Oregon State and Stanford
will fight for survival to remain
in contention for a bowl game
this weekend.
Both teams need a win, while
the loser will be out of the hunt
for the big postseason payday as Oregon State (4-5 overall, 3-3 Pacific-10) travels to face Stanford
(4-5, 2-4) in Palo Alto, Calif., at
2 p.m. Saturday.
After nearly defeating No. 1 USC in a 28-20 loss at home last week, Oregon State head coach Mike Riley said he hopes his team can bounce back and not look back at what could have been a monumental upset.
“It is truly one of those times where we can’t look back,” Riley said. “There can be no hangover. It has to be our best preparation of the year for this game.”
The Beavers have won their last two road games against Arizona and Washington. However, they’ve won three straight road games only twice since 1969.
If Oregon State wins, its bowl
future could hinge on the Civil
War game against Oregon on Nov. 20 in Corvallis.
“No matter what, when we get to that point it will be exciting,” Riley said. “If that’s one of the residuals, then that’s a big deal — there’s no getting away from that.”
When asked what worried him most about playing Stanford, Riley said he was “concerned in all areas about this game.”
On defense, the Cardinal is experienced with 10 starters being either a junior or senior. Senior cornerback Leigh Torrence already has four interceptions on the season, which ranks second in the Pac-10.
Stanford had only allowed
three touchdown passes all season before giving up four touchdowns to Arizona State’s Andrew Walter. The Cardinal, however, still rank 26th in the nation in scoring
defense, allowing just 18.6 points per game.
“You’ve got to be very careful, and at the same time, you have to be aggressive,” Riley said. “You have to make some throws that are smaller windows down (in the red zone) to get anything.”
Stanford head coach Buddy Teevens said the whole success of his defense is due to his team’s depth on that side of the ball.
“We play a lot of people defensively,” Teevens said. “We roll a
lot of guys through the front and
the linebacking core. We’re way up in the league in terms of defending the red zone. That’s a positive
for us.”
Stanford’s passing defense will be severely tested against an Oregon State offense that ranks ninth in the nation in passing.
Quarterback Derek Anderson
is the Beavers all-time leader in passing yardage (10,026 yards)
and touchdown passes (68). Last weekend against USC, Anderson’s 330 passing yards put him as one of five quarterbacks in Pac-10 history to throw for at least 10,000 yards in his collegiate career.
Riley said it will be important for his offensive line to protect his quarterback against the variety of blitzes that Stanford plans to send.
“It all starts with protection,” Riley said. “If you can pick (up the blitzes), you have a better chance of being able to throw the ball.”
Teevens said he is hoping Anderson does “not have his best day
and for us to have our best day against him.
“Anderson is an accurate passer and a tough kid,” Teevens
said. “They’re not afraid to put the ball in his hands and he makes good decisions. The critical point is putting pressure on the quarterback, but Anderson handles it well.
We’ll try to make him rush his throws before the development of the pass route.”
In last season’s matchup between the two teams, Oregon State dismantled Stanford in a 43-3 victory in Corvallis. Anderson threw four touchdown passes in that game, including two to receiver Mike Hass.
Teevens said his team realizes that Hass is Oregon State’s big-play receiver. He also praised Hass for running effective routes and being “extremely sure-handed.”
“I haven’t seen him drop the ball this year. He’s obviously playing with a great deal of confidence,” Teevens said. “You don’t stop a guy like that. He’s hurt everybody in the conference and you just try to limit the impact that he has.”
The Cardinal has been hurting itself as a team after starting the season with a 4-2 record. Since then, Stanford has lost three straight games, including a 34-31 loss to Arizona State in Tempe, Ariz., last week.
Teevens said, however, that his players have remained confident and focused during practice.
“You don’t see them getting down or dragging around,” Teevens said. “They remain crisp and sharp at practice. When adversity strikes, they respond to it. It’s a testament to their character. I keep pointing to the senior leadership of the group — they’re strong and committed to each other.”
For Stanford’s 11 seniors, this upcoming game will mark their final home game at Stanford Stadium.
“They’ve been a special group,” Teevens said. “They’re resilient and have tremendous character. I believe in ownership, accountability and leadership from within, and these guys have responded extremely unselfishly.”
The Cardinal’s players, though, have not conceded the season yet and plan to fight as hard as they can to keep their bowl hopes alive.
“As we look to Oregon State, it’s a critical game for us,” Teevens said. “They’re coming down to play for a bowl opportunity, and we’re doing the same. I expect a heated contest.”

Alex Tam is a freelance reporter
for the Daily Emerald