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Ducks stun Beavers
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| AP photo Touchdown tiptoe: Oregon’s Walter Thurmond lll scores on an interception as Oregon State’s Adam Speer (51) pursues during the Civil War Saturday. The Ducks won, 65-38. |
Record crowd at Reser Stadium leaves disappointed
By JOSH PETRIE
H&N Sports Writer
CORVALLIS — A raucous, record crowd of 46,319 fans showed up at Reser Stadium Saturday, many hoping to witness Oregon State earn its first Rose Bowl berth in 44 years.
A pair of Jeremiahs helped Oregon spoil the party, for now.
Senior tailback Jeremiah Johnson ran for 219 yards and an 83-yard touchdown, sophomore quarterback Jeremiah Masoli threw for 274 yards and three scores, and the 19th-ranked Ducks piled up 694 yards of total offense in a 65-38 victory over the 17th-ranked Beavers.
‘It’s not over yet’
“They thought they had our number, and we wanted to prove we could beat them in their house,” Oregon junior tight end Ed Dickson said. “They were already counting us out, buying tickets to the Rose Bowl already.
“We were like, ‘No. It’s not over yet.’”
Oregon (9-3, 7-2) currently holds the head-to-head advantage over OSU (8-4, 7-2) for second place in the Pacific-10 standings, which would put the Ducks in the Holiday Bowl if first-place USC defeats UCLA next week.
The Beavers still can go to the Rose Bowl if the Bruins upset the Trojans.
A USC victory likely would put OSU in the Sun Bowl.
“It’s definitely tough losing in front of a crowd like this. They’ve supported us all year,” OSU junior quarterback Lyle Moevao said. “We’ve come this far, and we’re not looking back at the mistakes, but we’re looking forward, and we have to make sure we correct the mistakes.”
First-half dominance
Oregon set the tone early with its passing game, then went to the run.
Masoli completed three passes for 69 yards on the Ducks’ first scoring possession, finishing with a 35-yard pass to Jaison Williams and a 17-yard touchdown strike to Jeff Maehl.
With the field spread, both Johnson and LeGarrett Blount were able to roam free.
Johnson took a handoff to the right side for 79 yards to set up a Blount nine-yard run for a 17-7 lead.
Johnson then reeled off an 83-yard scamper, also to the right side, in the last minute of the first half to eclipse 200 yards for the game and 1,000 for the season.
“I’m just ecstatic, my first 200-yard game and 1,000 yards,” Johnson said. “Coming in, I think I had like 860-something (863). I had a big chip on my shoulder, you know, ‘I’ve gotta get these 1,000 yards. It’s your senior season, and it’s what the team asked of you.’”
Blount, who had 112 yards and his school’s single-season record-setting 16th rushing touchdown, can hit the 1,000-yard plateau with 72 in the bowl game.
No ‘Quizz’ Saturday
While the Ducks ran at will, the Beavers struggled without Pac-10 leading rusher Jacquizz Rodgers. Rodgers, a freshman, sat out with a shoulder injury suffered last week against Arizona, and it had a devastating effect on the Beavers’ rushing attack.
Sophomore James Rodgers, a flanker and Jacquizz’s brother, led OSU with 56 yards on seven carries, and the Beavers earned just 89 yards on 31 attempts.
“(Jacquizz Rodgers) is a good running back. He’s fast, quick and he’s a little guy that’s strong and can break tackles,” Oregon senior rover Patrick Chung said. “That was a big loss for them. He’s a real difference maker.”
The lack of rushing success, and a hefty deficit, forced Moevao to throw on most plays. Moevao was effective, throwing for 374 yards and a career-high five touchdowns, but his two interceptions were costly.
Walter Thurmond III took Moevao’s first pick 40 yards to give the Ducks a 37-10 lead with 43 seconds left in the first half, and Spencer Paysinger returned the second 70 yards for the final margin.
“Our team never quit, and they always kept trying,” OSU head coach Mike Riley said. “We had to throw the ball too much, and I knew it would eventually lead to a turnover.”
A pair of Jeremiahs helped Oregon spoil the party, for now.
Senior tailback Jeremiah Johnson ran for 219 yards and an 83-yard touchdown, sophomore quarterback Jeremiah Masoli threw for 274 yards and three scores, and the 19th-ranked Ducks piled up 694 yards of total offense in a 65-38 victory over the 17th-ranked Beavers.
‘It’s not over yet’
“They thought they had our number, and we wanted to prove we could beat them in their house,” Oregon junior tight end Ed Dickson said. “They were already counting us out, buying tickets to the Rose Bowl already.
“We were like, ‘No. It’s not over yet.’”
Oregon (9-3, 7-2) currently holds the head-to-head advantage over OSU (8-4, 7-2) for second place in the Pacific-10 standings, which would put the Ducks in the Holiday Bowl if first-place USC defeats UCLA next week.
The Beavers still can go to the Rose Bowl if the Bruins upset the Trojans.
A USC victory likely would put OSU in the Sun Bowl.
“It’s definitely tough losing in front of a crowd like this. They’ve supported us all year,” OSU junior quarterback Lyle Moevao said. “We’ve come this far, and we’re not looking back at the mistakes, but we’re looking forward, and we have to make sure we correct the mistakes.”
First-half dominance
Oregon set the tone early with its passing game, then went to the run.
Masoli completed three passes for 69 yards on the Ducks’ first scoring possession, finishing with a 35-yard pass to Jaison Williams and a 17-yard touchdown strike to Jeff Maehl.
With the field spread, both Johnson and LeGarrett Blount were able to roam free.
Johnson took a handoff to the right side for 79 yards to set up a Blount nine-yard run for a 17-7 lead.
Johnson then reeled off an 83-yard scamper, also to the right side, in the last minute of the first half to eclipse 200 yards for the game and 1,000 for the season.
“I’m just ecstatic, my first 200-yard game and 1,000 yards,” Johnson said. “Coming in, I think I had like 860-something (863). I had a big chip on my shoulder, you know, ‘I’ve gotta get these 1,000 yards. It’s your senior season, and it’s what the team asked of you.’”
Blount, who had 112 yards and his school’s single-season record-setting 16th rushing touchdown, can hit the 1,000-yard plateau with 72 in the bowl game.
No ‘Quizz’ Saturday
While the Ducks ran at will, the Beavers struggled without Pac-10 leading rusher Jacquizz Rodgers. Rodgers, a freshman, sat out with a shoulder injury suffered last week against Arizona, and it had a devastating effect on the Beavers’ rushing attack.
Sophomore James Rodgers, a flanker and Jacquizz’s brother, led OSU with 56 yards on seven carries, and the Beavers earned just 89 yards on 31 attempts.
“(Jacquizz Rodgers) is a good running back. He’s fast, quick and he’s a little guy that’s strong and can break tackles,” Oregon senior rover Patrick Chung said. “That was a big loss for them. He’s a real difference maker.”
The lack of rushing success, and a hefty deficit, forced Moevao to throw on most plays. Moevao was effective, throwing for 374 yards and a career-high five touchdowns, but his two interceptions were costly.
Walter Thurmond III took Moevao’s first pick 40 yards to give the Ducks a 37-10 lead with 43 seconds left in the first half, and Spencer Paysinger returned the second 70 yards for the final margin.
“Our team never quit, and they always kept trying,” OSU head coach Mike Riley said. “We had to throw the ball too much, and I knew it would eventually lead to a turnover.”
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| Owl men cruise in 81-63 victory |
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