Home Football On to Washington State

On to Washington State

303

So what do you guys think?

I fall into the “Beavs have a shot in this game” camp.

Washington State is a solid team, but the Beavs have toughened up as the year’s gone on. It seems like GA and the team are finally in sync — the players seem to want to give him as much effort as they can, and, in general, soak up as much information as they can. Good sign. GA, meanwhile, is maximizing the roster talent pretty well (minus the QB situation, which is the glaring weakness/disaster).

The formula for victory should be self evident: run the ball, wear down the clock and the WSU D, and then disrupt Falk’s rhythm. Oh, and catching passes sure would help. A lot will depend on injuries. Nall and Decoud being the key injuries. If the Beavs had a healthy roster (depth), I’d think we’d see a string of good games to end the year, but these injuries might derail that.

If McM isn’t good this week, we can start to deduct he’s just not very good. There should be opportunities to make plays. I thought he was okay last week given the situation.

My initial reaction is close game, with WSU winning by 4 to 7 points, but let’s see how the injuries play out.

303 COMMENTS

  1. I think it will look similar to the Colorado game for us defensively. Offensively, we’ll score more points than against UW, but doubt it will be enough. With Luke Falk out, it’s a pickem, but if he’s healthy, I think the score will be similar to the UW game as far as point differential, but higher scores for both sides.
    Hope I’m wrong of course

    • Damn.
      Am I misreading the improvement (despite the scores)?
      GA talking about how even after a loss they’re back out there looking to improve immediately, etc. Those are great signs and a team can do a lot with effort. Maybe I’m overrating it, though.

      • I’m with you here, angry. I think they can win w/o Nall but really was looking forward to Decoud vs Falk.
        A lot will depend, as always, on our OC……..somewhat of a wild card so far.

    • Spot on… I’m in the same line of thinking. Similar to Colorado , but better offensively. Too many key injuries for us. Cougs gonna go up by two scores early and coast. Hoping the D plays like they did against Cal and shuts down the passing game for two or three drives.

  2. Just think the things you listed(decoud injured? Nall injured? Our shakiness at QB) are all major hurdles.
    Plus I dont think Leach will let up on us like UW did, if they get a comfortable lead. We’re battling the Cougs for several recruits right now, which I would think could motivate him to run up the score. I think Cougs put up 50 on us with a healthy Falk and injured Decoud. If we have healthy Decoud and injured Falk, then I think the teams will be pretty even.

  3. I hope they can put together a full game, both offensively and defensively. It seems like they could be on the verge of beginning something good…of course more depth everywhere would be a big boost.

  4. If Nall’s foot isn’t truly mended, I hope he doesn’t play. Wait for games with more likelihood of winning; which should be coming up after WSU.

    • Agree completely! I’d like to see Pierce and Cook together given thirty or more carries, and for McGiven to continue the adjustment he made last week to more quicker developing INTERIOR RUN PLAYS as mentioned by Gina in today’s practice report:

      “A halftime adjustment to call and execute some quicker-developing interior run plays, based on the way Washington was playing to stop the Beavers’ fly-sweep game.”

  5. McM is on a very short leash, as if that is any surprise. Or, am I reading too much into this quote from McGiven today:
    “Had he gotten to some spots that he should have gotten to in the pass game, it could have been much more effective for us and been a decent day throwing the ball,” McGiven said. ” … There were some definite opportunities there that really in my mind had nothing to do with Washington.”

    Can’t remember if he has talked that way about any other QB’s.

    http://www.oregonlive.com/beavers/index.ssf/2016/10/oregon_state_beavers_practice_99.html

    • Dude, best passing performance of the year against the best team we’ve played. Wtf is McGiven’s problem with McM? Flirt with his wife or something?

      Seems like he doesn’t get the same treatment as the rest if the qb’s. So strange.

        • I disagree… I haven’t seen anything do believe McM is any better than any of the other QB’s… McM might be the best passer out of the group overall but he is far from a good one…. that may change but the jury is still out… none of them have been consistent and that is the biggest issue… Obe of them has to step up and I think that is what the coaches want… I don’t see any bias I see them looking at the reality

        • Pull up an article where McGiven critiques and/or throws garretson or Blount under the bus and I’ll give your thoughts some credence. McM’s only action this far has been against the 2 best d’s in the pac12 and he’s actually been able to hit receivers which the other 2 have struggled to do even against Shitty d’s.

          From my vantage point McGivens shitty play calling has killed drives, left plays on the field and put his players in a losing situation. So maybe we should start looking at our own shortcomings first coach.

          • Ok, Is this an article critiquing Garretson? Read through it. It may be subtle and I could totally be overreaching but when talking about a Garretson lead team he uses language like “We overshot some throws, or we could have executed better as a team” but with McM it’s “He missed and if he was in the right spot….” Sounding like Garretson is his guy he brought over with him and it’s a WE battle, and Marcus is a holdover so he’s out there on his own. Honestly it’s seemed like that’s been the case since last year for Marcus.

            Mostly I’m just frustrated with McGiven. I had so much hope and excitement over the innovative offense flashed in the Civil War albeit against a shitty D, but where we had QB1 and Slash QB wreaking havoc. We’ve had exactly 0 of that this year. I feel like it’s taken McGiven 6 weeks to see the strength of this team is the power run game, where most of us saw a long time ago. He still tries to get cute sometimes when in the middle of shoving the ball down the opponents throat and gets us behind the sticks killing momentum.

            Also, If you watch the players Twitter comments, it sounds like McGiven isn’t playing the best players. Bright about Cook “About time they finally let the beast out”. They all support Marcus like he’s the teams guy. But then Garretson and Blount get the reps.

