Oregon State Beavers
Overall Rank: #27
#5 Pac-12
Oregon State Team Page
2010 Record: (5-7, 4-5)
2010 Bowl: none
Coach: Mike Riley (69-54 at Oregon State, 69-54 overall)
Offensive Coordinator: Danny Langsdorf
Defensive Coordinator: Mark Banker
Returning Leaders:
Rushing: Markus Wheaton, WR, 220 yards
Passing: Ryan Katz, QB, 2,401 yards
Receiving: Markus Wheaton, WR, 675 yards
Tackles: Lance Mitchell, S, 74
Sacks: Kevin Frahm, DT, 3.0
Interceptions: Lance Mitchell, S, 2; Jordan Poyer, CB, 2
Other Key Returnees: LB Cameron Collins, G Burke Ellis, DE Dominic Glover, TE Joe Halahuni, CB Brandon Hardin, G Grant Johnson, OT Michael Philipp, OT Mike Remmers, LB Rueben Robinson
Key Losses: TE Brady Camp, CB James Dockery, C Alex Linnenkohl, DE Gabe Miller, WR Aaron Nichols, DT Brennan Olander, DT Stephen Paea, LB Keith Pankey, LB Dwight Roberson, RB Jacquizz Rodgers, S Suaesi Tuimaunei
Life after Jacquizz Rodgers will be different, but Oregon State has some playmakers and plenty of talent on both sides of the ball to make it back to a bowl game. The schedule is very, very difficult, so this is not a group that will likely win eight or nine games, but just like in 2010, their final record will not be a good indication of how good this team is.
Strengths:
The defense has a lot of new faces and does have some depth issues, but the back seven is extremely talented. Linebacker Rueben Robinson is a 6-3 junior who is ready to man the middle of the defense and should be among the team leaders in tackles. Cameron Collins is an experienced senior who is ready to finally step into a starting role. Michael Doctor did not play much as a true freshman, but now is the time he needs to live up to his hype and potential. With players like BYU transfer Shiloah Te’o and redshirt freshman Shaydon Akuna, the linebackers should be able to fill in the holes. The star of the secondary is Lance Mitchell. The free safety totaled 74 tackles and two interceptions last season and he will have to be a leader if the defense expects to make major strides this year. And he is certainly capable of doing that. With Jordan Poyer and Brandon Hardin on the corners, passing against Oregon State could be surprisingly difficult.
Weaknesses:
However, it will only be difficult if the defensive line can get to the quarterback. The middle of the line lost Stephen Paea, but Dominic Glover and Kevin Frahm are both experienced players who can stuff the run. The key will be the ends. Taylor Henry tallied 4.5 tackles-for-loss last season, but it is junior college transfer Rusty Fernando that has the OSU coaching staff excited. If he plays as well in the fall as he did in the spring, the Beavers pass rushing needs will be met. The line on the other side of the ball will likely be a larger weakness. Four starters return to the offensive line, but the unit was shuffled all around last season and they need to find some stability if they hope to protect quarterback Ryan Katz. They also need to pave the way for some new running backs. Rodgers could make things happen, that may not be quite as easy for Ryan McCants. Long ago, before Rodgers broke onto the scene, McCants was the starting running back. He will get that chance again. However, freshmen Storm Woods and Malcolm Agnew will be in the mix as will sophomore Jovan Stevenson, who missed last season with an injury. This will likely be a running back by committee unless somebody really steps it up in fall camp.
The Bottom Line:
The lack of a consistent running game would put a lot of pressure on Katz. However, the 6-1 junior is ready to start winning games, not just avoid losing them. He is a decent passer and his decision making is improving. He can also move around the pocket and help bide time if the offensive line continues to struggle. With targets like Markus Wheaton, Jordan Bishop, James Rodgers and tight end Joe Halahuni, Katz just needs to get the ball into their hands and let them do most of the work. Wheaton is an intriguing player who is a threat to score every time he touches the ball and OSU gave him touches out of the backfield during his sophomore season just to be sure that he was involved. Yet he did lead the team with 55 receptions too, so he was very involved and will be even more so in 2011.
Projected Bowl: Sun Bowl
2010 Team Stats:
Rushing Offense: 119.58 (97th in nation, 9th in conference)
Passing Offense: 206.92 (71, 7)
Total Offense: 326.50 (94, 9)
Scoring Offense: 24.42 (82, 7)
Rushing Defense: 179.50 (89, 7)
Pass Defense: 228.42 (79, 7)
Total Defense: 407.92 (86, 8)
Scoring Defense: 26.83 (64, 7)
Turnover Margin: .33 (35, 3)
Sacks: 2.50 (24, 5)
Sacks Allowed: 2.92 (107, 9)
Madness 2012 NFL Draft Rankings:
#70 Lance Mitchell
Check out another article about Oregon State football
