There's been a lot of recruiting news to follow, so it slipped my mind that it's already Wednesday.
I feel more confident in analyzing this game than any other this year. I've seen every Duck game that's been on TV, and I've seen 99% of the Beavers' season, minus bathroom and cocktail breaks. I'll approach this discussion in two ways:
1. What is going to happen.
2. What the Beavers must do to win the game.
Okay, I think the first one is easy. The Ducks are going to cream the Beavs. At the beginning of the year, before games were played, it was somewhat revolutionary to call out the defense. At this point, even the proverbial blind squirrel can see the problems. I won't insult your intelligence or waste your time talking about that other than to say that this is the Beavers worst possible matchup out of all 119 DI teams.
What is going to happen is this: The opening kickoff will be raucous. Duck fans will out-noise Beaver fans–it's just the nature and mentality of the fan bases. Right off the bat the Beavers home field "advantage" will be gone. Couple this with the fact that Duck fans might actually outnumber Beaver fans (due to Beavers selling their tickets to Ducks), and I'd argue the Ducks have the home field advantage in Reiser. What will compound this advantage is Gameday and their hours of Duck love prior to kickoff. Brace yourselves for the worst day of Beaver football in history.
The kickoff will occur, it will be taken beyond the 50 by Oregon. The septuagenarians (i.e. 90% of Beaver fans) will sit down and shut up. Knowing the Beavers only hope is to sell out on the run, Darren Thomas will play action to LaMichael James and go over the top for a big gain. The Beavers will then start to get off balance, a gaping hole with a gashing run right up the middle follows, and the route is on. Beavers get the following kickoff. On first down, they hand the ball off to Quizz, a dive up the middle, hoping for lightning in a bottle. The Ducks defense is too jacked up, the Beavers' line bows backwards, and it only goes for two. 2nd & 8. Langsdorff calls a dump pass to Quizz in the flat, but Paysinger sniffed that out back at the hotel, and it once again it goes for two. It's now 3rd & 6, and the Beavs decide to get wild and vertical. Katz drops back to pass and…sails the ball wildly over Wheaton's head. Punt. Cliff Harris returns it 50 yards. And…the route is on…again.
What the Beavers need to do:
1. Hope the Ducks pull a USC 2006 and kill themselves with turnovers.
2. Watch Rudy before the game and get it the "us against the world mindset"
3. X and O wise, play disciplined assignments and let instinct take over rather than over-thinking.
4. Read my article on how to stop the spread. ("Angry, you don't know more than the coaches!"). Sorry, but my idea cannot possibly be worse than the coaches results.
5. Long, sustained drives that result in touchdowns. The Beavers cannot kick a field goal this game, unless it's as time expires to win it. The only Beavers defense in this game will be a methodical offense.
6. Complete 75% of 3rd downs.
7. Keep the Ducks around 40% on 3rd downs, and 10% on 4th downs. Understand the Ducks use all 4 of their downs.
8. Don't give up back breaking 2 point conversions.
Heck, I'll stop there since I'm wasting my time and your time. Just start preparing yourself mentally right now. The Ducks are going to the Title Game on our dime. We thought the past two Civil Wars were bad, but expect to puke a little in your mouth come Saturday. I beg the septuagenarians to stand up and make noise, and to tell their fellow septuagenarians to stand up and make noise, but I know bad knees are an issue at that age so I'm not expecting it.
∞-14, Ducks
Copy what CAL did on defense, but give the LBs each an injection on Amphetamine before each half.
Key on Thomas and tackle him like we did Kevin Riley.
Utilize Rashaad Reynolds at QB for a couple plays like the NY Jets do with Brad Smith.
Go at Cliff Harris early and often, tire him out, take advantage of Wheaton who can outrun Harris.
Joe the Tank over the middle, over and over and over (ala USC 2nd half last year).
Isn’t Halahuni out of this game?
Questionable, I thought.
How can he sit out this game anyway? Get your pads and helmet on and get out there, god damn it!
I think there needs to be a bench clearing brawl in this game. I don’t care if we win or lose, I just want to know that the Beavers actually care about the sport. Teams have taken dirty shots all year on our studs, we need to respond. Personally, if I can get to the game I will consider rushing the field after the first cheap shot on Quizz.
I may donate my extra ticket to you just to see that.
If the Beavers play with heart, fire and intensity and pull out all the stops they have a chance saturday.
