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Posted 09/26/2008 at 12:59 AM
The nation was introduced to Jacquizz Rodgers on Thursday night. From now on until the end of time, he's Mr. Rodgers to USC fans.
In a stunner felt from Corvallis to Norman to Baton Rouge, Tuscaloosa, Athens and Gainesville, Oregon State beat USC 27-21 thanks to a spectacular peformance from Mr. Jacquizz Rodgers.
He's a true freshman from Rosenberg, TX. He's only 5'6".
But he led the Beavers to a stirring victory over the top-ranked Trojans with 37 carries for 186 yards and two touchdowns. His older brother, James Rodgers, caught a pair of TD passes from Lyle Moevao.
Mike Riley's team jumped out to a 21-0 lead by intermission. USC scored two quick TDs in the third quarter, but the Beavers held on for the upset as 25-point underdogs.
And make no mistake, this was no fluke. There were no gimmicks. No fake punts or statue-of-liberty two-point conversions.
This was Oregon St. handing the ball to Jacquizz Rodgers, who ran between the tackles like a short version of Emmitt Smith all night long. The Beavers just lined up and shoved it down USC's throat with Rodgers darting, dashing and cutting through the Trojans' vaunted defense.
The future looks bright for Jacquizz Rodgers. He will likely go on to great things at Oregon St. and maybe even play on Sundays.
But whether he does or not, he'll always have Sep. 25 of 2008 in his back pocket. That was the night he put a team on his shoulders and led it to an improbable upset in front of a national audience that was captivated by his play from the first drive to the final play.
One more time, USC fans. His name is Mr. Jacquizz Rodgers.
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