Timber!: Oregon State Beavers Topple Top-Ranked Southern Cal

Unranked Oregon State surprised the Trojans once again in Corvallis, improving to 2-2 by dominating USC's offensive and defensive lines in a 27-21 victory Thursday that left Pete Carroll and his No. 1 USC squad stunned. Jacquizz Rodgers, who had gained 263 yards in games against Stanford, Penn State and Hawaii, ran for 186 yards on 37 carries with two touchdowns for the Beavers. Rodgers' brother, James, caught the Beavers' other two touchdowns. USC's defense, which had led the nation in holding opponents to an average five points per game, had been dominating until Thursday. The Trojans' veteran defense is studded with future first-round NFL draft picks, but could not tackle Jacquizz Rodgers tonight. The diminutive freshman back averaged five yards per carry, mostly between the tackles. Rodgers, who is 5'7" and virtually unknown outside of Oregon, outgained the Trojans' acclaimed trio of running backs—Joe McKnight, Stafon Johnson, and CJ Gable—by 100 yards. McKnight gained ... (link)