Oregon State

The Times' Chris Dufresne unveils his preseason college football top 25, one day (and team) at a time: No. 22 Oregon St. This ranking may seem high for a school that scored three points in the Sun Bowl last year -- and won -- and also loses eight starters on defense. But it's also time Mike Riley's program gets a little benefit-of-doubt love. USC, which lost last year to Oregon State, turns its defensive roster over and no one thinks twice putting the Trojans back in the preseason top 10. Oregon State loses players and gets tossed in the rankings sock drawer.

USC TONIGHT AT OREGON STATE When: 7:30. Where: Gill Coliseum, Corvallis, Ore. On the air: TV: FS West. Radio: 710. Records: USC 10-7 overall, 2-2 in the Pac-10; Oregon State 7-9, 2-3. Record vs. opponent: 66-57. Update: Like USC, which nearly dug itself out of a 20-point hole against Oregon on Thursday, the Beavers faced a huge deficit on the same day, trailing UCLA by 17. Both came close, but failed to complete a comeback.

UCLA appears to be facing an Oregon State team chock-full of eager Beavers. Oregon State has played only once in three weeks, as its opener against Nicholls State postponed. The Beavers are coming off a bye week. “I love hitting people,” Oregon State defensive end Dylan Wynn told the Oregonian. “I love just being on the field and not getting in trouble for hitting people. The more away from it you are, the more you want it. " Oregon State manhandled Wisconsin, 10-7, in its only game.

MEN at Oregon State 74, Cal State Bakersfield 39: Joe Burton and Jared Cunningham each scored 13 points to lead the Beavers (4-3) to an easy victory over the Roadrunners (1-5). Brothers Josh and Seth Tarver added 12 and 10 points, respectively, for Oregon State, which has won three in a row. Oregon State trailed only once, at 18-17, but then went on a 17-2 run to pull away. Trent Blakley had 12 points for Bakersfield. at Washington, 88, Cal State Northridge 76: Isaiah Thomas scored 21 points, 13 from the foul line, Quincy Pondexter added 20 and the No. 12 Huskies (6-1)

Both UCLA and Oregon State are hoping to use this Pacific 12 Conference opener as a springboard -- or at least as an antidote for what's been ailing them. UCLA is still stinging from last week's 49-20 loss to Texas at the Rose Bowl. Oregon State had last Saturday off after being routed 35-0 at Wisconsin. Staff writer Chris Foster examines the game's issues and matchups: Gloom and doom Oregon State defensive tackle Kevin Frahm told the Oregonian newspaper this week, "The vultures are circling the carcass" in Corvallis.

On a night when the UCLA men's basketball team saw its season end, the women's team continued theirs — and inched ever closer to the NCAA Tournament. The Bruins crushed Oregon State, 60-44, Friday at the Galen Center in the quarterfinals of the State Farm Pac-10 women's tournament, advancing to Saturday's semifinal round against rival USC. UCLA's regular season record now stands at 23 wins and seven losses. To guarantee a spot in the NCAA Tournament, the Bruins would have to win this tournament, but head Coach Nikki Caldwell said they have already done enough.

Oregon's thorny start has come up roses. Redshirt freshman LaMichael James ran for 166 yards and three touchdowns Thursday night to send No. 7 Oregon to the Rose Bowl with a 37-33 victory over No. 13 Oregon State in the Civil War. Oregon (10-2, 8-1) claimed the Pac-10 championship with the victory, ending USC's seven-season hold on the title. The Ducks, who have not been to the Rose Bowl since 1995, will face Ohio State in Pasadena on New Year's Day. LeGarrette Blount, who hadn't played since throwing a punch after Oregon's season-opening loss to Boise State, returned to the field and scored on a 12-yard run in the third quarter.

. -- Tajuan Porter scored 24 points and Oregon overcame a 13-point deficit in the second half to beat Oregon State, 79-69, on Sunday. Matt Humphrey added a career-high 17 points for the Ducks, 8-20 overall and 2-14 in the Pacific 10 Conference. Oregon trailed, 45-32, when Joevan Catron scored inside at the 16:17 mark of the second half to spark a 24-3 run. Porter and Humphrey each scored eight points during that stretch.

Few basketball coaches use a 1-3-1 zone defense. Too risky. It can win its employer games and lose them just as easily. It's seductive, but it's unfaithful. And that's why it's rare. But Oregon State Coach Craig Robinson swears by the high-risk, high-reward half-court trapping scheme that can cause turnovers and produce fastbreak baskets. So far this season, his Beavers (7-9, 2-3 in Pacific 10 Conference play) have produced the statistics to indicate it works ? they lead the nation in steals (11.1)

A beat-up junker with four flat tires and an engine sputtering on its last miles rolled into the Galen Center on Saturday. It stalled for 40 minutes on hardwood, souring its own pregame senior day festivities adorned with the traditional roses, sobs, applause and framed jerseys. And, after mustering something of an effort before the final buzzer mercilessly ended a hideous basketball game, USC, the junker, stopped. Final score: Oregon State 49, USC 44, before a crowd of 6,158.