2006 Oregon State Beavers Season, Game Recaps, Scores and Reviews
Dec. 28
Sun Bowl
Oregon State 39 ... Missouri 38
Down by 14 late in the game, Oregon State got a seven-yard
touchdown catch from Yvenson Bernard with just over six minutes to play, and
with one more shot, went 54 yards in one minute scoring on a 14-yard pass to Joe
Newton with just 23 seconds left. Instead of kicking the extra point and going
into overtime, OSU head coach Mike Riley chose to go for two and the win.
Bernard took the handoff and powered his way to the score just barely getting
over the line. The collapse ruined a fantastic day from the Missouri offense as
Tony Temple tore off 194 yards and touchdown runs from seven and 65 yards and
Chase Daniel threw for 330 yards and two touchdowns highlighted by a 74-yard
plays to Danario Alexander. Tiger tight end Chase Coffman caught an 18-yard
touchdown pass and threw for a 29-yard score to Tommy Saunders. Player of the game ... Oregon State QB Matt Moore
completed 31 of 54 passes for 356 yards and four touchdowns with an
interception. He also ran for a one-yard score. Stat Leaders: Oregon State - Passing:
Matt Moore, 31-54, 356 yds, 4 TD, 1 INT Rushing: Yvenson Bernard, 23-97 Receiving:
Sammie Stroughter, 8-87, 1 TD Missouri - Passing: Chase Daniel, 16-29,
330 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Tony Temple, 20-194, 2 TD. Receiving:
Martin Rucker, 6-67 Notes & Thoughts ...
There are two ways to use the classic Sun Bowl. If you're
Oregon State, you go into the off-season jacked up by the thrilling win and hope
the momentum sparks the team to bigger and better things in 2007. If you're
Missouri, the soul-crushing loss will give the coaching staff all the motivation
it needs to kick the team's tail for the next eight months. ... Mike Riley will
be given loads of praise for going for two, but more coaches should do that in
similar situations. If you have the momentum and the defense is sucking air, why
not keep the rhythm going when you're offense is in a groove? ... Missouri's
defense did a great job all day long of getting into the backfield and
pressuring Matt Moore, except on the final drive when it needed to make a play
the most. ... You'd be hard pressed to find a game with better tight end play.
Missouri's Martin Rucker and Chase Coffman, along with Oregon State's Joe
Newton, all played like the Al-America caliber stars they are. ... If you ever
question why some coaches like to pour it on even when up late, this game was
the reason. Missouri didn't appear to turn the switch off, but it certainly
wasn't as effective late as it was it was over the first 45 minutes.
Nov. 24
Oregon State 30 ... Oregon 28
Alexis Serna nailed a 40-yard field goal with just over a
minute to play to give Oregon State a two-point lead, but the Beavers weren't
able to put it away until Ben Siegert blocked a last-second Duck field goal
attempt. OSU got up 20-7 at halftime helped by an interception return for a
score from Derrick Doggtt and a 11-yard Jason Vandiver scoring grab, but Oregon
owned most of the second half with two of Jonathan Stewart's three touchdown
runs and a 26-yard Jordan Kent touchdown catch followed up by a Brady Leaf
two-point conversion with just over three minutes to play for the first Duck
lead of the game. Player of the game ... Oregon State PK Alexis Serna hit
field goals from 49, 50, and the game-winner from 40 yards out Stat Leaders: Oregon State- Passing:
Matt Moore, 16-27, 255 yds, 1 TD Rushing: Yvenson Bernard, 22-68, 1 TD. Receiving:
Sammie Stroughter, 8-114 Oregon - Passing: Brady Leaf, 25-42, 274
yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Jonathan Stewart, 17-94, 3 TD Receiving:
Jaison Williams, 6-55 Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ...
It took a bit too much to put Oregon away after getting up big
early, but a win in the Civil War is a win and getting to eight wins is a major
success after last year's disaster. Matt Moore continues to avoid turnovers and
mistakes, while Yvenson Bernard kept the linebackers up and forced the Ducks to
respect the run first and foremost. If he wasn't already given enough respect,
Alexis Serna deserves to be considered the nation's best, and most clutch kicker
after this performance. Ten wins and a truly special season is still possible,
but the corners will have to be a whole bunch tighter next week against Hawaii
to have a shot.