Beavers need to chew up the clock and have 7-8 min drives and put it for TD. Oregon is not a great road team so the Beavers can jump out early on them. The Beavers need to pull out the bag of tricks and like I said pull out all the stops. I hope the Beavers could the ball to start the 2nd half cause if they can get a long TD drive to start the 2nd half and build on a lead if they have it at halftime that could be big. I would like to see the Beavers have press coverage on the Ducks wideouts and take away that screen game of theirs. The screen game is huge for Oregon so if you take it away you can cause Oregon problems. Oregon doesn’t really run that many deep passing patterns so it’s not like they’re gonna burn you deep much. I would like to see a lot of middle blitzes and get Thomas’ face. You hit Thomas repeatedly he will make mistakes.
The Beavers need to take advantage every time they have the ball.
I hope you’re wrong Angry, but we can hope in one hand and crap in the other and see which one fills up first. I have to agree completely with your entire post.
Your spread is hilarious!
I predict that I will sustain more injuries from being whacked by walking canes by the septuagenarians (I actually stand and cheer when we’re on defense) than the duck defensive line does. Hopefully the row behind me has sold their tix to ducks.
It’s sad when the biggest thing to look forward to is the retro uniforms we’ll be sporting.
“we can hope in one hand and crap in the other and see which one fills up first”
lololol
Johnny Hekker should never be used in this game. Beavers need to go for it on all 4th downs… regardless is it’s 4th & 20 at their own 25 yard line.
Justin Kahut should never be used in this game, as well, unless it’s PATs (and then I’m not sure). No FGs! Go for the endzone, ALWAYS. FGs are considered punts in this game… a wasted series.
Go for 2 EVERY TIME!!!!!
Brandon Hardin has bruised calf but he’s playing saturday damn it!!!
Where are you guys getting these injury updates? I can’t find anything definitive.
On twitter from Beaver Beat Writers.
i think oregon state would choose to take the ball if they won the coin flip. it’s probably imperative that they get positive momentum going right away if they want the game to stay close.
as for slowing down oregon’s offense, the beavs did that for the first 2.5 quarters last year, because paea was playing out of his mind. they kept leaving him unblocked (or he’d just push the o linemen out of the way) and he’d get instant penetration. he even forced a couple fumbles. to do the same again this year, and give the offense a fighting chance, it’ll be on every single defensive player to have the best game of his life, and then some.
That is not a bad guess, Riley loves to have the ball first. He also likes to choose based on wind/sun though. If he has the choice, he defers so that he can pick the side.
Following the Beavs this year has reminded me of following the end of Mike Tyson’s career. I knew he was faded and the fire was gone but I kept waiting and waiting for one more epic fight only to drop $50 on another pay per view and be disappointed. Please tell me the Beavs have some more fight in them! Their PC, monatone, paint-drying comments leading up to this game leave me wondering if there is anything left. I don’t need to hear talking about eating anyone’s children, but I want some evidence that they are pumped about this game! Seigler, Barnett, and the others from the past would be fired up as hell to destroy the Ducks season and show the Gameday puppets what the Beavs are all about.
Please tell me we have something left. FTD.
Ducks will hand you BarkRats another loss and you can watch the Ducks win the NC from the comfort of your Dams. Enjoy sitting home for the bowl season. Maybe Riley should’ve tried to beat WSU and Stanford instead of spending all his time on a lost cause. Go Ducks!
Stay classy BandWagon Duck.
Angry,
I don’t get how you can say the Beavs have no shot and then call people out for not cheering loud enough. It is one or the other. If the Beavs have no shot I am not going to waste my breath screaming… that said I will be there screaming.
Most Beaver fans are generally optimistic, so many probably think we can win the game. Those people tend to be really old and quiet. I’m asking them to be loud about it. Heck, if I were at the game I’d be loud and I think their probability is about 1/100 to win this game. I don’t see a real discrepancy in the thought.
I have gotten to the point where I’ve yelled so loud, so long, so hard, that I end up getting a splitting/searing headache by either half time or the start of the 3rd quarter that I have to put my hands to my head and massage the scalp to work out the pain…I’m thinking I’ll take excedrin about an hour before the game and then at halftime and see if that helps my headache.
Come on guys! Ever hear of “Manifest Destiny” Time to get positive and change the way we see the Beavers. Sure we have had more shit in our hands than hope over the season but on any given Saturday a lowly team like ours can win. We need more positive energy out ther we need what we are BEAVER BELIEVERS!!! Rise up and bring your asses to Reser and mount up regulators. It’s time to destroy thier dreams like they have ours. Angry your write up is great and probably true on most angles but that’s what we expect every game and usually happens. What we need is Synergy as a team and a fan base, together I see a W and a strong win if we can get all of the NW and Beaver fans across the land in positive spirits. Im tired of always expecting a loss, our staduim is never all that loud because people like us are expecting defeat and we come in already deflated. I’m just saying it’s time to change the channel her and come with a winning agenda and spirit people!!!!!
