COLLEGE FOOTBALL Jackson is a key factor in Oregon St.'s success

Steven Jackson is the nation's No. 2 rusher behind Walter Reyes of Struthers.
CORVALLIS, Ore. -- Oregon State tailback Steven Jackson is versatile. Give him the ball, he'll run. Pass him the ball, he'll catch it.
Jackson is ranked second nationally in rushing and third in all-purpose yards. He's the offensive star who has the 24th-ranked Beavers off to a 5-1 record, including 2-0 in the Pac-10 for the first time since 1968.
"I just do my job," Jackson said.
Jackson is averaging 146.2 yards rushing, second behind Syracuse's Walter Reyes of Struthers, who is at 170.3 per game. The 6-foot-3, 233-pound junior has nine touchdowns rushing and one receiving and totals 180 all-purpose yards per game.
Heisman contender
With each win, Jackson's profile rises. At this point, he's probably a Heisman Trophy contender, but that doesn't concern Oregon State coach Mike Riley.
"Give him the ball some more, that's the No. 1 plan," Riley said.
The Beavers learned their Heisman lesson in 2001, when Oregon State promoted tailback Ken Simonton with notebooks and CD-ROMs. Simonton opened the season with 42 yards in a 44-24 loss to Fresno State and the Beavers finished 5-6.
Last year, the lack of hype didn't hurt Southern California's Carson Palmer, who won the Heisman without being heavily promoted by his school.
"I think USC handled it pretty well," Riley said.
As for Jackson's national profile on a West Coast team that plays its share of late games, Riley said "maybe things are picking up in that regard. And maybe we just have to keep playing well and things will take care of themselves."
Off this week
Oregon State, with a four-game winning streak, had a bye this week. The Beavers next face Washington at Reser Stadium.
While Jackson might not yet be nationally known, he's certainly caught the attention of Oregon State's opponents.
After the Beavers beat Sacramento State 40-7 in their season opener, Hornets coach Steve Mooshagian called Jackson a "force. He's a beast. A man among boys."
Jackson ran for 129 yards and two touchdowns in that one. He also caught four passes for 58 yards.
Even in the Beavers' 16-14 loss at Fresno State, Jackson rushed for 128 yards and a touchdown and caught five passes for 116 yards -- giving him a personal-best 244 all-purpose yards.
High regard
"I think Steven Jackson is the best running back we've played against -- and we've played a lot of good running backs," Fresno State coach Pat Hill said.
Jackson's lowest output on the ground this season was 105 yards against Arizona State, but he ran for a score and the Beavers won, 45-17.
"The one thing that is noticeable in their offense this year is that they are throwing the ball more to him out of the backfield and in their screen game," Sun Devils coach Dirk Koetter said. "That gives him a lot of touches and he's one of those backs who can take the punishment and come back next week and be ready for more."
Against California last weekend, Jackson ran for a season-high 227 yards on 35 carries with two touchdowns. He also had a pair of catches for 12 yards and a score, earning him Pac-10 player of the week honors. The Beavers won 35-21.
Strong runner
"He is really their emotional leader -- his teammates really rally behind him," Cal coach Jeff Tedford said. "You must gang tackle him because he is so strong and physical. He catches the ball well out of the backfield, too. Simply put, he is a big-time back."
Jackson, with his dreadlocks and quick smile, is confident. Last year, he led the conference in rushing with 1,690 yards and scored 17 touchdowns.
He aims to lead the league again, and his chances look good. His 877 yards rushing are better than the totals for seven teams in the conference.