Oregon
State
Beavers
Preview 2007 - Offense
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2007 Oregon State Preview |
2007 OSU Defense Preview
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2007 OSU Depth Chart
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2006 CFN Oregon
State
Preview
What you
need to know:
While the Beavers regularly skip using a fullback in favor of a
third receiver, they’re a balanced offense that’ll run it as
much as they throw. When you’ve got a back as talented as
senior Yvenson Bernard, that’s called using your resources
wisely. Bernard has run for more than 1,300 yards in each of
the last two seasons behind a nasty, no-nonsense line that
welcomes back all but one starter. Senior split end Sammie
Stroughter is an open field dynamo coming off a monster season
in 2006. What he can do for an encore depends in large part on
how well one of two sophomore quarterbacks adapts to a full-time
gig. Hard-throwing lefty Sean Canfield is the acknowledged
favorite to supplant Matt Moore, but Lyle Moevao sent a message
this spring that he won’t go away quietly.
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Returning
Leaders
Passing: Sean Canfield
28-45, 335 yds, 2 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Yvenson Bernard
296 carries, 1,307 yds, 12 TD
Receiving: Sammie Stroughter
74 catches, 1,293 yds, 5 TD
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Star of the
offense:
Senior RB Yvenson Bernard
Player that has to step up and become a star: Junior LT
Tavita Thompson
Unsung star on the rise: Junior RT Andy Levitre
Best pro prospect: Senior WR Sammie Stroughter
Top three all-star candidates: 1) Bernard 2) OG Jeremy
Perry 3) Stroughter
Strength of the offense: The running backs, run blocking
Weakness of the offense:
Inexperience at quarterback, pass protection
Quarterbacks
Projected Starter: Entering the spring, the job of
replacing Matt Moore was clearly sophomore Sean Canfield’s
to lose. He didn’t do that in April, leaving the door open for
feisty sophomore Lyle Moevao to remain a nuisance and
keep the heat on throughout the summer. Canfield has been
groomed for this spot since signing with the program in 2005. A
rocket-armed, 6-4 and 225-pound hurler, he’s a left-handed
version of former Beaver chucker Derek Anderson with a few more
moves when the pocket narrows. Canfield knows the system
better, throws a soft deep ball and has a sizable edge
physically, but until he builds separation, the coronation in
Corvallis won’t be official.
Projected Top Reserves: A transfer from El Camino
(Calif.) College, Moevao is the fly in the ointment at Oregon
State these days. At 5-11 and 225 pounds, he hardly fits the
part of a Pac-10 quarterback, but he doesn’t plan on going away
or genuflecting to the heavy favorite Canfield. Moevao has a
cannon and is the Beavers’ best scrambler, but has remained
competitive with his myriad intangibles, namely a competitive
fire and magnetic personality.
Providing insurance for the two underclassmen will be 6-5,
230-pound senior Ryan Gunderson, a veteran of ten games,
three letters and one start. While he’s no threat to Canfield
or Moevao, it never hurts having an experienced quarterback on
the bench in case disaster strikes.
Watch Out For… Canfield to win the job in August,
but Moevao to be used as an occasional sparkplug during the
season. While Canfield is the future at quarterback in
Corvallis, Moevao brings certain unique qualities that’ll offer
a change-of-pace for opposing defenses.
Strength: Big arms. From Canfield to Gunderson,
Oregon State has three strong-armed quarterbacks that’ll have no
problem reaching Sammie Stroughter when he’s running post
patterns this fall.
Weakness: Experience. Gunderson is the only
Beaver quarterback to start a game at this level, and he’s on
the outside looking in on the quarterback derby. Canfield is
going to be a player for the Beavers, but year one in the saddle
will have its share of bumpy moments.
Outlook: With eight starters and some terrific
skill position players returning on offense, neither Canfield
nor Moevao will be asked to do too much this season. The
mandate from the coaching staff will be simple: get the ball in
the hands of Stroughter and Yvenson Bernard, and limit the
rookie mistakes.