It’s true what Angry says, that we need to be louder (during every game!) and change our mentality up as a fan base to see increased success. Unfortunately for us skeptics, even optimism has a way of succumbing to realism more often than not.
That is why I applaud you, OsuBaby. I hope that you do/did attend Oregon State. The first people to put themselves out there as the catalyst for change are quite often the most criticized. We understand that you can’t do it alone, so do what you must to rally the troops! Eventually your hard work will prevail.
Evaluating the psychological edge though, I give the Beavers between a 10-15% chance of victory. Much like the USC game, it’s good that the team doesn’t heed much attention to what their fans expect (we’ve been burned too often). Discouragingly though, the coaches are still unable to motivate worth a damn! I don’t expect that to change now.
But on the positive side, players seem that they’re starting to understand what this season’s been about. 5 of 12 games against top 10 teams means drawing motivation individually as well as a whole. What I’ve heard from players this week isn’t baby-eating, skull-crushing intensity. It’s the calm before the storm. I expect us to come out fired up with enhanced precision and a greater level of mental fortitude then seen in prior games. If we happen to get lucky, Darron Thomas may just be the 3rd QB to exit a Beaver’s game early and keep it close into the 4th quarter.
Manifest Destiny has nothing to do with winning a football game. I’ll be ashamed if you actually attend OSU.
And Angry: in your How to stop the Spread article, you state that UO doesn’t block the DT because he’s too slow to make a play on the ball.
Except that we have a monster in the middle who’s lightning-quick. I think (and hope) that that will cause some major problems.
Also, Keith being out of position may actually help us this game; the QB won’t know what to do on the read!
So everyone will have a heart attack if we’re down 2 with 3 seconds left, ball on the 25 and right hashmark, and Kahut is lining up for the game-winning field goal, right? I know I will.
I’ll be watching the game with a duck fan-friend, so this should be very, very interesting. I’m not predicting a blowout, but it could happen.
That would be the ultimate irony if that in Pankey’s last game his being in the wrong place is what wins it. loling thinking about it.
Is he even playing?? I thought he was still hurt…
He is still hurt, but he said that he won’t miss this game…even if he has to run in there for a play and sit out for awhile…he’s going to play. So that means he’s even slower because I think he has a calf injury…you be the judge angry…you be the judge.
I was using the idea of Manifest Destiny as a notion to move forward and believe in what we have can grow and that by supporting it we can create bigger and better things. This program is destined to grow and win many big games with support of us as fans. This nation has come a long way from where it was in the 1700 and 1800’s so why can’t the Beavers? I am tired of our fan base not supporting the movement of the Beavers because we are pissed and ANGRY! It’s time to wake up and manifest a win!! Time to be positive and hope for the best.
Sorry you didn’t get the idea One Eyed, maybe you need to be a bit more creative in your thoughts about football. Since you are the king right?
So you completely misused the concept, then blamed me for “not getting it”. Gotcha.
Winning a football game is totally the same thing as oppressing and killing natives so that you can take their land.
An idea or concept like Manifest Destiny doesn’t have to be used in it’s historical sense at all times. I used the historical example to get my point across that we too can grow. Shit man my ancestors are from Mexico so Manifest Destiny in the historical terms is something I understand and know. Just as the Indians we raped and pillaged on my ancestors also reaped(sarcastically speaking) of the benefits moving our country west brought. Just trying to get people going man. Maybe you should try it instead of crying about how we are going to get trampled.
I didn’t say we were going to get trampled, learn to read. And write, since I can’t even understand half of what you posted above.
Whatever man, we both want a good game. I’m just saying don’t throw around historical terms that don’t fit and are actually offensive to a large group of people.
Gotcha, trying to write posts between work stuff never comes out that well. This countries whole existence could be offensive to a large number of people. How we came to be was full of killing etc…
Try not to be so critical of everything and take it with a grain of salt. We as fellow Beaver fans need to do that more.
The game will be great! See you on the field when we rush it man.
Just remember the Emancipation Proclamation! Or was it the Alamo?
Wait a minute…aren’t we supposed to be talking about football? Are we getting a history lesson on the freaking Magna Carta next?
