Eager Beaver

Spencer Patterson

Friday, Nov. 30, 2001 | 10:22 a.m.

One year ago, Steven Jackson sat in the stands at the annual Oregon-Oregon State football game, dreaming of the day he might play in the Beaver State's annual rivalry.

On Saturday, Jackson will get that chance, far sooner than most -- including the former Eldorado standout running back -- could have predicted. A true freshman, Jackson is Oregon State's second-leading rusher, and the heir apparent to senior tailback Ken Simonton.

"I was looking forward to redshirting this year," Jackson admitted. "When I came to camp, they had seven other running backs. But I came in in tip-top shape and picked up the offense, and Coach (Craig) Erickson said I was too good to redshirt."

One of the top prep backs to come out of Nevada, Jackson rushed for 3,976 yards and 51 touchdowns over his final two varsity seasons, helping Eldorado reach the 4A state semifinals as a senior in 2000.

His collegiate career started off slowly, however, with just four yards on two carries in the Beavers' first two games. But in game No. 3, the 6-foot-1, 210-pound Jackson gave his coaches a glimpse of things to come, scoring his first touchdown on a 63-yard burst in a loss to UCLA.

Since then, Jackson has gradually taken on more of the offensive load. He has carried the ball 63 times for 363 yards and five touchdowns and has averaged a team-high 5.8 yards per carry.

Jackson's last three games read like an Oregon State highlight package: 119 rushing yards and a touchdown catch vs. USC, 79 rushing yards and three touchdowns vs. Washington and a rushing touchdown and a 89-yard kickoff return for a touchdown vs. Northern Arizona.

"I don't think of myself as a freshman anymore," Jackson said. "I'm adjusting to everything now, and everything is going good."

A win in Saturday's 105th meeting between the Pac-10 rivals would provide the cherry on top of Jackson's standout campaign, as it would make the 5-5 Beavers eligible to play in a bowl game. After finishing the 2000 season ranked fourth in the nation, Oregon State was picked No. 1 by Sports Illustrated this year, but dropped three of its first four games to fall out of the polls.

"(The losing) was tough, and on top of it I was homesick," Jackson said. "I was wondering if I made the right decision. But when the team started to jell together, I knew it was just a matter of time before we started winning."

A Beavers' win on Saturday would also prove costly for No. 4 Oregon, which would drop out of the hunt for a Rose Bowl berth. And though he's a relative newcomer to the rivalry, that would please Jackson as much as the bowl game his team would earn as a result.

"I want to go out and beat the Ducks. We don't want them to have a chance to play for a national championship," Jackson said. "This is one of the oldest rivalries in college football, and you can feel the intensity."