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46 °F Forecast | Road Cams Thursday, November 25, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend November 21, 2004 Beavers going bowling after big victory By KRIS HENRY Mail Tribune CORVALLIS — For the thousands in bright orange Saturday at Reser Stadium, rarely has Duck season been more enjoyable. It was one thing to have Oregon State score the most points ever by either school in the 108-game history of the Civil War in the 50-21 rout of Oregon. But to do it in a winner-take-all scenario for bowl eligibility, Saturday’s dismantling of the Ducks proved priceless for the Beavers. "It’s huge," OSU senior wide receiver Mike Hass said of the win. "Us going bowling and the Ducks not, that’s all I can ask for." Advertisement Both teams entered Saturday’s fray on equal ground with 5-5 records and in-state bragging rights up for grabs, but it was Oregon State that played with far more hunger and intensity. It was a fitting end to a regular season that saw the Beavers stumble to a 1-4 record to open the season but finish strong with five wins in their final six games. "It came through great perseverance and hard work and belief in ourselves," OSU head coach Mike Riley said of the turnaround. "Those are old-fashioned clich�s, but those are real things and we couldn’t have done it without that." A possible bid to the Sun Bowl, which is where the Beavers are likely to end up once the bowl picture clears, didn’t appear realistic after California drubbed OSU 49-7 at Reser Stadium on Oct. 2. But Riley said an immediate bye week to regroup was pivotal, and a 29-14 win one week later at Washington helped start the ball rolling toward an impressive finish that saw OSU’s lone loss come via a comeback effort by top-ranked USC in a 28-20 ballgame. Given a chance to have the final say to critics who left the Beavers for dead, Riley, as is his nature, politely passed. "We don’t need vindication, that’s not what we’re after," said the affable coach. "We’re just after playing well and being the best we can be, and I’m very, very excited for our team." One main factor in the Beavers’ turnaround was a drastic change in turnover margin from the first five games to the last five entering Saturday’s Civil War. OSU was minus-7 in turnovers in opening 1-4, and plus-7 over the second half of the season to post a 4-1 mark. The same held true Saturday against the Ducks as an interception by Sabby Piscitelli with 1:28 to go in the first quarter set up Oregon State’s first touchdown, and an interception by Pac-10 leader Mitch Meeuwsen set up the Beavers’ second TD midway through the second quarter to help OSU build a 20-7 lead. "Going into the bye week when we were 1-4, the thing coach stressed the most was that we needed to get turnovers because we weren’t getting hardly any at the time," said Meeuwsen, whose seventh interception of the season pushed his career record at OSU to 20. "After the bye week we stepped it up as far as turnovers and I think that really made a difference, today especially." OSU defensive lineman Bill Swancutt added a fourth-quarter interception to give the Beavers three for the day against Oregon quarterback Kellen Clemens, who completed only 13 of 29 passes for 126 yards. Swancutt also had three of OSU’s six sacks, forced a fumble and caught a 17-yard pass on a fake field goal early in the second quarter for his first collegiate reception. "I never imagined it would turn out like this," Swancutt said as he rattled off his stats. "I couldn’t have asked for a better way to end my career here at home." Unless, of course, he was Derek Anderson. The much-maligned senior quarterback put the Beavers on his back offensively, completing 24 of 41 passes for 351 yards, four touchdowns and only one interception in showing the state why he was so highly regarded out of Scappoose High School. "I thought he was poised," Riley said of Anderson. "As has been the case when we’ve been unable to run the ball, we put the burden on his shoulders offensively and he made a bunch of plays." He even made plays most wouldn’t have imagined from the 6-foot-6, 240-pounder had they not seen it with their own eyes Saturday. Anderson eluded Oregon’s rush and ran for three first downs in gaining 49 yards rushing, and added a 1-yard dive with 31 seconds to go before halftime to answer a Duck score and make it 27-14. Four sacks dropped Anderson’s net gain rushing to 19 yards, but his impact was still meaningful. "He’s taken so much hard press from people about things he’s done," Hass said of the QB, "you saw tonight how good he is. I can’t say enough about the guy. I wish he had one more year." The Ducks might beg to differ, however, since Anderson guided the Beavers to 10 scoring drives in their 14 possessions, including a key 66-yard march that answered Oregon’s scoring drive early in the third quarter. After the Ducks had made it 27-21 on a series started by J.D. Nelson’s interception, Anderson kept his head up and eventually found Joe Newton for a 16-yard score three minutes later. "Everytime they scored," said Hass, who had nine receptions for 154 yards and two TDs, "we seemed to come back with something to counteract them, and that was huge." The Newton TD set off a run of 23 unanswered points that eventually put away the Ducks, and their season. "Coach made it easy on me with the game plan," said Anderson. "It’s easy to go play when there’s no hesitation." And even easier to smile when there’s no sharing the limelight with the Ducks. Reach reporter Kris Henry at 776-4488, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. 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