Tough lineup decisions may need to be made this week by Oregon State football coach Mike Riley. Who starts at quarterback is the first and foremost. Starter Lyle Moevao has felt better each day after injuring his throwing shoulder on Nov. 1 against Arizona State, but he sat out Saturday’s 34-6 victory over Pacific-10 Conference rival UCLA. Moevao threw the ball during warmups but wasn’t a viable backup in the game. It won’t be known how far along he is in his recovery until Tuesday when the No. 23-ranked Beavers practice again, coach Mike Riley said Sunday night. And even if he can play, will Riley take out the hot-handed Sean Canfield, who has led the Beavers (6-3, 5-1) to victory in the last two games? “It could be a tough decision,” Riley said. “I think it’s how close is it. It will boil down to the time of good preparation Lyle can get before the game. I don’t like putting guys in games unless they have a good week of practice, particularly at that position.”
The coach wouldn’t say who he would go with if both were healthy. However, Riley likes his options either way. Both have won conference games, know the offense and have the support of teammates. Riley’s latest decisions involving them have been made for him due to injury not based on performance. “We’re playing good,” Canfield said of the team. “We just have to keep on track, and keep it rolling.” Canfield had the Beavers playing well last season before a shoulder injury took him out for a year. He’s almost back to where he was before the injury. He still needs more arm strength and time to catch up with Moevao in playing experience. “I’m glad for Sean’s success,” Riley said. “That’s something that will strengthen the team.”
Another lineup change may be at the slot receiver position. Starter Shane Morales strained a hip muscle Friday during the team’s walk-through and missed most of the game. He is scheduled to have X-rays taken today as a precautionary measure. If he can’t return, Casey Kjos will take his place like he did against UCLA.
“I landed funny,” Morales said. “It was a really freak accident, but I’ll be OK for next week.” Riley could move flanker James Rodgers to the slot and use Darrell Catchings or Chris Johnson as the flanker. That was the plan before the season until Morales worked his way into the starting lineup after the first game. Rodgers, however, is playing well at flanker and becoming more important to the offense as a receiver, not just the guy who runs the fly sweep. “As far as a lack of disruption in what we are doing, the simplest thing is to put Casey in for Shane,” Riley said. “He doesn’t have the experience of playing, but I think Casey is a Shane-type guy (possession receiver) in the making.”
Another option to compensate for the loss of Morales is to use the team’s H-back sets, which was done more than usual against UCLA. That means pass-catching tight end John Reese plays more. The only other players to come out of the game with injuries are cornerback Tim Clark with a hurt toe and defensive tackle Stephen Paea with a strained a calf. Both are expected back for Saturday’s home game against California (6-3, 4-2), Riley said. These type of lineup decisions may weigh heavily on the coach, but the team is looking beyond them. The Beavers feel they maintain their success with their depth.
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