Rating: 6.5
Running
Backs
Projected Starters: From a lightly-recruited back
out of Boca Raton to the soul of the Oregon State offense,
senior Yvenson Bernard has authored a memorable story in
Corvallis. Considered undersized by some at 5-9 and 204 pounds,
he’s been a durable workhorse the last two years, rushing for
more than 1,300 yards in each season, catching 80 passes and
scoring 27 touchdowns. Quicker than he is fast, Bernard is a
cutback runner that darts in and out of holes, and isn’t afraid
to lower his shoulder to get a few extra yards. Now a fixture
on the All-Pac-10 team, he’ll get close to 300 touches running
behind one of the league’s best lines, while pocketing more
national recognition along the way.
When the offense uses a fullback, it’ll summons sophomore
Micah Strickland from the sidelines. A 6-0, 230-pound
bruiser, he has the decent hands to occasionally double as an
H-Back as well.
Projected Top Reserves: When Bernard needs a blow
this fall, the staff will turn to senior Clinton Polk,
who had 63 carries for 248 yards and a score in an
injury-plagued debut after transferring from Scottsdale (Ariz.)
Junior College. The program’s biggest back at 6-2 and 214
pounds and an ideal complement to the shifty starter, he
delivered 100 yards in the upset of USC when Bernard was
physically unable to go.
Junior Patrick Fuller had his sights set on Polk’s backup
job this spring, but fell short and fight to remain No. 3 on the
depth chart. More of a between-the-tackles at 5-11 and 205
pounds, he gives Mike Riley an option on short yardage.
Watch Out For… Polk to double last year’s 63
carries. No doubt Bernard is the franchise, but Riley would
like to keep him fresh throughout the year, and a healthy Polk
can do just that with 8-10 carries a game.
Strength: Bernard. Although he’ll never get the
notoriety of a Darren McFadden or Steve Slaton, the Beaver
offense would have been lost without Bernard the last two
years. He’s unselfish, and does everything well, including
blocking.
Weakness: Depth beyond Polk. Bernard and Polk
both suffered ankle injuries in 2006. If that were to happen at
the same time in 2007, the drop-off to the No. 3 back would be
substantial enough to grind the Beaver offense to a halt.
Outlook: No one could have guessed it two years
ago, but Bernard is about to join Steven Jackson and Ken
Simonton as one of the all-time great backs in school history.
While he’ll shoulder the load and pile up the yards again in
2007, he’ll also get a little more help than usual from Polk.
Rating: 9
Receivers
Projected Starters: In dire need of a successor to
all-timer Mike Hass, senior split end Sammie Stroughter
filled the void with a sensational breakout year in 2006,
leading the Beavers with 74 catches for 1,293 yards and five
scores. More than just your garden variety deep threat, the
6-0, 183-pounder is a complete receiver that runs great routes,
catches everything, and is dynamic in space. In other words,
he’ll be new quarterback Sean Canfield’s best friend this fall.
In the slot for the second straight year will be senior
Brandon Powers, a physical, 6-2 and 215-pound pass-catcher
that doubles as the group’s best blocker. In his first season
as a starter, he caught 39 passes for 433 yards and a score,
flashing above average speed for a possession receiver.
Like Powers, senior flanker Anthony Brown, formerly
Wheat-Brown, is an outstanding athlete that can out muscle most
opposing defensive backs with his superior strength. The most
experienced Beaver receiver, he’s started 29 games and caught 94
career passes to go along with three touchdown receptions in
each of the last three years.
The question of who’ll be replacing star tight end Joe Newton
remains very much up in the air heading into summer drills. No
fewer than four underclassmen, sophomores Howard Croom
and John Reese and redshirt freshmen Gabe Miller
and Brady Camp, are vying for the job. At 6-3 and 241
pounds, Croom is the most complete tight end and the favorite to
be in the lineup when Utah visits Aug. 30. Reese can stretch a
defense, but needs to get in the weight to avoid being a
liability as a blocker. Although Camp was an afterthought
before April, he parlayed a terrific spring into contention for
this critical opening on the offense.
Projected Top Reserves: If the spring is any
barometer, redshirt freshman Kyle Brown looks ready to
ignite the Beaver B team. A potentially tough match up at 6-4
and 212 pounds, he’s showed off improved hands and a knack for
making the acrobatic play in the off-season. If he keeps
working on his game, Brown looks like a 20-catch guy this fall
before becoming Canfield’s favorite target in 2008.
Junior Shane Morales doesn’t possess scary size or speed,
but all he does is catch everything that’s thrown in his
vicinity. A smaller version of Powers, he’ll be the No. 2 man
in the slot this season.
