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Oregon State Preview: Portland State

Oregon State head coach Mike Riley maximizes talent more than most of the nation's 120 FBS bosses. This Saturday, as his Beavers begin another season against Portland State, the brainy leader of the crew from Corvallis will be evaluating the skills of his students.

Victory shouldn't be in doubt when Oregon State takes home turf at Reser Stadium against a classic "paycheck" opponent-- Portland State hails from the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), and managed a meager 4-7 season in 2008--but that doesn't mean this game lacks importance for the program that nearly stole the Pac-10 title from USC roughly nine months ago.

The Beavers came so close to authoring a soaring Cinderella story last season. Entering the Civil War against the detested Beavers of Oregon, OSU stood within one game of punching a ticket to Disneyland for a Rose Bowl rematch with Penn State. Unfortunately, the Beavers picked the wrong day to play Jeremiah Masoli, Jeremiah Johnson, and the rest of a rip-roaring UO offense that piled up the points (51, not counting two defensive TDs scored by the Beavers) and yards (694) in a 65-38 slaughter that sent Oregon State to the Sun Bowl. A dream died on that night in Corvallis, but the moment couldn't take away from the inspiring and improbable run led by Riley's runts, who played smarter and harder than most of their opponents, including the big, bad USC Trojans. Oregon State has now beaten USC in three of its last four home games against the Pac-10's preeminent colossus; such is the mixture of resourcefulness and resilience that has come to characterize Oregon State football in the Riley era. The Beavers don't beat you with overwhelming talent or spectacular depth; they prevail because they run better routes, display a higher football IQ, and know where to be on a field at any given moment.

With that history in mind, the Beavers' main goal against the FCS-dwelling Vikings will be to formulate that winning identity once again, and rebuild the combination of character and craftiness that will lead to another successful Pac-10 campaign.

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This game against Portland State will be a success on one fundamental level if the Beavers can avoid major injuries, such as the one that sidelined star running back Jacquizz Rodgers for last year's Oregon game. Beyond that obvious point, however, Mr. Riley will want to see how much of his roster will perform in live gameday action.

The evaluation process for OSU football--and with it, Riley's attempt to find creative solutions later in the 2009 season--begins at quarterback. Sean Canfield will be the Opening Day starter for the Beavers, after spending most of 2008 playing behind Lyle Moevao, a fellow senior who is still recuperating from a shoulder injury. Moevao won't be the backup for this game, so Riley will want to see Canfield show the full measure of his skills. A solid, crisp performance with minimal mistakes would give the OSU coaching staff confidence in their main guy, all while Moevao rehabs and tries to move up the depth chart as September progresses.

The other main point of focus for Riley and his assistants is the defensive line, particularly on the edges. Last year, OSU threw two bookend pass rushers--Victor Butler and Slade Norris--at opposing offenses, but those seniors graduated and won't be able to cause havoc in enemy backfields. This Saturday in Corvallis, new faces will need to fill in the gaps for OSU, with senior Ben Terry being the man with the best chance of doing exactly that.

Let's be honest: Beaver fans and coaches won't learn everything they need to know about their team after one game against an FCS squad. But if Oregon State receives health, mistake-free quarterbacking, and promising developments on the defensive front, this lid-lifter against the Vikings will have OSU's ship sailing in the right direction as the 2009 season begins.

By Matt Zemek
DFN Sports Staff Writer