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TB
Steven Jackson (PHOTO CREDIT - Barry Schwartz/OSU
Athletics) |
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Coach:
Mike Riley
0-0,
1st year |
2002
Record: 8-5
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EASTERN
KENTUCKY |
WON
49-10 |
at
Temple |
WON
35-3 |
UNLV |
WON
47-17 |
FRESNO
STATE |
WON
59-19 |
at
Southern Cal |
LOST
0-22 |
UCLA |
LOST
35-43 |
at
Arizona State |
LOST
9-13 |
CALIFORNIA |
WON
24-13 |
ARIZONA |
WON
38-3 |
at
Washington |
LOST
29-41 |
at
Stanford |
WON
31-21 |
OREGON |
WON
45-24 |
INSIGHT
BOWL
|
Pittsburgh |
LOST
13-38 |
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2002 Final Rankings
AP-UR, Coaches-UR, BCS-UR
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2003
Outlook
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This
group has that thing all coaches draft,
potential at the next level - dangerous
amounts, in fact! Offensively, they use
a spread formation that sends out three
receivers and a tight end, whom garners
coverage regularly as he takes a man out
of the box. Team that with a mobile quarterback
and a Heisman Trophy candidate at running
back, all behind four returning linemen,
and you've got what every defensive coordinator
fears. They are very quick and will score
gobs of points, but the true test is going
to come when a defense focuses on single-back
Stephen Jackson and stops the running game.
Derek Anderson then has to beat a defense
with his arm. Bar injury, this is going
to be his and/or Jackson's year. Derek will
vault himself into the 2004 Heisman campaign
with a stellar year.
Defensively,
the key will be the secondary gaining its
new identity as a group. This is a defensive
staff that has gotten better through the
years. They will know on Sept. 6th whether
they have the secondary to win games as
they face Paul Pinegar and an impressive
passing game, at Fresno State. They will
also need the new OLBs to pose some sort
of threat to keep Richard Seigler actively
involved.
This
group is taking shape and playing well enough
to get through a tough (PAC-10) schedule
and into a January bowl game, BCS if they
can emerge from 2003's gauntlet with two-or-less
losses. OSU gets Boise State, Arizona State
and Washington at home this year, while
playing on the road at Fresno State, Washington
State, USC, and Oregon. The big tests will
be at Fresno and home against Boise State.
Winning early games against such teams that
play PAC-10 style football will give this
team that healthy shot in the arm as they
enter the conference schedule.
Expect
the Beavers to win enough for a probable
Pac-10 Championship (as soon as by the end
of November?!) Sorry to all the Oregon Ducks
fans out there, but the Civil War will belong
to the Beavers for a second straight year.
This site's 22nd ranking will likely change
as the secondary rapidly gels and wins occur.
The
needed competitive schedule, a stellar offense
and capable D - all the parts are in place
for a title shot, or not. More realistically,
they could statistically finish second in
the conference and, like 2002 Southern Cal,
make the BCS as the higher ranked PAC-10
team. Predicting seems foolish, though,
with Washington State and Southern Cal right
there again, too. This could also be the
best four-loss outfit in Division I-A.
Projected
2003 record: 10-2
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OFFENSIVE
MVP
WR James Newson
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DEFENSIVE
MVP
LB Trent Bray
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TOP
NEWCOMER
SS Harvey Witten
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OREGON
STATE
*POWER RATINGS
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Offense
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Defense
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QB
- 4 |
DL
- 4.5 |
RB
- 4.5 |
LB
- 4 |
WR
- 4 |
DB
- 3.5 |
OL
- 4 |
.. |
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RETURNING
LEADERS
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Passing:
Derek Anderson, 449-211-13, 3313 yds., 25
TD's
Rushing: Steven Jackson, 319 att.,
1690 yds., 15 TD's
Receiving: James Newson, 74 rec.,
1284 yds., 12 TD's
Scoring: Steven Jackson, 17 TD's,
102 pts.
Punting: Carl Tobey, 74 punts, 40.3
avg.
