Gazette-Times reporter

Oregon State fans are all too familiar with the spread option.

After all, Oregon is one of the football programs that has been using the offense for a few years now.

If you’re a college football fan, you can’t miss it.

The popularity of the offense has spread throughout the country. The offense comes in a few different styles and usually includes plenty of tweaking by each coaching staff.

The pass-oriented spread, a descendant of the run-and-shoot, is used by teams such as Texas Tech and Hawaii.

We see versions of the spread option at Oregon, Florida, Michigan and Utah, among others. This version seems to be sweeping the nation. In fact, Urban Meyer took his offense from Utah to Florida and Rich Rodriguez brought his from West Virginia to Ann Arbor.

Plays are most often run without a huddle, in a shotgun formation with multiple receivers and one running back.

The spread is based on finding and exploiting mismatches.

The idea is to put constant pressure on a defense, keeping the opposing players reacting instead of attacking.

When it’s working, the offense can carve up a defense and run up big numbers on the stat sheet and scoreboard.

Can it be stopped?

Well, yes. The Beavers faced it twice last season and won both games. They throttled the Utes 24-7 and managed to hold on for a 38-31 win over the Ducks.

OSU held Utah to 196 total yards and Oregon to 339. Both teams, however, were without key offensive players.

The Beavers are in Salt Lake City expecting to face a full strength lineup today.

Utah quarterback Brian Johnson wasn’t able to finish and running back Matt Asiata was lost for the season with a broken leg in the loss to OSU last season.

They’re back, along with a full complement of receivers, a solid offensive line and running back Darrell Mack.

The Utes are averaging 38.4 points and 426.4 total yards a game. They’ve run for 177 yards and passed for 249 yards a game.

“They bring a lot of good athletes,” OSU safety Greg Laybourn said. “They have a few different packages and they’ve got a lot of guys who can really move the ball as far as their receivers, their quarterback is a great athlete and then they’ve got two running backs who can really hurt you.”

Preparation, of course, is paramount.

It can be difficult for a defense to be ready for the offense because most teams don’t see the spread more than once or twice a season, even though it is becoming more common throughout the BCS schools.

Players need to have discipline on the field.

“Stopping an offense like this is about everyone knowing their assignment, because offenses like this thrive on defenses miscommunicating and some guy making mistakes in coverage and stuff,” Laybourn said. “They do a lot of misdirection and option and stuff, so everyone has to take care of their assignment. I think that’s the biggest thing is everyone being clear and focused in their assignment.”

Keeping the quarterback under control can slow the spread considerably.

The quarterback makes the offense go. Nothing is more pathetic than a spread offense without the right QB. Just watch Michigan.

The best quarterback for the job is one who can run and throw with equal adeptness.

Utah’s Johnson is a prime example, as was UO’s Dennis Dixon.

Top quarterbacks have the ability to escape the pass rush and gouge the defense for big chunks of yardage or simply keep the ball on a run play, using sleight of hand like a top magician.

“Most of the time you want to have a mobile quarterback and that’s what Oregon has and so does Utah,” OSU linebacker Dwight Roberson said. “You have to keep your eye on the running back and the quarterback, so it’s pretty difficult.”

The drawback is the possibility of injury. The quarterback is constantly exposed in the open field.

Johnson has been injured. He missed the 2006 season with a knee injury. Oregon seemed headed to a berth in the national championship game last season when Dixon went down. This year, the Ducks have been forced into a constant quarterback shuffle because of injuries.

Nevertheless, the spread can seem nearly unstoppable with the right quarterback.

That can make life miserable for the defense.

“Mostly we have to concentrate on seeing where the ball is because in the spread offense they have people going everywhere,” Roberson said. “You’ve just got to be patient with what you see. It’s hard, but it’s not that hard. Once you get it down, it’s like clockwork.”

If a defense doesn’t get it down, the spread will shred it.

Like clockwork.

Kevin Hampton is a columnist for the Gazette-Times. He can be reached at kevin.hampton@lee.net.

Pac-10 power poll

1. OREGON STATE: Gotta give the Beavers the top spot after taking out the top-ranked Trojans. Last week, I said the Trojans would have to beat themselves in Reser Stadium. I was wrong.

2. SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA: Will the fall continue with Oregon in town? Doubtful.

3. CALIFORNIA: The layoff was kind to the Golden Bears, who dismantled Colorado State at home. A win over Arizona State this week could kickstart their season into high gear.

4. ARIZONA: The Wildcats are aiming for more than just a bowl berth this year. They will go to 4-1 if they take care of business against UW at home.

5. OREGON: Well, the Ducks showed they can roll up the score on WSU. Can they play with the big boys?

6. STANFORD: Want an easy win? Don’t expect one when Stanford comes to town. That means you, too, Notre Dame.

7. ARIZONA STATE: Sun Devils took a week off to rest and relax after two tough home losses. It’s back to business Saturday at Cal.

8. UCLA: A narrow loss at home to Fresno State was just enough to move the Bruins up one place. The Bruins should get back in the W column with the Cougars in town.

9. WASHINGTON: The Huskies lost to Stanford and lost Jake Locker. The Apple Cup can’t get here fast enough.

10. WASHINGTON STATE: I hate to step on a team when it’s down, but is there a worse team in a BCS conference?