I jumped all over columnist Jon Wilner for his "lack of insight" when he posted his expected order of finish in the Pac-10. Today he's redeemed himself. There's lot here to think about and watch for.
I just wish he had mentioned Jacquizz Rogers. If that kid gets loose in the Stanford secondary, this could be a very long day for the Cardinal. A lot of people here probably don't think OSU's QB Lyle Moevao can do anything better than he barely managed last year. I think he's by far the better of the 2 QB's starting tonight. Some kids learn a lot in a year. I think Moevao is one if them.
My biggest interest in this game is to see how well OSU's offense has developed compared to an anemic squad in '07. I expect to see a lot more offense in this game, at least on one side of things. Staford lost 2 OL's this past week and one of their starting WR's, a position which they are already very thin at.
Good luck to all you "under" players tonight. I think you'll hit.
Enjoy.
Stanford vs. Oregon State: 10 things to watch ….
Posted by Jon Wilner on August 27th, 2008 at 12:14 pm
I expect to attend Stanford’s season opener against Oregon State. Merc beat writer Darren Sabedra and columnist Tim Kawakami are also planning to attend, which means …
There will be at least three people in Stanford Stadium on Thursday night. Ba-da-bing!
Sorry, I couldn’t resist a Stanford attendance joke, since Stanford’s attendance has been something approaching a joke for the past six years.
I expect tens of thousands of empty seats Thursday.
Think about it: The Cardinal isn’t supposed to be very good (again). The Beavers are hardly a big draw. It’s a 6 p.m. start (tough for working folks), and it’s on TV.
Sure, the ESPN2 exposure is good for recruiting. But you know what’s bad for recruiting? Rows and rows of empty seats.
Will there even be 25,000 people in the stadium? I’ll be watching. As for the football, I’ll also be watching:
* Oregon State receiver Sammie Stroughter when he lines up against Stanford cornerback Wopamo Osaisai.
That should be the best matchup of the game: Stroughter is a first-class playmaker, while Osaisai’s one of the most gifted cover corners in the conference.
* To see if Stanford’s best defensive players (Clinton Synder, Bo McNally, Pannel Egboh and Osaisai) disrupt the Beavers’ rhythm.
Will they create turnovers, collapse the pocket and energize the crowd with punishing hits — all the things playmakers are supposed to do?
* Stanford tailback Toby Gerhart, who missed all but one game last year because of a knee injury. Does he have that extra gear needed to get through a seam or around a corner?
* Cardinal guards Chase Beeler and Andrew Phillips — both first time starters — to see if they can handle Oregon State’s array of stunts and blitzes?
OSU defensive coordinator Mark Banker is one of the best in the business; he’ll sniff out and expose any and all weaknesses.
* To see if Oregon State attacks Cardinal free safety Taylor Skaufel, who’s replacing injured starter Austin Yancy.
The guess here is yes, the Beavers will challenge Skaufel early and often. OSU Coach Mike Riley loves the downfield passing game.
* Stanford’s perimeter defenders, especially outside linebackers Snyder and Pat Maynor. Will they keep containment on mobile OSU quarterback Lyle Moevao?
* To see if Stanford makes the most of its scoring opportunities. The Cardinal made just over 50 percent of its field goals last season and scored touchdowns on under 50 percent of its trips into the red zone.
* To see what trick plays Cardinal Coach Jim Harbaugh cooked up, over the past eight months, for the season opener.
* And lastly, I’ll be watching Stanford quarterback Tavita Pritchard.
Will he tuck the ball and run at the first hint of pressure, or stay in the pocket until the last second, buying his receivers valuable time to break open?
Will he connect on downfield passes against a very good OSU secondary, or be content to check down to his backs and tight ends? Pritchard completed 97 passes last season, and his longest was for just 42 yards.
Stanford can’t win (Thursday or any day) without a few big plays.
I just wish he had mentioned Jacquizz Rogers. If that kid gets loose in the Stanford secondary, this could be a very long day for the Cardinal. A lot of people here probably don't think OSU's QB Lyle Moevao can do anything better than he barely managed last year. I think he's by far the better of the 2 QB's starting tonight. Some kids learn a lot in a year. I think Moevao is one if them.
My biggest interest in this game is to see how well OSU's offense has developed compared to an anemic squad in '07. I expect to see a lot more offense in this game, at least on one side of things. Staford lost 2 OL's this past week and one of their starting WR's, a position which they are already very thin at.
Good luck to all you "under" players tonight. I think you'll hit.
Enjoy.
Stanford vs. Oregon State: 10 things to watch ….
Posted by Jon Wilner on August 27th, 2008 at 12:14 pm
I expect to attend Stanford’s season opener against Oregon State. Merc beat writer Darren Sabedra and columnist Tim Kawakami are also planning to attend, which means …
There will be at least three people in Stanford Stadium on Thursday night. Ba-da-bing!
Sorry, I couldn’t resist a Stanford attendance joke, since Stanford’s attendance has been something approaching a joke for the past six years.
I expect tens of thousands of empty seats Thursday.
Think about it: The Cardinal isn’t supposed to be very good (again). The Beavers are hardly a big draw. It’s a 6 p.m. start (tough for working folks), and it’s on TV.
Sure, the ESPN2 exposure is good for recruiting. But you know what’s bad for recruiting? Rows and rows of empty seats.
Will there even be 25,000 people in the stadium? I’ll be watching. As for the football, I’ll also be watching:
* Oregon State receiver Sammie Stroughter when he lines up against Stanford cornerback Wopamo Osaisai.
That should be the best matchup of the game: Stroughter is a first-class playmaker, while Osaisai’s one of the most gifted cover corners in the conference.
* To see if Stanford’s best defensive players (Clinton Synder, Bo McNally, Pannel Egboh and Osaisai) disrupt the Beavers’ rhythm.
Will they create turnovers, collapse the pocket and energize the crowd with punishing hits — all the things playmakers are supposed to do?
* Stanford tailback Toby Gerhart, who missed all but one game last year because of a knee injury. Does he have that extra gear needed to get through a seam or around a corner?
* Cardinal guards Chase Beeler and Andrew Phillips — both first time starters — to see if they can handle Oregon State’s array of stunts and blitzes?
OSU defensive coordinator Mark Banker is one of the best in the business; he’ll sniff out and expose any and all weaknesses.
* To see if Oregon State attacks Cardinal free safety Taylor Skaufel, who’s replacing injured starter Austin Yancy.
The guess here is yes, the Beavers will challenge Skaufel early and often. OSU Coach Mike Riley loves the downfield passing game.
* Stanford’s perimeter defenders, especially outside linebackers Snyder and Pat Maynor. Will they keep containment on mobile OSU quarterback Lyle Moevao?
* To see if Stanford makes the most of its scoring opportunities. The Cardinal made just over 50 percent of its field goals last season and scored touchdowns on under 50 percent of its trips into the red zone.
* To see what trick plays Cardinal Coach Jim Harbaugh cooked up, over the past eight months, for the season opener.
* And lastly, I’ll be watching Stanford quarterback Tavita Pritchard.
Will he tuck the ball and run at the first hint of pressure, or stay in the pocket until the last second, buying his receivers valuable time to break open?
Will he connect on downfield passes against a very good OSU secondary, or be content to check down to his backs and tight ends? Pritchard completed 97 passes last season, and his longest was for just 42 yards.
Stanford can’t win (Thursday or any day) without a few big plays.
