Beavers continue search for answers.

Byline: Bob Clark The Register-Guard

CORVALLIS - Oregon State will head into a home game against Arizona with its confidence in question, leading receiver Sammie Stroughter out and a decision to be made about who will be doing the punting for the Beavers.

Those were three prime areas of discussion Sunday in OSU coach Mike Riley's teleconference with reporters in the wake of a 40-14 loss to UCLA the previous day that dropped the Beavers to 2-3 overall, 0-2 in the Pac-10.

`I worry about what a game like that does to a team but I also have a lot of faith in our team and our coaching staff,' Riley said. `I say I worry about that, maybe it was just me, how I felt. I think they'll come back.'

Riley spent part of Sunday reviewing the OSU offensive video. He saw the Beavers fail to convert a third down while leading 14-12, and the next OSU offensive play came with the Bruins ahead 33-14.

`It's like, `Oh, my gosh' ' Riley said. `It was four minutes of a nightmare.'

In between OSU offensive plays, the Bruins scored three touchdowns, two after Gerard Lawson fumbled consecutive kickoffs. When the Beavers did again go back on offense, they were stopped and forced to punt, which the Bruins blocked to set up another score.

In seven minutes, the Bruins scored four touchdowns while the Beavers ran three plays, fumbled away two kickoffs and had a punt blocked.

Worse, it wasn't all new. Of the 135 points scored against OSU this season, 85 have come off turnovers by the Beavers, which now total 21, and two blocked punts.

`It's scary,' Riley said.

So how do the Beavers approach a week of practice after this defeat?

`It's very important to dwell on production and execution,' Riley said. `Coaches have to do their best-ever job of teaching ... execution of plays, finish of plays, to build confidence into doing it in the game.'

While another blocked punt and the two fumbles on kickoff returns raise some questions about special teams, the Beavers most need to correct offensive mistakes.

`We're not in any kind of synch or rhythm,' Riley said. `We are running the ball well, thank God for that. There's nothing we're doing well in the passing game.'

Because of the offensive struggles and the turnovers, the OSU defense is continually on the field, and often in challenging situations.

While that's fuel for potential resentment by the defenders, Riley said he hasn't seen any sign of internal strife between his units.

`You have to keep your eye open for that,' he said, while strong in a belief it hasn't happened yet because `I don't think I'm overstating this or wrong in saying this: there's really, really strong leadership within that defense ... those guys are pretty solid character guys.'

The offense won't have Stroughter against Arizona this week, Riley said. He missed the UCLA game with a bruised kidney suffered in the previous game, and will now be examined by a kidney specialist, the coach said, to `give us a long-range picture' of Stroughter's recovery.

Asked about a possible medical redshirt year for Stroughter, Riley termed it a possibility.

`I don't think Sammie wants to cross that bridge yet,' Riley said. `He wants all the information and I'm in favor of that, too. It's all a little bit too vague with the information everybody has at this time.'

Stroughter missed the opening game as he dealt with grief issues, so he has played in three games, the maximum allowable to be redshirted. A doctor would have to affirm he can't return this season from the kidney injury for the redshirt status to be granted.

Another decision could impact the redshirting of walk-on punter Kyle Harper, who would be the first option to take over that duty if the Beavers replace senior Alexis Serna, who added punting to his kicking assignment this season.

Serna is last in the Pac-10, averaging 33.1 yards after punting seven times for an average of 28.9 yards Saturday. Riley said blocking mistakes caused both the blocked punt against UCLA - which didn't count against Serna statistically - and another that was tipped by a rusher and traveled only 12 yards.

Riley said while changing punters is being discussed by the coaches, Serna `doesn't want to back away from it. I'm trying to think what is best for him and what is best for the team.'

Serna missed a 45-yard field goal attempt against the Bruins but told Riley that punting hasn't detracted from his kicking, nor does the combination impact his practice on either specialty.

Riley said `I worry about the pitch count on his leg' more than Serna.

In Saturday's game, Serna had a 51-yard punt but his next-longest was 31 yards. Even discounting the 12-yard deflected kick, his other punts covered 29, 26, 25 and 28 yards.

`You've seen him enough in practice (to know) he can be very consistent. He'll hit a ton of good balls in a row,' Riley said. `It's matter of finding his groove in games.'

ARIZONA AT OREGON STATE

1 p.m. Saturday, Reser Stadium. TV: None. Radio: KKNX-AM (840). More OSU football coverage at www.registerguard.com/blogs