Mike Riley Leads The Uphill Fight For Oregon State.

By HD.

Oregon State coach Mike Riley is looking to rebound from a 5-7 season, the Beavers' first losing record in five years. Here's how it's gone for him since the end of last season. We like to call it, You Think You've Had It Tough:

All-American defensive tackle Stephen Paea graduated. Three-time All-Pac-10 tailback Jacquizz Rodgers left after his junior season for this weekend's NFL draft. Quizz's brother, former all-conference wideout and kick returner James Rodgers -- who had two knee surgeries to repair the MCL and ACL he tore last season -- has yet to begin to run.

Wide receiver Jordan Bishop tore a ligament in his ankle playing basketball in January. Quarterback Ryan Katz missed all live work during spring practice as he recuperated from wrist surgery. H-back Joe Halahuni, who actually made it to spring ball, injured his left shoulder and may not be ready until mid-September.

Just to top it off, it's been a cold, wet, miserable April. Spring practice, which concludes Saturday, can't conclude fast enough.

Of course, when you're Riley, every down is third-and-long. Oregon State is a little guy in a conference that keeps getting bigger. Disadvantage is as commonplace as raingear around here.

Oregon State football is the guy who lives down the street from the guy who won the lottery. Oregon used to be a regular Joe, too. The two schools used to never stray too far from one another in the basement of the league.

The University of Oregon, just a half-hour or so from Corvallis, has become the heartthrob of college football. America can't wait to see what it wears every Saturday, much less how it plays. The Ducks have benefited from the largesse of former Ducks track athlete Phil Knight, who has lavished his swooshed millions on his alma mater.

Take last summer, when the Pac-10 season preview for the media concluded after a dinner in Los Angeles. Riley booked a commercial flight for the following morning.

"Why don't you just come back with me in the private plane?" Oregon coach Chip Kelly said.

As he told the story, Riley's lean, angular face broke into a grin.

"The people who unloaded the stuff at the Eugene airport did a double take when I got off the plane after Chip," Riley said. "It was kind of funny. I like him. He's a good guy."

Riley doesn't lay awake at night, wondering why Knight couldn't have run for the Beavers.

"Thirty miles' difference," Riley said. "And back in those days, we had pretty good track, too. In the [era] Phil was competing, we had Dick Fosbury."

Oregon got the gazillionaire. Oregon State got the inventor of the Fosbury Flop.

Riley calls himself "a silver-lining guy." The only proven playmaker who has made it with all body parts intact to the spring game is wide receive Markus Wheaton. Riley's take: "The backups have gotten a lot of good work. They're better players for it."

George Schroeder, a columnist for the Eugene Register-Guard, refers to Corvallis as Mayberry and Riley as Sheriff Taylor, which is just about perfect. Riley grew up in Corvallis, "a five-minute town."

"I know this place," Riley said. "I love it and I can recruit to it with a passion."