Fresh starters at end are always a point of concern for the Beavers defense

By Cliff Kirkpatrick

Gazette-Times Reporter

Whenever new defensive ends are broken in by the Oregon State football team, there's cause for hand wringing.

How those athletes perform creates a domino effect for the defense.

If the ends pressure the quarterback, there's quality pass coverage. If they don't, giving up long plays is the norm.

Two new starters are penciled in for the fall in senior Ben Terry and sophomore Kevin Frahm. By the end of spring practice a rotation with backups and pass-rush specialists should be set.

"It looks promising," defensive line coach Joe Seumalo said. "There are enough guys who have been playing with us. Not everybody is new. And they've all elevated themselves on a daily basis."

The Beavers use several players throughout games depending on the situation to keep everyone rested, exploit their strengths and hide their weaknesses.

Seumalo molded standout lines in each of his first three seasons with the Beavers. His job is easier when an end or two are in the backfield wreaking havoc on the passer or blowing up running plays.

Past standouts such as Victor Butler, Slade Norris, Jeff Van Orsow and Dorian Smith emerged through this process.

"Vic and Slade gave us such a good picture and set a good example of the stuff it takes to be successful, with the attention to detail with stuff after practice and in the weight room," Frahm said. "One of the best parts of coming to Oregon State is you got those great examples to get better."

Gone, however, are the 40 tackles for a loss and 22 sacks that Butler and Norris combined for last season and the 44½ sacks in their careers. There was concern about whether they could get the job done, but Seumalo converted them from pass-rush specialists to every-down players last spring.

Now it's time for Frahm and Terry to shed the mantle of backups, donning that of potential breakout stars.

"I can't say I'm too nervous about it because of all the people around me," Frahm said. "With our entire defensive line being so talented, I think if we keep working at it, I think we'll be really successful."

Frahm came out of Portland's Central Catholic High, where he was the Mount Hood Conference defensive MVP and an all-state athlete.

The 6-foot-2, 255-pounder redshirted his first season, then rotated in each game last season. He made four tackles; one was a sack.

"Kevin is more-or-less who gets us lined up when things go off the deep end," Seumalo said. "The word that describes Kevin is reliable. He's reliable in what we do defensively. He's a savvy player."

Seumalo expects Frahm to be someone to guide the team for the next three seasons. He's a lead-by-action guy, prefering not to use words to motivate.

"I'm not good at public speaking, so if guys look to me I hope they see my actions," Frahm said.

Terry joined the Beavers last season as a junior college transfer from Saddleback College in Mission Viejo, Calif., and slid into the second-string role and became part of the rotation.

He was specifically recruited to quickly help the team since there was that concern last season with new starters. He was an honorable mention All-American his sophomore season.

Terry played in each game last year and made 11 tackles; one was a sack.

He and the coaches think this should be his year now that he settled into the program.

And the team needs him to perform.

"We expect him to take it up another level, and he has the capability," coach Mike Riley said. "I don't know if he can be a Slade Norris or Victor Butler, but I think so. He has a long way to get to prove that. But he has the ability to do it. And he appears to be taking to it very well out there this spring."