Beavers unload on staggering Wildcats.

Byline: Bob Rodman The Register-Guard

CORVALLIS - Maybe it was the orange pants. Maybe it was an Arizona team that could not defend itself. Maybe it was just Oregon State's turn to smack somebody ... and not get smacked back.

Whatever.

The Beavers found the cure for what ailed them after back-to-back Pac-10 Conference football losses, beating the Wildcats 52-23 on a cool Saturday afternoon as a sold-out Reser Stadium crowd of 36,178 watched.

"The last two games were disappointing," said OSU middle linebacker Richard Seigler, still feeling the sting of defeats to Washington and Washington State.

"It was important for us to win, and win big. Arizona had to take it, and Arizona is just going to have to deal with it."

The win boosted the Beavers to 6-3, nearing but not yet securing bowl-eligible status. They are 3-2 in the Pac-10 after dropping the Wildcats for the fifth straight time and handing them their eighth consecutive loss this season.

Oregon State did it with its oft-struggling passing game and its oft-struggling passer.

Derek Anderson, the Beavers' junior quarterback who sometimes seems to have senior moments, threw four touchdown passes and completed 66 percent of his attempts for 308 yards.

"We did what we needed to do - the receivers got open and the line protected - and Derek just picked their defense apart," said James Newson, the senior split end whose one scoring catch was the 19th of his career, tying him with Vern Burke for the OSU career record.

Anderson did not throw an interception, something that has happened in just three games this season, but he shrugged off his big day.

"It's a team thing," said Anderson, who also threw touchdown passes to flanker Mike Hass, tight end Tim Euhus and tailback Steven Jackson.

After being held to sub-100-yard rushing games for two straight games for first time in his 22 starts, Jackson returned to the fast lane.

He rushed for 107 hard yards - the 17th time in his three-year career he has cleared the 100-yard barrier - and three touchdowns.

His scoring reception gave him a four-touchdown day, a career high that tied an OSU single-game record.

"It didn't feel like anything to me because around here you've got to keep your emotions down," Jackson said in a reference to Oregon State being a magnet for celebration penalties in recent years.

The Beavers fiddled some on the first drive, first having an Anderson-to-Newson 46-yard scoring pass negated by an illegal shift penalty and later having a field-goal attempt stopped before it started by a delay-of-game penalty.

But it was Arizona on the other side of the ball, an outfit that has dropped to 0-5 in the Pac-10 and 1-8 for the season while dropping three players this week, with an interim coach in charge and just two wins in its past 16 games.

On OSU's second possession, the Beavers used a 10-play, penalty-free drive that covered 78 yards and started its victory run with Anderson's 10-yard touchdown toss to Jackson.

In the first five minutes of the second quarter, the Beavers scored 21 points - on two Jackson 2-yard runs (the second fueled by Kenny Farley's block of an Arizona punt) and Anderson's 24-yard scoring toss to Newson.

With less than a minute to play in the first half, Anderson and Hass teamed for a 4-yard scoring pass and it was 35-0.

"The game was pretty much over then," said Bill Swancutt, an Oregon State defensive end who had two tackles for loss and a quarterback sack.

The Beavers had unloaded on the Wildcats, who crossed the 50 just four times in the first three quarters. Oregon State was not finished.

Kirk Yliniemi drilled a career-long 54-yard field goal three minutes into the second half.

Aric Williams picked off Arizona quarterback Kris Heavner, and the Beavers turned it into a touchdown when Anderson passed 1 yard to Euhus to make it 45-0.

Meanwhile, the OSU defense was having its way with the Wildcats.

"We were sharp, real sharp, especially in the first half," said linebacker Trent Bray, who led the Beavers with 11 tackles, three tackles for loss and a quarterback sack.

Arizona's Mike Bell - he rushed for 106 yards - broke the Wildcats' ice with a 10-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter before Jackson's 1-yard touchdown dash made it 52-7.

"We played well," said Mike Riley, the OSU coach whose team still was saddled with penalty pains - 17 of them (four of the personal foul/unsportsmanlike variety) for 141 yards. "It just felt good to win.

"We did some nice things."

Such as protecting Anderson (he was sacked only once and hit just twice), the receivers making plays (10 caught passes), fumbling only once (in the bench-emptying fourth quarter) and converting third downs (10-of-17).

A message game? Perhaps to Stanford, which Oregon State plays Nov. 15 at Reser after this week's bye?

"I think Stanford sent the message by beating UCLA," Riley said with a smile.

CAPTION(S):

George Gillett pulls down a long pass as Arizona's Gary Love lunges at him from behind. Greg Wahl-Stephens / The Associated Press Tim Euhus celebrates a touchdown catch that gave OSU a 45-0 lead.