Pac 10 Fans Home
Pac 10 Football
Pac 10 Basketball
Pac 10 Baseball
College Fansites
Pac 10 Apparel
Pac 10 Tickets

Oregon State Beavers vs Cincinnati Bearcats Recap

When the fourth quarter began, another rousing home victory was well within the grasp of the Oregon State Beavers. When the fourth quarter ended, an opportunity slipped through the fingers of the Pac-10's most overachieving program.

Mike Riley's men gave Cincinnati a good run on Saturday evening in Corvallis, but in the pressure-packed portions of this anticipated encounter, the Beavers couldn't travel the extra few yards separating victory from defeat.

Many things will be said about this intersectional matchup, which pitted two of the more resourceful coaches in the country--Riley and UC boss Brian Kelly--against each other. But when the fluff is thrown away and the less-important aspects of this duel are discarded, the drama known as Beavers-Bearcats turned on one possession at the beginning of the fourth quarter.

When the teams switched ends at Reser Stadium, momentum rested squarely on OSU's sideline. The Beavers, down 21-8 at halftime and reeling a bit in the face of Cincinnati's pressure passing game, regrouped on defense and took UC quarterback Tony Pike out of his comfort zone. Bearcat receivers such as Mardy Gilyard continued to get a step on Beaver corners, but OSU changed the tenor of this tilt by narrowing the visitors' lead to 21-15, and Pike began to press as the third quarter continued. With the Beavers beginning to impose their will on the proceedings, Sean Canfield quarterbacked OSU to the Cincy 5 as the third quarter expired. A roused Reser crowd awaited a touchdown that, with a PAT, would have given OSU a lead. One year after dumping USC and Cal on home turf, the Beavers were closing in on another Corvallis conquest.

Instead, five yards turned into failure for Riley and Co.

> Browse the selection of Pac 10 apparel & merchandise online as well as Pac 10 tickets through Pac 10 Fans and partner sites.

Star running back Jacquizz Rodgers was stuffed for a four-yard loss on first down, and then smothered for a six-yard loss on a 2nd-and-goal pass play. Faced with 3rd and goal from the UC 15, Canfield could only complete a nine-yard pass, and in a few minutes, the Bearcats--staring at a one-point deficit--managed to retain their lead. A chip-shot field goal by OSU kicker Justin Kahut did chop UC's lead to three, but a lead it was.

Mentally liberated by their escape, the Bearcats then dropped the hammer.

On his next possession, Pike regained the form that catapulted his team in front. Converting a 3rd and 14 with a 15-yard strike to Gilyard, Pike loosened up and stuck another perfect pass into Gilyard's mitts just moments later. The 19-yard corner route produced a touchdown that pushed UC's lead to two scores. The Beavers had their shot at the start of the fourth quarter, but when Pike delivered a dagger to his trusty No. 1 receiver, it was Cincinnati who seized complete control on the scoreboard. Oregon State fought well, but its opponent from Ohio finished the job. Effort puts a team in position to win games; the next challenge for these Beavers is to complement their grit with a forceful finishing kick.

By Matt Zemek
DFN Sports Senior Staff Writer