CORVALLIS, Ore. (AP) - Oregon State survived a scare against UCLA, but if the Beavers keep squandering opportunities, they might not be so lucky this week.
The Beavers needed a 17-yard touchdown run from wide receiver James Rodgers in the final minutes to preserve a 26-19 win over UCLA Saturday. It came after the Beavers blew a 19-3 fourth quarter lead, allowing Bruin freshman quarterback Kevin Prince to throw for two touchdowns and two extra points.
Prince connected with wideout Rosario Nelson for two huge plays -- a 58-yard touchdown strike and a 45-yard reception which set up another TD. This allowed UCLA (3-5, 0-5 Pacific-10) to tie the game, requiring the Beavers to fire up their two minute offense for the drive that won the game.
By all rights, the game never should have been so close. As usual, Rodgers and his brother Jacquizz were the engine of a productive Oregon State offense, combining for an eye-popping 428 all-purpose yards. James Rodgers had 10 catches for 106 yards and Jacquizz Rodgers ran for 112 yards, caught seven passes for 96 yards and even threw a touchdown to tight end Brady Camp. All told, Oregon State had 463 yards of total offense.
But the Beavers had five drives stall out at the UCLA 31-yard-line or closer and had to settle for five Justin Kahut field goal attempts. Kahut made four of them
"Those field goals have got to be touchdowns," said Oregon State quarterback Sean Canfield, who threw for 305 yards. "You saw how close it came at the end. It's just the little things again."
The Beavers had a similar problem the week before in a 42-36 loss to No. 4 USC, where four drives ended in Kahut field goal attempts instead of touchdowns, allowing the Beavers to fall behind to the Trojans.
Coach Mike Riley acknowledged the Beavers shortcomings, saying the team "did all the things to self-destruct," but he also emphasized the positive.
"These games are hard to win, and a lot of that stuff wasn't perfect," he said. "But there was a lot of good football out there. I think it is a big win at this stage of the year. To get to five wins and see what we can do is fun."
Now Oregon State (5-3, 3-2) has to hit the road to play California, which has won three in a row after early-season blowout losses to Oregon and USC. The Golden Bears (6-2, 3-2) beat Arizona State 24-23 Saturday on field goal with 21 seconds remaining.
Quarterbacked by junior Kevin Riley and also featuring explosive running back Jahvid Best, Cal's offense is a considerable upgrade compared to UCLA's, and the Beavers continue to be hampered by a passing defense that is ranked 116th among the 120 teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision.
"It'll be another tough Pac-10 game," Mike Riley said. "They're all going to be like that -- very competitive -- but it's good to get another win and get the opportunity to build on that and compete with them. (California) is a good team, a good program. It's a great game for this time of the year."
