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GAME NOTES: The 17th-ranked Cincinnati Bearcats have impressed early on and they will try to continue their success against the Oregon State Beavers in Corvallis this weekend.

The Bearcats lost a significant amount of players from last year's club that won the Big East title, so expectations weren't all that high outside the Queen City. Head coach Brian Kelly however, has had his team ready to prove doubters wrong and so far, so good. Cincinnati began its season and Big East title defense with a 47-15 trouncing at Rutgers, a team that was expected to compete for the conference championship. The win propelled the Bearcats into the top-25 and they showed they belonged their with a 70-3 pounding of Southeast Missouri State last weekend.

"All week we worked on the mental end of things to set a standard of how to play every week regardless of how many days you had to rest," Kelly said of his club which had on short week after playing Rutgers on Monday. "I thought our guys did a pretty good job."

Cincinnati was certainly mentally prepared, as it recorded its highest scoring output in a game since 1921. With the win, the Bearcats improved to 10-7-1 as a Top 25 team and moved up to No. 17 in the rankings.

As for OSU, it hasn't been nearly as impressive as Cincinnati, but the team has still won both of its games and that is all that really matters. After scoring a 34-7 victory over Portland State to open the season, the Beavers pulled out a late 23-21 victor at UNLV this past weekend.

The Beavers now return back to Corvallis and that is especially good news considering they have won 26 consecutive non-conference games at home dating back to 1996. Head coach Mike Riley is a perfect 17-0 in non-Pac-10 home games and that is something he will want to keep intact this weekend.

These two teams met only once before and that game was won by Cincinnati, 34-3, in the Queen City in 2007.

The Bearcats rolled up 564 yards of offense, including 396 through the air, against Rutgers and its supposedly stout defense and they continued their success with 578 yards last weekend against SEMO.

It was the Mardy Gilyard show last weekend, as the standout receiver scored four touchdowns. Gilyard caught a pair of touchdowns, ran for another and returned a 53-yard punt for a complete game.

"He could throw a pass," said Kelly. "There is a possibility of it. It is in part of our offense structure. I wasn't going to let him hit that cycle tonight."

Gilyard finished the game with six receptions for 111 yards, a nice follow up to his season-opening performance of eight catches for 89 yards and a touchdown.

Getting the ball to Gilyard is Tony Pike, who has picked up right where he left off from a year ago. Pike threw for 229 yards and three touchdowns last weekend and he also added a score on the ground. A big reason for last year's run, Pike has really started to make a name for himself and he was effective against Rutgers as well, throwing for 362 yards and three touchdowns.

Cincinnati lost nearly every starter on the defensive side of the ball from a year ago, but this unit hasn't let up and obviously has something to prove. The group recorded five sacks and three interceptions in a dominant performance against Rutgers, and followed that by holding SEMO to just 176 total yards and forcing four turnovers.

"Potentially we could be very good," said cornerback Aaron Webster. "We are still young and trying to figure out how to play together. The sky is the limit for us. We are always trying to improve."

Webster has recorded two of the team's six interceptions this season and he is a big reason why this unit can overcome the losses from last year's club.

Justin Kahut drilled a 33-yard field goal with seven second remaining, giving OSU a thrilling 23-21 win over UNLV last weekend. It was a terrific finish for the Beavers, who led 20-7 heading into the fourth quarter. OSU showed good balance, rushing for 184 yards and throwing for 198.

Jacquizz Rodgers was sensational in the win, as he rushed for 166 yards and a score on 26 carries, while also catching 10 balls for 65. His brother, James, also had a nice game and finished with six receptions for 48 yards and a touchdown. The duo were equally as effective in the team's opening win over PSU, with Jacquizz rushing for 103 yards and three touchdowns and James catching two balls for 95 yards and a score.

Sean Canfield has been responsible for getting them the ball and last weekend he was efficient in completing 25-of-31 pass attempts for 198 yards and two touchdowns. He also stepped up down the stretch, leading the Beavers on a 12-play, 64-yard drive that was capped with the game-winning field goal.

After blanking UNLV in the first half, OSU's defense let up in the final two quarters, allowing 21 points to the Rebels. The unit gave up a pair of fourth quarter touchdowns, yielding 117 yards on those two drives. The defense was bailed out by the offense, but the unit did a decent job overall in holding UNVL to 310 total yards on the night. The group was especially stout against the run, as it surrendered just 82 yards. The defense however, has recorded just one sack and three takeaways in two games and those are areas in need of improvement.

Keaton Kristick had eight stops and a fumble recovery for the Beavers last weekend after posting six stops in the team's opener.

The Beavers have a big edge hosting this game and with the support of their fans and another big effort from the Rodgers brothers, they should prevail in a close one.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Oregon State 27, Cincinnati 24