Arizona State at Oregon State

Written by Matthew Martz

Oregon State dropped out of the Top 25 with its loss to No.3 Boise State last weekend, while the Sun Devils, despite a 42-31 loss to No. 5 Oregon, look like a team that could give the Beavers a run for their money when the two square off on Saturday, October 2, 2010 at 6:30 pm ET, at Reser Stadium in Corvallis OR. The latest college football odds show the Beavers as -4 over ASU with a total of 56 points.

The Beavs have not been impressive in their first three games of the 2010 campaign and, much like their game against then-No. 6 TCU, never really got things going offensively against the Broncos last week, being out gained in total yards 469-237.

Oregon State QB Ryan Katz was inconsistent to say the least, completing just 12 of 26 passes for 159 yards and a single touchdown.

The running game didn’t do any better and, similar to his outing against the Horned Frogs, running back Jacquizz Rodgers had a subpar day being held to 46 yards on 18 carries and single 4-yard TD run. Eldest brother James ,never really got it going with the exception of a 54-yard punt return for a touchdown in the first quarter before exiting the game early in the third after being knocked out during helmet-to-helmet collision with Boise State safety Winston Venable.

Broncos’ QB Kellen Moore dissected the OSU secondary, tossing for 288 yards and 3 TDs while completing 19-of-27 passed.

Over in Tempe, Arizona State dropped its second game in a row against the No. 5 Oregon Ducks, but it wasn’t as bad as it appeared. The Sun Devils literally beat themselves, turning the ball over seven times and racking up nearly 100 yards in penalties after putting up 597 yards of offense against one of the nation’s most athletic defensive units. All of this after falling to then-No. 11 Wisconsin in Madison by a single point just one week before.

Devils’ QB Steven Threet completed 30-of-53 passing for 387 yards and three touchdowns Saturday, but tempered those numbers with four interceptions.

Defensively ASU, much like Oregon State, has its share of problems. They led Oregon by as many as 10 points and then allowed four unanswered scores, including two in the last two-minutes of the first half.

Matt’s Free Prediction: Arizona State +4– The Beavers always play tough at home and will have that advantage, but can they match the speed of ASU’s offense? If OSU wants to win its PAC-10 conference play home opener, they will need more from Jaquizz Rodgers. Katz doesn’t have the skills to win this head-to-head against Threet, so moving the ball early and well on the ground will be critical.

The Sun Devils have played well but have negated their efforts with stupid young mistakes including ridiculous penalties and costly turnovers. The difference will be ASU’s ability to pass the ball effectively against a suspect OSU defense.

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