Oregon Stae’s Rodgers brothers work in tandem

As time ran down, right there on the field, James Rodgers could not hold back the tears.

“I wanted to win so badly,” he says. “However many minutes were left, I was going to give it my all.”

From across the huddle, Jacquizz Rodgers could see his brother getting emotional.

“Man,” he says, “that touched me a little bit.”

All game long, the Rodgers had taken turns making big plays -- James at receiver, Jacquizz at tailback -- nudging Oregon State into the lead against top-ranked USC.

Now they made a pact, no words spoken, just a glance. As Jacquizz explains: “I was going to give it my all too.”

The memory of that night remains vivid a year later as Oregon State arrives in Los Angeles for a rematch against fourth-ranked USC. Just like before, the underdog Beavers will pin their hopes on the Rodgers brothers.

You might call them by another name: The best fraternal combo in college football.

“They’re amazing athletes,” USC Coach Pete Carroll says. “An amazing one-two punch.”

Check the numbers.

Jacquizz is the ninth-best running back in the nation, averaging 116 rushing yards a game. James ranks 14th among receivers with an average of 7.17 catches.

Even more impressive, James ranks eighth in the nation with 180 all-purpose yards per game, including fly sweeps and kick returns. Jacquizz ranks 15th with an average of 161.

They account for more than 70% of the yardage and 80% of the scoring on a team that is 4-2 and very much in the hunt for the Rose Bowl.

“The Rodgers brothers are probably worth more than what everybody says they are,” says Portland State Coach Jerry Glanville, whose team lost to Oregon State this season.

A year apart in age, James and Jacquizz have been playing football together since childhood, though it wasn’t always by choice.

Growing up near Houston, James recalls, “we couldn’t play on different teams because we were real competitive and it might end up in a fight.”

“We always used to fight,” Jacquizz says. “Then we made up.”

They became stars at Lamar Consolidated High -- Jacquizz setting a Texas state record with 136 career touchdowns -- but at 5 feet 7 were overlooked by most college recruiters.

Oregon State Coach Mike Riley got a tip about James, sent an assistant coach to see, and ended up chasing two prospects.

The brothers are built similarly, low to the ground, fast and strong. James can be a little more talkative, though both are known for a humility that borders on stoicism, especially when they talk to reporters.

James arrived in Corvallis in 2007, making his mark as a freshman by scoring a game-winning touchdown against rival Oregon, then rushing for 115 yards in an Emerald Bowl victory over Maryland.

The next summer, when his little brother showed up, he tried not to boast. Didn’t need to.

Jacquizz quickly proved himself as a tailback who can hide behind blockers, flying under the radar, then burst through the hole and wriggle from the grasp of tacklers.

After a couple of long runs in their first training camp together, James recalls, “there were some oohs and aaahs. That made me feel so proud.”

As if it were fate, James and Jacquizz had reunited on a team that includes no less than five pairs of brothers.

They share an apartment where much of their time is spent watching television or playing games on the computer. Two of the best college players in the nation and they don’t own a PlayStation or an Xbox between them.

“I know, I know,” James says. “We plan on buying one.”

Each is supposed to tidy up after himself, saving the big jobs for when guests pay a visit.

“I do most of the cleaning,” James says.

Jacquizz retorts: “That’s because most of the time he invites people over.”

On the practice field, they are usually last to leave, running extra sprints or playing a game of catch they call “21.” You get a point for zipping the ball at the other guy’s chest, two points for the face.

“I beat him last time,” Jacquizz says. “He plays with the equipment man now.”

Riley doesn’t mind seeing his two best players constantly challenge each other, hoping it rubs off on the rest of the team. He also likes that they seem to be having fun.

“I think the football part of it they’re enjoying more and more together,” he says.

Not that everything has gone perfectly.

Last season, Jacquizz had gained more than 1,200 yards in 10 games when he was sidelined by a shoulder injury. Soon after, James was approaching 2,000 all-purpose yards but suffered a broken collarbone.

With their offensive stars on the sideline, the Beavers squeaked out a 3-0 victory over Pittsburgh in what should have been a Texas homecoming at the Sun Bowl.

