Football Unable to Stop Arizona
October 17, 1998
CORVALLIS, Ore. (AP) - Arizona's strategy against Oregon State was simple: Hand the ball off, then wait for Oregon State to cough it up.
Kelvin Eafon had three short touchdown runs and Leon Callen ran for 107 yards and a score as the No. 16 Wildcats beat Oregon State 28-7 on Saturday.
Eafon rushed for 84 yards and Trung Canidate added 70 for the Wildcats, who piled up 228 yards rushing while holding Oregon State to just 21 on 24 carries.
"The offensive line promised me the other day that I was going to have a big day, and that the running game was going to get going," said Eafon, who has 10 of Arizona's 18 rushing TDs. "And they came through. I love those guys."
Last week, Arizona (6-1, 3-1 Pac-10) had just 90 yards rushing in a 52-28 loss to UCLA, but the Wildcats ran away with this game after taking advantage of four Oregon State fumbles.
Oregon State (4-3, 1-3) lost two fumbles in the first half that were turned into TDs by Arizona. The Wildcats also recovered two third-quarter fumbles inside their 35.
Arizona led 21-7 at the half on touchdown runs of 1, 4 and 2 yards by Eafon. But the Wildcats came out flat in the third quarter, losing four yards on 11 plays on their first three possessions.
On second down from the Arizona 15, Beavers reserve quarterback Jonathan Smith was hit on a keeper by Mike Robertson, and Greg Payne recovered at the Wildcats 24 with 9:48 left in the quarter.
After Arizona punted, Smith completed a 26-yard pass to tight end Martin Maurer, but Scooter Sprotte popped the ball loose at the Wildcats 35, ruining another Oregon State scoring opportunity.
Callen put the game away with a 36-yard TD with 8:18 to play.
"Stopping their run and being able to just move the ball on the ground like we did, that's the thing that pleases me the most," Arizona coach Dick Tomey said.
Keith Smith completed 12-of-18 passes with an interception for Arizona, which won its sixth straight game over the Beavers and leads the series 19-2-1.
Arizona won its fifth straight road game this season and has just one remaining, at Cal Nov. 14.
"It's so hard to win in college football, so you appreciate any victory," Tomey said. "For this team to be 6-1 with five of those wins on the road is just something we feel really good about."
Oregon State, which had started 4-2 for the first time since 1968, got its only touchdown late in the first half after Jonathan Smith came in for Terrance Bryant, who left with back spasms after taking a hit.
Smith, a redshirt freshman, lobbed a 15-yard scoring pass to Robert Prescott with 21 seconds left in the half.
Redshirt freshman Ken Simonton, the Pac-10's No. 3 rusher at 106.8 yards per game, was held to 36 yards on 16 carries.
Oregon State found a little success with its short passing game early. James Battle made a terrific one-handed catch for an 18-yard gain late in the first quarter, but Simonton fumbled on the next play, and Rafell Jones recovered for Arizona.
A 34-yard run by Eafon set up his 1-yard leap for a TD to start the second quarter.
"We had a little momentum right off the bat," Oregon State coach Mike Riley said. "We run the ball, get a couple of first downs, get another good play and then fumble the ball. As the game went on, the fumbles and the turnovers gave them a short field."
Eafon's second TD run made it 14-0 with 8:57 left in the first half. The score was set up by a 28-yard pass from Keith Smith to Jeremy McDaniel, and a 19-yard catch and run by Dennis Northcutt.
On the next possession, Bryant fumbled after being hit by Marcus Bell, and Daniel Greer recovered at the Beavers 38. Six plays later, Eafon broke off a tackle and scored from two yards out.
McDaniel caught seven passes for 72 yards.
By LANDON HALL
Associated Press Writer