Oh, and Fuck the Ducks.
jacquizz is our napoleon, and this is our waterloo!!!!
wait a minute…
Hey! Manifest destiny is a great metaphor for this game. 54-40 is what the score will be with a fight… or… “54° 40′ or Fight” will be our rallying cry at the beginning, but we’re going to settle for 49° in the end.
we are general custer, and this is our little bighorn!!
That metaphor is backwards if it’s ever apparent.
More appropriate would be that we are the Lakota Sioux led by an ill Big Foot, and this our Wounded Knee.
ha.
we’re colonial settlers in 1622 jamestown, and the ducks are the powhatan tribe
You know what we should do? We should carve a word on a tree!
I like the historical reference you gave there with the 49th parallel, the game being played in Oregon and all!!
Of course the Ducks are much better than OSU this year. Of course the Ducks should kill us. But I still think we have a chance on Saturday, because:
1) the Ducks will be overconfident — no matter what they say this week to the media about “win the day” etc.
2) the Beavs have absolutely nothing to lose — expectations are close to zero (and that’s when the Beavs play best)
3) OSU’s play-calling (for a change) will be aggressive (see point #2 above)
4) Brandon Hardin and Keith Pankey will NOT play much, due to injuries
5) the crowd and the pre-game atmosphere will be electric, which will energize the Beavs as well as the Ducks
5) the Beavs will show up and play hard (see points #2 and #5 above)
6) the Ducks tend to start slow, and then “flip the switch” in the second half, and that may favor the Beavs in this case
If the Beavs come out strong and take the lead (see points #5 and #6 above), the crowd will become an increasingly important factor. And suddenly all the pressure will be on the Ducks. And it really will be a LOT of pressure on the Ducks, with the NC game riding on the outcome, and a national TV audience watching. Darron Thomas is still a relatively inexperienced QB, and he makes mistakes. If that happens Saturday and he starts feeling the pressure, watch out!
Will the Beavs win? The odds are very much against it. Will the Ducks blow-out the Beavs by 50+ points? It’s quite possible. But it’s also possible (however unlikely) that the Beavs could win.
And that’s why my kids and I will be screaming our lungs out in the North endzone this Saturday whenever the Ducks have the ball and they are within 40 yards of us. Hey, we have nine months to recover after the Civil War ends, so what the heck — we’re going for it!
Points 2 and 3 are absolutely true.
2) Every time we beat a high-ranked team, we’re unranked, or very badly ranked, and we have no expectations on us. That’s when our team just goes out and plays football.
3) Play calling at home has been dramatically different. At home, we call fly sweeps, reverses, all kinds of crazy stuff that keeps the D off balance and off of Quizz. On the road, we run the most generic west-coast single-back offense imaginable.
Those two factors will have to be in-play for the upset of the year to occur. Play loose like you have nothing to lose (which is not technically true) and try calling some fly sweeps (which ate UO alive 3 years ago). If we can do that, and connect on a few good bombs, we can win.
If the play calling is actually okay and defense plays relatively well I’m afraid Banker and Langsdorf will keep their jobs and Riley will point out how good of a job they did in the Civil War…… sigh.
if oregon loses, it would mean that banker figured out how to slow down the spread soooooooooo…. oh well i guess
I thought last years strategy was solid. We just missed a half dozen or so tackles.
Silver,
I’ll be in the North Endzone section 18! What section are you in and we can meet up and say hello?! Then this site won’t feel so anonymous to me. lol what you say?
Section 22 right here. Somebody needs to light a fire under the people in the NE!
Ah, so you’re right in front of us! We had tickets in that section about oh 5+ years ago…good seats, but now we’re up right against the Valley center(2 rows in front of it actually) and hugging the right side of the goal post as you kick towards it or left as you look at it from the stands. I caught two kicks in that spot. 1 Serna, the other Cesca. Game winning kick of the USC game in 2006 was mine, but i gave the replica to a 10 year old cause I had already caught one for the Cesca kick. I miss a kicker with a leg!
Anyways, ya, I’ll be the one to stand up first in our section on defense…so just look up and i’m sure you’ll see me. lol
Ya, I’ve been trying to light a fire, but the security is so tight in our section i can’t risk it….also, you probably will remember last year against UW at the kickoff of the second half, 3 guys being escorted up the ramp out of the stadium as James Rodgers ran the ball to the 2 yard line? Well, that was me, my dad, and a family friend getting thrown out for drinking a flask inside the stadium. the security people sit RIGHT BEHIND US!!! lol
LOL…oh the memories…unless you’re getting loaded and picking fights, flasks should be encouraged….