            McGiven at this point to me looks like a guy who was made out to be a genius because Chuckie Keaton was so good. I know he was QB coach of the year because Utah State kept winning after the first 3 qb’s went down, but they play in a mid-major league so whatever. Utah State has better players then the rest of the conference because of what GA built there. So far: Not a fan.

          • If it was about MM, you would come to those conclusions. You’re doing so above.

            I don’t think you realize that Garretson doesn’t matter any more. When he was in the spotlight, he was broken down and assessed. Now MM is in the same light. And you don’t like that he’s being broken down and assessed?

          • I’m frustrated with McGiven for all sorts of reasons. Maybe it’s just manifesting in how my gut feeling is about how McM has been odd man out since the new staffs arrival.

            I understand that philosophically Garretson “Doesn’t matter now” since he’s injured and out of the picture for the rest of the season. But as you’re getting to know your new coaching staff and trying to determine if a coach shows favoritism playing guys as opposed to the “best player” then Garretson does matter. The coaching staff hyped and sold Garretson as the savior since he followed McGiven over. Maybe those 2 blind side hits in Minny damaged him beyond repair, but he couldn’t hit the broad side of the barn afterwards. So much so that receivers with Pac 12 calibur ability now seem disengaged.

      • I think we’re over thinking this a little. McGiven is following up with mcm hard critique of himself, he’s agreeing with him by giving specifics. That they are being detailed enough for that kind of critique is encouraging. Maybe they believe mcm can play the position with more detail then the other two?

      • It’s just reality. It’s not like he was asked to compare MM’s performance to the previous QBs. He’s saying that these things are what MM has to do in order to help him play a better game. Last week it was about his timing, and he showed improvement in that department. There was also mention that they would try to get him to move the pocket, and he could have been better. But he also looked more comfortable on the field during play. So he’s a work in progress and improving.

        I hardly read throwing under the bus here.

        These coaches say they talked about certain things with the players last week. Then they tell us this week how they think those players did. The very fact that McGiven isn’t still talking about the timing issue means MM is improving in McGiven’s mind. Now he’s saying this is the next step for him to get better.

    • I think NiceBeaver is right. Garrettson left an entire season’s worth of plays on the field and yet no criticism.

      Just shows McGiven is an asshole more than anything.

      • Every single one of the QB’s have left plays on the field… pretty sure Garretson won a game in OT… DG got smashed the first game, to discount that affecting him is foolish… I saw the same thing when Derek Anderson got smashed by USC… Now the line is playing well but after being hit like he has, I am sure it sticks with ya

        • We all saw DG before and after Minnesota. He wasn’t playing well after. Maybe it was the OLs fault he got blindsided in Minneapolis but if he was injured, we shouldnt have kept trotting him out there at half stength. That’s on the coaches.

        • Yeah maybe that all was at play with Garretson.
          I liked him going into the year and he was good game 1…not sure how much that hit has factored into his regression.

      • Yes, because yanking your starting QB at halftime and replacing him with a true frosh walk-on is a ringing endorsement for your starting QB.

  6. I’m in the camp of we could win this game at home. Will Falk play for Wazzu? I was hoping to see more guys come back from injury after last week game. Meaning those who did not play against Washington will be available this week. Time will tell. I just feel like we could steal this one!

  7. Beavs have a shot at this one IMO, but there are pertinent variables. IF Falk doesn’t play or is hampered and Nall plays throughout the game then I think the Beavs have a good chance of winning, but then only then because the game is at home. As for the QB situation, my take is Garretson’s best passing game was Minnesota; his best decision-making was Cal. The Cal game was a victory because it is the only one where the receivers rescued the situation with some key catches on their shoe tops (notwithstanding Seth’s drop which raised everyone’s heartbeat and blood pressure for the ensuing 7 minutes of game time.) This game could be determinative as to McMaryon’s true skill set and future in that it represents the only time he has started games back to back and we’ll have our first true trend-line.

    • Yes, the only time he has started back to back games, and likely the only game in which McM will not see a “put me in coach” Blount on the sideline.

      My sense is that McM has to not only win vs WSU, but has to perform at a level which cannot be ignored by a staff which has him pegged as a last choice QB.

      • McM has to not only win vs WSU, but has to perform at a level which cannot be ignored by a staff which has him pegged as a last choice QB.

        Exactly.

  8. Like was noted here after the game against UW, I also noticed McM hanging his head at least twice after missing opportunities with his arm. I was reminded of my days of helping coach little league. I witnessed super talented and intelligent kids defeating themselves after making minor errors that affected the rest of the at bat, the game or worse yet, the rest of the season. Each perceived mistake adding to the avalanche of self defeat.
    I am no authority on football talent, but I am wondering if the coaches see a player with more than adequate tools that is hyper-critical of himself and thus undermining the confidence of his teammates in him.
    Catch 22 is: its near impossible to overcome making mistakes without ample opportunity to work through them and also difficult to build team confidence in your QB while he works through the self struggle.
    I wonder if this is what the coaches see in practice and why they have opted for Garretson and Blount before their injuries. Less talent vs short memory of mistakes.
    I recognize that the coaches may in fact be inept at QB’s assessment and coaching or may even be vindictive. This is at least one other perspective that occurred to me last Saturday after watching the game. I will be closely watching McM’s reactions when the chips are down against WSU. And for the record, I am pulling for him to move through any self doubt and succeed.
    I read all of your thoughts daily and appreciate what I consider the best information on Beaver football that I find here on a regular basis. So thanks for that.

    • It’s interesting how people want to say McM was hanging his head, yet wihen StS was a complete cry baby pouting on the sideline everyone came to his defense. I feel this is about me. Because I like McM (best of this bunch) everyone wants him to fail. Nothing will convince me otherwise b/c the bias doesn’t make sense in any other paradigm.

