- Jacquizz Rodgers runs vs. Washington - Flickr.com
The No. 15 Cougars will do that for the fifth consecutive year, as they face No. 16 Oregon State in the MAACO Las Vegas Bowl on Tuesday, Dec. 22, at Sam Boyd Stadium.
The schools will be meeting on the football field for the first time since the Beavers stopped Brigham Young 10-7 at Provo, Utah, in 1987. Contributing to the victory was a safety named Bronco Mendenhall, who had four tackles.
Mendenhall, of course, is now in his fifth season as head coach of BYU. And he's made a habit of leading his team to Las Vegas.
The Cougars are 2-2 in the Las Vegas Bowl, including a 31-21 loss to Arizona last season. In previous trips, they defeated UCLA, beat Oregon and lost to Cal. BYU will be making its 28th bowl appearance overall. Its postseason record is 9-17-1.
Coach Mike Riley's OSU team will try to extend a streak of five consecutive bowl victories — the last being a 3-0 win over PItt in the 2008 Sun Bowl. The Beavers have eight wins in 12 postseason trips.
Oregon State (8-4) barely missed landing a its first Rose Bowl berth, falling to Oregon 37-33 in a conference title showdown Dec. 3, and finishing in a three-way tie for second place in the Pac-10. BYU (10-2) also placed second in its conference, going 7-1 in the Mountain West — one game behind undefeated Texas Christian.
The Beavers and Cougars will meet for the the ninth time, with OSU owning a 5-3 series lead. The game will feature two of the nation's most productive offensive players — Brigham Young quarterback Max Hall and Oregon State running back Jacquizz Rodgers. ESPN will telecast the 5 p.m. PST contest.
BYU's Hall 3rd in Passing Efficiency
BYU is potent offensively, averaging 34.8 points and 437.1 yards per game. But the Cougars were held under 300 yards in their last game – a 26-23 overtime win over Utah on Nov. 28. And Hall struggled, going 12-for-34 passing for 134 yards and one TD.
Hall, though, ranks third in NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision in passing efficiency with a rating of 160.92. The senior has completed 67.5 percent of his passes for 3,368 yards and 30 touchdowns. He's thrown 14 interceptions, but only four over his last seven games.
Tight end Dennis Pitta leads the team with 57 catches, 784 yards, and seven touchdown receptions. O'Neill Chambers has 31 catches for 370 yards, and is also a dangerous kick returner. But the most explosive wide receiver has been McKay Jacobosn, who's made 21 catches for 529 yards and four TDs despite missing four games with a hamstring injury.
Hall spreads the ball out liberally, going frequently to backs as well as wide receivers tight ends. Ten different BYU players have made TD catches, including tight end Andrew George (5) and running back J.J. Di Luigi (4). BYU, of course, an also pound with the running game. The hammer is 6-foot, 237-pound Harvey Unga, who's rushed for 1,016 and 10 TDs on 5.5 yards per carry.
Safety RIch Leads BYU Defense
Safety Andrew Rich is the most active defensive player for BYU, which is yielding 21.7 points and 331 yards per game. Rich has recorded a team-leading 80 tackles and four interceptions. He's also forced two fumbles and blocked two kicks.
Linebacker Shawn Doman is second on the team in tackles, followed by safety Scott Johnson (64 tackles, 3 inteceptions) and cornerback Brandon Bradley (61 tackles). The Cougars have potent pass rushers in star end Jan Jorgensen (56 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, 5 sacks) and linebacker Coleby Clawson (60 tackles, 5 sacks),
The BYU defense been solid on most occasions and magnificentt on others. But there have been off days, too — the most notable one being a 54-28 early-season loss to Florida State. And the Cougars can't afford one vs. Oregon State — probably the best offensive team they'll face this season.
Rodgers Brothers, Canfield Spark OSU
OSU moves the ball briskly, managing 32.4 points and 419.4 yards per game. Rodgers provides a bundle of both, with 20 touchdowns, 1,377 rushing yards and 509 receiving yard. The 5-9, 190-pound sophomore has 255 times and caught 74 passes. That's 27.4 touches per game right there.
But Rodgers doesn't lead his team — or his family — in all-purpose running. His older brother James, an Oregon State wide receiver, is accounting for 184.4 per contest — good for fifth place in the FBS. Jacquizz Rodgers averages 157.2
James Rodgers is OSU's go-to receiver, with 87 receptions for 1,004 yards and nine touchdowns. An elusive runner on fly sweeps, he's gained an additional 298 yards and scored a TD rushing. He also handles OSU's kickoff and punt return duties.
Quarterback Sean Canfield is a 70 percent passer who's thrown for 3,103 yards and 21 touchdowns. The senior has been intercepted only six times, but he has been sacked on 26 occasions. Wide receiver Damola Adenij, meanwhile, has caught 49 passes for 701 yards and four touchdowns, and tight end Joe Halahuni has made 34 receptions for 474 yards and three TDs.
Amazingly, the Beavers have fumbled the ball away only twice all year, and they've committed only eight turnovers — fewest in the FBS. But they've created only 14 — tied for 113th.
Beavers Defense Tries to Bounce Back
The Oregon State defense had a successful run of performances halted by Oregon, which trampled its rival for 489 yards. On the year, OSU is giving up 352.9 yards and 23.4 points.
Tackle Stephen Paea has ordinary-looking stats — 41 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, three sacks — but migt be the Beavers' most valuable defender. The 6-1, 28.5 pound junior continually swallows up blockers so teammates can make tackles. Making the most is linebacker Keaton Kristick, who has 87 stops along with a pair of interceptions.
Other pivotal performers include linebacker Dvid Pa'aluhi (67 tackles), safety Lance Mitchell (3 interceptions), safety Cameron Collins (64 tackles) and cornerback James Dockery (2 interceptions, 8 pass breakups.
The OSU pass rush has been inconsistent. The Beavers have only 15 sacks, but managed four in a game twice this season.
Jon Matsune - Jon Matsune is a free-lance writer based in Northern California. He has 25 years of experience in newspaper journalism, mostly as a sports ...
