Document text
0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Homeowner who shot prowler in Grants Pass won't face charges ... Crews near 50 percent containment on Stouts fire ... Medford pit bull reunited with her puppies ... Homeowner who shot prowler in Grants Pass won't face charges ... Crews near 50 percent containment on Stouts fire ... Medford pit bull reunited with her puppies ... COLLEGE FOOTBALL Big plays from seniors highlight OSU upset Comment By Gina Mizell The Oregonian MailTribune.com By Gina Mizell The Oregonian Posted Nov. 16, 2014 at 5:44 PM By Gina Mizell The Oregonian Posted Nov. 16, 2014 at 5:44 PM » Social News CORVALLIS — Mike Riley used a basketball metaphor a couple weeks ago. The Oregon State coach said he was looking for guys who wanted to take the last shot in the midst of a four-game slide, three defeats where the Beavers had held a fourth-quarter lead. He insisted his squad had natural and capable candidates on a senior-laden roster, including when matching up against No. 7 Arizona State. Well how about quarterback Sean Mannion, launching a deep pass down the middle to Jordan Villamin and watching the receiver gallop to a 67-yard touchdown to give the Beavers a fourth-quarter lead? Or linebacker Michael Doctor, who snagged an interception from Sun Devils quarterback Taylor Kelly, broke a tackle and scampered into the end zone to build an eight-point cushion with less than two minutes to play? Or fellow linebacker D.J. Alexander, who sealed the win with a monster sack on Kelly? Those seniors — many who have been critiqued or criticized for one reason or another during recent weeks — propelled OSU to a massive 35-27 stunner over national contender ASU Saturday night. They caused the students at Reser Stadium to jump over the railing and rush the field, a scene those veterans had not seen since the 2012 opener against Wisconsin. Mannion sported a wide grin while high-fiving random strangers. A “crazy” locker room celebration followed, running back Terron Ward said. “This is kind of a very good, teachable moment about what it takes to finish,” Riley said. “You’ve got to make some plays to finish the game. Michael Doctor certainly did. D.J. certainly did on the sack, and of course, our last couple touchdowns were, too. “I told most of those seniors it will be a great memory for them. This was our opportunity to beat another ranked team coming into our stadium, and those are always special.” The win is, without a doubt, the highlight of OSU’s uneven season, setting the Beavers (5-5, 2-5 Pac-12) up for a final bowl push with two regular-season games to play while knocking the Sun Devils (8-2, 5-2 Pac-12) out of the College Football Playoff picture. It also, at least momentarily, quiets the grumblings about a season gone south and Riley’s job status. Things tend to get weird in these late-night conference games, even inspiring a #Pac12AfterDark Twitter hashtag. But Saturday night’s wild finish was perhaps the most surprising yet. ASU entered Reser Stadium as big favorites, seemingly on a collision course to meet North champ Oregon in the Pac-12 title game. Meanwhile, the Beavers’ recent skid, along with frigid temperatures and 7:45 p.m. kickoff, kept many fans away. The official announced attendance of more than 40,000 was more than a bit generous. “We said nobody else believes in us but us,” Alexander said, “and that’s all we needed.” The Beavers talked about stressing a “Why not us?” mentality to the younger players during the week in practice, while coaches focused on improving through teaching rather than motivational speeches. Riley noted he had multiple folks — players, graduate assistants, coaches — verbalize they “felt great” about facing such a high-profile opponent in mid-November. After letting an early 14-3 lead — highlighted by two monster touchdown runs from Storm Woods (78 yards) and Terron Ward (66 yards) — sink into a 10-point deficit at halftime, Riley said the upbeat and confident locker room mood “might have been the most impressive part of the night.” What transpired next was the Beavers’ most complete half of the season. They hung onto the football for more than 19 minutes after intermission, with nearly six coming on a run-heavy drive that set up a Victor Bolden 20-yard scoring grab to cut ASU’s lead to 24-21 and another six that pinned the Sun Devils inside their 20 late in the contest. The defense that had struggled with basic fundamentals like tackling and assignments was crisp, holding a high-powered offense to just three points and 110 yards in the second half. And then came the epic plays that are necessary to pull such an upset. After the defense held ASU to a 29-yard Zane Gonzalez field goal on a drive that started in Beavers territory, Mannion answered with the big bomb to Villamin to put OSU up 28-27. When the Sun Devils got the ball back with just under three minutes to play, Doctor jumped a route in the middle of the field and scored to send those fans that had braved the cold into a frenzy. Shortly after, Alexander faked out the right guard and blitzed hard to take Kelly down 13 yards behind the line of scrimmage to clinch the victory. “We just showed up,” Alexander said. “It was our mindset that we had to finish. That’s what we did.” The euphoria of late Saturday night does not erase this season’s past disappointments. The seemingly winnable home games against California and Washington State where the defense wilted. The double-overtime heartbreaker against Utah. The USC and Stanford routs. But Saturday showed the Beavers have not folded, that maybe they do really live in one-week bubbles and don’t waste time dwelling on the past. Especially those seniors, who have less than a month of guaranteed football remaining. By Gina Mizell The Oregonian MailTribune.com By Gina Mizell The Oregonian Posted Nov. 16, 2014 at 5:44 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501