Quizz the only frosh Doak Walker semifinalist

THERE'S ONLY ONE FRESHMAN who made the list of 10 semifinalists for the Doak Walker Award, presented annually to the nation's top running back. He wears the black and orange of Oregon State, and he's leading the Pac-10 in rushing -- Jacquizz Rodgers.

Jacquizz Rodgers is attempting to become the third player in Pac-10 history to earn the Doak Walker Award, joining Reggie Bush of USC in 2005 and Greg Lewis of Washington in 1990.

Quizz leads the Pac-10 Conference and is 10th nationally in rushing yardage with a 121 yards per game average. For the season, he has already set a conference freshman record with 1,089 ground yards and has been named the league's Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Week three times, one of only two players to have so been awarded along with USC quarterback Mark Sanchez. Rodgers rushed for 186 yards and two touchdowns in the Beavers' victory over No. 1 USC on Sept. 25.

Rodgers is joined by seniors Tyrell Fenroy of Louisiana-Lafayette and Javon Ringer of Michigan State, juniors Donald Brown of Connecticut, Glen Coffee of Alabama and Shonn Greene of Iowa, and sophomores Kendall Hunter of Oklahoma State, LeSean McCoy of Pittsburgh, Knowshon Moreno of Georgia and Evan Royster of Penn State.

The three finalists will be determined Mon., Nov. 24 via a vote of the 162 member selection committee, with the recipient being announced live on the ESPNU College Football Awards show Dec. 11. The Doak Walker Award presentation banquet will be Feb. 6 in Dallas, Texas and is hosted by the ESPN College GameDay crew of Kirk Herbstreit, Chris Fowler and Lee Corso.

The Beavers enter Saturday's showdown at Reser Stadium against California with a 6-3 overall record and 5-1 in the Pac-10, tied with USC for the conference lead but holding the tiebreaker advantage due to their win over the Trojans. Saturday's game will air live beginning at 12:30 p.m. on ABC (regional) and ESPN360.com. Reserved seats are sold out for the Dad's Weekend game.

Oregon State is ranked No. 23 in this week's Associated Press Poll and No. 25 in the USAToday/Coaches' Poll.

The Beavs, with three regular seasons games left, are shooting for the Rose Bowl and if they win out, as it will likely take for them to earn the Pac-10 berth in the Granddaddy of The Them All, it will just as likely require more of the same from the Beavers' freshman sensation.

Long may he run.