“Sitting and watching,” Jacquizz says, “that hurt.”

They have bounced back this season.

James had 100-yard receiving games against Arizona and Arizona State and once again leads the team in returns.

Jacquizz racked up big totals against Portland State, Nevada Las Vegas and Stanford, scoring 13 times on the ground, second-best in the nation. “You don’t see guys that small who can run it like he can,” says Stanford safety Bo McNally. “We had a hard time tackling him and getting him down.”

The Trojans can sympathize. Ranked fourth in the nation against the run, they are hoping for a better performance than last season, when they missed tackles by the dozen while surrendering 186 rushing yards to Jacquizz.

The brothers took turns that night. James scored first, then Jacquizz. James scored again.

“We always try to top each other,” Jacquizz says. “Trying to get more.”

The Beavers held a seven-point lead with 5 minutes 40 seconds remaining when James teared up in the huddle. Jacquizz responded by running five times for 26 yards, shaving almost two-and-a-half minutes off the clock.

When USC got the ball back, quarterback Mark Sanchez was intercepted and Jacquizz scored his second touchdown to secure a 27-21 victory.

“Just going out there and making great runs,” James says. “We needed that.”

They had made a pact like brothers do. No words, just a glance across the huddle.

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david.wharton@latimes.com

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(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)

Brothers in arms

Last November, ESPN’s Bruce Feldman picked his top college football “brother acts.” It’s hard to argue the top five:

>>>Lee Roy, Lucious and Dewey Selmon, Oklahoma, 1973 -- The Selmons helped the Barry Switzer coaching era get off to a 10-0-1 start. The Sooners’ defense never gave up more than 20 points in a game as the Selmons combined for 234 tackles. Lucious was the Big Eight Conference defensive player of the year, LeRoy made nine quarterback sacks, and Dewey was dominant at nose tackle.

>>>Earl and Tim Campbell, Texas, 1977 -- Earl won the Heisman Trophy after rushing for 1,744 yards and 19 touchdowns. Tim was less heralded but had 14 sacks as a defensive end that season and was all-conference. Tim’s twin, Steve, was also on the team.

>>>Bennie and Brian Blades, Miami, 1987 -- Bennie was a two-time All-American safety and won the Jim Thorpe Award as college football’s top defensive back. Older brother Brian caught 29 passes for 394 yards and five touchdowns as the Hurricanes won the national championship.

>>>Ricky and Lamonte Hunley, Arizona, 1983 -- Both played linebacker and were the team leaders in tackles. Ricky had 166, Lamonte 155.

>>>Tiki and Ronde Barber, Virginia, 1995 -- Tiki rushed for 1,397 yards and Ronde was an All-Atlantic Coast Conference cornerback as the Cavaliers finished 9-2.

Also, if you stay in the Pac-10 but switch sports:

>>>Brook and Robin Lopez, Stanford basketball, 2008 -- The twin 7-footers sparked Stanford to a 28-8 record, then became the first brothers taken in the first round of the same NBA draft -- Brook 10th overall to New Jersey, and Robin 15th to Phoenix. Brook led the Cardinal with averages of 19.3 points and 8.2 rebounds and was second on the team with 56 blocked shots. Robin was second with averages of 10.2 points and 5.7 rebounds and had a team-high 83 blocks.

By the numbers

USC Coach Pete Carroll says he’s seen “some terrific combinations” in Pac-10 football over the years, but that Oregon State’s Jacquizz and James Rodgers are “the most unique in their stature, the explosiveness, and they’re brothers.” Indeed, the Rodgers brothers have accounted for more than two-thirds of Oregon State’s yardage on offense this season and more than half of the team’s total in several other key categories:

*--* Category Team Rodgerses Pct. Runs 204 151 74.0 Rushing yards 795 833 104.7* Receptions 140 81 57.9 Receiving yards 1,529 813 53.2 Total offense 2,324 1,646 70.8 Touchdowns 21 17 81.0 Punt return yards 107 105** 98.1 Kick return yards 339 296** 87.3 *--*

* Other rushers have combined for negative yardage.

** James Rodgers only.