The Beavers have taken this game seriously, even going as far as painting their practice field blue to get ready for the “smurf turf” that awaits them on Saturday night. The Beavers are game. They bring a top 25 team to Boise, but it might not be enough. It’s not the blue turf that makes Boise State so good, although they have won 56 straight regular season games at home. After all, they beat Virginia Tech on Labor Day playing on grass. It’s their high powered offense led by Heisman Trophy candidate Kellen Moore, their staunch defense, and their coaching staff that make the Broncos a National Championship contender.

Mike Riley joined KJR in Seattle with Dave “Softy” Mahler to talk about whether or not they are ready for Saturday against Boise State, confirms that Oregon State did paint the practice field blue, on what makes Boise State so good, whether or not they recruited Kellen Moore out of high school, and talks about the idea that Boise State is a National Championship contender.

On whether or not they are ready for Saturday night against Boise State:

“We are just about ready. I always say, we’ll use every minute to get ready. It’s Thursday which is always a great day of practice for the Beavers. It’s kinda dress rehearsal day. It’s fun, it’s exciting, we’ve been in two big arenas here early in the year and I think it’s been real good for our team to have to get ready for these games.”

On whether or not it is true that they painted their practice field blue:

“(Laughing) Yes we did. I have to give the credit for the idea to Bob De Carolis our Athletic Director. He thought about this a long time ago. I thought it was kind of a publicity stunt at first, but when we did it and it really matches their color and we haven’t done everything on it, it was just one of the grass fields that we have, but it really kinda feels different when you walk on their field in Boise. It was just like this. People pipe in music and they do different stuff to get ready for games. This is really just fun at emphasis is what it is. It’s nothing more than that.”

On what makes Boise State so good:

“There’s three of them really. First of all offensively, their balance. People think about Boise and they remember the trick plays against Oklahoma and they still have the bag of tricks, but they are a powerful running football team and do it very well. They scheme their runs great and the play action off of them. So that balance is hard. Then defensively they are very well schooled and coached, have good players, and are tenacious. That team plays hard on defense. Then Special teams they give you all the stuff. They punt the ball and have every punt formation that you can think of. It’s one of those games where you have to be very sound, very aware, very focused, and then play like crazy for 60 minutes.”

On whether or not Oregon State recruited Kellen Moore:

“We did recruit him, but we never did offer him because we already had a quarterback committed. When you look at a guy that has that much productivity like he had at Prosser, you’ve gotta take a look at him and he was obviously a good player. In recruiting it comes down, maybe Washington, I know we did, I think we had a quarterback committed or we were pretty far along and we usually have quite a few quarterbacks come down in June and be part of our camp and it was part of that process. We were excited about him because he was such a good player, but it just worked out with another guy and I don’t remember who it might’ve been. He wasn’t overly impressive size wise, but he was just a player. He has proven that more and more while being at Boise. He could very well be the most efficient player in the country.”

On the idea that Boise State is a National Championship contender:

“Here’s the deal, I think you can’t fault them for their conference. They’re in what they are in. They’ve won their big games that they have been in and they have good players. I was talking to a pro scout the other day and they’ve got a lot of prospects. They’re an old team now, they’ve got just about everybody back from last year so they’ve got good players, they’ve won, we want to derail this thing, but they’ve won their big games, and dominated their conference. I look at their team, if I was to sit down and compare and contrast, it’s impossible to try and do that probably, but if you did, you would have to say that this team fits where they are.”

Listen to Mike Riley on KJR in Seattle here

Riley joined KLAC in Los Angeles with Petros and Money to talk about the remarkable job he’s done transforming a perennial loser into a consistently competitive program, his team’s early season tilt against TCU, how much respect he has for programs like TCU and Boise State that have become powerhouses despite their mid-major status, how he thinks new quarterback Ryan Katz will handle the pressure and responsibilities of being the starter, his sensational running back Jaquizz Rodgers, and how he thinks the Pac 10 should be realigned now that it’s added two teams to the mix.

On how he’s been able to transform the program from its woeful ways when he took the job (for the first time) back in 1994:

“Well, it took the work of a lot of people Petros. And I start with the president of the university back then…Paul Ritcher was a great, great man. As soon as we were hired, he invited our staff into his office. It was pretty intimidating. We all go up to the president’s office, sit in this board room, and he says, ‘how can I help you guys?’ And he was at every recruiting meeting, he was really involved, and I really appreciated that. And then after that it was strictly development. It was working hard, evaluating, developing, and getting lucky with some kids that started to turn it around. And then Dennis came in here and took it to another level. I’m very, very proud of the fact that it is a different picture in those decades in the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s. You know, it’s just a lot of fun for the Beavers fans that are out there. And now, it’s to the point where the Civil War has been a very, very important game for a lot of reasons – not just for our state, but it’s had some ramifications for our league, and even nationally.”

