CORVALLIS, Ore. (AP) -- It wasn't a complete surprise when Oregon State announced Tuesday that Sammie Stroughter would sit out the remainder of the season and that the school would seek a medical redshirt for the wide receiver and punt returner.

Oregon State coaches had been saying that was a likely scenario since Stroughter was diagnosed with a bruised kidney after the Arizona State game three weeks ago.

Losing Stroughter is certainly a hit for Oregon State's offense. He was a third-team All-American selection last year and the Beavers' most productive wide receiver. But his 2007 season got off to a bad start when grief issues kept him out of much of fall practice and Oregon State's opener against Utah.

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Stroughter played in three games for the Beavers (3-3, 1-2 Pac-10) but had a limited impact. A senior, he is eligible for a medical redshirt because he's never redshirted before and played in no more than three games this year.

The Beavers were looking at the bright side Tuesday -- the prospect of having a healthy Stroughter back for a full season next year.

Sean Canfield, Oregon State's sophomore quarterback who has struggled so far, throwing 13 interceptions, said the Beavers will face a challenge trying to replace Stroughter's experience and production.

"A medical redshirt seems to make sense right now with where he is at," Canfield said. "The biggest thing right now is to have freshman step up -- Darrell (Catchings) and James (Rodgers). Anthony (Brown) is always there, and so is Brandon (Powers). We would love to have Sammie this year, that's obvious, but having him next year would be big, too."

The road doesn't get easier for the Beavers, who will grapple with second-ranked California on the road Saturday and also have away games with No. 9 Oregon and No. 10 Southern California.

The Beavers have beaten Cal in six of their last eight meetings, and have had particular success at the Bears' Memorial Stadium, winning each matchup there since 1997.

But Cal (5-0, 2-0) has won 10 in a row at home and Oregon State's offense has yet to show much consistency. The Bears have had two weeks of practice since a close win over Oregon.

"This is their second week of game preparation for us," said center Kyle DeVan. "I know they aren't sitting back heeing and hawing that they are No. 2 in the country. They are coming out to work, knowing that we are doing the same."

Stanford's surprising win over USC showed that anything is possible. Are the Beavers drawing inspiration from that game? "That doesn't have a lot to do with us," Riley said. However, "our guys know we can win. We don't need a lot of other sources to tell us that. ... It's not always the team that people think is the best team that wins, it's the team that plays the best on that day."

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BANGED-UP SECONDARY: California's wide receiver triumvirate of DeSean Jackson, Robert Jordan and Lavelle Hawkins is good enough to scare even an intact veteran secondary. But Oregon State, with injuries to safety Daniel Drayton (groin pull) and Keenan Lewis (sprained knee), likely won't be at full strength against the Bears and high-powered Cal QB Nate Longshore (1,137 yards and seven touchdowns).

Drayton may return this weekend, but Lewis, with three interceptions this season, is out for two to three weeks. He'll be replaced by sophomore Tim Clark, who hasn't started yet this season.

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EXTRA POINTS: Oregon State offensive coordinator Danny Langsdorf has been nominated for the FedEx Orange Bowl-FWAA Courage Award to be given out after the season. Langsdorf donated a kidney last summer to Laurie Cavanaugh, the wife of Oregon State offensive line coach Mike Cavanaugh. ... Darrell Catchings is the starting split end with the end of Sammie Stroughter's season. Catchings has 16 catches for 167 yards and a touchdown this season.