Nov. 18
Oregon State 30 ... Stanford 7
Oregon State held Stanford to 210
yards of total offense and just a 36-yard Anthony Kimble touchdown run. Down
7-0, the Beavers rolled with 30 unanswered points on two Matt Moore touchdown
passes, a Moore scoring run and Alexis Serna field goals from 29, 31 and 18
yards out. Yvenson Bernard helped the Beavers hold the ball for 39:16 with 168
rushing yards while the defense sacked T.C. Ostrander five times. Player of the game ...
Oregon State QB
Matt Moore was 15-of-24 for 176 yards and two touchdowns and added a four yards
and a rushing touchdown on six carries. Stat Leaders: Oregon State- Passing: Matt Moore, 15-24,
176 yds, 2 TDs Rushing: Yvenson Bernard, 36-168 Receiving: Brandon Powers, 6-58,
1 TD Stanford - Passing: T.C. Ostrander, 9-25, 125 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Anthony Kimble, 8-78, 1 TD Receiving: Richard Sherman, 5-90 Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... The Beavers
never let Stanford have a chance to pull off the upset with Yvenson Bernard and
the running game keeping the Cardinal offense off the field by holding on to the
ball for over 39 minutes. While QB Matt Moore has been solid, the attack is far
better when he doesn’t have to carry the load and just has to make a few key
throws here and there. With Oregon’s run defense struggling, OSU needs to keep
the running game rolling to win the Civil War and have a shot at the league’s
third bowl slot. The Sun Bowl is a possibility.
Nov. 11
UCLA 25 ... Oregon State 7
UCLA's defense recovered four Oregon
State fumbles while the offense generated four Justin Medlock field
goals and got two Patrick Cowan to Marcus Everett touchdown passes. The
Beavers took a second quarter lead with a five-yard Yvenson Bernard
touchdown run, but turnovers and the inability to keep Matt Moore
upright led to failed drive after failed drive as the Bruins scored 22
unanswered points. Player of the game ... UCLA WR Marcus Everett caught
three passes for 64 yards and two touchdowns Stat Leaders: Oregon State- Passing:
Matt Moore, 17-29, 175 yds Rushing: Yvenson Bernard, 16-54, 1 TD Receiving:
Yvenson Bernard, 5-41 UCLA - Passing: Pat Cowan, 12-23, 126 yds,
2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Chris Markey, 23-84 Receiving:
Marcus Everett, 3-64, 2 TD Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... Oregon State still needs one more win
to become bowl eligible, and it had better come against Stanford with
Oregon and a trip to Hawaii to close things out. The offensive line did
an awful job in pass protection against UCLA with Matt Moore getting hit
way too often killing drive after drive. There wasn't nearly the
offensive big play punch there's been over the last several weeks
because of the pressure. On the plus side, the defense was terrific, for
the most part, making the best of many bad situations by forcing field
goals after turnovers.
Nov. 4
Oregon State 44 ... Arizona State 10
Oregon State scored on its first five possessions, with
Yvenson Bernard running for two scores, Alexis Serna hitting a
51-yard field goal, and Matt Moore throwing a touchdown pass and
running for a five-yard score on the way to a 31-7 lead. The Sun
Devils got their final points on a 32-yard field goal with :20 left
in the first half and was shut down the rest of the way, while OSU
scored 13 unanswered points. Serna hit kicks from 22 and 32 yards
out and Tony Carrasco ran for an eight-yard score. Player of the game ... Oregon State RB Yvenson Bernard
ran 24 times for 66 yards and two touchdowns Stat Leaders: Arizona State- Passing:
Rudy Carpenter, 9-27, 124 yds, 2 INT Rushing: Keegan Herring, 15-69, 1 TD. Receiving:
Zach Miller, 4-57 Oregon State - Passing: Matt Moore,
17-31, 282 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Yvenson Bernard, 24-66, 2 TD. Receiving:
Sammie Stroughter, 5-95 Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ...