Section 9
Sure, let’s meet up. I’m in Section 21, Row 9, seats 15-18 (me and three of my kids will be there). I’ll be wearing my usual attire — bright orange jacket, black rain pants, black Beavers baseball cap). You?
Section 18 upper rows seats 9-12 in 2 rows. I will be with my dad, brother, his friend, my friend, a co-worker of my dad’s and 2 more people. I’ll be wearing a bright Orange OS sweatshirt with either my 26 jersey over it or under it, in a bright orange heavy duty poncho or rain jacket and I’m thinking my OSU beavers warm up pants with the orange stripe down the side.
Silver…By any chance, do you know the big guy who always has his shirt off in your section? I’m sure you’ve seen him…He’s the one who always flaps his arms up to get everyone on their feet. lol we’ve nicknamed him “lumpy” if you get an idea for those who have had the privilege of not seeing this guy. I know it’s not you cause of your attire you’ve mentioned. lol
“Silver…By any chance, do you know the big guy who always has his shirt off in your section? I’m sure you’ve seen him…He’s the one who always flaps his arms up to get everyone on their feet. lol we’ve nicknamed him “lumpy” if you get an idea for those who have had the privilege of not seeing this guy.”
Yeah, I know who you mean. Thankfully, that’s not me!
My kids and I are about two rows higher up than the shirtless walrus, and about 10 seats to the left (assuming you are looking down at us, from higher rows in the North endzone).
I feel bad for the ticketholders placed right behind the walrus — not sure I could deal with that….
I’m Sec 22, Row 10, seats 13-16. Will be there with my dad and little bros (almost as big as me now though). Orange t-shirt and black longsleeve under. I’ma be lookin for you silver…
beavers4life, I know who you’re talking about, haha
Ya, that guy needs to put and keep a shirt on. I don’t mind him standing up and cheering, but please, pasty white is really not a good look for anyone… especially a big large man like him. Like I said, I’ll be standing as much as I can to yell.
Also, I heard Coach Riley on 1080 the fan ESPN radio show primetime with Isaac and Suke. Well Riley said that depending on the swing of the game and the field position and distance to go, he may end up going for it on 4th down! He says you have to do that against Oregon if you want to keep a drive alive. So if we have a bit of momentum on let’s say the no-man’s land, look for Riley to go for it!!! Good news to hear! Aggressive and a “nothing to lose, but to lose” attitude.
Anyone going to the basketball game tonight? I won’t be there because I only got a weekend ticket pack. Someone post a link if they find a stream… I sit right behind the upper balcony media and they is usually someone recording the game and running it through there laptop… I assume they are streaming it.
I’m not going but plan to be watching it online. The game is listed on http://www.channelsurfing.net. We’ll see if it’s active come game time.
Like I said usually there is a person there… and I believe it is perfectly legal since no one else has the TV rights.
Thanks for the link progressivebeav!
I’m section 15, anyone close?
That’s about a jump, hop, and a skip away from us. We usually tailgate at 13th and Washington over by the kindercare place. Stop by to say hello…I’m now officially scared of how much green, yellow, and impartial black there will be at this game!!! Also, 1 more game until football season is done! feels like it’s finishing just as fast as it started…doesn’t it?!
I always keep tabs on tickets available for a Beavers game and there were still well over 1,000 available as of this morning. That’s more than any game so far this year! This spells a lot of green and yellow I’m afraid.
Student tickets??
All tickets are sold except for 1,400 student tickets.
I’m talking stubhub and craigslist, places like that.
The record for the highest shutout score in college football history was the Cumberland College Bulldogs vs. Georgia Tech Engineers in 1916. Georgia Tech won 222–0. The dux know this and they are assholes.
Anyone ever try emailing one of the coaches tape on an out of state prospect for them to look at and may be attainable? I know, probably wouldn’t work, just an idea.
Some insight from a defensive coach:
When it comes to defending the spread-option, or even the old school wing-t option, it’s really a simple process.
Simple, but not at all easy.
There is no need for “bluffing” or whatever you want to call it as you talked about in your post, and such a tactic would be pretty silly outside of a video game. With these kind of athletes there is simply no time to even think about thinking.
The option has been a bread-and-butter offense at the high school an college level for so long because it requires a lot of discipline to defend.
At the high school and college level, players cannot make up for a bad decision with their athleticism. This is why the read, zone, and veer option do not traditionally translate well into the NFL. The athletes are too good, and they hardly ever make mistakes.
The spread-option has become popular and successful as of late in college football, and particularly at Oregon, because it amplifies this need to be incredibly disciplined by spreading the field to create running lanes and miss-matches in personnel.
