn't just use a webcam :(

by inroywetrust on Jan 1, 2009 7:29 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Yes

by ConnorOSU on Dec 17, 2008 9:10 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Uh huh.

Morales = Senior.

Late bloomer.

--JB--

by Jake Bertalotto on Dec 17, 2008 11:48 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Kahut is not a terrible Kicker.

Recently he’s been overthinking chipshots it seems, but he was the top K recruit in Oregon in 2006.

Sorry… I’m a little biased and quick to defense of my people.

Kicker.

by qrsouther on Dec 17, 2008 7:53 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

No, he's not a bad kicker at all

He’s a hell of a lot better then some others out there COUGHevensenCOUGH

He’s got a big ol’ boot on him and will improve. Remember guys, we are used to “everything-goes-through” Serna— not every kicker is going to be like Serna. In fact, very few are. We should be lucky to have a guy like Kahut playing for us

I support Takimoto in his effort to support Roger Kieschnick in his quest to becoming the best Kieschnick ever to play professional baseball.

by The VD Special on Dec 18, 2008 12:40 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Evensen is the most entertaining kicker I’ve ever watched. Sure, he’ll miss easy field goals, and kick it out of bounds two out of three times. He’s the berserk viking of kickers.

It's spelled "S-H-U-C-F-A-D-O-D-N-C-S"

Please, ask me about CFADODNCS.

by JShufelt on Dec 18, 2008 1:25 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Hey J

What’s CFADODNCS?

I support Takimoto in his effort to support Roger Kieschnick in his quest to becoming the best Kieschnick ever to play professional baseball.

by The VD Special on Dec 18, 2008 2:29 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

not every kicker is going to be like Serna. In fact, very few are.

Ahemmm.

Kicker.

by qrsouther on Dec 19, 2008 12:39 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

they better…I don’t want to be hearing about a Pac-10 collapse losing to a lowly Big East team (let’s be real here)

they should just show footage of OSU losing to slow, lilly white Stanfurd to get them motivated

and um, play some defense.

The opinions expressed in a FanPost are not necessarily those of the California Golden Blogs or any of its authors. However, they are just as important as the opinions of any of the authors. And doubly so as compared to TwistNHook!

by carp on Dec 18, 2008 10:07 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

I agree about the D, and honestly think it will be about how the defense shows up and responds to the CW performance. Yes, I know totally different offenses here (UO vs. Pitt), but I think OSU’s offense will score the points.

Really what it comes down to on the offensive side is keeping the turnovers down (no INTs for six and no fumbles close to or in the redzone). That said I do agree that there is a huge concern about who will step up since the Rodgers brothers have been so much of the load this year, but I think I agree with MarineCorpsDuck above that this could mean that we see Sammie and Shane step it up as seniors and yes could free up things for Ryan to run. Hard to say though for I just have no idea what Pitt will be bringing on the defensive side.

So I think it really comes down to the defense setting a tone and if that tone is a good one then we should be okay.

Kahut = I agree with the bhol man and that he is not a “terrible kicker.” I think it is a bit unfair (at this time) to label McCants as “inexperienced” and Kahut as “terrible.” I put them both in the “inexperienced” category. Now the important question becomes can they break out of this mode and become experienced? If not they both could have chances to lose a game for the Beavs (again TOs and of course missing kicks). But on the flip side and if they can show some maturity they both have chances to win games.

Strange bowl game, and man I was really looking forward to Quizz’s return. But if it is to be it is to be and if not then not.

-RVM

by rvm on Dec 18, 2008 11:50 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

We moved the ball just fine on UO

I’ve said it before the CW— if you told me we’d have 450 yards of offense and 38 points I would have guessed it a win. If we can do something similar against Pitt we’ll be just fine

I support Takimoto in his effort to support Roger Kieschnick in his quest to becoming the best Kieschnick ever to play professional baseball.

by The VD Special on Dec 18, 2008 12:42 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Yep, and that’s why I feel it is really all comes down to a game for the defense to control in order to win.

My above comment about UO was about the D’s performance and that even though Pitt is a different scheme from the Ducks the defense side of things is where I think the team needs to prove their worth and step up.

And as such I’m not as concerned about the offense because like you said they moved the ball well and scored 38 points. But do wonder who will step up and again my guess Sammie and Shane are my bets. But again the offense needs to keep the TOs down to either zero or ones that don’t have an effect on the scoring. But again I’m more worried about the defensive side than the offensive side (even with no Quizz or James Rodgers).

-RVM

by rvm on Dec 18, 2008 1:36 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Or footage of OSU beating Cal...?

I left my wallet in El Segundo.

by ArbyOSU on Dec 19, 2008 12:11 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Are you kidding

You guys should cream them, I have complete confidence. Pitt is not very good and I have watched Oregon State play 4 games and Pitt 3, you are clearly a better team.

We just needed a couple players, a couple people to buy in to the fact and we were able to do it. --A.Q. Shipley

by psu on Dec 18, 2008 6:22 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

We're a little dinged up...

I just hope that we can game plan around some of the big missing pieces we’re looking at. That said, Pitt doesn’t strike me as being a particularly impressive team. We SHOULD beat them, but we SHOULD have done a lot of things this year and didn’t. Let’s hope we’ve gotten that out of our systems.

I still say OSU by 10.

I left my wallet in El Segundo.

by ArbyOSU on Dec 19, 2008 12:14 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Woah, woah, woah...

Correction:
Kahut is a terrible kicker…. right now.

Anyone remember the Cal game, or the 1st half o’ the Civil War?
I was there… He was terrible. I’m not comparing
him to Serna, who was the best kicker I’ve ever
seen. I’m saying he’s below average… right now.

Now, he may (and I think will) become a good
kicker in time… But he’s not yet. As of now, he’s
a poor kicker, albeit with a big upside. That
52-yarder at halftime vs Arizona, along with
the way we’ve seen him kick in warmups,
gives me great hopes for him.

by The Orange Joe on Dec 19, 2008 9:00 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Just win, baby

The Ducks held up their end. Now the Beavers need to step up. You guys are gritty tough—get it done. The sweep is in your hands. Pitt is nothing special. It won’t be easy, but you’re the better team—even without Rodgers and Rodgers. CV says you have superior talent. He’s out of his goddamn mind, but nevertheless, it’s time to put up or shut up. I’ll be cheering for you.

by Hank Hosfield on Dec 30, 2008 9:47 PM PST reply actions 0 recs