Talk about playing with confidence, Oregon State came out rolling
against Arizona State never letting it be a game. The offense hummed
in the first half with everything clicking, while the defense never
allowed the Sun Devils to get anything established. With four sacks
and allowing just 223 yards of total offense, the Beavers showed
they're more than just a solid offense. Matt Moore hasn't thrown an
interception over the last two games playing smart and consistent.
The second spot in the Pac 10 could still be possible by winning out
and getting a little help.
Oct. 28
Oregon State 33 ... USC 31
Jeff Van Orsow knocked down USC's conversion attempt to
prevent overtime and pull off the upset. The Beavers got up 33-10
late in the third quarter thanks to four Alexis Serna field goals, a
Matt Moore one-yard scoring run, a nine-yard touchdown pass to Joe
Newton and a Sammie Stroughter 70-yard punt return for a touchdown,
but USC came roaring back on three John David Booty touchdown
passes. Steve Smith, who had a career night with 11 catches for 258
yards, made two fourth quarter touchdown grabs including a two-yard
catch with seven seconds to play to pull within two. USC outgained
OSU 492 yards to 351, but turned it over four times. Player of the game ... In a losing cause, USC WR Steve
Smith caught 11 passes for 258 yards and two touchdowns. Stat Leaders: USC- Passing: John David
Booty, 24-39, 406 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT Rushing: Chauncey Washington, 18-81, 1 TD. Receiving:
Steve Smith, 11-258, 2 TD Oregon State - Passing: Matt Moore, 21-32, 262 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Clinton Polk, 22-100 Receiving:
Sammie Stroughter 8-127 Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ...
Was the win over USC the type of victory that can change around the
program? Matt Moore had a calm, cool game despite being under
constant pressure, and while he took several sacks, he didn't make
any killer mistakes to screw things up. Give Clinton Polk and the
running game credit for keeping things moving with Yvenson Bernard
on the sideline. Now the key is to use this win to come up with
three more wins and get a 14th game. Beating Stanford is a given,
but it'll be vital to win next week's home game against Arizona
State to prove this wasn't a fluke.
Oct. 21
Oregon State 17 ... Arizona 10
Oregon State got up in the first quarter on a one-yard Matt
Moore touchdown run and a 34-yard scoring pass to Sammie Strougher,
and then the D held on late. Arizona's offense only managed 183
yards getting a 30-yard Nick Folk field goal after a turnover and a
67-yard punt return for a touchdown from Syndric Steptoe, and then
it got down to the Oregon State 28 in the final minute before
third-string quarterback Kris Heavner got sacked and then threw an
interception to Daniel Drayton on the Beaver two. Each team turned
it over three times. Player of the game ... Oregon State LB Joey LaRocque
made nine tackles, one tackles for loss, one interception, and
recovered a fumble Stat Leaders: Arizona- Passing: Kris
Heavner, 17-26, 161 yds, 2 INT Rushing: Chris Henry, 9-19. Receiving:
Chris Henry, 8-87 Oregon State - Passing: Matt Moore,
16-22, 181 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Yvenson Bernard, 26-107 Receiving:
Sammie Stroughter 5-91, 1 TD Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ...
The Beavers are on a nice two-game winning streak at just the right
time. Can the team carry the momentum into a stunning win at home
against USC? No, not unless the offense does a better job of taking
care of the ball than it did against Arizona, and only if the
passing game can be a lot better on third downs. The defense was
able to bring the pressure in the Wildcat backfield with no worries
about the run, and it'll have to do just as good a job getting to
the quarterback next week to keep things close.
