UA WILDCATS FOOTBALL
Will Cats pass 'The Quizz' show?
Wildcats must limit Oregon State running back if they want to win
Photos & images All Slideshows ยป
Click Photo to Enlarge
More info
ONE-MAN SHOW
OSU tailback Jacquizz Rodgers leads the Pac-10 in rushing with 1,233 yards and 11 TDs after 10 games:
Opponent Yds
Stanford 54
Penn State 99
Hawaii 110
USC 186
Utah 101
Wash. St. 168
Washington 94
ASU 133
UCLA 144
California 144
Up next
Oregon St. (7-3, 6-1) at UA (6-4, 4-3)
5 p.m., Saturday, Arizona Stadium
TV: Versus Radio: 1290 AM, 107.5 FM, 990 AM (Span)
ADVERTISEMENT
- Most Commented Stories Today
- Most E-mailed Stories Today
The Quizz is coming to town.
Oregon State tailback Jacquizz Rodgers, or the Quizz as he is known in Corvallis, has become a phenom, putting on a show wherever he goes.
Despite being 5 feet 7, 190 pounds (those measurements may be inflated) the freshman is hard to miss - unless you are a defensive player.
He's easy to spot from the stands. No. 1 is the guy getting all the carries for a Beavers team two wins away from going to the Rose Bowl.
"He's like the 'Little Engine That Could.' He just keeps going and going. I guess you can say he's the (Energizer) Bunny, too," OSU offensive lineman Adam Speer told The Associated Press. "His motor never stops and he's just a ball of muscle. He has so much heart. It's just so great blocking for him. He's always going to go his hardest and he's never going to stop."
Arizona better find a way to at least slow Rodgers down on Saturday for the 5 p.m. kickoff.
So many have tried. Most have failed.
Rodgers, the Pac-10's leading rusher with 1,233 yards, has reached the century mark in seven of his last eight games. He had 99 yards at Penn State despite a 45-14 loss.
"I think it's his vision that makes him so good," UA defensive coordinator Mark Stoops said. "That vision and the ability to make those cuts. He is moving fast but he is patient. That's the best thing for a back, when you have the vision to find the holes."
Rodgers became the Beavers' headliner after rushing for 186 yards and two touchdowns in a 27-21 upset of then No. 1-ranked USC.
His 117 yards in the first half was enough to give the Beavers a big lead, and now a possible Pac-10 crown.
"It surprised me a little bit. I was expecting more from USC," Rodgers said after the game. "I guess everyone was focused and we established the run game early."
The younger brother of Beaver receiver/returner James Rodgers has been the focus ever since.
Jacquizz, the ninth leading rusher in the country, broke the Pac-10 freshman rushing record of 1,069 set by Stanford's Darrin in 1977 with four games to go. Rodgers' 1,233 yards are eighth all time in Oregon State history.
That's a big accomplishment considering the Beavers have eight 1,000-yard rushers in the last 10 years.
NFL standout Steven Jackson is the school's all-time leader in single season rushing yards with 1,690. Rodgers is 457 yards short of that mark.
The only freshman finalist for the Doak Walker Award, given to the nation's top back, has scored 11 touchdowns.
"You watch him and he just glides," Stoops said. "That is something you can't coach and you can't teach. He is able to make the cuts and find creases."
Every team has stood up and taken noticed, and then wondered why they didn't recruit the diminutive back from Lamar Consolidated High School in Richmond, Texas.
Why did it take so long?
His size would be the first reason. Few programs thought he would be durable enough to take the ball consistently.
Rodgers had 37 carries against USC's top-rated defense.
Oregon State jumped on Rodgers' brother first, a redshirt sophomore who has combined to score nine touchdowns as a flanker and with returns. James had an 86-yard kickoff return in a key 34-21 win over Cal last week.
The Beavers' coaching staff took notice of the younger Rodgers even before Jacquizz completed his senior season with 233 yards and three second half touchdowns in the state championship game.
Jacquizz not only was the hero on offense, but played every down on defense, blocked a kick and recovered a fumble.
He became the all-time Texas touchdown leader with 136 career scores.
Not bad for somebody few colleges recruited hard.
"I just try to stay low and use my power," Rodgers said. "On the cutbacks, I still need to hug the guards a little more instead of being a little wide."
And he can only get better. The Quizz show should go on for a while in the Pac-10.
blkojo...you must be short"
I have shrunk somewhat over the years...yes. I am now down to a shade over 6' 2"...used to be a true 6'3". My statement...as my height...still stands...never judge a man soley on height.
Who cares what a particular person in a newspaper is predicting? It is a free country, and everyone is entitled to their opinion.
Mine is that we win tonight!
But, the only thing that I REALLY care about is the actual score, at the end of the game.
I'll catch up with you later tonight, and we'll see whose prediction was the more accurate :-)