      • Everyone is all. I did’nt defend Collins’ antics. I don’t want McM to fail in the least. I see he has some passing skills superior to Garretson or Blount. I am also seeing at least one other reason why he may not have been given the opportunity to play earlier. He has the opportunity now and given the game time to work through whatever collegiate QB’s have to work through, I see him guiding this team with competence given the time to do so. I can assure you my observations are not about you. I wonder why you think they are. Sincerely, just wondering.

        • Only reason being what I said, that many seem to want him to fail. And when I didn’t like Collins, many wanted him to succeed. So it seems there’s a clique here who will just root hard for the opposite of what I point out.

          • Got it , thanks. No, I want him to manage the stomping of the defense and lead this team. I also want the highest expectations realized just like you and others here have been advocating for the years I have been visiting this site.
            Like you, I also think the Beavers can win this week. Belief is a powerful thing.

          • I don’t see anyone wanting MM to fail. I really don’t even see anyone overcoming the hope that it all clicks for him soon to say what they truly see of him on the field. That’s the bias I see.

            I also see this as a complete 180 from the “QB needs moxie” conversation that was had a couple years ago. It all seems a little manic.

            Are you getting emails we’re not seeing? Tweets? There isn’t much to go on here except for a group of anti-coach (not even pro-MM) comments emanating from what looks like homemade Faraday cages.

      • Yes sts was a cry baby……but he showed emotion, not just hanging his head. I’m not going to defend him as a QB. Mcm hangs his head when he fails, I haven’t seen him pump his fist when he made a couple of 3rd and long throws for first downs, I’m not sure he high-five anybody after that touchdown at Utah (I don’t remember). He just doesn’t come acrossed as a field general or the guy who is running the show. He’s low energy marcus…….might as well have Droopy Dog as a QB.

        It’s not about you it’s about a QB who from the limited amount of time we have seen him shows zero enthusiasm and very little personality. It makes it hard to stand behind a guy like that. Although I hope he is the answer.

        • Alright.

          I don’t see how fist pumping matters, but if you do, cool, we’ll agree to disagree.
          I need to see him play better for sure, but I don’t think any Beav QB would have done well last week. This week is big for him and my/our opinion of him. Like OldBeav said, coaches are looking for a reason to replace him since he isn’t their recruit so he has to come up big.

          • I just want some general enthusiasm. I do understand last week would have been hard to show any. But just something that makes me think he wants to be out there.

          • I’m not certain the staff (read McGiven?) has pegged McM as their last choice only because he isn’t their recruit. However, the recent mention of possible QB’s next season which did not include his name convinces me that he is, indeed, their last choice.

            Could be that he is a holdover, that he isn’t a prototypical vocal leader, that he hasn’t performed (in admittedly difficult situations), or that he doesn’t match up to whatever the priority is in the arms-legs-mind thing. Or is it mind-legs-arms? legs-mind-arms?………..

            Whatever, he is gonna write most of his FB legacy this weekend.

      • Is it always about you? I don’t think anyone wishes to see McM fail. I think we all want to see the Beavers continue to improve and win a few more games before the season is over. No matter who is at QB

        Depending on the status of one Luke Falk, I don’t see any of the remaining games as not winnable.

        • I don’t think anyone wishes to see McM fail.

          Some guy in the thread last week said he hoped McM failed so he didn’t have to admit I was right about him. That’s pretty bad. Then there’s this underlying sentiment that he stinks despite never really getting a shot.

          Anyway, we’ll find out soon if he stinks or not. To me he’s shown some ability but not steady enough…it’s two step forward, one back type QBing. He must correct that to keep the job because GA is going to look for reasons to replace him.

          • “Only reason being what I said, that many seem to want him to fail. And when I didn’t like Collins, many wanted him to succeed. So it seems there’s a clique here who will just root hard for the opposite of what I point out.”

            So one guy = many? Got it

            angry@angry doesn’t count

          • I never said I want McM to fail…. I hope he lights up Wazzu. I don’t think he has that ability, but I’d love to be wrong. Angry, the part i think you’re missing, you make outlandish uninformed comments. Garretson isn’t smart. Teammates hate Collins. Fans hate McM cuz of you. Reediculous

      • The extent of coming to the defense of Seth Collins last season was along the lines of ‘well…he’s what we’ve got’. Also, at this point, you kind of suck for sticking to the ‘Seth the Serviceable’ line of talk.

        The kid would be a strong receiver if we had a QB, which we don’t.

    • You may have the answer, pinger. We know McM is intelligent and self critical; is he a perfectionist personality who lets the “perfect” be the enemy of the “adequate”?

      • It’s curious. He seems to have the support of his team. Angry and others may be spot on. Maybe it is nepotism after all. Just throwing out an alternative reason.

        • If he’s self-critical; on the verge of self-defeating, he is also likely an altruist and not the first guy to win any competition, let alone a qb competition at a P5. But easy enough to like from teammates perspective. He appears anxious and aloof, but in this situation I think he can gain enough momentum to work out his kinks and self-doubt. He certainly has enough talent.

          • I think he can gain this momentum also. He represents a dangerous kind of cat. Things can flip in an instant. Plays become drives, drives become games, games become habits and fruition.
            Lot of elements need to converge for this to happen, but can and do. With the youth, injuries and general circumstance that is Beaver football today, this may be future. But this is why I love college football. Happens all the time. Like Saturday vs WSU.

          • It makes sense when Marcus is uncomfortable in the spotlight, when he talks about getting the ball to his play makers. It would also make sense if McGiven is talking about opportunities to tuck it and run. Dude just isn’t comfortable being in the spotlight, but I think he has enough competitive spirit to stoke the flames in this setting.

          • The body language says he’s getting more comfortable on the field. I wouldn’t worry about him regressing. He’s a soph who’s learning on the fly. Set your expectations at that first.

