Beavers have bite

Though 0-2, Oregon State has won 24 straight against non-Pac-10 foes at home

EUGENE, Ore. » Although Greg McMackin's return to his home state will take him to a stadium where visitors rarely leave happy, the first-year Hawaii coach was looking forward to the atmosphere awaiting the Warriors today.

HAWAII AT OREGON STATE Kickoff: 10 a.m. HST TV: PPV, Dig. 255 Radio: 1420-AM The line: Oregon State by 13

"I'm really excited about it being a sellout because I know a lot of Hawaii people are going to be there," McMackin said.

Still, there will be more than enough Beavers supporters packed into Reser Stadium to create a less-than-welcoming environment for the Warriors, who will make the 50-mile drive up I-5 to Corvallis today for their second road game against a BCS conference opponent in three weeks.

Oregon State (0-2) has sent its last 24 non-Pac-10 visitors away with losses and the Warriors can forget about catching the Beavers - who suffered road defeats to Stanford and Penn State before opening the home schedule - off guard.

The Warriors (1-1), meanwhile, are looking to return the favor for OSU's 35-32 win at Aloha Stadium in 2006 and build momentum heading toward Western Athletic Conference play.

"It's obvious they're in desperation mode and really need a win," McMackin said. "Well, so do we. We need a win, too. It's really important for us to travel well and go over and compete."

The following is a look at the matchup as Hawaii aims to threaten OSU's nonconference home streak, which dates to 1996:

When Hawaii has the ball: Tyler Graunke will be the Warriors' third starting quarterback in as many weeks and the senior's experience in the system allows the staff to explore the deeper chapters of the playbook.

"We can open things up," offensive coordinator Ron Lee said. "We were just staying with the basic stuff because we didn't want to get too far ahead. (Graunke) sees it faster."

Graunke has thrived in a relief role in his career, as he did last week in throwing for 218 yards and three touchdowns in the Warriors' comeback win over Weber State, but they'll need a fast start today as he takes his turn at the controls.

"I had dreams about Florida. Now I've pushed that out the window and the dreams are about Oregon State," said Graunke, who will look into a Beavers defense seeking redemption after giving up 45 points and 454 yards in last week's loss at Penn State.

Although the Beavers have a new-look defensive front, UH offensive line coach Brian Smith was concerned about their speed off the edges, which will put pressure on tackles Keoni Steinhoff and Keith AhSoon and the Warriors running back in the protection scheme.

When Oregon State has the ball: Big plays had a huge role in the Beavers' 2006 win over Hawaii, and they still have the weapons to turn lapses in coverage into quick points.

Quarterback Lyle Moevao has several speedy options to choose from, among them receivers Sammie Stroughter (13.3 yards per catch), Shane Morales (17 receptions) and James Rodgers (198 all-purpose yards per game).

"Moevao, he's a winner, Sammie Stroughter's a big-time receiver and they've got very good complementary receivers," defensive backs coach Rich Miano said. "We've got our work cut out for us."

Though just 5-foot-7, freshman Jacquizz Rodgers was effective running against Penn State, going for 99 yards and two scores.

The Warriors defensive front controlled the line of scrimmage in the second half of last week's game against Weber State in holding the Wildcats to 72 total yards after halftime. The matchup between left tackle and Outland Trophy candidate Andy Levitre and UH defensive end John Fonoti should be interesting to watch.

Special teams: Another week, another tough assignment for Hawaii's coverage units.

Stroughter has three punt returns for touchdowns in his career, and James Rodgers averages 23.2 yards per kickoff return.

Riley spent part of his weekly press conference addressing the concerns in the punting game, as Johnny Hekker is averaging 28.6 yards per kick.

Hawaii's Dan Kelly missed two field-goal attempts against Weber State, but "he had a great week of practice. I think he's back to normal," UH special teams coach Ikaika Malloe said.

Punter Tim Grasso was awarded the special teams game ball last week and averages 44.6 yards per punt, killing four of his nine kicks this season inside the opponent's 20-yard line.

KEY MATCHUP

Hawaii cornerbacks vs. Oregon State wideouts

Calvin Roberts has motivation to spare today.

Facing a productive Oregon State receiver corps is a challenge the Warriors cornerback relishes. Plus, he'll have a few relatives from the Portland area make the drive to Reser Stadium to see him play for the first time since high school.

"Every week it's like it's the biggest game of the season and every week you have to treat it like that," Roberts said. "It'll be a challenge, and I'll be up to it."

Roberts and fellow senior Ryan Mouton turned in solid performances against Florida and the responsibility for containing OSU's Sammie Stroughter and James Rodgers will fall largely on their shoulders again, though the individual matchups figure to vary depending on the defensive package head coach Greg McMackin sends onto the field.

Mouton is Hawaii's top cover man, while Stroughter can stretch the defense and Rodgers is also a threat in the running game.

HOW THEY COMPARE