Oregon State will look to improve their 3-0 record when they open their Pac-12 campaign against rivals Stanford this coming Saturday. The Beavers are out to prove that they are the real deal as they face a USC side eager to atone for their disappointing loss to Boston College last time out.
The legend of Oregon State quarterback Sean Mannion just keeps on growing. On a day when the Beavers improved their record to a perfect 3-0, it was Mannion who stole all the headlines as he became the program’s all-time leading passer.
[sc:NCAA240banner ]His 27-yard pass to Hunter Jarmon early in the third quarter sealed his place in the Oregon State record books as he broke the mark of 11,249 passing yards set by Derek Anderson 10 years ago.
Mannion completed 24-of-31 passes to finish the game with 275 yards. He now has a total of 11,339 passing yards under his belt and is third on the Pac-12 all-time list just behind USC’s Matt Barkley (12,274) and Carson Palmer (11,818).
It is just the latest accolade in Mannion’s ever-growing list of accomplishments. Last year, he set the Pac-12 single-season record for passing yards, compiling 4,662 yards to go along with his 37 touchdowns. He has continued his fine form last year to this season and it is no coincidence that the Beavers are sitting at the top of the Pac-12 standings.
The Beavers will face their toughest test yet, however, this coming Saturday when they square off with the No. 17 USC Trojans. The Trojans are raring to bounce back after their shock loss to Boston College two weeks ago. They will also have the added benefit of having some extra rest as the Trojans are coming off a bye week.
Still, the Beavers will be feeling confident with their game ahead of their showdown with USC. The Beavers are averaging 31.7 points per game this season and are outscoring their opponents by an average of almost 15 points a game.
Their defense has been impressive as well, limiting their opponents to just 17 points per game this season. In the game against San Diego State, the Beavers defense did a good job of stopping quarterback Quinn Kahler who had a career game against the Tar Heels the match before.
Kahler exploded for 341 yards and a TD in a 31-27 loss to UNC but was limited to just 106 yards against Oregon State as he completed just 14-of-26 passing with no TDs and two interceptions. That kind of defensive intensity is what the Beavers need to bring when they face the Trojans, especially with QB Cody Kessler playing some excellent football to start the season.
The Beavers have fared extremely well in their recent travels. They are 6-2 in their last eight road games dating back to September of last season.
Betting on the USC Trojans
Entering the game against Boston College, the USC Trojans’ confidence was at an all-time high. They were coming off a pulsating 13-10 win over their in-state rivals the Stanford Cardinal and were poised to stake a claim into another Pac-12 title.
However, Boston College scored one of the biggest upsets in this season so far, defeating the Trojans 37-31 in front of an ecstatic home crowd.
Trailing 17-6 at one point, the Eagles scored 24 unanswered points to pull off the improbable victory. It was the first time since 2002 that an unranked Boston College team have managed to beat a top-10 foe.
Twelve years on and it is the Trojans’ turn to feel the pain. After moving up five spots to No. 9 in the Associated Press Top 25 following their win over the Cardinal, they are sent crashing back down to No. 17 this week by virtue of the stunning upset.
All is not lost, however, for head coach Steve Sarkisian’s men. As Sarkisian had stated after the game, the goal of being Pac-12 champs is very much alive. It is how they will respond to adversity that will determine their fates this season.
The first step towards that recovery will come against the Beavers this Saturday. If they are to return to winning ways, it is a must that quarterback Cody Kessler continue to play well.
In fact, he was the lone bright spot in that upset loss to the Eagles. He was solid throughout the game, as he completed 31 of 41 passes for 317 yards and four touchdowns. The only problem in that game was that the offensive line wasn’t able to afford him much protection as he was sacked a total of five times.
The Trojans’ rushing defense also needs to improve. In their loss to BC, they were outgained on the ground 452-20. That is a whopping 432-yard advantage. The Trojans haven’t given up such an advantage since 1977 and it is necessary that they address this problem ahead of the meeting with the Beavers.
The Trojans have not lost to the Beavers at home ever. They are a remarkable 8-0 against Oregon State at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum dating back to September 1996.