Defending the option is about assignment execution, not scheme, or “bluffing”, or making any kind of decision whatsoever.
From snap to whistle, no defensive player should ever be making a decision while defending the option.
Their decision, their assignment, has already been made for them. Their discipline and aggressiveness in executing this assignment determines the rate of success in defending the play.
When preparing a team to defend the spread-option (or any option). It’s just a three step process:
1. Win the line of scrimmage.
2. Know your assignment.
3. Execute your assignment.
Simple, but not at all easy.
If you watch one of the clips from above (Boise St. vs Oregon 09), or Oregon vs. Ohio State in the rose bowl, you’ll see that Oregon loses the line of scrimmage often. This is the single most important factor in stopping the spread option, you MUST win the line of scrimmage.
All 11 defensive players must know their assignment. There are no decisions to be made. If at any time a defensive player is caught making a decision, the battle is already lost.
All of this doesn’t matter if all 11 players do not execute their assignment. If they are not aggressive, use proper technique and fundamentals, regardless of what type of offense is being run, you more than likely will not be too successful.
Oregon struggles, and loses, when they have to go away from their simple option attack because the defense is remaining disciplined (e.g. CAL).
There is no trickery, no “bluffing”, no scheme.
The down side? It’s damn near impossible to execute that well as a team for an entire football game at the college level.
This is why Oregon is finding great success with their offense. But, it’s not new, it’s not innovative, it’s not fancy.
This is the same philosophy grilled into the beaver defense by the much maligned Mark Banker and staff year after year.
Why have we struggled to be successful?
Because we have failed to win the line of scrimmage, know our assignments, and execute them.
When you are playing against a team that has superior athletes, and is very good at what they do. Forget about it.
Can we pull this off for once on Saturday? Doubtful, not for four quarters. But, crazier things have happened in college football.
It’s video-game silly for the defense to bluff, but genius for the offense to bluff? Okaay. You lost me there; I won’t ever bother reading the rest of your post.
Don’t be so sensitive, only attempting to educate the huddle masses, nothing more.
But hey, ignorance is bliss, right?
I’d like a real explanation as to why an offense has time to bluff, but a defense does not. If the offense is reading the defender, and the defender can give so much as a head juke (takes what, half a second?) to throw off his read, how is that not a viable counter? It makes no sense to write it off as silly or make a statement that the game occurs to fast. It occurs fast for the offense, too.
Also, you see this tactic in soccer and hockey all the time, and it works. In those sports the players have more time to think about it. I actually think it would work even better given the split second decision making in football. Darren Thomas is not Linus Pauling back there.
C’mon Angry…what does the Pauling Exculsion Principle have to do with football…read the “Manifest Destiny” thread for guidance.
Ha!
That’s Pauli… not Pauling.
And I guess it really depends what on whether Thomas and LMJ are bosons or fermions.
Dammit! There I go, getting my phsysists and quantum chemists confused again!
I should have first consulted the googles.
What glad writes is what I’ve been saying all along. The read option is just the option in a different formation.
And nothing explains our defensive capabilities better than when Jeff Tuel optioned to the left and pitched it in front of Pankey… who was then outrun by his assignment to the outside. The defenses of old would have just taken Pankey’s position and made a bee line for that option man, leaving the QB with no option other than trying to beat the guy in front of him.
The key to beating the option is that you take the man in front of you, and you make him do what you want. It doesn’t matter if he has the ball. You’re playing against a team that runs an option. If he is eligible, he is an option. Others are responsible for the QB or his primary option. Let them take care of that play. You occupy your man. Your job is to reduce the options to the point where those responsible for the two primary options can play in a box.
Easier said than done on all counts of course, but that’s what you do against an option… make it a no option.
I was hoping that they bring in dirt and water the field for several hours before the game. In addition, to the Giant Killer jerseys, the team needs to wear throwback leather helmets circa 1922, play Stephen Paea at fullback, rush the ball every play, punt on 3rd down if needed and count touchdowns as only 4pts. That should prevent the Quacks from scoring 100.
Paea at fullback… lol love that idea!
Cliff’s write-up states:
******
The defense is trying to adapt to Oregon’s speed by practicing at a sprint. Defensive coordinator Mark Banker timed the team as plays were run in a specific amount of seconds.
“I think the tempo was awesome, the enthusiasm,” Riley said. “The scout team is doing great. Guys are getting fired up to play. These guys are practicing with purpose. They’ve gotten off the floor a few times this year, and I know they are going to do it again. I think they are going to play a great game.”
