Penn State, Hawaii Highlight Beavers 2008 Football Schedule

Oregon State is preparing for the sixth annual Emerald Bowl, where the Beavers will play the Maryland Terrapins at AT&T Park in San Francisco Dec. 28.

Mike Riley will lead OSU into one of its most difficult schedules ever in 2008. Photo courtesy: OSU Athletics

CORVALLIS, Ore. - A trip to Penn State and a pair of Thursday night prime time games headline one of the most attractive football schedules in Oregon State University history, as Beaver Director of Athletics Bob De Carolis announced the 2008 slate Wednesday.

The schedule also includes eight games against 2007 bowl participants, including Rose Bowl bound USC and Sugar Bowl bound Hawaii.

The Beavers open the season traveling to Stanford for a Pac-10 Conference game. It’s the first time the Beavers have started the season with a league contest since traveling to Arizona State in 1994. The game will be played either Aug. 28 or 30.

Game two is the program’s first ever trip to State College, Pa., to play the Nittany Lions at Beaver Stadium. The match-up will be the first for Oregon State against a Big Ten Conference foe since playing at Michigan Stadium in 1986. The game will be broadcast nationally by ABC or ESPN beginning at 12:30 p.m. PDT.

The Beavers open their home slate against the University of Hawaii and will put a 24-game non-conference home win streak on the line. OSU defeated the then No. 24 Warriors in the 2006 regular season finale at Aloha Stadium 35-32, UH’s last loss. This is the first trip for Hawaii to Corvallis in the eight-game series history.

The six-game home schedule includes five games against teams that are or have been ranked in the top 15 of the Associated Press Poll this season.

“I’m excited for our players and fans about the 2008 schedule,” head coach Mike Riley said. “Penn State is the type of game I like to schedule periodically and it is a great opportunity for this program to play at one of college football’s most historic sites. Hawai’i and Utah have made national headlines in recent seasons and both certainly present tremendous challenges for the Beavers.”

Pac-10 television partners ABC/ESPN, FSN and Versus will announce a partial television schedule in the spring.

OSU will announce opportunities to purchase season tickets for the 2008 season in the near future.

Oregon State is preparing for the sixth annual Emerald Bowl, where the Beavers will play the Maryland Terrapins at AT&T Park in San Francisco Dec. 28. Tickets remain for the game by calling 1-800-Go-BEAVS, or visiting osubeavers.com or the Gill Coliseum ticket office.

Oregon State Football 2008 Tentative Schedule:

Aug. 28 or 30 at Stanford

Sept. 6 at Penn State (ABC or ESPN), 12:30 p.m. PDT

Sept. 13 Hawaii

Sept. 20 Bye

Sept. 25 (thu.) USC

Oct. 2 (thu.) at Utah

Oct. 11 Washington State

Oct. 18 at Washington

Oct. 25 Bye

Nov. 1 Arizona State (Homecoming)

Nov. 8 at UCLA

Nov. 15 California

Nov. 22 at Arizona

Nov. 29 Oregon

Date-by-Date Synopsis:

Aug. 28 or 30 at Stanford – OSU has won six of the last seven games, including four of the last five at Stanford...anticipated return of receiver Sammie Stroughter, a 2007 preseason All-American...earliest game in the program’s history against a Football Bowl Subdivision (Div. 1) program.

Sept. 6 at Penn State – First trip ever to State College...first Big Ten game since playing at Michigan in 1986 – OSU Director of Athletics Bob De Carolis was Michigan’s business manager at the time...Penn State is playing Texas A&M in the Alamo Bowl...previous Big Ten opponents have included Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Purdue and Wisconsin.

Sept. 13 vs. Hawaii – Home opener at Reser Stadium...first trip in eight-game series for UH to OSU...Beavers beat then No. 24 Hawai’i last season in Honolulu, 35-32...UH has since won 13 straight and is playing Georgia in this season’s Sugar Bowl...numerous Hawaiians on OSU roster...OSU has won 24 straight non-conference home games.

Sept. 25 vs. USC – OSU ended USC’s 27-game Pac-10 winning streak in 2006 at Reser Stadium...USC and OSU are the two winningest programs in the conference over the last two years...Beavers have never won back-to-back home games vs. the Trojans...USC is playing in this year’s Rose Bowl vs. Illinois.

Oct. 2 at Utah – Completes a two-game series with the Utes...Utah plays in this year’s Poinsettia Bowl vs. Navy...15th meeting between the two programs, OSU has 9-4-1 mark...Beavers won 24-7 in ’07 season opener at Reser Stadium, but was a costly game for both teams in terms of injuries – OSU lost preseason All-America guard Jeremy Perry for most of the season with a leg injury.

Oct. 11 vs. Washington State – OSU has won three of last four meetings, including 52-17 win at Pullman last month...teams have split the last 10 games...fourth time in five games WSU has played in Corvallis.

Oct. 18 at Washington – OSU has won four in a row, longest streak for the Beavers vs. UW – three straight in Seattle...Beavers won controversial game last month on “Senior Night” 29-23.

Nov. 1 vs. Arizona State – Homecoming...first game for Dennis Erickson at Reser Stadium as head coach of the Sun Devils...winning team has scored at least 42 points in last three games of series, and four of the last five...Sun Devils are playing Texas in the Holiday Bowl.

Nov. 8 at UCLA – UCLA’s has been OSU’s nemesis, winning five straight in the series, including three in a row at the Rose Bowl...OSU lead into the fourth quarter in September before allowing 28 points...Beavers won six of their next seven games...UCLA’s plays in this year’s Las Vegas Bowl vs. BYU.

Nov. 15 vs. California – OSU knocked off then No. 2 Cal in October in Berkeley...home team hasn’t won in the series since 2002 OSU win – Cal has won two straight in Corvallis and OSU has won four in a row in Berkeley...the Bears are playing Air Force in the Armed Forces Bowl.

Nov. 22 at Arizona – Beavers have won eight of the last nine and three straight in Tucson...prior to 2000, OSU had never won at Arizona – 0-11...Wildcats had nine yards rushing in ’07 game.

Nov. 29 vs. Oregon – Beavers have won two straight, including being the first team to win on the road in the series since 1996...Oregon is playing in this year’s Sun Bowl vs. South Florida...expected record home crowd for OSU – 45,674 is official capacity.

Source: OSU Athletics

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