Head coach:
Paul Wulff (7th season)
(Career: 41-28 | At EWU: 41-28)
Current ranking: Not ranked
Current record: 0-0
Streak: One game losing streak dating back to last year
Last time
Oregon State and Eastern Washington met...
Sept. 2, 2000 in Corvallis - Oregon State 21, Eastern Washington 19
Running back Ken Simonton put his team on his back and rushed
40 times for 200 yards and three touchdowns scoring all 21 of the Oregon State
Beavers' points for a two-point victory over Eastern Washington. Simonton broke
school records for career
rushing yards, touchdowns and points scored.
EWU coach Paul
Wulff on his narrow loss to OSU in 2000 - “We didn’t know
exactly what to expect to be honest. We knew they were a talented football team,
and we wanted to go into that game not giving them chances to beat us. We wanted
to be conservative, play good football and not be too complicated.
We wanted to have
a chance and we did. It was a lot of fun, because they had a lot of coaches
I played for or with and knew well. We played well, which was good, but I was
a little disappointed we didn’t come out of there with a win because we
had a chance.”
Eastern
Washington connections.
EWU running backs coach Joe Wade played on the 1986 Linfield
NAIA title team -- Beaver assistant head coach Jay Locey was
the defensive coordinator on that team. EWU WR/special teams coach Keith
Murphy was a graduate assistant coach at Washington when Beaver cornerbacks
coach Nigel Burton was a player. Eagle senior running back
Ryan Cole, who led the team in rushing last season with 867
yards, lettered at OSU in 2003 and 2004.
Native
Oregonians return home.
Three players on the Eagles roster have roots in Oregon. Starting quarterback
Chris Peerboom graduated from Portland’s Jesuit High
School in 2003 while wide receiver Tyler Coleman and backup
running back Dale Morris, who will not play because of foot
injury, graduated from Eugene’s Marist High School.
The Eagles
versus I-A competition.
Eastern Washington has a 7-12 all-time record versus I-A teams. Their last victory
over a Division I foe was in 2003 when they scored an ugly 8-5 victory over
the University of Idaho. The last D1 opponent the Eagles faced was 2005 at San Jose State where EWU lost 21-35.
Back to
back and seven straight.
The Eagles have put together seven straight winning seasons (1999-2005)
and back to back Big Sky Championships. In the past nine years (1997-2005) the
Eagles have won 62 percent (65-40) of their games overall and 63 percent (42-25)
in Big Sky Conference play. Included are three Big Sky titles and a pair of
runner-up finishes, as well as eight winning seasons and three NCAA Division
I-AA Playoff berths.
Preseason
picks.
The Pac-10 media selected Oregon State to finish seventh in league standings.
The Beavers are currently #44 in the USAToday Coaches Poll. The Big Sky media
and coaches selected Eastern Washington to finish second in league standings.
They are currently ranked #26 in the Sports Network NCAA Division I-AA Top 25
Poll.
OSU in
home openers.
Oregon State has an all-time record of 58-44-8 in season-openers dating back
to 1893; that includes a record of 46-15-8 in season-openers played at home.
The Beavers have won three of their last four season-openers and seven of their
last nine. OSU head coach Mike Riley has a 4-1 record in season-openers
with the Beavers. Oregon State has won four consecutive home openers (East.
Kentucky, Sacramento State, New Mexico and Portland State).
Offensive
line excellence for both Eagles and Beavers.
Oregon State enters Thursday’s game returning all five starters on its
offensive line for the first time since 1977. The line features Outland Trophy
and Lombardi Award candidate sophomore left guard Jeremy Perry
and Rimington Award candidate junior center Kyle DeVan. The
Beaver offensive line has combined for 91 starts, the second most in college
football.
In Wulff’s
13 seasons as an Eastern coach (through 2005), the Eagles have had 15 offensive
linemen earn All-America accolades while winning 17 first team All-Big Sky Conference
honors.
A long
schedule for OSU.
For the first time ever the Oregon State University football program will play
a 13-game regular season schedule. Within the schedule is 11 consecutive weeks
with a game, marking the first time for a Beaver team since the 1989 club played
12 consecutive weeks (season ended at Hawai’i).
Beavers on
preseason watch lists.
| TE
Joe Newton, Sr.
* John Mackey Award candidate |
PK
Alexis Serna, Jr.
* Lou Groza Award Watch List |
LG
Jeremy Perry, So.
* Outland Trophy Watch List
* Lombardi Award Watch List |
SS
Sabby Piscitelli, Sr.
* Bronko Nagurski Watch List
* Jim Thorpe Award Watch List |
C
Kyle DeVan, Jr.
* Rimington Award Watch List |
RB
Yvenson Bernard, Jr.
* Doak Walker Award Watch List |
Rule changes.
In an effort to speed up the game the NCAA has instituted several rule changes.
As a result there will be 20-25 less plays in a game. The most notable ones
are listed below.
- Kicking Tee
-- Change from two-inch to one inch -- intended to lessen the number of touchbacks.
- Clock Starts
(kickoff) -- clock starts when the foot touches the ball, not when returner
touches -- shorten the length of game.
- Clock Starts
(spot) -- clock starts when official signals “ready for play,”
not at the snap -- shorten the game up to 5 min.
- Instant Replay
(Coach) -- Each team can call for a replay once per game, if it possesses
a timeout. The team will not be charged a timeout if the play is reversed.
The team will be charged a timeout if the play is not reversed.
On track
to graduate.