            The problem with MM has always been timing. Watching him play was like watching a video of two people talking, where the dialog is off by a fraction of a second. He started to look like he was putting two and two together in the second half. Keep working on that and add better footwork and spacial awareness, and MM could win some games.

        • ‘nepotism’

          Please explain how many non-Andersen recruits are playing on both sides of the ball if ‘nepotism’ is actually in effect.

          • That’s not what nepotism means.

            People should stop using the word nepotism. There’s a whole language out there with words that actually encompass the meaning of what you or anyone might want to say. Start using them instead.

  9. Think it will be a tough game to win. Beavs will probably drop 7 or 8 into coverage like they did against Cal. Cal figured it out in the second half, Washington State will have the tape. They have a better QB and much better WRs than Cal. Hope I’m wrong. But I’m thinking 45-21 Cougs.

    • That’s a really good point. If Cal had run the ball 75% of the time they may have never gotten so far behind to begin with. The Beav run defense was not good against Cal. Webb’s thumb was obviously bothering him, it will be interesting to see how healthy Falk will be.

  10. MM is a pretty deadpan guy. There’s nothing to really read from his face, but we fans want to be thrown a bone now and then. We start filling in the blanks when we can’t get a read on someone (they’re pouty, they don’t care, they’re in over their head, etc.) We won’t get Lyle Moevao out of the guy, but can we at least get the steely glare of a Sean Mannion pre-snap defensive read?

  11. OT- GP 2 was cut by The Rockets and they thought his offensive skills were such a lost cause that they paid him a half million to leave (something to do with his three year contract) and last I looked he was not signed by their D-League team. I would think someone will take a chance because of his defense.

  12. Mountain out of a molehill about MM. He can actually throw a decent ball= great improvement.
    There are other seniors, Bolden, Harlow, and Andrews that should be stepping up in the leadership role. It’s their team. The players seem to respect him. He acts how he acts and hung in with the team after getting passed up by a frosh walk on. They will not respect a phony who completely changes how he behaves now that he is the starter. He made some nice throws last game and if they can keep the run game going, that should be adequate. Besides, who doesn’t like M&M’s?

  13. I’m not sure the Beavs can hang with WSU. The note that said OSU only dressed 67? players at UW says a lot about the condition of the team.

    Falk’s career stat line vs OSU
    83 of 111. 878 yards. 11 TDs. 2 INTs.

    Keys to winning –
    1. Sacks. Must get pressure and sack Falk.
    2. Win the time of possession. Limit WSU’s possessions.
    3. Big plays. Will need several.
    4. Tackle. Give up no YAC.

    If the game is close at the start of the 4th quarter, the Beavs have a shot. Halftime score won’t mean much this time around with the depth issues.

    Beavs got lucky with Webb’s injury early in the Cal game so I can’t see them getting by WSU. I’m hoping they can make it a game but WSU might be too hot right now. Can’t see WSU crapping out since they already lost to EWU at home.

    Betting wise, I’d take the points. Beavs have covered in the last 3 games.

  14. off-topic but central to this site’s history. check out Ted Miller’s ESPN blog piece on the recent conversation between Pete Carroll and Chris Peterson. (Hint: this is Mike Riley related discourse.) Peterson asks Pete why the game seems to pass-by some coaches. Carroll answers,
    it’s not their ability to game plan but rather some coaches “get tired of fighting the fight.” That is, they can’t handle the grind any more. This is an apt corollary to Angry’s all-time best thread: Is Mike Riley Depressed? PS: I’d attach a link to this story but I’m older than Oneoldbeav

  15. Kevin Hampton writes some good pieces here.
    http://www.gazettetimes.com/sports/beavers-sports/football/osu-football-beavers-face-another-big-defense-in-wsu/article_d2b55f8d-1fb6-5f4f-90de-67e3676a8e5e.html

    I look at the words the players say, and I imagine they’re saying those words because that’s what the coaches are saying to them. Then I hear the coaches say the same things and offer up public assessment. I think it’s fascinating watching all the little pieces being put together. This process is a whole bunch more fun than last year’s version.
    http://www.gazettetimes.com/sports/beavers-sports/football/osu-football-villamin-looking-for-more-big-plays/article_eedea689-08f9-5b60-b0f4-1dc6cc35ce09.html

    • Second article was very telling on Villamin. Sounds like he hasn’t been putting in the effort in practice or on the field. But maybe that is turning around. Maybe because McM is now in?

  16. Updated Power Rankings chart is out:

    https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1l2T3pgiHk1WKiNvQZUzWzWYR3Oo5HoBxrxcCbnl2LcY/edit#gid=27

    Scroll all the way to the right to get the best view.
    Each Column W1-CH indicates how much a team is favored or underdog by. This is Week 9.
    PD indicates the projected total amount of wins at the end of the season at this point.

    YPP is Yards Per Point.

    Current Power is the overall strength of the team.
    PWR RAT indicates overall talent level of the team.
    Schedule Strength is each team’s opponent’s power rating divided by the # of games played.
    S R is the ranking of said schedule strength.
    HF indicates boost in power rating received when playing at home.

  17. I’m somewhat fascinated by this discussion of a coach’s bias for a particular player because he recruited him. I understand human nature to that degree, but this behavior is pitted against the coach’s own self interest. A coach is pretty much evaluated on wins and losses. That’s where he makes his money. Why would a coach want to play a less talented player, decreasing the odds of winning? Especially at such an important position as QB. (BTW, talent includes some intangible attributes like leadership, toughness, etc.) In the end you would think that he would say “Adding up all the measures, Player A gives me a better shot than Player B”. Who recruited who shouldn’t matter, right? Would that bias really add significant weight to the decision?.

