Beavs have found life rough on the road

ROAD GAMES IN September haven't been kind to Oregon State. Blowout losses to Penn State, Louisville, Boise State and others have made Beaver Nation nervous early in the year. Fortunately the Beavers get a break from trying to knockoff a Top 25 team on the road in Week 2, but coach Mike Riley says it doesn't make picking up a win any easier.

"It's part of the life in sports - about 50 percent of the time you're traveling," Riley said. "so a lot of your season's success depends on your ability to negate the problems of travel, playing in someone else's park and the crowd.

"Your ability to do that will really determine your season's success."

In Oregon State's last nine non-conference road games, the home team has been victorious eight times.

The Beavers haven't won their first road game of the year, non-conference or conference, since 2002 - a trend Riley would like to reverse.

"You have to win on the road," Riley said. "It's a big step for us to be able to try and do that this week."