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Sunday, October 10
Updated: October 18, 1:27 PM ET
 
All about the execution

(Editor's note: Oregon State sophomore running back Ken Simonton will share a weekly diary with ESPN.com throughout the season. For more information on the Beavers, visit the official OSU site.)

Oct. 13, 1999

We are really disgusted with each other, especially the offense, after the Washington game (a 47-21 loss). We did the same kinds of things that got us in trouble at USC, and then we made even more mistakes against the Huskies.

Ken Simonton
Ken Simonton rushed for 1,028 yards as a redshirt freshman in 1998.

Now we need to practice harder and do all the little things right, because how you play in games is a direct result of how you practice. We can't keep dragging around old luggage; we need to let go of what happened the past two weeks, and just go out have fun and accomplish the things we know we are capable of doing.

I have never been a part of a half of football like we played last week against Washington (UW led 45-0 at halftime). Once I fumbled, it was just like a domino effect. I never want to go through a half like that again.

The guys on defense have been doing a great job keeping us in games. The defensive players have also been trying to keep the offensive players' heads up. The offense knows we have to get all our assignments down and perform better. The offense needs to stick together and work through these problems -- we need to have pride in ourselves.

I'm always ready when my number is called. We have to execute ... that really determines the game plan. I don't care if we throw the ball and I'm getting 10 carries, or I'm getting 30 carries. We have to execute.

THE FULL DOSE OF DIARIES
USC's Travis Claridge:
Shooting for four
Georgia Tech's Joe Hamilton:
Leader of the pack
Miami's André King:
Putting on a good show
UCLA's Danny Farmer:
Bowl-bound Bruins?
Oregon's Reuben Droughns:
Resting the ribs
Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops:
Busy bye week
Ole Miss' Todd Wade:
Ready for 'Bama
Wyoming's Jarnagin, Demos:
Bad loss in Laramie

My thumb feels about like it did last week. I'm going to have it in a soft cast again this week in practice so I don't cause more damage, but I won't have the cast on at Stanford. It bothers me some, but I can play with it. If it hurts, it hurts. I'm just going to have to continue play with it. It's not that big of a problem.

It always helps that you have had success in the past against a team, as we have against Stanford. I'm looking forward to going home and playing in front of friends and family. A lot of guys on the team are from the Bay Area, so it's a special trip.

Stanford is another game on the schedule, and it will be a matter of executing. I really don't care where Stanford or any other team sits in the standings, I'm just worried about us. We have just killed ourselves the past two weeks, and that is what I'm most concerned with. We are going to continue to get hurt if we play like we have the last two games on offense.

As far as me personally, I'd rather be playing a game during bowl week averaging just 30 yards than I would be sitting at home after averaging 100 yards for 11 games.





Oregon State's official athletic site

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