Civil War Week: Keys To The Game - Beavers

It's been a strange season for Beaver fans during the 2010 season. After hanging with two top five programs in the early going and coming away with a road win over then-No. 9 Arizona, the team has been hard to predict. With impressive wins over USC and Cal on their resume, OSU has also fell to the likes of lowly UCLA and Washington State. At 5-6, the Beavers need a win in the Civil War to become bowl eligible, and to play spoiler to Oregon's perfect season. Here are their keys to victory:

• Sustain long scoring drives. The best defense against Oregon's offense? Keeping Darron Thomas and company off the field. The Beavers will need to open up holes for Jacquizz Rodgers to keep the clock moving and keep the ball moving. OSU has shown the ability to milk the clock when needed, and if Quizz and the running game are productive, this will give quarterback Ryan Katz  manageable third down opportunities and a higher chance to keep the ball out of the Ducks' hands.

• Don't settle for field goals. In last year's match up, the Beaver offense was able to move the ball down the field frequently against the Ducks, but too many drives ended with field goals instead of touchdowns. That ended up being one of, if not the, deciding factor in not being able to come out victorious. With the Ducks constantly being a play away from putting up six on the board, OSU cannot afford to not get in the end zone when the opportunity arises.

• Be proactive on defense. The Beaver defense is at their finest when they are blowing plays up at the line of scrimmage, led by defensive tackle Stephen Paea. Paea has been nearly unstoppable the past two weeks, tossing aside offensive linemen left and right. Oregon has one of the most sound and conditioned offensive line in the country, a major key to their success. If the defense can constantly make Thomas uncomfortable in a hostile environment and keep the crowd involved, there's no reason the Beavers can't stay in the game until the end.

Before the season began, the Beavers were selected to wear Nike Pro Combat uniforms designed in the image of the 1967 "Giant Killers" uniforms. Little did we know that the number one team in the country would be rolling into Corvallis on the date selected to don the jerseys. If the Beavers can keep the crowd involved the entire game and sustain some consistency on offense, there could be another slaying of a giant by the end of the game.