    • There is a big difference between deciding to play/not play a guy only because of who recruited him and playing the guy who logically gives the best chance to win.

      Seems to me a robotic and totally logical coach would never be influenced by a players recruitment history; a very good human coach would occasionally (and subconsciously) be influenced with his personal history with the player. An ignorant coach would let the players status as someone else’s recruit guide his decisions.

      I don’t think Andersen is ignorant, he falls in the middle.

      Sometimes familiarity breeds contempt, sometimes comfort.

      EDIT: Just a long way of saying what Jack did above.

    • I may have been discussed before, but what if any does Garretson’s Dad being a head coach at a recruiting hot bed play into the QB situation? Short-term loss for long term recruiting opportunities?

      • That’s still an “all things being equal” decision. If you’re looking at the long term, you don’t want to get kids who are going to feel entitled because you’ve done it in the past.

  18. Week 8 results:

    1. Nicebeaver: 6-0 (+4/n)
    2. whiskey: 6-0 (+7/+4)
    3. RanYakumo: 6-0 (-6/+8)
    4. Theboneyard: 6-0 (+14/-4)
    5. BlackBandits: 6-0 (+11/+11)
    6. Jack: 5-1 (+4/+3)
    7. beavergopher: 5-1 (+1/-7)
    8. oneoldbeav: 5-1 (-3/+7)
    9. Outcast: 5-1 (+4/-7)
    10. Mud&Sticks: 5-1 (+8/-7)
    11. orangejulius: 5-1 L(-13/+11)
    12. mckalk: 4-2 (+8/-4)
    13. beaverkman: 4-2 (-6/-11)
    14. cj: 4-2 (n/+18)
    t. Numbers: 4-2 (+15/-3)
    16. dwill03: 4-2 L(-13/+11)
    17. scotty: 3-3 (+9/-8)
    18. PDXBeav: 3-3 (+15/-10)

    Week 9 picks:

    1. Navy @ S Florida
    2. WVU @ oSu
    3. Miami (Fl) @ Notre Dame
    4. Fork U @ Nikegon
    5. New Mexico @ Hawai’i
    6. Wazzu @ OSU (score)

  19. With a 6:45 kick off, what are your predictions on:

    Attendence; and

    Game completion time?

    I thinking maybe 32K, with many travelers leaving in the third quarter, game over around 11:30.

    Students should enjoy it and most of the crowd shots will have to feature them.

    One of the benefits of the beavers becoming a good team will be more preferable and traditional time slots….

      • God damn, 7:45 kickoff they might as well just play on Sunday.

        USC/Cal on tonight if anyone is bored.

        Also, hate to do this to you BG but….go Badgers.

        • Last week BYU/Boise ended around 20 minutes after midnight on a Thursday and Oregon/Cal ended at midnight.

          Not sure how big of a tv audience there is that late, but seems like a really bad start time, especially for those week night games.

          this weekend, Stanford/Arizona starts even later than ours, at 8:00PM

          • I don’t mind the night games, but I certainly don’t drive to them or from them.

            Hoping Andersen runs it a lot and successfully milks the clock while getting yards, points.

            This approach to getting games on tv has to be hurting attendance. OSU’s next AD needs to kick Larry Scott (the Pac Commissioner, not the former football player) right square in the balls and get OSU better start times. Metaphorically speaking…12 – 3:30 should be the norm. But I suspect that won’t happen, unless OSU gets so good they are relevant in the top 15 – 20 teams or so. That would be Andersen’s upcoming 10-win season at the least.

        • No prob WFO. Holding my nose and hoping they win also. Badger win helps my Gophers and more importantly, I get to listen to my brother have a conniption.

  20. McGiven revealed that the new-look offensive line is still limited in the pass protections it can execute, which then impacts the number of pass-catchers the Beavers can send into routes on a given snap. The receivers can also “finish on the ball better,” position coach Brent Brennan said, to prevent the handful of drops that have plagued the Beavers over the last couple games.

    So limited pass protection schemes, and receivers that are letting down the QB.

    2/3 of the equation have been just as equally crap as the QB play

    http://www.oregonlive.com/beavers/index.ssf/2016/10/marcus_mcmaryion_gets_opportun.html#incart_2box

  21. D will have to play them straight and stop the run. Since they can run this year, they’ll take that if a team gives it to them.

  22. Interesting nuggets from GA on Isaac and Suk’s show recently (all paraphrased by brandon sprague @brandonsprague)

    “I’ve always considered myself a pretty aggressive recruiter but I’ve stepped it up to another level.” Gary Andersen w/@iropp @Big_Suke

    Andersen also alluded to potentially moving his offense to an air raid system. Says he’s intrigued by it, studied it, been thinking abt it.

    Added “this is a program with a history of great WRs” & tht they have to get play makers again. Really sounds like a change could happen.

    He said “we gotta find the right guy to get the ball to those guys (WRs)”

    • Wow, from power running to air raid…would that diminish the need for Big Boy Pants?

      For a coach who is “hand’s off” of the offense, that’s a pretty big shift.

      • right? would also seem like a pretty big setback in a rebuild process to hit “reset” 2 years in. We’ve been going after so many tall (6’7″) O-linemen this year, which seems counter to the type of guy you want pass blocking in a passing attack, right?

        • Tall lineman can pass block just fine.

          I don’t mind the idea of a “reset” if its because that seems to be where the talent is coming from. They do seem to be loading up on the WR position. I’d hope they don’t completely abandon the RB position though.

          I have a personal bias towards a spread option system but run what you can recruit for. Mobile QBs are hard to find.

        • We shall find out, WSU is still alive this year.

          I don’t think the rain/weather is as big of an issue as it used to be. With some exceptions (a few weeks ago) teams are typically gonna be able to throw without too many issues in the modern game.