Junior split end Chris Johnson earned his first letter
last season, catching four passes and contributing as a special
teams player. He’s a fluid, 6-1 and 180 athlete that shares
some of Stroughter’s abilities to make people miss and snap off
long gainers with his speed.
Watch Out For… Brown. The offense is in need of
another complementary playmaker to take some heat off Stroughter,
and Brown fits the description. Once he improves at getting
separation, his leaping ability will make him a natural near the
end zone
Strength: Senior leadership. The quarterback will
be just a sophomore, but his three primary receivers are all
seniors that have played plenty of football in Corvallis.
Stroughter leads by example, Powers has a lunch pail work ethic
and Brown seems to have matured since getting suspended at the
end of last season.
Weakness: Tight end. Joe Newton’s ability to find
the soft spot in a defense and make clutch grabs will be sorely
missed. The fact that four tight ends are still in the hunt to
replace him is an ominous sign that no one has stood out enough
to secure the job.
Outlook: Provided Canfield can get him the ball,
Stroughter has the determination to do even bigger things in his
second year as the starter. He’ll get plenty of pass-catching
support and downfield blocking from Powers and Brown, who know
and accept their roles within the offense.
Rating: 8
Offensive
Line
Projected Starters: Oregon State was the only
program in the Pac-10 to place all five of its offensive linemen
on last year’s all-conference team. Four of those starters are
back for another year, giving the Beavers one of the most
underrated front walls in America. The anchor in the middle is
senior center Kyle DeVan, a 6-2, 294-pound third-year
starter that’s been in the lineup for 25 games-in-a-row. One of
the group emotional leaders, he’s quick off the snap and one of
the line’s most athletic players.
With junior Jeremy Perry on the left side and senior
Roy Schuening on the right, the program is home to one of
the top guard tandems in the country. In a finesse league,
Perry is an old-fashioned mauler that’ll dominate his man until
the whistle blows. A nasty, tenacious blocker that earned
All-Pac-10 First Team honors in 2006, he’s especially effective
when the Beavers keep the ball on the ground.
Schuening has been a mainstay inside since his freshman year,
starting 37 straight consecutive games. Like Perry, he’s got
the strength and size to manhandle opposing linemen on running
plays, and is nearly as skilled as a pass protector.
If there’s a question mark on the offensive line, it’s at tackle
where juniors Andy Levitre and Tavita Thompson are
expected to hold down the right and left side, respectively.
Levitre took over for an injured Josh Linehan early last season,
and filled in well enough to earn honorable mention All-Pac-10
honors in 2006. He’s a 6-3, 325-pound mauler that’s shown the
versatility and footwork to play at guard as well.
Thompson is the great unknown of the unit. While he has
considerable upside and imposing size, he’s yet to assert
himself or show that he can max out all of his potential. He
shed some of his baby fat in the off-season, an indication he
might be ready to take this opportunity seriously.
Projected Top Reserves: If Thompson regresses, the
Beavers might turn to redshirt freshman Michael Cole at
left tackle. A 6-7, 290-pound transfer from Foothills (Calif.)
College, he has a long wingspan and the athletic ability to
challenge for instant playing time. The No. 2 guards will be
junior Adam Speer and sophomore Gregg Peat, both
of whom earned letters as backups in 2006. Speer will become
this year’s Levitre, the line’s top reserve and a player that
can plug more than one hole. Peat is a 6-3, 300-pound
work-in-progress that’s studying to be Schuening’s replacement
in 2008.
Watch Out For… the Beavers to win the battle in
the trenches in all but the Nov.3 trip to the Coliseum. The
line is big, savvy and physical enough to overwhelm everyone not
named USC in 2007.
Strength: Run blocking. The Beavers are a
meat-and-potatoes crew that’s at its best when it lines up and
simply jams the ball down the throat of opposing defenses.
Yvenson Bernard is a quality back, but he wouldn’t be as
effective running behind an ordinary line.
Weakness: Consistency, especially in pass
protection. Despite all the talent, the line allowed too many
sacks, and had meltdowns against Boise State, Cal, USC and UCLA
that must be avoided in order to be considered a top-tier unit.
Outlook: The talent and experience is in place for
Oregon State to be one of the Pac-10’s most dominant offensive
lines. Now they’ve got to go out and prove it against the
league’s blue bloods later this year.
Rating: 8.5