The Beavers defeated Louisville 35-28 on a rainy and cloudy afternoon Saturday in Corvallis. Here are my thoughts on the game.
Quarterback
In his first home start, Quarterback Ryan Katz delivered for the Beavers. The Sophomore threw for 142 Yards, two Touchdowns, and completed 15 of his 26 passes. But possibly the most important stat is 0 Interceptions for the second game in a row.
Besides the first 10 Minutes and a couple of throws late, Ryan was on target with most of his throws. He also showed a new side to his game, with his legs. Katz had a big 11 Yard run to pick up a first down. That is a welcome change from Canfield last year.
Running BackWelcome back Jacquizz. The younger brother put his name back into the Heisman Race with 132 Yards on 24 carries and two Touchdowns. He broke off one run for 16 Yards, but mostly he just did what he does best, gain chunks of yardage. He averaged 5.5 Yards a Carry, similar to his stats against USC in 2008.
Another weapon that was brought back on Saturday was Jacquizz making catches out of the backfield. Rodgers had 5 Receptions for 24 Yards, including a big reception to give the Beavers a 28-14 lead.
Recievers
It was all about sharing the wealth on Saturday, with 6 Beavers (Not including Jacquizz) having receptions. James Rodgers lead the Beavers wiht 3 Catches for 27 Yards, while Darrel Catchings and Jordan Bishop each had two grabs. Markus Wheaton and Aaron Nichols also got in on the action with one reception a piece. And finally, Joe Halahuni caught a three yard Touchdown Pass.
Markus Wheaton also had a 28 Yard Touchdown run out of the BeaverCat Formation, and James Rodgers had two carries via the Fly Sweep.
O-Line
Not much to talk about here, but I thought they did a pretty good job. They gave Katz lots of time and opened up some holes for Quizz. That's all you can ask for in my eyes.
Defense
I love James Dockery.
Special Teams
Once again, a no Field Goal Game for Kahut. His kickoffs were great, as they usually are. Johhny Hekker had his usual one bad Punt, but I've learned to just live with that. And as usual, James Rodgers had a great day on Kickoff and Punt Returns. He gave us great field position all day long.
Louisville
Looking at this game back in August, I thought there was no way we wouldn't win by at least 17 Points. But as Gameday crept closer, I started to have a hunch that Louisville wasn't going to let us walk all over them, and I was right. The Cardinals came out with swagger and confidence, while we came out slow and flat. Who knows how this game turns out if Louisville cashes in those opening drives, but I have a feeling Beaver Fans wouldn't like the result.
Overall though, I have no idea what to expect from Louisville the rest of the season. If they play like they did on Saturday, then I can easily see them winning six games. Who knows what will happen, but I do know Charlie Strong has them going in the right direction.
The Crowd
Boy, was it nice to be back in Reser. The crowd of 45,380 was pretty loud for the most part, and it was great to see every section have people in it. If they can get that many people for Louisville, I can't wait for California, USC, and Oregon.
Short Pac-10 Recap
Washington-The Huskies got dismantled by Nebraska by a score of 56-21. UW hs a bye week before visiting USC.
Washington State-After being even at 14 going into Halftime, Wazzu went on to lose 35-21 against SMU.
Oregon-The Ducks demolished Portland State 69-0. Next up is a trip to the desert to face the Sun Devils.
Oregon State-The Beavers almost squander a 35-14 lead, but hold on to win 35-28. Next up are the Broncos.
California-After demolishing UC Davis and Colorado, the Golden Bears were embarresed against Nevada.
Stanford-The Cardinal continued their offensive firepower with a 68-24 victroy over Wake Forest.
USC-The Trojans got another ugly win, this week against Minnesota. Next up for the Trojans is a trip to Pullman.
UCLA-The Bruins demolished an injure Houston team, 31-13. Next up for the Bruins is a trip to Austin, Texas.
Arizona-The Wildcats showed they are a national force with a 34-27 win over Iowa.
Arizona State-The Sun Devils lost a heartbreaker against Wisconsin, 20-19. Next up is a visit from #5 Oregon.
Pac-10 Power Rankings
1. Oregon
2. Arizona
3. Stanford
4. Oregon State
5. USC
6. Arizona State
7. UCLA
8. California
9. Washington
10. Washington State
Final Thoughts
Overall, a win is a win. Three months from now when we are in the hunt for a big bowl game (hopefully), we won't remember the result. Just the fact that we got the W is important, and now it's time for the Broncos. I say we take the positives, work on the negatives, and get ready for what could be one of the best games of the season.
Poll Question
What do you think about Oregon?