Kicking: Kirk Yliniemi, 15-16 FG,
45-46 PAT, 90 pts.
Tackles: Richard Seigler, 99 tot.,
55 solo
Sacks: Bill Swancutt, 12.5 sacks
Interceptions: Mitch Meeuwsen, 5
for 26 yds.
Kickoff returns: Brandon Catanese,
9 ret., 23.8 avg.
Punt returns: Aric Williams, 24 ret.,
7.6 avg.
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SS
Lawrence Turner (PHOTO CREDIT - Barry Schwartz/OSU
Athletics) |
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OREGON
STATE |
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OFFENSE
- 9
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----RETURNING
STARTERS----
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DEFENSE
- 5
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KEY
LOSSES
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OFFENSE:
Shawn Kintner-WR, Mike Kuykendall-OT |
DEFENSE:
Eric
Manning-DT, Nick Barnett-SLB, Erik Tuma-WLB,
Terrell Roberts-CB, Dennis Weathersby-CB,
Calvin Carlyle-FS, Noah Happe-DE (NFL) |
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2003
OFFENSE
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written
by Tim Chapman
Oregon
State returns nine starters from a squad that
was a downright explosive offense. The Beavers
finished 20th in the country in total offense,
per game totals of 262 yards through the air and
149 on the ground. The man behind the attack is
1st team All-Pac-10 junior RB Stephen Jackson,
who was running himself into the Heisman trophy
talks after a 4-0 start and a total of 541 yard.
After a slump around mid-season, he surged for
383 yards in his final two games, to finish 8th
in I-A with 1690. He's a big, quick back, who
hits a hole faster than anyone in the conference.
You will again be hearing his name come late October
when the Heisman race starts to heat up. Dwight
Wright, a bit smaller as an option, will see more
playing time on third-and-long.
Junior
QB Derek Anderson is going to be a good one. Like
Jackson, the 6'6" future-NFLer started the
season as the best (QB) in the Pac-10 after the
first four games, only to have OL problems set
the lulling mid-season tone. He brings a fleet
set of feet and a strong arm, both of which make
him tough to defend. But, when it came time for
conference play, QB Derek Anderson found out what
PAC-10 football was really like. He started to
throw the ball errantly and forcefully, which
led to an increase in INTs. He finished the season
with 13, but 11 came in the team's five losses.
Simply put, if he takes care of the ball, the
Beavers win. He will need to step up this year
- defenses will certainly be focusing on stopping
Jackson. Trust me, you'll see him shine!
The
receivers at OSU are good, very good indeed! Seniors
Kenny Farley and James Newson have great speed
and a knack for finding an opening somewhere in
the defense. Newson is the real playmaker and
the guy that Anderson will go to most often. Regularly
utilizing a three-receiver set helps take the
focus off one particular receiver. When a defense
has to cover three receivers and a tight end like
senior Tim Euhus, it makes for a hard time to
effectively blanket all three. Watch out for junior
Cole Clasen, who steps in at the third receiver
spot. He is strong (though small), quick, and
has incredible hands. Clasen is going to be the
difference-maker, and by season's end he should
be Anderson's favorite target.
Protecting
and paving up front are four returning starters
on the OSU offensive line. Led by senior OT Brian
Kilkenny, this is a group that is vital for any
offensive success. Jackson and Anderson were forced
into sub par games last season when these guys
up front couldn't establish a line of scrimmage.
It doesn't help that there is no FB leading the
surge, or also that the TE is too often running
a pattern instead of staying home to protect (whoever).
If defenses match up well with a quality secondary
(especially versatile LBs), look for a similar
slump in 2003. This offense certainly has the
weapons, but if they don't have time to load,
they're of no use.