On the ascension of teams like TCU (who they play in their early season out of conference schedule) and Boise State:

“It’s a lesson for us all. These two programs led by Gary Patterson and Chris Peterson…I know those guys are, they’re really good people and they’re really good coaches. And they’ve stayed in program, and they’ve built the program. It’s a different deal..you can have a good team every now and again, but having a program, and building on top of that program is what these two guys have done. They’ve had a long time in the program, they’ve had continuity in what they teach, and those are valuable commodities when you’re talking about a football team.”

On the team’s new quarterback Ryan Katz, and on how long he thinks it will take him to get a grasp on the system and playbook:

“Well that is the question that’s being asked every day. You know, the transition at that position is always interesting, there’s always some mystery to it. But I’m really excited about going into this deal with Ryan Katz. You’ll love the guy, you’ll see him later this week. He’s got a terrific arm, he’s got a lot of poise, he’s a tough guy, and he’s probably got more athletic ability. We might even pull the ball down and run for a first down once in a while at that position, which would be a novelty for the Beaves. So, I’m very excited about him. I know the trials and tribulations of the new quarterback, but this guy’s been with us two years, worked extremely hard and is ready for the opportunity.”

On his running back Jaquizz Rodgers – how he compares to some of the other great OSU backs, his potential Heisman candidacy, and what he thinks he can accomplish in the team’s offense:

“Well the first part of it – we’re excited about the backs that we have and that Quizz fits right into that group. I’ve been asked to compare and contrast and all I can say is, those are all good players. We’re glad to have him because we start with the premise of running the football, and everything kind of comes off that. Quizz is a terrific player, a great guy. He’s not only a great rusher, but he caught 78 passes last year; he was the second leading receiver in the conference to his brother. So he’s an all around football player. He’s a great blocker, I mean he’s a great pass protector too when we keep him in there. He’s a real tough guy, and you know, I’ve been touting him for the possibility of the Heisman. And I know there’s a lot of water under the bridge before we get to that, but he’s really a good football player. When you talk about the top players in college football, he’s put himself in a situation where you can talk about him in that vain.”

On how he thinks the Pac 10 should be realigned now that it’s a 12 team league:

“You know Petros, I do have a strong opinion on that. I was kind of old school when all this talk of expansion started. Because I love playing all the teams in the league each year, going home and home, I think that’s a great rhythm to be in. But I’ve accepted the fact that this is a new era, and I’m excited about it. I really think it should be divided in that zipper fashion that they’re talking about. I don’t like the North-South deal. I like the idea of keeping some games every year that we’re playing in southern California, in the Bay area, Arizona, and then between Colorado and Utah, Washington and Washington State. I think that would be fun to do. I like that whole picture. I remember the old days when there was a Nor-Pac in baseball, and I just didn’t like that as much. You didn’t get to see the teams as much, and I think we’d have a lot more fun with it in that zipper rule.”

Listen here to Riley with Petros & Money on FOX Sports Radio in Los Angeles

Riley has posted the following win totals: 8, 7, 5, 10, 9, 9.  Solid stuff. Riley’s teams are also a perfect 5-0 in Bowl games since 2003, though none of the Bowl appearances have been in what might be classified as marquee games.  That could all change this year. The Beavers are 9-3 heading in to the Civil War game with rival Oregon – the PAC 10 leader for the moment. The winner of this year’s game will represent the PAC 10 in this year’s Rose Bowl.  

Riley joined KFXX in Portland to talk about the magnitude of this year’s Civil War game, the difficulties of playing at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, how important it is that quarterback Jacquizz Rodgers plays well, and how he plans to remain at Oregon State for the remainder of his coaching career.

On whether or not this year’s Civil War game vs. Oregon is program defining for the Beavers:

“Absolutely.  You know what, I think its defining and its probably more defining from the outside.  I think we have a definition from within this program as far as values and winning, where were trying to head and all that stuff.  But probably from the outside it would be defining for people to know more about us and who we are and what we do.  So it would be big that way.  But I am very comfortable with as far as the definition of our program, what we have done and where we are still headed.”

On the difficulties of playing at Autzen Stadium:

“Oregon is different because of the crowd, the noise.  So poise is a major factor in this game and to their advantage as far as being able to both embrace and handle the situation of the emotion, passion and the noise.  The actual tangible noise that you have to deal with – I think they have had an average of four procedure penalties on their opponents because of noise throughout the year.  So, it obviously is a factor that you have got to be able handle so you can give yourself a chance to execute.  Because if you don’t handle that, you wont be able to execute.”

