BFS Current Story

BEAVERS WIN THE 111TH CIVIL WAR 38-31!

12-2-2007

The 111th Civil War is in the books and for the first time since 1993 the Beavers of Oregon State University have gone into Autzen Stadium in Eugene and won this classic rivalry on the road. In addition to that the Beavers became the first visiting team to win this game since 1996 when the Ducks won in Corvallis.

It was my first ever game in Autzen Stadium after 40+ years of watching Beaver football and I thank my Duck friend Scott for allowing me the use of his second ticket to attend the game. I will have to return the favor some day (the ticket not the win). I would also like to thank the Duck fans who sat around me and allowed a Beaver to be in their area. They were very polite during the game and I never heard a remark that could not be taken as just harmless fun. Thanks for making my experience so much fun.

Autzen stadium to me appears very small from the inside. The new addition side of the field is very nice from the outside and the concession areas are large and covered. Restrooms are also very large and roomy. It is a nice addition to the stadium. From my seats the stadium did not appear capible of seating as many people as is stated in attendence figures. It is very compact with the stands so close to the field that there is literally no room for cheerleaders to do their cheers from the sidelines. They must go out into the endzone to have enough room to do stunts. From behind the benches you could easily spit on a visiting team member from the front row and could easily have a conversation with a person on the bench. No wonder teams don't like to come into Autzen, they are probably harassed non-stop throughout the game by Duck fans sitting right behind their bench.

The wind tends to swirl around the stadium as well making it difficult for kickers on windy days like Saturday. There were several times when the flag in the corner of the end zone on the Ducks side of the field was blowing in one direction and the streamers on top of the goal posts were blowing in the opposite direction.

As for the game, it was one of those games that have become typical of the Civil War over the last 12 years or so. You thought one team was going to pull away with the game only to see the other come back and make it one of those games that I tend to hyperventilate at. At the end of the game I had become so stressed out that I could no longer stand up and sat there for the final field goal attempt by Oregon praying that he would miss it (and it worked!). The passion and intensity of this game is such that I dare anyone else in the country to tell me that their rivalry game is any more intense.

The Beavers jumped out to an early lead by going 67 yards in 2 plays for the first score of the game. You could feel the intensity of the Duck fans get sucked right out of the air the score came so quick. I have to admit that the Duck fans sitting around me were not very happy with the play calling during the game and were constantly complaining with the plays and execution. After all the Ducks had accomplished eariler in the season I and only imagine the frustration they must feel with how they ended the season.

The Beavers jumped out to a 21-7 lead early in the second quarter and missed on a field goal attempt that would have put the Beavers up 24-7. It was during that drive that the Beavers missed out on a touchdown by John Reese when his catch in the end zone was ruled incomplete when he hit the ground. He appeared to have the ball under control in the end zone and even the TV announcers thought it was a touchdown. So the Beavers came up empty.

The Ducks drove down the field and scored late in the second and then Moevao fumbled for the second time in the game and it was returned for a touchdown to tie the game just before the half.

With 7:10 to go in the third the Ducks took the lead 28-21 on a great play by Oregon QB Roper when everyone in the stadium thought he had handed the ball off to Stewart for a loss only to see Roper running untouched into the endzone for the score.

The Beavers went on a 8 play 71 yard drive that ended at the 14.43 mark of the 4th quarter tieing the score at 28 each.

That is how the game stayed until late in the game when a series of strange play calls on both sides of the field sent fans from both teams wondering what was happening. The Beavers drove down to the Duck 17 with 1:09 left in the game only to have Serna game winning kick blocked by Oregon and recovered at the 36 yard line of Oregon. Two plays before the kick with time running out on the Ducks, the Beavers chose to pass the ball on second and 11 instead of running the ball to keep the clock moving. The pass was incomplete at the goal line stopping the clock. The Beavers then ran on 3rd and 11 from the 21 of Oregon for 4 yards forcing the field goal attempt and leaving the Ducks with over a minute of clock in the game.

The Ducks drove the length of the field and were stopped at the Beavers 36 and were forced to attempt a field goal of 53 yards to win the game, but it missed. The Beavers however were called for a 15 yard penalty that did not appear to be a penalty to all watching. So the Ducks were now on the Beavers 21 yard line with 20 seconds to go in the game and no timeouts left. So kick the field goal right?? Wrong, the Ducks tried to run another play to center the ball on the field and then rushed to get the field goal team on the field instead of spiking the ball. The Ducks got the kick off but in the rush to kick it they did not get all of the ball and it fell short on the 41 yard attempt sending the game into overtime.

In overtime, both teams kicked field goals in their first posessions and the Beavers scored a touchdown on their second posession on a 25 yard fly sweep by Rogers to put the Beavers up by 7, 38-31. The Beaver defense then did the job by shutting down the Ducks on Fourth and 1 from the 16 yard line for the victory.

BY THE NUMBERS

 

Key	STATISTIC	OSU	OREGON	Advantage
.	Scoring Offense	38	31	OSU
X	Pass Attempts	20/37=.541	13/28=.464	OSU
.	Passing Offense/YPC	245/12.2	144/11.1	OSU
X	Kickoff Returns	27.8	18.4	OSU
X	Punting	37.2	40.7	ORE
X	Turnover Margin	-3	-1	ORE
.	Rushing Attempts / YPC	44/4.9	57/3.4	OSU
X	Rushing Offense	214	195	OSU
.	Total Offense	459	339	OSU
.	Punt Return - PUNTS/YPR	3/2.3	1/-4.0	OSU
.	First Downs	23	21	OSU
X	Sacks	1	0	OSU
.	Penalties	6/55	5/55	TIE
X	Red Zone Offense	2/4	3/3	ORE
.	3rd Down Conversions	6/16	5/20	OSU
X	4th Down Conversions	0/0	1/3	ORE
X	Field Goals	1/4	1/2	ORE
.	Time of Possession	33.02	26.58	OSU
X	Totals	12 wins	5 wins	OSU

 

The Beavers dominated the stats in this game to my surprise, winning 12 of 18 categories and tieing one. The game appeared more even then the stats showed and I would have believed that the Ducks ran for more yards. The Beavers lost the turnover battle with 2 fumbles and an interception by Moevao. One Fumble cost us a possible score at the end of a drive and the other was returned for a score by the Ducks. So without those 2 fumbles the Beavers were looking at a big lead in this game. But that is why we play the game.

The Ducks did a great job overcoming all the adversity they have had the last couple of weeks and play a good game. But the Beavers have had their own adversity this season with many injuries to key players as well and they have managed to overcome those injuries and missing players to once again close out the season on a run winning 6 of their last 7 games to finish 3rd in the PAC-10 and possible berth in the Holiday Bowl if the voters put ASU in the Fiesta Bowl, if not the Holiday Bowl then we will have to see where the Beavers will go. The Sun Bowl is the third place bowl game but they have a no repeat clause in their contract with the PAC-10. That could move the Beavers to the Emerald Bowl.

We will just have to wait and see where the Beavers end up, but whereever it is, it is great to be going to another bowl game and to finish the season for the second year in a row with a win over the Ducks.

GO BEAVERS!

BFS