Three Beaver football student-athletes (all starters) enter their last term
of school this fall (Sept. 28) as they will have met their academic requirements
for graduation following Finals Week in December -- left tackle Adam Koets (international business and finance), left end Joe Lemma
(speech comm.) and tight end Joe Newton (forest mgmt). The
list continues at the conclusion of winter term -- on track are snapper Joel Cohen (economics), right tackle Josh Linehan (sociology),
strong safety Sabby Piscitelli (speech comm.) and tight end
Jason Vandiver (sociology). On track to be finished at the
end of spring term are right guard Zach Harris (sociology),
cornerback Rickey Herod (speech comm.), wide receiver Ruben Jackson (liberal studies), cornerback Kellen Marshall
(economics), quarterback Matt Moore (speech comm.) and left
tackle Ben Siegert (housing studies).
Additional
notes.
- Only one Beaver
starter is expected to miss the opening game - CB Brandon Hughes
with a knee injury.
- Oregon State
has won 20 consecutive nonconference home games. Riley is 11-0 in non-conference
home contests.
- The Beavers
averaged 143.3 yards per game rushing over the last eight outings, compared
to 67.3 over the first three.
- The Beavers
five conference home games feature opponents that combined for a 41-19 record
in 2005.
- Seniors Matt
Moore, Sabby Piscitelli, and Joe Newton,
and junior Yvenson Bernard were selected team captains in
June. Junior guard Matt Alfred and senior linebacker David
Eneberg will serve as Eastern Washington's captains.
- Oregon State
is 24-5 when leading after three quarters under head coach Mike Riley, including
10-1 in the combined 2004 and ‘05 seasons.
- Oregon State
coaches in the press box during games are Nigel Burton (CB),
Greg Newhouse (DL), Keith Heyward (GA/DEF),
Danny Langsdorf (Off. Coord.) and Gary Beck
(GA/OFF).
- Coach Wulff
was a center for Erickson at Washington State in 1987.
- Coach
Wulff on Oregon State.
“We are familiar with them, but only our coaches know what it’s
like to play there. This a different year, but I do feel like we are prepared
to go play a ball game. We’re going to go down to play good football
and we are going to put a plan together to win. I feel good about competing
and having an opportunity to win a ball game.”
“They
are experienced on offense, so we know they are going to be very physical
on offense. That is going to be very challenging. Defensively we know their
secondary is experienced and their defensive ends are back. We know they
have great team speed, but we just need to go in and execute and do the
things we need to do.”
THE LAST
TIME OREGON STATE....
Beat a ranked team -- at No. 18 California (10/15/05)
Returned a punt for a TD -- Cole Clasen 42 yards vs. Arizona State (9/27/03)
-- Clasen fumbled into the end zone; recovered by Keller Christensen for the
score.
Returned a kickoff for a TD -- Steven Jackson, 89 yards vs. Northern Arizona
(11/17/01)
Returned a fumble for a TD -- Noah Happe, 19 yards vs. UCLA (10/5/02)
Returned an interception for a TD -- Jeff Van Orsow, 24 yards vs. Stanford (11/12/05)
Recovered a blocked punt for TD -- Kenny Farley vs. Arizona (10/13/01) -- blocked
by Cole Clasen
Blocked a punt -- Derrick Doggett at Oregon (11/19/05)
Recovered a blocked FG for TD -- Dennis Weathersby, 83 yards vs. UCLA (10/5/02)
-- blocked by Nick Barnett.
Blocked a Field Goal -- Sir Henry Anderson vs. Stanford (11/12/05)
Blocked a PAT -- Ben Siegert vs. Arizona (10/29/05)
Recorded a safety -- vs. Stanford (11/15/03)
Scored a 2-point conversion -- Shawn Kintner pass from Derek Anderson at Stanford
(11/16/02)
Scored a 2-point defensive TD -- Keith Heyward at Washington (10/7/00)
Shut out an opponent -- at Oregon (11/19/83) -- scoreless tie
Shut out an opponent at home -- vs. Washington State (11/8/75), 7-0
Shut out an opponent on the road -- at Oregon (11/19/83) -- scoreless tie
Was shut out -- at USC (9/28/02), 22-0
Was shut out at home -- vs. USC (11/15/97), 23-0
Lineman scored a TD -- Jeff Van Orsow vs. Stanford (11/12/05), 24-yard interception
return
Individual scored 4 touchdowns -- Steven Jackson vs. New Mexico (12/24/03)
Had a player rush for 100-plus yards -- Yvenson Bernard at Washington (11/5/05),
122 yards
Had a player rush for 200-plus yards -- Steven Jackson at California (11/4/03),
227 yards
Had a player with 200-plus receiving yards -- Mike Hass at Boise State (9/10/04),
293 yards (Pac-10 record)
Had a player pass for 400-plus yards -- Derek Anderson at Boise State (9/10/04),
411 yards
THE LAST TIME AN OPPONENT.....
Returned a punt for a TD --Reggie Bush, USC at Corvallis (11/6/04) -- 65 yards
Returned a kickoff for a TD -- Jonathan Stewart, Oregon at Eugene (11/19/05)
-- 97 yards
Returned a blocked punt for a TD -- Troy Polamalu, USC at L.A. (11/3/01)
Returned a fumble for a TD -- Josh Bazinet, New Mexico at OSU (9/18/04) -- 70
yards
Returned an INT for a TD -- Aaron Gipson, Oregon at Eugene (11/19/05) -- 60
yards
Recorded a safety -- Washington State (10/23/04)
Blocked a punt -- Littrele Jones, Arizona State (9/24/05)
Blocked a FG -- Mike Williams, USC at LA (12/6/03)
Scored a 2-point def. TD -- Tim Smith, Stanford at OSU (11/19/96) -- 100 yards
*********
Dan Norz is the publisher of BeaverFootball.com. He
can be reached at
webmaster@beaverfootball.com.