Oct. 14
Oregon State 27 ... Washington 17
Oregon State played it safe early getting down 17-10 in the
first half, and then bombed away in the second half with an 80-yard touchdown
catch from Sammie Stroughter and a three-yard Yvenson
Bernard scoring run. Bernarrd ran for a two-yard score in the first
half, but the Huskies got up with two Isaiah Stanback touchdown
runs. The UW QB struggled in the passing game and got taken out late
with an injured ankle. OSU outgained UW 488 yards to 256. Player of the game ... Oregon State RB Yvenson Bernard
ran 29 times for 144 yards and two touchdowns. Stat Leaders: Washington- Passing:
Isaiah Stanback, 12-24, 162 yds Rushing: Kenny James, 17-83. Receiving:
Anthony Russo, 4-85 Oregon State - Passing: Matt Moore,
14-19, 308 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Yvenson Bernard, 29-144, 2 TD Receiving:
Sammie Stroughter 7-223, 1 TD Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ...
Where did that come from? The offense didn't show any signs
of potentially being as crisp and productive as it was against Washington with
the ground game and passing game working in perfect harmony. Matt Moore went
from being booed to looking like a real, live D-I quarterback with an effective
performance dinking and dunking early and then connecting with Sammie Stroughter
for the big play in the second half. Now the key will be to keep the momentum
going with a winnable game against Arizona coming up before the USC battle.
However, consistency hasn't exactly been a staple of the program over the last
few years.
Oct. 7
Washington State 13 ... Oregon State 6
In an ugly game with six turnovers, 14 penalties, and a
combined nine of 30 third down conversions, Washington State got two Loren
Langley field goals in the first half and a 29-yard touchdown catch from Jason
Hill. Oregon State only managed 287 yards and two Alexis Serna field goals, but
still had a final shot to tie up the game late until its final drive stalled at
the Wazzu 23. Player of the game ... Washington State WR Jason Hill
caught five passes or 121 yards and a touchdown Stat Leaders: Washington State- Passing:
Alex Brink, 19-32, 270 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT Rushing: Derrell Hutsona, 6-68. Receiving:
Jason Hill, 5-121, 1 TD Oregon State - Passing: Matt Moore,
18-34, 223 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Yvenson Bernard, 17-91 Receiving: Sammie
Stroughter, 6-124 Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ...
Oregon State's offense has gone into the tank against the better
teams. Oh sure, it was fine against Washington State and Idaho, but where was it
against Boise State, Cal and Washington State? Yvenson Bernard and the ground
game has to be used a bit more since Matt Moore isn't the type of quarterback
the team can count on for steady performances game in and game out. The road
trips at Washington and Arizona are must wins to keep bowl hopes alive, but
the mistakes have to stop and someone has to start taking over as
the main man for the offense.
Sept. 30
California 41 ... Oregon State 13
California rolled as Nate Longshore
threw four touchdown passes including two to Marshawn Lynch on the way to a 31-0
first half lead and a 38-6 advantage before the Beavers got in the end zone on a
five-yard Yvenson Bernard scoring run. Lynch also added a 15-yard touchdown run
and Tom Schneider connected on field goals from 37 and 42 yards out. OSU's
highlight was a 58-yard bomb of a field goal from Alexis Serna at the end of the
first half. Player of the game ... California RB Marshawn Lynch ran
17 times for 106 yards and a touchdown and caught three passes for 59 yards and
two touchdowns Stat Leaders: California- Passing: Nate
Longshore, 22-31, 341 yds, 4 TD, 1 INT Rushing: Marshawn Lynch, 17-106, 1 TD Receiving:
DeSean Jackson, 7-74, 1 TD Oregon State - Passing: Matt Moore,
18-27, 187 yds
Rushing: Yvenson Bernard, 17-74, 1 TD Receiving:
Brandon Powers, 7-53 Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... Oregon State showed against Cal that
it's not going to be able to play among the Pac 10 big boys, but it has to
quickly prove over the next three weeks against Washington State, Washington,
and Arizona that it's the best of the teams on the next tier. The offense wasn't
awful, but it couldn't get any big plays early to generate any momentum and stop
the early Cal run. The defense couldn't get the Bears off the field and didn't
come up with any big opportunities to put the offense in a great position to get
a short-field score. The offensive line had better be stronger next week or the
Wazzu pass rush will eat Matt Moore alive.