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QB
Derek Anderson (PHOTO CREDIT - Barry Schwartz/OSU
Athletics)
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OREGON
STATE 2003 DEPTH CHART
Returning Starters in bold
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OFFENSE
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QB |
Derek
Anderson-Jr (6-6, 227) |
Adam
Rothenfluh-Jr (6-3, 198) |
TB |
Steven
Jackson-Jr (6-3, 229) |
Dwight
Wright-Jr (5-9, 196) |
SLOT |
Kenny
Farley-Sr (6-3, 221) |
Cole
Clasen-Jr (5-9, 185) |
WR |
Jayson
Boyd-So (6-4, 200) |
George
Gillett-Jr (6-1, 214) |
WR |
James
Newson-Sr (6-1, 208) |
Josh
Hawkins-Jr (6-0, 186) |
TE |
Tim
Euhus-Sr (6-5, 251) |
Pat
Loney-Jr (6-6, 254) |
OT |
Brian
Kilkenny-Sr (6-5, 294) |
Adam
Koets-Fr (6-6, 275) |
OG |
Jason
Fyda-So (6-3, 282) |
David
Lose-Sr (6-2, 317) |
C |
Matt
Brock-Jr (6-2, 301) |
Brent
Bridges-Jr (6-3, 299) |
OG |
Kanan
Sanchez-Jr (6-3, 344) |
J.C.
Ronnfeldt-Fr (6-4, 338) |
OT |
Doug
Nienhuis-Jr (6-6, 299) |
Brandon
Lockheart-Jr (6-6, 343) |
K |
Kirk
Ylimiemi-Sr (6-1, 195) |
John
Dailey-So (6-1, 205) |
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2003
DEFENSE
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written
by Tim Chapman
The
front-four was a strong unit last fall and will
be even better this year. Three starters return
who formed the core of the 9th ranked run defense
in I-A. They are lead by junior DE Bill Swancutt,
who led the team with 12 sacks. He's quick and
makes great decisions up front, causing havoc
in the backfield regardless of the play selection.
Senior Dwan Edwards, a great run-stopper and a
mountain of a man with size and mobility, is tough
to run against inside and allows for Swancutt
to use the outside affectively. Getting the ball
off in good time will be tough for opposing QBs
this year.
The
linebackers may have lost their two outside guys,
but the man in the middle is solid. First team
All-Pac-10 LB senior Richard Seigler is a ball
hawk. He's a perfect fit as a middle linebacker
in any scheme because he can make adjustments
as he realizes what is needed. He is aggressive
so is greatly maximized on blitzes, where defenses
will have to make a decision on who to throw extra
protection against- Happe and Swancutt on the
outside or Seigler coming through the middle.
He has to step up and take the limelight in the
group while two new OLBs get adjusted.
The
outside LBs and the secondary were greatly decimated
by graduation. Other than Seigler, junior FS Mitch
Meeuwsen is the only returning starter in the
back seven. A smart defender with a keen knack
for always being near the ball, Meeuwsen had a
team-leading five INTs. He will cause teams to
throw to the outside or underneath, but this might
not be a hard task with so much new blood. Juniors
Seth Lacey and Jonathan Pollard look to fill the
roles on the outside for the Beavers. Pollard
looks to be the better of the two and will certainly
be involved this season as he takes over for Nick
Barnett, the team's top defender last year.
The
secondary loses two outstanding corners, so teams
will be more likely to throw the ball on the outside
(until this new duo proves they can't be beat.)
Stepping in will be junior Aric Williams, who
brings speed and a six-foot frame to challenge
big receivers. Don't be surprised if the Beavers
move soph Robert Herbert back to the corner position.
Recruited as a CB, Herbert saw limited action
as a tailback last season.
The
big thing with this defense is attitude. It is
much easier to bring attitude when you can back
it up with experience. Six men on this unit haven't
had that yet. Last year's defense gave up only
94 yards per game on the ground and 199 in the
air, ranking 6th in all I-A for pass efficiency
allowed. In the pass-happy PAC-10, this new squad
needs to bring heat on opposing QBs, and to do
that, the secondary needs to step up and jam receivers
at the line as they prevent the big play. A tall
order, but attainable sooner than equaling 2002's
numbers.
