The game of the week pits two teams that are evenly matched and hungry for wins. It may not hold monumental results for the winner, with both teams remaining miles from the top of the Pac-10 Conference standings, but fans are almost guaranteed a good contest.
Oregon State comes into the game with the worst ranked offense in the Pac-10, but is coming off a sound 38-8 win over Arizona. Against the Wildcats, senior tailback Ken Simonton, who is averaging 72 yards rushing per game, became the leading non-kicker on the Pac-10 scoring list with 336 career points.
Head coach Dirk Koetter’s Sun Devils are coming off a 48-17 loss to Southern California, a game in which quarterback Jeff Krohn injured his right foot, but should be ready to go against the Beavers.
“All we can do is continue working hard and realize that we have to fight through this, we have to make plays, and we have to be a lot more consistent for the full four quarters,” Koetter said.
Despite surrendering 47 points to the Trojans, the Sun Devils’ defense could be what prevents Oregon State from moving to .500 in the Pac-10 this season. Defensive end Terrell Suggs leads the conference in sacks with eight, and forced fumbles with three.
“He’s a guy you’ve got to account for — you’ve got to find out where he is,” Oregon State head coach Dennis Erickson said.