          I believe in a running game but I am not convinced that a running game is as important to winning as it used to be. That doesn’t mean I want to abandon it but you can get the similar results to a strong running game with a creative screen and short passing game package.

          I think you just need to run enough that teams can’t completely ignore it.

          I just want an offensive identity, if its Air Raid so be it but they need a clear identity on offense and don’t seem to have one right now.

          • I know Andersen’s comments refer to some future potential, but right now they could establish a hell of an identity with Nall, Pierce, Cook (for the remainder of the year)…..Nall could be like a big, powerful “Stanford RB” if he could stay healthy.

            They have some good RB commits to continue the pattern, but the QB prospects seem pretty iffy right now in terms of throwing the ball. Moran is supposed to be fast, but is likely not a polished passer with an arm to make all the throws. The new JC QB is tall and looks like he can drive the ball, but he doesn’t have a lot of experience throwing the ball given his past HS offense, and he couldn’t win the starting job in Idaho, so he sounds pretty raw as a passer.

            Run the damn ball, 60% of the time…

        • Just for the convenience of comparison, I like what Stanford did with its running game TEs, and a QB at least mobile enough to give the D fits – or what UW is doing with balance – better than I like the idea of an “Air Raid.”

          Throw in the statements by the staff that the OLine isn’t doing enough in pass protection, plus QBs who can’t throw and WRs with drops….AND Andersen’s difficulty in finding a QB and I’d much rather have a focus on RBs like Nall/Pierce/Cook and more TEs than switching offensive styles.

          An air raid would be scheming to compensate for personnel shortages…just like read option (spread people out, teach your WRs to hold…). Which is maybe why it’s an attractive alternative to coaches.

          Then there’s the 4 hour games and midnight finishes.

          • There’s no reason you can’t line up in the pistol, I or wing t then shift into a run and shoot formation with one or multiple TEs. We did it last year, and it looked and worked great. It’s what UW does. Petersen doesn’t really run any one offense. He’ll set up in one and shift to another with three or four players moving across the set. And it looks to me like he does it as planned, not as an audible. They call a formation, and they know what other formation to line up in before they shift to the called formation.

            And I would contend it doesn’t matter what the initial formation is. You could put ten on the line and see where the D lines up before you shift four around to your called play. We were caught multiple times vacating the spots they wanted empty before the snap even occurred.

    • THAT IS NOT WHAT GARY ANDERSEN SAID…

      Coach Andersen was on 1080 The Fan talking about all sorts of different things. It was the hosts who brought up the air raid and originally made a comment about how the Beavers could potentially move in the direction of an air raid offense… AS A JOKE. Then towards the end of the interview, again the hosts brought it up, and Coach Andersen said that they will be looking to do more of that sort of thing in the future… for a number if reasons. But he wasn’t talking about changing the offense at all… just focusing a bit more on having a good passing game. But early on in the interview he also said that his offenses will always need to run the ball… run the ball a lot… and run the ball very well.

  23. GA should put a couple of assistants on the task of picking up Aunt Patty’s signals. It would be a great benefit to know if she was going to; steal second, bunt or take a pitch.

    I thought other coaches were stealing my sideline signals until it was pointed out that I only had three plays. JB

  24. Got a little info today about Ula Tolutau. He’ll be either a Utah or BYU guy. Not really that surprising but at least we can put that to rest, since several of us have been wondering since 2015 where he would go.

    • There’s nothing of real value. It just list coaches on the hot seat but have large buyouts. Helfrich is owed like 11 mil if fired this year. GA is owed 12mil or so.

      • Thanks for looking, I was wondering what Helfrichs buyout was. That’s about what uncle Phil spends on hair gel and sunglasses per year.

  25. Anyone know status of Coach As first class of mission kids? Who do we expect in camp this summer? Any of them capable of contributing early? Any lost to BYU?

    • I dont know that anybody knows the status of the mission guys until they return from their mission.
      I did see back in the Spring that Christian Folau from that class was at a BYU spring game type event as a spectator, which seemed odd since he was in the middle of his mission. I guess exceptions are made when its a BYU event?
      Anyway, he’s supposed to be tight with Ula Tolutau, so I wouldnt be surprised if they ended up together. Seems doubtful we retain him.

      Begs the question, is it worth the resources it takes to recruit mission guys? Their commitment ends up being just ceremonious, and maybe boosts class star rating on the rivals of the world, but thats about it.

    • Psst psst- Mike Riley has Nebraska at 7-0 and ranked #7 in the country, which, if I recall, was EXACTLY why they came and stole him from Oregon State and they said so at the time– he was a coach who will return them to their glory days, and he has.

      • Why they might not be for real: According to ESPN’s Strength of Record metric, Nebraska’s undefeated record is less impressive than the 5-2 starts by Wisconsin, Florida State and Tennessee. Northwestern, at 45th, is currently the highest-ranked team in FPI the Cornhuskers have played this season.

        Road ahead: We will find out if Nebraska is “for real” pretty quickly with upcoming trips to No. 11 Wisconsin and No. 6 Ohio State in the next two weeks. The Cornhuskers have a 4 percent chance to win both of those games, according to FPI.

        http://www.espn.com/blog/statsinfo/post/_/id/125558/remaining-undefeated-power-5-teams-whos-for-real

        Pretenders. Who will be exposed the next two Saturdays

      • He took OSU to #7 or #8 once, went to UW and took a big dump because it was going to be the first time OSU ever won 8 straight….

        The Riley/Banker UO win is not only pretty far in the rear view mirror, but it looks pretty weak too!

        A UW/Nebraska playoff matchup might be interesting.

        • “A UW/Nebraska playoff matchup might be interesting.”

