Corvallis Gazette-Times

If working on their own problems weren’t enough, the Oregon State football team must continue its development on the road against a surging Northwest rival.

The Beavers head to Seattle this weekend for a showdown with the new-and-improved Washington, another Pacific-10 Conference team that gave No. 3-ranked Southern California all it could handle.

Between continued offensive woes, defensive inconsistencies and the Huskies (4-2, 2-1) looking to get back at OSU for defeating them the last two years at home, the Beavers (2-3, 0-2) go into the week as 11-point underdogs.

The Huskies have made dramatic improvements in coach Tyrone Willingham’s second season. They’ll be even more surly after new clock management rules took away an opportunity for a final play in a six-point loss to the Trojans on Saturday.

“Of course they’ve improved,” wide receiver Sammie Stroughter said. “We won’t overlook anyone. On any given Saturday someone can give anyone a good game. They are proven now. It’s at home, and they will play with a lot of passion.”

It sounds odd, but the road trip may have come at the right time. The Beavers have lost the last two games at home and the fans have been rowdy, with their focus on the home team.

Quarterback Matt Moore is being taunted by the students, calling for backup Sean Canfield to play. The Can Riley signs have come out showing protest against coach Mike Riley.

Even though the Beavers have scored only one offensive touchdown in their Pac-10 games and only two in their three losses, Riley remains behind his senior starter and won’t rush his quarterback of the future into the game.

And now that Washington is winning after a two-year lull Husky Stadium won’t have that cavernous feel with more than 60,000 tickets already sold. It will be a hostile environment, but at least the Beavers won’t have a false sense of support.

The crowd should be against them.

“Maybe that’s a good little flip for us to get on the road,” safety Sabby Piscitelli said. “Washington has improved a lot. But we’ve played well in Washington the last two years. We just have to improve this week and give the Huskies everything we got.”

While the offense is only ranked eighth in the conference at 342.6 yards a game, and seventh in scoring at 25.4 points, the Beavers still say they are close to breaking out.

They watch video on their losses and see where the breakdowns happen. It’s frustrating to them because it’s a block on one play or a bad route or pass on others.

“We just have to get it going and tighten it up,” Moore said. “I mention the word click a lot. We need to click and work as one. We are just off by this much. It’s an old cliche, but it’s a game of inches.”

As the Beavers hope to click, this begins a crucial two-game road stretch. While they are working out their issues, they need to win five more games to reach a bowl game.

Before the season Washington and Arizona were considered winnable games, but both are better than last year, so these contests are going to be difficult even if OSU is playing well.

And then USC comes to town. If the Beavers don’t turn into a competitive Pac-10 team on the road, their return home won’t be pleasant.

“That’s for you the media and fans to worry about,” Riley said of the team’s quest of a bowl game. “I preach a mini season each week. That’s important for where we are at as a team and what we have to focus on. You can’t take care of the long term if you don’t take care of the short term. There’s too much to worry about.”

Game times

The Oct. 21 game at Arizona starts at 4 p.m., with no decision made on television coverage, yet. … Times have not been set for the next two home games, Oct. 28 against Southern California (dad’s weekend) and Nov. 4 against Arizona State (homecoming), because the television networks haven’t decided what games to show, yet.