Oregon State vs. Boise State: Notes and Thoughts

Everything went as expected in Boise Saturday night, as the Broncos of Boise State defeated the Oregon State Beavers 37-24. The Beavers (1-2) begin Pac-10 play next weekend at home against Arizona State.

- The Beavers defense made strides as far as getting to the ball quicker and running down hill, rather than playing on their heels. This will be crucial to maintain throughout conference play, where nearly every team has an explosive running back.

- Tackling is still suspect to say the least. Not a lot of squaring up and wrapping up, mainly with the defensive backs. Too much diving and leading with the shoulder. This won't cut it as the season progresses.

- Offensive line having some trouble creating holes in the middle for Jacquizz to squeeze through. He's a nimble man, he doesn't need much room. But he needs more than he's been getting. (Also, only 18 carries in the game. Not enough touches, and not enough touches in space. Those draw plays up the middle were not there all night, yet the Beavers continued to run it. Puzzling.)

- Katz is a gamer, and is probably ahead of where he should be in his progression, considering he's faced 2 of the top 5 teams in the country in his first three starts. Accuracy is still an issue, as well as the tendency to hold on to the ball too long to try and make a play. However, Katz has yet to throw an interception and his mobility will continue to benefit him as the offensive line continues to gel.

- James Rodgers may be the most valuable player for the Beavers. His absence was terribly missed in the second half. Besides his running and catching ability, his knack to get other players involved and vocal leadership most certainly could have been used.

Looking ahead briefly to the Sun Devils, ASU pushed Oregon to the limit Saturday night, but costly turnovers kept them from producing an upset. Based on the Sun Devils' play the last two weeks, expect them to give plenty of teams fits this season in the Pac-10. The Beavers have lost their last six Pac-10 openers.