          But it won’t happen. That would require the children of the corn at least winning at tOSU and beating them again or Michigan in the B1G title game. And probably winning in Madison this weekend. A Mike Riley led program has never been capable of such a feat, especially with all of them not being in Lincoln. Pipe dream.

          Iowa may also get them. They’ve got a few losses on the table ahead of them. What will be more interesting is how they struggle next season with a new QB and Riley’s “complex play book”

    • Not bad… I wondered if they’d do that based on the logo they have for the twitter page, and they use this grey in the new locker room.

      I can’t play the media, what uniform is the helmet going on topping? New one? Existing?

    • Can they just play football instead of all this fancy uniform horseshit? It’s football, not a fashion show. Maybe I’m in the minority but honestly I’m just fucking exhausted with all of this re-branding special uniforms and what combo they’ll be wearing this weekend crap. Nike can eat a bowl of dicks. Just play the fucking game. Now get off my lawn

      • Yeah they need to stick to the uniforms they’ve got and stop coming up with this crap, it distracts from the game and it seems like we get Nike afterthoughts — feel like we are headed to wearing green and yellow…Nike influence on the uniforms is baaaadddd

      • Good rant and I would agree it needs to stop, but for the fact that OSU hasn’t quite got it “right.”

        And really, when I think about it, all of these “special” helmets, etc. start to come off as pretty insincere about whatever it is the team is commemorating – its often not about “that” at all, more about calling attention to the team and selling gear.

        If they could give the team that’s being commemorated a victory, and maybe the helmets as keepsakes for their families, that might be all right. But if you go out and play poorly, this kind of thing sort of backfires.

        At some point I’d like to see OSU do an RFP and solicit competitive bids and get the uniforms right. The current whites look pretty good, and there are combinations of white and orange that are all right. But the black doesn’t hit it, and that used to be a key color.

        • Yeah… the black uniforms of the Jacquizz years were the best. Sharp, old school vibe, and the numbers/letters popped without looking hokie.

      • Good point and I would agree it needs to stop, but for the fact that OSU hasn’t quite got it “right.”

        And really, when I think about it, all of these “special” helmets, etc. come off as pretty insincere about whatever it is the team is commemorating – its often not about “that” at all, more about calling attention to the team and selling gear. The Ducks commemorating Lewis and Clark was one of the dumbest yet, and I keep waiting for them to “balance it out” by commemorating Oregon’s tribes with some hokey helmet.

        If the Beavs could this weekend give the team that’s being commemorated a victory, and maybe the helmets as keepsakes for their families, that might be all right. But if you go out and play poorly, this kind of thing sort of backfires.

        At some point I’d like to see OSU do an RFP and solicit competitive bids and get the uniforms right. The current whites look pretty good, and there are combinations of white and orange that are all right. But the black doesn’t hit it, and that used to be a key color.

        “Zombie Beaver” is also accurate, but hey, its two days before Halloween!

      • I’m with you. Contrived marketing bullshit being spun as some kind of “honoring” is pretty insulting.

        I’ll bet someone will wear digi-cammies (with a school logo on it… of course) and wave a flag while they talk about it on TV.

        It’s not like we don’t constantly honor one of the heroes of that game by practicing on a field named after him. Is the story not compelling enough to stand on its own? Do we also have to make money off that we supposedly honor?

        And I’ve painted enough things battleship grey that I don’t need to see any more of it.

      • They’re not doing it for you angry old fogies. They’re doing it because recruits love it.

        Part of the game now so deal with it. If you’re not willing to do the legal things like this to reel in top recruits ie. adding more bells and whistles, then don’t bitch about not getting better recruits.

    • Zombeavers just in time for Halloween. I hate everything the ducks do but a one-off with matching uniform might have been better then just a helmet change and a normal uniform.

    • Has anyone out there heard of this “Men of Roses” nickname that team had… before reading about it in this series put out by the school?

      I’ve never heard of it before today.

  26. off topic………………from the coulda had KD files

    Greg Oden back at tOSU trying to “figure out his life”

    How about you stop pretending to be younger than 40. The fact the fail blazers still drafted this old man after the major red flag that popped up during his physical before the draft is pure idiocy at it’s finest.

    http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/17908939/former-no-1-overall-draft-pick-greg-oden-back-ohio-state-buckeyes-student-coach

  27. OT: The battleship gray commemorative helmets to be worn against WSU got me thinking. I don’t really like the all black uniforms but what if the OSU material science guys could cook up some material with something like vanta black? A thing that absorbs so much light the beavs would look two-dimensional. That would be pretty distracting.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EP0rH8IR22c

  28. PHIL STEELE REPORT:

    Washington State (Offense: 34 / Defense: 50 / Special Teams: 126) – Game Grade Average 95.1 (#15)
    Projected Final Record: 8-4

    Oregon State (Offense: 95 / Defense: 74 / Special Teams: 47) – Game Grade Average 76.5 (#86)
    Projected Final Record: 2-10

    Homecoming in Corvallis. Oregon State is now 8-4 SU, 7-5 ATS in this series. The visitor is 7-3 SU, 8-2 ATS. Last year Washington State was -7.5 at home and rolled to a 52-31 win. Washington State led the game 38-10. Washington State is coming off a 37-32 (-7.5) road win vs Arizona State. QB Falk threw for 398 and Washington State held a 346-280 yard edge despite
    getting sacked 7 times and being held to -52 (-2.7) rush yards. Oregon State comes off an expected loss at Washington, 41-17 (+36). The Beavers were never in it and trailed 38-3 before scoring 2 late TD’s. Oregon State started 3rd string QB McMaryion due to injuries and were also without RB Nall. The big surprise for Washington State has been their defense which has held foes to 92 ypg less than their average (#17 in nation). They are +111 ypg while Oregon State is -81 ypg and their offense averages 36 ypg less than their foes allow. Washington State is on their 2nd of back-to-back road games. I’ll call for Washington State to get the win by over 2 TD’s.