Sept. 23
Oregon State 38 ... Idaho 0
Oregon State had no problems in Dennis Erikson's return to
Corvallis as Yvenson Bernard ran for touchdowns from 19 and seven yards
out and Anthony Wheat-Brown caught a ten-yard scoring pass on the way to
an easy win. The Beaver defense held Idaho to 185 yards and picked off
Vandal QBs five times with Derrick Doggett returning one pick 12 yards
for a third quarter score. Idaho was zero for ten on third down
conversions. Player of the game ... Oregon State RB Yvenson Bernard
ran 23 times for 117 yards and two touchdowns Stat Leaders: Idaho- Passing: Brian Nooy, 4-6,
88 yds, 1 INT Rushing: Bruan Flowers, 7-37. Receiving:
Eddie Williams, 2-79 Oregon State - Passing: Matt Moore,
16-31, 169 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Yvenson Bernard, 23-117, 2 TD. Receiving: Sammie
Stroughter, 5-68 Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... Oregon
State played against Idaho like a rested team coming off a two week
break. The defense swarmed all over everything Idaho tried to do, while
the offense was effective and balanced. While RB Yvenson Bernard had a
great game carrying the the offensive workload, it was the defense the
was the star picking off pass after pass and stopping every third down
chance. The D has to play even better to handle the California offensive
balance next week.
Sept. 8
Boise State 42 ... Oregon State 14
Oregon State jumped out to 14-0 lead midway through the first
quarter on a three-yard touchdown catch from Joe Newton and a punt return for a
touchdown by Sammie Stroughter, and then the floodgates opened as BSU RB Ian
Johnson tore off touchdown runs from 59, four, three, 19 and 50 yards out on the
way to 42 unanswered Bronco points. OSU couldn't get the offense going having
problems with a Bronco pass rush that cranked out six sacks. Legedu Naanee
caught a short touchdown pass for the other BSU score. Player of the game ... Boise State RB Ian Johnson ran
22 times for 240 yards and five touchdowns. Stat Leaders: Boise State- Passing:
Jared Zabrasnsky, 8-13, 105, 1 TD Rushing: Ian Johnson, 22-240, 5 TD. Receiving:
Legedu Naanee, 2-22, 1 TD Oregon State - Passing: Matt Moore,
12-17, 115 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Yvenson Bernard, 24-89. Receiving: Sammie
Stroughter, 6-73 Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ...
How short a memory does Oregon State have? After getting pummeled by
Boise State, it'll be vital to come back with an impressive performance against
Idaho before dealing with California in the Pac 10 opener. The conference
schedule is most important, and OSU has to get its quarterback situation settled
over the next few weeks. Matt Moore wasn't awful, but he didn't get the offense
moving meaning Sean Canfield might get a longer look for the job. Even more
important will be the run defense that needs to tighten up in a hurry. If BSU's
Ian Johnson can roll for 240 yards, then Cal's Marshawn Lynch, and even Idaho's
Jayson Bird, could go nuts.
Aug. 31
Oregon State 52 ... Eastern
Washington 17
Oregon State bolted out to a 42-7 lead at halftime and coasted
from there with backup QB Sean Canfield closing out the Beaver scoring with a
67-yard touchdown pass to Ruben Jackson. Yvenson Bernard ran for two scores,
Matt Moore threw two touchdown passes to Joe Newton in his first game back after
missing last year with an injury, and Sammie Stroughter returned a punt 51 yards
for a score. EWU managed a nine-yard Ryan Cole touchdown run and a 60-yard Tony
Davis punt return for a score. Player of the game ... Oregon State RB Yvenson Bernard
ran 19 times for 124 yards and two touchdowns. Stat Leaders: Oregon State- Passing:
Sean Canfield, 11-15, 177 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT Rushing: Yvenson Bernard, 19-124, 2 TD. Receiving:
Joe Newton, 5-57, 2 TD Eastern Washington - Passing: Matt
Nichols, 9-18, 117 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Ryan Cole, 13-29, 1 TD. Receiving: Aaron
Boyce, 4-41 Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... Oregon
State played a nearly perfect game with the run defense holding Eastern
Washington to -14 yards while the offense was able to give second-string
quarterback Sean Canfield meaningful playing time. The offense capitalized on
mistakes and QB Matt Moore did a great job of not forcing anything. Tight end
Joe Newton showed he's back to being a threat in the red zone. To beat Boise
State next week, all the parts are going to have to keep clicking.