On the importance of the play of Jacquizz Rodgers vs. Oregon:

“Well, I think its great. It’s an identity for our team.  Philosophically, the Beavers have to run the ball.  And we have a great runner as they do.  So it’s going to be a great one for fans.  They have a great running back and we do too.  It’s a foundation point for our offense.  So having [Jacquizz] playing in the game is obviously a big, big deal for the Beavers.”

On whether or not he plans to remain coaching at Oregon State and make this job his last one:

“Yes.  That’s exactly right.  I have experienced a ton of fun things and good things and I have really enjoyed this profession.  And I have learned a lot.  The one thing is, if you are happy stay happy.  There’s not greener pastures and I do have a special feeling for this place and more particularly this staff… I couldn’t ask for any more anywhere else.  So, I just want to continue to make this a good place for young people to grow and to win games.”

Listen to Mike Riley on KFXX in Portland with Isaac and Big Suke

On sophomore running back Jacquizz Rodgers:

‘I think he’s had a great offseason in general. I think, as you know, that that was a significant injury but I have been basically told, and I’ve asked the questions many many times but I have been told that he is 100%. We’ve had doctors look at it many times and we actually sent it out for many opinions so I feel good about that.’

What he has done differently in camp:

‘You would like to think that you could come out of the gate differently. It starts with the conditioning of the players and I think that has been outstanding. I’m going to look to change the start of practices. I think that you can start a wear down process with your team early. The first day you start football, your body is not going to feel the same until February. I want to slow that wear down process a little bit early and pay a little bit more attention to what we do early in camp.’

Who he thinks will surprise fans:

‘I don’t know if it’d be a total surprise but because of what happened last year…Darrell Catchings kind of slipped to the background a little bit but Darrell had a terrific spring. We need our guys to be playmakers at the split back position…I’m looking at Darrell coming off of spring and I’m really excited about what he can do. He’ll be a good guy to watch.’

Listen here to Riley on 95.5 The Fan in Portland

Robinson played at Princeton in the 80′s and was a two-time Ivy League Player of the Year.  He’s a Pete Carril disciple and his Oregon State team runs a similar offense to those great Princeton teams.  Robinson will be a hot coaching prospect across the country and it will be interesting to see how long he lasts at Oregon State.  Whether he stays there or not, there’s no doubt in my mind that he will become one of the best recruiters in the country.  Robinson, the president’s brother in-law, sitting in a living room with a recruit and their family will be a pretty powerful recruiting tool.

Craig Robinson joined Mason and Ireland on ESPN LA on Tuesday to discuss the upcoming games with UCLA and USC.

Did you think your guys would get it as quickly as they have?

“I have to be completely honest, we overshot our expectations by a long way.  Having watched the tapes of the team last year, which we did and I know the league isn’t quite as good as it has been in the past, we thought that if we could get two wins out of this season we’d be doing our jobs and if we were really lucky we can get a third.”

On Barack Obama saying there should be a playoff in college football:

“You guys are really trying to get me in trouble.  I stick by my president.”

On playing UCLA for a second time (they were blown out in the first game):

“We are not the same team we were when they first saw us so hopefully that will help us out.  In the same vain, they are not the same team.  We’ve got to keep the game close in order to have a chance to win.  We have to play almost a perfect game to win.”

On if he’ll have President Obama call recruits on his behalf:

(joking, sort of) “I think the President has the right to call any citizen that he feels like calling any time he wants.  I haven’t had to use him yet, but I think I ought to petition the NCAA to see what the ruling will be on that before I do it.”

Listen to Oregon State Head Coach Craig Robinson on ESPN Radio Los Angeles (22 minutes into the podcast)

SRI has a couple of interviews from former NFL head coaches now in the college ranks. First up, Mike Riley, the former San Diego Chargers coach now in Corvallis leading the Oregon State Beavers. Then it’s Mike Sherman’s turn, who headed south from Green Bay to take on the challenge of restoring Texas A&M to national prominence.

Oregon State Beavers head coach Mike Riley (KFXX)

‘I think we hit the nail on the head with this year’s class. We tried to take this class and the plans for this class and put it in the plans for the future. We had certain needs and I think we hit it pretty well.’

Texas A&M Aggies head coach Mike Sherman (KILT)

‘It’s been a long year and now we’re on to the next class. It never ends.’

**************************

SRI NCAAFB National Signing Day Posts:

ACC Coaches