Beavers climb into title chase
Once again, Oregon State has played its way into the thick of the Rose Bowl race.
Jacquizz Rodgers ran for 159 yards, Sean Canfield threw for four touchdowns and the Beavers demolished Washington 48-21 Saturday in Corvallis, Ore., for their fifth win in six games.
Rodgers, a semifinalist for the Doak Walker Award, surpassed the 1,000-yard rushing mark for the season and ran for two touchdowns.
The Beavers (7-3, 5-2 Pac-10) finished a game out of the Pac-10 title chase last season and went to the Sun Bowl. They play their final two games on the road against Washington State and Oregon.
With five teams in contention for the conference title entering the game, Oregon State got a lift when No. 25 Stanford routed No. 11 Southern California. The Beavers had lost to USC, but hold a tiebreaker over Stanford.
Chris Polk ran for 100 yards for the Huskies (3-7, 2-5), who are out of bowl contention after dropping their fourth straight. The Huskies, winless on the road this season, came into the game needing to win their final three to be bowl eligible. Instead, they fell to the Beavers for the sixth straight year.
Canfield was 21 of 29 for 185 yards. He connected with seven receivers.
(14) Oregon 44, Arizona State 21: At Eugene, Ore., as LeGarrette Blount awaited his first chance to play since his suspension, LaMichael James ran for 150 yards and three TDs as the Ducks (8-2, 6-1) defeated the Sun Devils (4-6, 2-5).
Blount was dressed and ready to go, pacing the sideline at times with his helmet on. The senior running back returned this week from his suspension for punching a Boise State player following Oregon’s season-opening loss to the Broncos. He never got in the game.
James, who established himself in Blount’s absence with an average of 115.9 yards rushing, had 119 yards and all his scores in the first half.
California 24, (18) Arizona 16: At Berkeley, Calif., Shane Vereen scored on a 61-yard run after a penalty thwarted a potential go-ahead drive for the Wildcats (6-3, 4-2) and the Golden Bears (7-3, 4-3) won without injured star running back Jahvid Best.
Giorgio Tavecchio kicked four field goals, giving Cal an 18-16 lead with a 22-yarder with 4:46 remaining.
After Tavecchio made a key tackle on the ensuing kickoff, the Wildcats drove the ball down to the Cal 25. On third-and-3, Nick Foles’ pass was batted at the line. Foles caught the ricochet and tried to throw it again. That was a penalty for an illegal forward pass and the ball moved back to the 39 and Arizona lost the down.