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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend September 4, 2005 Extra fans soothe Bernard’s nerves By CLIFF KIRKPATRICK for the Mail Tribune CORVALLIS — Yvenson Bernard shouldn’t have any trouble recalling his first start for the Oregon State football team. Bernard said he was jittery before taking the field at tailback against Portland State on Saturday at Reser Stadium, but looking up at the fans in the new east grandstand eased his nerves. A stadium-record 42,263 showed for the game. "We actually see the fans in there now," Bernard said. "We’ve seen it blank and it just looks great. It looks even better with the fans in there screaming." It wasn’t long before the Beavers found the end zone in their 41-14 win over the Vikings and Bernard and his teammates got a taste of the noise level when the crowd lets loose in the renovated stadium. Advertisement The crowds were already loud for a small stadium, but the sound is now trapped between the two grandstands. "It’s louder," Bernard said. "It gives you a lot of butterflies. Because they’re sitting on top of us, so you can just feel it, get the jitters on your back and all that." The new grandstand dwarfs the stands on the opposite side, a steep double-decker towering above the field. Even those stuck in the nosebleed seats seem to have little problem following the action and there are the amenities inside for those willing to shell out for it. But Saturday’s opening was for the players on the field and those who came before them. Former OSU players such as Ken Simonton, Jonathan Smith and Tim Alexander were on hand, as was ex- coach Dennis Erickson. "It was exciting," OSU linebacker Trent Bray said. "The fans were crazy and it was good and it was nice to see. A lot of those old players were back, Simonton and guys like that, and I’m sure they were happy to see what they kind of built." While the grandstand is in the spotlight, the biggest change for the players is the turf. AstroTurf has carpeted the stadium floor for years and was unpopular with Beavers and visiting teams alike for its lack of give. The Beavers now play on FieldTurf. Bernard said the old turf was hard on the knees and the players hated hitting the ground. "That’s the No. 1 thing they did," Bernard said. "They could have forgotten about the (stands) and just done a new turf. You’ve still got injuries but it was worse when we had the carpet out there." Matt Moore had a spectacular debut. The junior QB threw for an efficient 367 yards and four touchdowns. He took command of the offense and the team believes in him. While Moore was hot, the OSU kick returners were not. Ruben Jackson dropped a kickoff and returned one from deep in the end zone. Sammie Stroughter returned a punt five yards away from his end zone, while in a crowd. The Beavers suffered three injuries. Wide receiver Anthony Wheat-Brown (ankle) spent much of the second quarter icing an ankle and did not return. Running back Nate Wright (ankle) limped off the field after a fourth-quarter ankle tackle. Defensive tackle Pernell Booth (knee) went down late in the game and was in a soft cast. While Saturday’s crowd of 42,263 was a record, there were several empty seats all over the stadium, ending the sellout streak at 28 games. The previous record crowd was 41,600 in the 1980 Civil War. Playing teams from a lower level is not a guaranteed win for the Beavers. They are 12-5 against teams from Division I-AA and below in the past 20 years. The losses have been to Montana twice (1990, 1996), Grambling State twice (1975, 1985) and Idaho (1984). Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker dvd-r Distance Education Computer Security Ztech Media Hosting Sports Equipment Online Casino Reviews Student Loans tcg student loan consolidation Online Pharmacy online casino Myspace Home Equity Loans Windermere Van Vleet Rogue Valley Travel Reservationstogo Hotel Reservations Southern Oregon Loans Online Casino News Natto Kinase Nattokinase Casino Gambling Sites Budget Website Templates Investments & Loans Advertisement s