Oregon State’s Mike Hass leads the Pac-10 averaging 112.0 receiving yards and 7.2 receptions per game. He has also caught five touchdowns.
Oregon State has relied heavily on senior quarterback Derek Anderson this season to push the team downfield by flooding the air with passes to various receivers.
The Beavers (5-5 overall, 4-3 Pacific-10 Conference) have only posted 732 yards and eight touchdowns in 326 carries this season compared with 2,980 yards and 21 touchdowns through the air on 234 pass completions.
Anderson earned 227 of those completions and 2,906 yards on 429 attempts — all of those numbers are conference-bests among quarterbacks.
Oregon State’s success in the past has been determined by its rushing. This season the team’s crutch has been the successful execution of its passing game. Oregon State head coach Mike Riley would like to see the running game step up this weekend, especially with a postseason ticket at stake.
“We will work to establish the run … it can play a major role in this game,” Riley said. “We have had our moments where we have had some good runs and some good plays, so I think we are more and more capable of doing that.”
Coach Riley said that aspect of the game has been a struggle this season.
“I tell you, when you’re not (rushing well), football can be hard,” Riley said. “It’s like pulling teeth. Because you don’t have the balance, the defense can basically gang up on you in one phase.”
According to Coach Riley, the ineffective run has put a burden on Anderson, but he has been able to shrug it off.
“I think Derek has really held up to this tremendously and continues to be very productive,” Riley said. “We’re going to keep slinging it. That’s been our best way to move the football, and we’ve been pretty good at it, but we would really like to be able to complement it with the run and be a balanced team.”
Oregon State is ranked No. 2 in the Pac-10 and No. 7 in the nation in pass offense, averaging 298 yards per game. Its success rate of 82.4 percent (28-of-34) within the 20-yard line is the best among red-zone offenses in the league. The Beavers have converted in each of their last 19 trips into the red-zone, including 11 touchdowns in that span.
This season, Anderson is No. 14 in the country in total offense with 271.4 yards on average. The Scappoose native ranks fourth on the Pac-10 career passing list with 10,540 yards, and fifth all-time in career touchdown passes with 71. He is one of only six quarterbacks to have passed for over 10,000 yards.
Saturday’s game may be the last for Anderson, and many think his career will be deemed as positive only if the Beavers turn in a winning season. Coach Riley believes that Anderson’s career has been a spectacular one, no matter the outcome.
“Whatever happens in this game, Derek’s legacy here will be a long-term positive, at least in my regard,” Riley said. “This guy has been a part of the resurgence of this program.
“He’s the most prolific quarterback in the history of this school and it will be hard to break his records. This guy has had a tremendous career, and we at Oregon State should all be very, very thankful that he’s been the quarterback.”
The Beavers will have to experiment with a slightly different configuration of wide receivers. Undoubtedly, junior Mike Hass will be Anderson’s most dependable target, but the Beavers lost Anthony Wheat-Brown.
Wheat-Brown is one of four players who will not be participating in the Civil War due to a suspension for violating team policy. The Compton, Calif., native had his best game last week at Stanford when he caught 11 passes for 117 yards. Prior to that game, Wheat-Brown had not received more than five passes or collected a yardage amount greater than 48 yards in a contest.
“You hate to lose any part, whether it’s due to something like this or an injury,” Riley said. “This is just one of those things where somebody else has to step in and make plays … ironically Anthony’s most productive game this year was this past weekend, and we don’t like to lose that continuity — nobody would.”
Continuity is Hass’ middle name. The junior from Portland has strung together 72 receptions for 1,120 yards this season and leads the league in both categories. His 112.0 yards per game average is fourth in the nation and his 7.2 receptions per game is the nation’s 10th-best average. To accompany those credentials, Hass has caught five touchdown passes.
Hass was honored as the Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Week after the second week of the season (Sept. 11) when he hauled in 297 yards and three touchdowns against Boise State. The 6-foot-1 receiver tied Vern Burke’s school record of 12 catches against Boise State and then broke it with 14 receptions at Arizona State.
With this season’s door still open, Hass has his eye on former teammate James Newson’s single-season records in receptions (81) and receiving yards (1,306).
Along with Hass, Coach Riley said there will be three other pass outlets available.
“We will have George Gillett, Josh Hawkins and Sammie Stroughter try to pull us up, step in and do what they’re expected to do, which is contribute to the offense, make plays, know what they’re doing and prepare for the game,” Riley said.
Gillett started the first two games of the season and has only seen action in five. The senior wide receiver has grabbed five passes for 29 yards and one score.
“He’s worked hard to be a starter but wasn’t a starter,” Riley said. “He’s kept a good frame of mind and worked hard, so I anticipate George being ready and being able to step in.”