    WASHINGTON STATE 40 OREGON STATE 24

    POSITION BY POSITION EDGES:

    WHEN WASHINGTON STATE HAS THE BALL:
    Washington State QB/WR’s vs Oregon State DB’s: WAST +0.39
    Washington State RB’s vs Oregon State LB’s: WAST +0.56
    Washington State OL vs Oregon State DL: WAST +0.64

    WHEN OREGON STATE HAS THE BALL:
    Washington State DL vs Oregon State OL: WAST +0.28
    Washington State LB’s vs Oregon State RB’s: ORST +0.53
    Washington State DB’s vs Oregon State QB/WR’s: WAST +1.29

    MISCELLANEOUS:
    Special Teams: ORST +2.06
    Kicking: ORST +1.40
    Coaching: WAST +0.75

    Washington State Total: 3.91
    Oregon State Total: 3.99
    Positional Edge Awarded to Oregon State By 0.08 Points.

    PROJECTED BOX SCORE (Washington State – Oregon State):
    Rushing Yards: 137-183
    Passing Yards: 305-140
    Yardage Total: 442-322
    Projected Final Score: 36-21
    Experience Rankings: 23-75
    Team Schedule Strength: 37-24

    Las Vegas Line: Washington State by 13
    Las Vegas Total: 56.5 Points
    +/- Ratings: Washington State by 15.5
    Game Grade: Washington State by 15.1
    Computer Yards: Washington State 442-322
    Computer Points: Washington State 36-21

  29. Regarding MM. All this talk about body language is interesting. If he were winning a bunch of games with crazy stat lines then we would be calling him unflappable. Its all a matter of perspective.

    Regarding his actual play: I have seen a lot of people say things like, “If his foot work was better then…” and “If he could get off his first read then…” and “If he would learn when to scramble for a couple of yards then…”. When you get that many if/then’s about a single player it is hard to expect a massive jump in performance in just one week. He may have a future (he throws a nice ball) but he has a lot of room to grow. My expectation for performance from his at this point is pretty low. I hope he turns into the starter we need but I don’t expect to see much for a while.

      • To me, footwork and crafty play are most important at the college level. I wonder if this is what the coaching staff believes too. If so, imo DG was better at these things and thus I felt like he should play. MM definitely has a higher ceiling though if he embraces scrambling and reads the field well.

        At the pro level though, the most important skills are reading the field and accuracy.

      • The criticisms about his body language is perfectly accurate. It’s noticeable and its definitely something the coaches have noticed. It’s clearly not the same as being horribly inaccurate and having poor decision making skills, but the rest of the team sees it and a logical person would assume it doesn’t inspire confidence.

        If he were winning games and putting up big numbers that body language wouldn’t be prevalent because he wouldn’t be making mistakes at the same rate. If his body language is directly related to poor performance than good performance would eliminate the poor body language, thus nobody would criticize him for that reason.

    • I can’t help but wonder if some of his issues exist because of the coaching (or lack thereof) that he’s getting. Example: I don’t recall seeing/hearing the coaches say anything that would give the kid a lot of confidence in himself.

      Speaking of quarterback coaching: I don’t recall seeing any improvement in the performance of last year’s QB’s. and the same goes for Garretson this year.

      Here’s hoping that GA’s reference to looking at other offensive schemes is an indication that he’s going to get rid of McGiven and Baldwin and look elsewhere.

      • A QB needs to have confidence in himself despite what the coaches do. Really any player does. If a player depends on their coaches for confidence then they don’t have what it takes to succeed.

  30. Canzano on tonight’s game:

    “I don’t see what others see in picking Oregon State over Washington State. (I’m talking to you now Ken Goe!). I think the Cougars are superior in speed, athleticism, size and talent. The Beavers have been better at Reser Stadium but I can’t bring myself to pick an OSU team that hasn’t been good vs. good teams. I think WSU is a good team headed to a decent bowl game. I think OSU is in a rebuild.

    Best part of this game is that it’s on ESPN2, where people can watch it. WSU QB Luke Falk will throw for 400 yards against Oregon State. The Beavers will shorten this game and play ball control, but they’re not ready to win a game like this. I think the Cougars (-13) cover the spread, and the score falls under the total 56.5 points Vegas put on it.

    My pick: WSU 34, OSU 17.”

    Here’s his recent interview with Canzano. Says he came here knowing he had to “go all in, just like we ask of everybody:” Very involved in recruiting and contacting recruits and parents where possible.

    https://soundcloud.com/kxtg-the-bald-faced-truth/bft-interview-gary-andersen-11

    Seems like Canzano is covering OSU more this year? Not sure because I don’t normally follow him, but I do like seeing OSU get what appears to be more attention in the press. Media liked Riley because he was a nice guy with open practices, but I think Andersen is respected for being more direct.

  31. Arex Flemings looks even better this season… reminds me of a smaller Brandin Cooks… Runs crisp routes and can change directions on the fly… pretty impressive imo… Willard doesn’t look bad either, though his passing can use some work… crazy athlete, could be a weapon with some development

  32. Utah is the best case scenario if the OSU Staff keeps with their current offensive and defensive philosophy. A stout defense with a mobile QB who can’t throw to save his life. I hope GA and staff seal the deal with a solid passing QB. All they really need is a game manager. Someone who will minimize mistakes and keep the defense honest down the field. Can’t win in this league (especially close games) without a passing game.

  33. Players better not put on these 1942 Men of Roses helmets unless they expect to win the game in them or give obvious 500% effort for every play of all 60 minutes. Anything less is blasphemy.

    Win one for the Heroes men.

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