Congratulations are in order for Oregon State, which somehow accomplished Mission Impossible and knocked off God's team, USC...
There are game plans and there are game plans. And then there's the beefy stew that Beavers coach Mike Riley cooked up for the Trojans.
Riley mixed short passes and screens with a well-choreographed running attack. Excellent blocking by both the line and wide receivers; quick, almost draw-like handoffs from the quarterback; and plenty of cutbacks by speedy midget RB Jacquizz Rodgers helped the ground cause. All of it was executed well and, combined, achieved something I never thought possible: It neutralized USC's tremendous team speed and strength.
On defense, the Beavers kept two safeties deep to shield themselves against any bombs and forced USC QB Mark Sanchez to scramble out of the pocket constantly. The Oregon Ducks used a similar scheme to upset Sanchez and the Trojans last year in Eugene.
Leave it to the Beavers to rip off their archrivals for strategy and pull off the unlikeliest of wins. Let's hope the upset portends a great weekend of college football ahead. The Crystal Ball thinks it does. Predictions soon.
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