Another interesting aspect of the week is Riley has been spending time with the defense. He watched a lot Tuesday and stayed with the defense for the last hour of practice Wednesday. Usually, he leaves it all to Banker as he works with the offense.
“I think I should,” Riley said. “I’m going to do more and more of that as I go along here.”
*********
Wow, Riley. Last game of the season and you are just now going to do more? “Usually” leaving the practice and game to Banker and Longdork has usually led to a crappy game plan with a loss.
Hell, maybe we will win this game now that Riley has finally checked in.
The Beavs have to get into a “The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus” mindset and create their own reality. Let’s dedicate this Giant Killer show to Heath Ledger and hope for a good trip. Besides that try to use some New Earth Army tactics for some PSYC Jedi mind fighting.
These are not the Beavers you are looking for.
Yoda: “Do or do not, there is no fucking way the Beavers win this game!”
Frankly, it’s embarrassing to even have the Game Day crew in Corvallis for a team that won’t go to a Bowl, and could lose by 40+.
There are other games…
My biggest concern psychologically is that we haven’t had a come from behind win or hold to finish a game with any sense of mental fortitude (AZ & AZ St. I believe?). Our last close games were losses that we couldn’t pull out in the clutch (UW & UCLA).
Worse than an embarrassing blowout (which we’ve seen plenty of times already) is the thought of “what could have been” if the Beavers let another game slip away late.
I’m not worried either way. The world expects this to be a 60-21 game at best for the Beavs. Anything better is gravy.
I think some fans are so put off by the lack of effort in the losses to the dregs of the conference that they think we need to settle with the dregs for an offseason to evaluate what we’re doing at a managerial level.
I honestly think there is nothing for the Beavs to lose as long as they play to the final whistle. Even if they’re blown out, effort is the only thing required to avoid true embarrassment due to expectations.
Yes. In a year where 3 teams are Bowl Eligible with a week to go. And Washington might go to a Bowl Game? WTF!? At 6-6, I’d NOT take that team.
So really, you have Oregon and Stanford. You have a serviceable Arizona team (Beav win), and up and down mediocre Cal, USC and ASU (all Beav wins).
This team should have one Pac 10 loss right now. If they were truly bad, I’d understand. But the almost absurd nature in which they’ve played, and the Jr. High inconsistency has been dumbfounding.
It’s something that hasn’t hurt this team before. They’ve had blowups, and heartbreakers. They just have never looked like they ‘couldn’t possibly’ win a tough game by midway throught the season, and that is how I feel. They could lose to Linfield on any given day, or play BSU and win.
Hitting a weak ground ball back to the pitcher on a fastball down the middle is what the Beaver football team had done this year.
Anyone see this yet? http://rivals.yahoo.com/highschool/blog/prep_rally/post/Thorough-video-replay-lands-California-new-recor?urn=highschool-290962
Richard Mullaney set the California High School record for catches in a season with a 122. Can’t wait for him to be a Beaver. Hard to fathom how this kid is just a 3 star recruit.
So I stopped in at pure orange to see what they were saying about the CW. There was the usual ‘Rah! Rah!’ going on. Good for them I guess. But I believe an optimist is truly aware of all contingencies, so ‘Rah! Rah!’ without reality as perspective is a little misguided in my estimation.
I digress.
I noticed one of the posts was a link to a clip from Wyatt Earp in which Kurt Russell exclaims, “You tell ’em I’m coming, and hell’s coming with me. You hear? Hell’s coming with me.”
The author wanted to see this attitude from the Beavs.
I have to disagree. The one thing that always pisses me off to no end in the movies is that people like to hear themselves talk before taking any action. Talk is for the weak and fearful. Posturing and posing while yelling some cliches scares me about as much as my cat when she decides play time is over and bite time has begun.
THIS is the attitude I want to see from the Beavs on Saturday:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7t9OHJvXko&playnext=1&list=PL8F9B59D9B53B9A28&index=6
Sorry, that clip was from Tombstone.
And I want the Open Range attitude because we can’t get away with this one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78CM3oItu1U&feature=related
I bumped this post to the top.
Man, just reading oregonlive and saw this:
“We’re just trying to get everyone focused up,” linebacker Keith Pankey said.
I asked Cliff is Pankey is starting. Has anyone heard?
Pankey is starting WTF?! This is awful news
They are still having problems getting everyone to focus on Thursday? God help the Beavs. That quote is almost as bad as the one from Riley about saying he was going to start checking in on the defense more in practice.
