Oregon’s Seth McEwan (43) takes out Oregon State’s James Newson (2) in last season’s Civil War at Autzen Stadium. Newson and the Beavers have won three of four games.
Far from the team that was picked to finish as NCAA champions by Sports Illustrated prior to the 2001 season, but much improved from the team that finished 5-6 last season, Oregon State is not your typical Pacific-10 Conference team.
In other words, the Beaver running game plays a vital role in the well-being of the offense. Oregon State’s (7-4 overall, 3-4 Pac-10) passing game, while impressive, is less of a game-breaker.
Sophomore tailback Steven Jackson is responsible for that. So far this season, he has run for 1,596 yards, which includes three games of 200-plus, and just three with less than 100.
In those three games, Oregon State is 1-2. When Jackson is on his game — rushing for more than 100 yards — the Beavers are 6-2.
“He’s a heck of a back, there’s no question about that,” Oregon State head coach Dennis Erickson said. “Steven brings a lot to the table. He’s big, he’s got good feet, he’s got good speed, sometimes I think he tricks you with how fast he is for how big he is. But he’s been our workhorse. Let’s face it, when we made a decision that he’s going to carry it 25 or 30 times a game, we’ve become more productive offensively.”
Behind center, Derek Anderson has been a surprise success, in the sense that he has taken over for Jonathan Smith so quickly. The sophomore from Scappoose is already tied for the Oregon State single-season touchdown record at 20, and has led the Beaver offense to an 84 percent (36-of-43 attempts) red zone success record.
Yet, this will be his first Civil War, and expectations will be high. Erickson expects a lot from the young signal-caller.
“Like any young quarterback, he’s made mistakes,” Erickson said. “He’s got a lot of things that he has learned and a lot of things he’ll continue to learn.”
In the previous three games against teams with former Oregon offensive coordinators, Oregon State is 1-2, having lost to UCLA and Arizona State before defeating California.
Why, you ask, is this an important facet to the Beavers and their success? The three squads typically run the same type of offense as the Mike Bellotti-led Ducks.
If the Beavers have seen it before, well, there’s a good chance they could stop it.
“It helps,” Erickson said. “They’re a little bit different than Oregon. The basic stuff is somewhat the same, but they all have their little different things. Jeff (Tedford, Cal head coach) is a little different than Dirk (Koetter, ASU head coach) … some of the
basic lineups and shifting and motion and those types of things are similar, but they do some different things.”
Defensively, Oregon State is just plain talented. Featuring the likes of senior cornerback Dennis Weathersby and sophomore safety Mitch Meeuwsen, the Beavers have a solid secondary, one of the best in the Pac-10, if not the nation.
However, that secondary could take a hit with Meeuwsen less than 100 percent healthy. However, Erickson said that the he expects Meeuwsen to play “a lot” against the Ducks.
The Beavers are guaranteed a bowl game after failing to qualify last season. Normally, a victory over a I-AA school, such as Oregon State’s 49-10 win over Eastern Kentucky, would not count toward the seven wins required for bowl eligibility.
However, because of an NCAA technicality that allows for a team to bypass this rule once every four years, the Beavers are lining up for postseason play.
All that stands in Oregon State’s way to the Las Vegas is Oregon. So, the 106th Civil War isn’t just about the name.
“If you’re a Beaver, you want to beat the Ducks every year,” Erickson said. “That’s the most important game; there’s no ifs or ands about it. That’s just how it is and how it always will be for us, and that’s how it should be. It shouldn’t be anything else. There’s nothing more important during the season — or postseason or anything — than this football game.”
Contact the sports reporter
at [email protected].