After losing non-conference games in an ugly fashion earlier this season, Oregon State (2-1 overall, 0-0 Pac-10) and No. 20 California (3-1, 1-0) face off Saturday at 1:05 p.m. in Corvallis, with both teams coming off blowout victories last weekend.
The Beavers blanked their former head coach Dennis Erickson’s Idaho Vandals 38-0 and Cal snubbed then No. 22 Arizona State 49-21.
The game features two of the conference’s top offenses as Cal leads the Pacific-10 in scoring, averaging 37.8 points per game, while the Beavers are third with 36.
Cal hopes to reverse its fortune from last year when Oregon State upset the Bears at Memorial Stadium, 23-20. The victory broke a string of eight consecutive losses to ranked teams for the Beavers who have beaten Cal six out of the last seven games.
“They came into our house last year and not only did they beat us, but they were more physical than us,” Cal coach Jeff Tedford said in his weekly press conference. Tedford is 1-3 in his career facing Oregon State. “That’s something that doesn’t happen to us too often, to have a team be more physical than we are.
A potent Cal offense looks to combine their ground and aerial attacks to dismantle a Beaver defense that has surrendered an average of 19.8 points per game. The Bears are counting on sophomore quarterback Nate Longshore, who leads the Pac-10 in passing efficiency with a 166.9 rating, to continue his recent success since the opening-season loss against Tennessee.
“The transition he’s making from week to week, he sees the field better, he’s throwing the ball on time, he’s extremely accurate with the football and he’s putting the ball in places where people can catch it,” Tedford said. “Each week he continues to get better and he is very young still. He still needs to continue to improve, but he’s doing a nice job so far.”
The Beavers and Bears each possess one of the nation’s best running backs, which they hope will set the tone for their offenses Saturday. Cal tailback Marshawn Lynch currently leads the conference in total rushing yards with 449 while averaging 7.2 yards per carry.
“Marshawn has developed and grown quite a bit. He’s become a much more physical runner, understanding to put his pads down when he needs to,” Tedford said.
Oregon State’s defense has appeared vulnerable at times this season, most notably in a 42-14 loss at Boise State when the Broncos’ Ian Johnson rushed for a career high 240 yards and five touchdowns including two on runs of more than 50 yards.
Lynch’s counterpart, Yvenson Bernard, torched the Bear defense last year, running for a career-high 194 yards and two touchdowns. Lynch and Bernard rank 12th and 13th nationally in rushing yards per game, averaging 112.3 and 110, respectively.
“They ran the ball effectively against us last year. Typically they have a big physical line, and they do a nice job of coming off the ball and creating some edges, bending the edges on you,” Tedford said.
If dealing with Lynch wasn’t enough for the Beavers, they will also have to deal with Cal wide receiver DeSean Jackson, who is tied for the lead in the nation in receiving touchdowns with six and also returned a punt for a touchdown last weekend.
“With his explosive speed, it’s something you really have to take notice. If you leave him one-on-one, he’s got the quickness and the speed to make some big plays, not only as a receiver, but in the kicking game,” Tedford said.
Though he doesn’t receive as much press as Jackson, Oregon State’s junior receiver and punt returner Sammie Stroughter is a dangerous weapon for the Beaver offense. Stroughter leads the team in receiving yards per game at 56.7, and is third in the nation in punt return average, 22.9. He is the only player in the nation to have returned two punts for a touchdown.
Stroughter complements Oregon State’s tight end Joe Newton in the passing game. Newton has made a full recovery from his leg injury he suffered prior to last season and has quickly become one of quarterback Matt Moore’s favorite targets.
Cal’s cornerback Daymeion Hughes is tied for the national lead in interceptions with five, two returned for touchdowns. He will face Oregon State’s Moore, who finished tied with the most interceptions thrown in the nation last year with 19.