Offense impresses in Beavers' first week.

Byline: Bob Clark The Register-Guard

CORVALLIS - Sammie Stroughter went streaking - and that was the operative word - around right end on a reverse. Sean Canfield and Lyle Moevao were hitting receivers.

OSU FOOTBALL

Instead of two candidates at tight end, it looked like three were in the competition. And just to make sure nobody forgot he was around, running back Yvenson Bernard deked a defender and burst into the secondary.

The first week of Oregon State spring football practices came to a close inside the Truax Center on Saturday with a wide sampling of the offense.

`I thought it was a good week,' OSU coach Mike Riley said. `We put in most of the stuff we wanted for spring practice this week, and sometimes it looked like football, so that was a positive.'

From the top, here's a quick review:

Stroughter is definitely a playmaker. While his primary duties will remain catching passes and returning punts, that reverse was a reminder that the Beavers can find other ways to get the football in his hands, and he'll deliver yardage gains.

`That was a good-looking play,' Riley said. `We ran a little bit of that last year, but it looked good.'

As did his sophomore quarterbacks, Canfield and Moevao, as they traded off running the No. 1 offense.

Canfield fretted that `a couple routes were off,' either in his read of the receivers or the receivers running the play, but the left-hander also acknowledged `it's always like that early on. For the most part, I feel we did pretty well.'

As did Riley.

`Sean is much more comfortable with the offense, and he should be,' Riley said. `This is his third spring practice and Lyle's first, but Lyle made some really nice touch throws.'

Moevao had his best day of throwing in his fourth workout with the Beavers, and Riley took notice.

`There are so many balls a quarterback has to throw that aren't your 90-mile-an-hour fastball, that you've got to put some feel on even though it's a big throw, 30 yards down the field,' Riley said. `They've got to get it over a linebacker and get it down before the secondary can get there. He's starting to get a feel for those throws in our offense.'

Both quarterbacks are also benefiting from good hands shown by the tight ends trying to win the job left vacant by all-leaguer Joe Newton. And since Newton's backup last season also completed his eligibility, sophomores Howard Croom and John Reese and redshirt freshman Brady Camp are largely inexperienced.

`That was good,' Riley said of their performance Saturday. `They're all pretty good blockers. ... It's going to be hard to replace two senior tight ends, but we have the guys to do it with. That's one spot that we have enough good people to work with and develop into good players.'

Also ...

Senior linebacker Derrick Doggett had an MRI on his sore back that Riley said was `positive,' in terms of showing nothing structurally damaged. Doggett won't practice, Riley said, until there is no pain. `There's no sense putting him at any risk,' Riley said, terming Doggett's return `just a matter of time.' ... `It's the same thing,' Riley added, with starting guard Roy Schuening, who hasn't worked out due to an injured hamstring. ... Freshman Tyler John, OSU basketball coach Jay John's son, is working with the defensive backs. ... The Beavers practice Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday this week, and Riley said he would like to scrimmage for `50 plays' on Saturday.