2006 Oregon State Preview
The 2006 Beavers are much
improved with several things to get excited about. The offensive line
gets all five starters back and should be dynamite. The backfield is
loaded with JUCO transfer Clinton Polk joining Yvenson Bernard.
All-America caliber tight end Joe Newton is back and healthy, and kicker
Alexis Serna returns after winning the Lou Groza Award as the nation's
top kicker. However, the problems are way too much to overcome in the
hopes of competing for the Pac 10 title.
At some point, the program is going to find another quarterback who
doesn't throw interceptions, and it needs Matt Moore to be more
efficient. The corners are better, but they're still going to give up
too many big plays. The defensive front seven will be productive, but
not out-of-this world, and the receiving corps, while decent, isn't
going to scare anyone. In the new Pac 10, you need to have everything
humming or else you're an also-ran.
There's plenty of room for this team to grow. It's a relatively young
team with most of the seniors backed up by better prospects. There will
be shootouts galore, only this year the Beavers will end up on the right
side of most of them.
The Schedule: The road trip to Boise State is the only thing to keep the
non-conference schedule from being a complete and total joke. The
Beavers have to deal with back-to-back Pac 10 games twice, but they aren't that bad
with trips to Washington and Arizona in October and UCLA and Stanford in
November. They have to be ecstatic to get Cal, USC, Arizona State and
Oregon in Corvallis. The team had better not let down after the
conference
finale against Oregon or Hawaii will bomb away for a win in OSU's 13th
game.
Best
Offensive Player: Junior RB Yvenson Bernard. The small, quick
junior proved to be surprisingly durable as he helped carry the
offense over the second half of the season. With the addition of
JUCO transfer, Clinton Polk, Bernard should be even more effective
since he can limit his carries and his workload.
Best
Defensive Player: Senior SS Sabby Piscatelli. The leader of the
defense had to spend last year trying to make up for other's
problems. With more experience returning to the secondary, now he
can focus more on making big plays and being a better all-around
defensive back. It'll be a shock if he isn't one of the team's top
three tacklers.
Key
player to a successful season: Senior QB Matt Moore. If he's
steady and cuts his interception total from 19 to around ten, and
ups his touchdown pass total from 11 to around 20, Oregon State will
win more than its share of games and will pull off a few upsets.
He's the difference between a good year and a great one.
The
season will be a success if ...
The Beavers flirt with winning ten games. It might take 14 games to do
it if you include a bowl trip, but it's possible if they don't screw
up against the teams they're supposed to beat and can pull off an
upset at home against a team like Arizona State or California. Eight
wins is more likely.
Key
game: Sept. 30 vs. California. Oregon State beat the Bears 23-20
last year in Berkeley, and now a win in the Pac 10 opener could mean
a 4-0 conference start with Washington State, at Washington, and at
Arizona ahead before dealing with USC and Arizona State. A win
against Cal would also make a bowl appearance close to a mortal
lock.
2005
Fun Stats:
- Yards per catch: Opponents 16.3 - Oregon State 12.2
- Penalties; Oregon State 98 for 86 yards - Opponents 62 for 551
yards
- Fourth down conversions: Oregon State 12 of 19 (63%) - Opponents 2
of 11 (18%)
The Last
Time Oregon State…
…played in a bowl game…2004 (Insight Bowl vs. Notre Dame)
…missed a bowl game…2005
…pitched a shutout…1983 (Oregon)
…was shutout…2002 (USC)
…scored 50 points…2004 (Oregon)
…went undefeated…1914
…won a conference title…2000 (share, Pac-10)
…had a 3,000-yard passer…2004 (Derek Anderson)
…had a 1,000-yard rusher…2005 (Yvenson Bernard)
…had a 1,000-yard receiver…2005 (Mike Hass)
…had a first-round draft choice…2004 (RB Steven Jackson)