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LB
Richard Seigler (PHOTO CREDIT - Barry Schwartz/OSU
Athletics)
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OREGON
STATE 2003 DEPTH CHART
Returning Starters in bold
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DEFENSE
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DE |
Dan
Rothwell-Sr (6-7, 258) |
Brandon
Scales-Fr (6-5, 213) |
DT |
Alvin
Smith-So (6-2, 310) |
Henry
Anderson-So (6-3, 288) |
DT |
Dwan
Edwards-Sr (6-3, 305) |
Chris
Scott-So (6-1, 295) |
DE |
Bill
Swancutt-Jr (6-4, 260) |
Jayson
Jean-Baptiste-Sr (6-3, 244) |
SLB |
Seth
Lacey-Jr (6-2, 231) |
Jason
Lowe-Sr (6-2, 223) |
MLB |
Richard
Seigler-Sr (6-3, 239) |
Trent
Bray-So (6-1, 229) |
WLB |
Jonathan
Pollard-Jr (6-1, 232) |
Kevin
Davidson-Jr (6-2, 230) |
CB |
Brandon
Browner-Fr (6-4, 193) |
Shamon
Jamerson-Sr (5-11, 184) |
CB |
Aric
Williams-Jr (6-0, 171) |
Kellen
Marshall-Fr (5-10, 179) |
SS |
Lawrence
Turner-Sr (5-11, 194) |
Harvey
Whiten-So (6-3, 214) |
FS |
Mitch
Meeuwsen-Jr (6-3, 210) |
Brandon
Catanese-Sr (5-11, 202) |
P |
Carl
Tobey-Sr (6-2, 235) |
Josh
Millar-Sr (6-3, 200) |
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2003
SPECIAL TEAMS
|
This
group should provide a big help to the Beavers. Senior
kicker Kirk Yliniemi was 15-for-16 in FGAs, including
two-for-two from 50. He can be counted on to provide
meaningful points at crucial pivots of games- something
for which the PAC-10 seems to be notorious. Senior punter
Carl Tobey gives this team a good field position artist,
but the coverage has to improve on 10.2 yards-per-return
or Tobey's abilities don't matter much. The Beavers
also do a great job protecting on special teams. Neither
Yliniemi nor Tobey had either of their kicks blocked.
Special teams will win games for this team sooner than
lose one.
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Starting DE Noah Happe has declared himself
eligible for the NFL's Supplemental Draft.
Kanan Sanchez's streak of 21 consecutive
starts on the O-line may come to a halt
at the start of the season, due to a suspension
handed down by head coach Mike Riley for
violation of team rules. He may rejoin the
team once certain conditions are met
James Newson continued to prove why he's
the premier receiver in the Pac 10, with
a seven catch, 138-yard, 2-TD enforcement
in the spring game. His cohort, Josh Hawkins,
may profit the most from his abilities.
Hawkins is a serious deep threat and with
extra attention being paid to Newson, Hawkins
will put up some lofty numbers
One
of the problems on offense was the amount
of turnovers. There were a total of 3 fumbles
and four INTs in the spring game, which
must be cut down if this team is to achieve
higher levels this season
There is
a pretty even battle for the #2 TB spot
between Wright and Ryan Cole.
Backups Trent Bray (MLB) and Harvey Whiten
(SS) left coaches thunderstruck with astonishing
performances this spring and give Mike Riley
the healthy "problem" of getting
these valuable defenders field action. He
vows they will see plenty of time this fall.
Another defender who poked his head into
the thick of things is reserve free safety
Sabby Piscitelli. He added to his profitable
spring with a 94-yard INT return for a score
to end the spring game. His emergence is
a good sign, as the secondary has been the
main concern this spring. Riley notes that
they must get better at taking away the
deep ball- good call
DT Henry Anderson
stepped up in impressive fashion, giving
the O-line consistent fits this spring.
He continues to battle for a starting spot
CB Brandon Browner was noted as the best
cover man in the secondary this spring and
has earned the top spot opposite Williams.
Special teams were impressive last year,
but should be even better this fall. LeCharls
McDaniel was hired as the special teams
coach and brings a pretty good track record
with him. The return teams will have Catanese
and Ryan Cole returning kicks, with Newson
and Aric Williams on punts.
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