Off topic, Cliff is reporting James is NOT walking in senior day, and plans to enroll for classes next year…
Other things that need to happen:
1) Katz needs to get rid of the ball quickly and decisively, which means;
2) receivers need to channel Mike Hass and catch the balls that hit them. Hass was the only OSU wide receiver who could consistently handle Derek Anderson’s fastball. I swear, 25% of Anderson’s INTs were caroms off his own players;
3) the O-line needs to channel the ’08 OSU line that dominated USC.
The sad part of all of this is, the current crop of players need to be someone else….
Keep Pankey on the Bench, call the Doctor, for speed if not experience. Put Hardin in at rover, and assign him to either Thomas or James, with the assignment to hit them like he does kick or punt returners every chance he gets.
Defense then play with abandon, sell out, what the hell. Nothing to lose really, except a mediocre bowl game.
“the current crop of players need to be someone else”
Sounds like a George Costanza.
There are rumors flying around that the D is going to do something wild and craaazy because they closed practice today. Banker seems overly confident, too. Bizarro world?
Unrelated, but I want to see a bunch of angrybeavs.com signs at the game. I think every fan needs to know about this site…anyone who is going to this game should promote you and what you are doing. Guys?
I think with Riley paying unusually high attention to the D and their practices being closed, SOMETHING different is going to be applied. Banker said that in the 08 CW he made things to complicated for his D, and they couldn’t just react and play. In ’09, they did much better, a few big plays excepted.
Now with the “success” of ASU and CAL in controlling Kelly’s offense, I think something different is in the works. I didn’t see UO @ CAL, but read that a player was assigned to Thomas(?). OSU’s going to do something different that stems from their change in approach from 08 – 09 and what they’ve seen on film this year.
I agree that the offense needs some abandon too, that’s why I say Katz has to play quickly and decisively. But the likes of Bishop and Haluhuni can’t be letting hard throws go through their hands; that’s a fact of life when playing with Katz. And against an offense like UO’s, you can’t waste any opportunities.
Wheaton needs to make an impact, and I wish to God they’d give some special play calls for Poyer on offense – out of the wildcat if nothing else. Use BSU’s play, have him swing around on a “reverse,” pitch it to him and let him throw it; he’s a former high school QB and a centerfielder.
I sound like a broken record and need to quit posting….
@ObjCritic: I agree that the Beavs have nothing to lose. But I think it’s the offense, not the defense, that needs to play with abandon.
Katz has to play with confidence, rather than playing nervous/scared. Play-calls need to be aggressive and unpredictable. Our O-line has to get nasty and has to physically dominate and push-around an undersized Duck’s D-line.
Meanwhile, on defense, it’s all about discipline (rather than playing with abandon). Everyone needs to focus, to be in position, and to do his job on every play. Even when the Ducks are lining up and running plays every 10 seconds, the Beavs have to stay focused, be ready, and not get caught out of position, or trying to make last-second substitutions.
Aggressive on offense. Disciplined on defense. Few if any penalties. Few if any turnovers. Maximum effort on every play, for 60 minutes. Hey, I don’t ask for much….
Silver, your last line says it all…maximum effort for 60 minutes…thats all I ask.
Oh yeah, and a little imagination on the part of Langsdorf. GO BEAVS !!
Shouldn’t we just have a toga party instead?
Tohhh-ga, Tohhh-ga, Tohhh-ga.
Realistically, our only chance to win is to knock Thomas out of the game. With Costa mothballed, the Ducks back-up QB defaults to a true freshman. I don’t see a true freshman with zero game experience executing the Duck offense the way that Thomas does. Not only would they likely lose to us, they would probably also lose the Rose Bowl game, again.
Outside of this scenario i don’t see any way in which we win this game. Our defense is going to get run over by the Ducks. On offense I don’t see us being able to handle the Ducks blitz- given how poorly our o-line has played. The differences between the Ducks and Beavs offensive lines are tremendous. One reason why Thomas has looked so good is because he hardly ever gets touched unless he’s running the ball 15 yards downfield.
Not that anybody should get injured, but both of the Beavers “turnaround” wins were sealed by an opposing QB’s injury. Hmmmm?
Got a student ticket for tomorrow! We better friggin’ win. I am gunna scream like no bodies business. Anyone know if the student ticket entrance has changed since last year?
Is anyone planning to DVR Gameday? 6am is too early for me.
I got it. But I don’t have 6 am scheduled… so I set it for the 6 am SportsCenter as well… just in case.
Any chance you can upload it to the server so we can all watch?
I doubt I’ll be up before noon.