Pressure on the Beavers

PULLMAN – It’s out there for the taking.

Oregon State is one win from its first Rose Bowl berth since Tommy Prothro led the Beavers to Pasadena following the 1964 season – and liked Southern California so much he promptly left for UCLA.

“We’ve been in this position for weeks now,” current OSU coach Mike Riley said. “Now we’re down to one game.”

Riley, who already left Corvallis once and professes never wanting to leave again, has known since the upset of USC in September that his Beavers were headed to their first Rose Bowl in 44 years if they won out.

But he’s downplayed the possibility for weeks, steering the conversation to the game at hand. One would think, however, after OSU’s last-minute, 19-17 win at Arizona last week, Riley – and his team – can see the pot of gold.

Not really.

Riley said Tuesday his team needs to maintain the same level of concentration and emotion it has displayed the past few weeks.

“We have to find that right edge, just like we have to do every week,” Riley said. “As I always tell them, we win the game (at practice), then we play on Saturday.”

But this Saturday will be special, not the least of which because the stress is aimed at the Beavers.

“There’s less pressure on us,” Oregon coach Mike Bellotti said just seconds after claiming: “We’ve got as much to play for as they do.”

Not really, and that’s unusual. Even if the Ducks win, the best they can do is finish tied for first with OSU and USC, if the Trojans are upset by UCLA. But in that three-way scenario, the Beavers would go to the Rose Bowl, as the Pac-10 tiebreakers fall OSU’s way.

Usually, it’s the Ducks who head into the Civil War looking to preserve a high-paying bowl berth.

“I could see how you can say that,” Riley said when asked about the positions being reversed. “The positions have been different in the past.”

But no matter the stakes, Riley enjoys the nature of the rivalry – and the history. His dad, Bud, was on Dee Andros’ staff in the 1960s, and Mike would attend the Civil War and root for the Beavers.

“It has always been fun for me,” he said.

What’s not fun is going into the showdown without star freshman running back Jaquizz Rodgers, the Pac-10’s leading rusher with 1,253 yards.

Rodgers suffered a second-degree shoulder strain in last week’s win and Riley, thinking of Rodgers’ long-term health, doesn’t think it would be fair for him to play.

“Quizz is special and we would love to have him, but (Ryan) McCants is a really good back, too, and he’s played well,” Riley said.

And he, like all the Beavers, should be highly motivated.

There’s only a Rose Bowl berth on the line. And those come around, what, every 44 years?

Around the conference

Arizona is guaranteed a bowl berth, but the Wildcats have lost two consecutive games since earning that distinction. They have a bye this week before finishing the year by hosting Arizona State. A win in that rivalry game would move UA up the bowl pecking order, as if that matters to coach Mike Stoops. “Winning against Arizona State is all we’re concentrating on,” Stoops said. “I could care less which bowl game we go to.” … The Notre Dame rivalry game doesn’t hold the national prestige it once did, but don’t tell the USC Trojans the Irish are down. “(Notre Dame) is a lot better than last year,” USC coach Pete Carroll said. “The defense is a lot more aggressive. They get after it.” … The winner of Friday’s Arizona State vs. UCLA game in Tempe keeps its bowl hopes alive going into its rivalry game the next weekend. The loser is eliminated. “Somebody said something about ‘The Survival Bowl,’ ” UCLA receiver Terrence Austin said this week. “We’re in the same situation. We’re both fighting to get to a bowl game at the end of the season.” … If there is one team with an edge going in, it’s UCLA, said ASU coach Dennis Erickson. “They are as good as any defense we’ve seen,” he said. He had no comment about the Bruins ranking eighth in the Pac-10 in offense. … Cal and Washington have byes this week and the two will finish their seasons next week. Television had enough games for this week, so one was needed for Dec. 6.

Cougars notes

It looks like tight end Tony Thompson’s season is over. The junior reserve will not play this week at Hawaii as he recovers from another concussion. … Jeshua Anderson went through Tuesday’s practice in the indoor facility with a yellow jersey on. He’s expected to play Saturday. … Alfonso Jackson also had on a yellow jersey and his status for the game will be decided Thursday or Friday. … The Cougars will practice today starting at 9 a.m., then bus to Seattle. They’ll stay the night there and catch an 8:30 a.m. flight Thursday for Hawaii, arriving after noon. Then it’s a bus trip to Aloha Stadium for practice and back to the hotel for Thanksgiving. … It looks like Saturday’s game will not be on ESPN’s game plan despite evidence to the contrary on the network’s Web site. A company that doesn’t use satellite transmission to distribute the feed is broadcasting the game in Hawaii.