Three Lessons from Arizona

1. The road is cruel. Oregon State has managed two stinkers on the road where they allowed 35+ points and managed only a single touchdown of their own. With the cupboard as bare as it is it makes sense that Oregon State is relying on heart. Just as horrifying is that mental mistakes have continued to bleed in. The most blatant came when Stanford got past Cyril Noland-Lewis the week before for a long touchdown and they have continued since then with mistakes in coverage. This is a team that already needs to operate at 100%, there is little room for error. If they cannot turn up the energy on the road and lock in like they have at home I would not expect a positive road result this year.

2. Please Seth don't kill Jordan! When Villamin crossed over and the Arizona safety near-killed him it was easily the worst part of the game. Then Collins took a leg whip and things looked as bad as it possibly could have. OSU needs this season to learn, but not at the cost of injuring the most talented player on the roster (Villamin) and one of the most dynamic players on the roster (Collins). The risk is inherent with a freshman qb that runs consistently but hopefully he can avoid leading his receivers directly into contact. Winning games is important, but for this season it is just as important to not lose anybody.

3. The offensive line is not the powerhouse I hoped it would be. Watching in the spring it seemed that the experience of the o-line would give the offense a chance to run the ball, and in turn allow Collins some room to work. That hasn't seemed to work however, as the offense has sputtered with the exception of late against San Jose State. For a veteran line this seemed to be a solid portion of the team to build off of. Part of that is a lack of respect for Collins as a passer, but they don't get the push up front that is required. If they cannot start winning against defensive fronts more often this offense will not get in gear this year.