CORVALLIS — Two weeks down and one scrimmage into spring practice, and there’s no clear separation in the Oregon State football team’s quarterback competition.

Sean Canfield still holds a slight edge over Lyle Moevao due to his experience in the system, but coach Mike Riley still plans for them to split their turns in practice.

Neither looked impressive during Saturday morning’s scrimmage. The Beavers went through 93 plays in Reser Stadium, most of them dominated by the defense.

“We saw some good, tight coverage,” Riley said. “We weren’t getting loose. The throws were hard today. I was impressed with the coverage. We just keep going as-is for a while. There’s no need to separate this. We need both of them to be capable players and starters.”

The two touchdowns scored came from the third and fourth strings. Canfield threw two interceptions and third-stringer Ryan Gunderson had another.

Canfield completed 6 of 15 for 52 yards. His longest pass was for 31 yards. It was a lackluster day from his view.

“It was slow at first,” Canfield said. “I need to stay a little more focused. My head wasn’t in it today, maybe because it was a morning practice. Whatever it is, I have to stay focused and on track.”

Moevao was 1 of 7 for eight yards. Gunderson was a solid 5-for-11 for 53 yards, including a 31-yard touchdown pass to Sam Oltman.

Brennan Sim was 3-for-9 for 66 yards. A 46-yarder to Aaron Nichols set up a two-yard score by running back Andy Stewart.

“There were a few missed passes, but overall it was pretty good,” Moevao said. “Today was the defense’s day. They were quick to get to the pass. I have to work on timing and taking control of the offense, and being calm in the pocket. I have to know the offense better than last week.”

Tough defense

Joey LaRocque, Dennis Christopher and Austin Hall intercepted passes. They were also part of several big hits.

Besides the two scoring drives, the offense didn’t move the ball very far.

“We had pretty good energy,” LaRocque said. “We’ve been playing against these guys for a while and they have their days and we have ours. Today, we did pretty well.”

Breaking in

The young tight ends didn’t fare well against the defense, either. Catches were difficult, and they had trouble blocking. A review of the video should help them make adjustments.

“It was a great day for them,” Riley said. “They got a great baptism by our defense. The speed picks up and all of a sudden those blocks you can make in practice at 90 percent speed, you don’t make it today. It was good for them. I’m still very pleased with their progress, though.”

Injury update

Starting slot receiver Brandon Powers was held out of the scrimmage due to tendinitis in a knee. He missed Friday’s practice, too. Riley said it’s not serious.

Several other starters or key reserves where held out of the scrimmage, mostly to be safe. They are either dinged up or Riley didn’t want them to get hurt.

Wide receiver Chris Johnson missed the last two practices because he went home to Florida to deal with a family situation.

Miller time

Redshirt freshman tight end Gabe Miller came back to practice this week. He has been out since last year, recovering from an Achilles’ tendon injury during a track meet at Lake Oswego High in 2006.

Miller re-injured it again last fall at OSU and needed a second surgery. He’s been doing drills and sneaking in reps against the defensive backs.

“He’s doing the individual stuff and technique stuff, but that’s about it,” Riley said. “He won’t get in on any team stuff in the spring. I saw him doing some (7-on-7 drill Friday), and I’m not sure I like that.”