CORVALLIS, Ore. — With 1:55 remaining in the fourth quarter, the Beavers had three things: the ball, solid field position and a chance to beat their in-state rival, the Oregon Ducks. Trailing by four, nothing short of a touchdown would do it.
Oregon State quarterback Tristan Gebbia led his team down the field, delivering strike after strike to receivers in the flat. Gebbia and the Beavers marched to the Oregon goal line as they continued to pick apart the Oregon defense. With the game on the line, Oregon State turned to what worked for them all night: the run.
Due to Gebbia getting hurt on the prior play, Beavers’ backup quarterback Chance Nolan punched it into the endzone for the game-winning score. Oregon State capped off a 41-38 victory over the Ducks in a matchup the Beavers had won only once since 2007.
Through the early evening fog at Reser Stadium, the Ducks offense showed their ability to start fast and utilize the run game, a visible improvement from last week’s showing against UCLA.
With a couple runs from CJ Verdell and a 37-yard jet sweep touchdown from Jaylon Redd, the Ducks, in one drive, overtook last week’s 34-yard first half rushing total by double digits.
On the other side of the ball, the Ducks allowed the Beavers to hang around all night.
While the offense gained steam, the Ducks’ defense continued their season-long struggle to stop the run. as Oregon State running back Jermar Jefferson broke free for an 82-yard equalizer on the Beavers’ first play from scrimmage. The play is the ninth longest rushing touchdown in school history.
Early as it was, the flow of the first two drives was indicative of the game in its entirety. The Ducks harnessed a narrow lead for the majority of the evening, but the Beavers didn’t let up. Nor did the issues plaguing the Oregon defense.
Jefferson played an all-important role through the rest of the evening, achieving a highly-respectable stat line of 226 yards and 2 touchdowns on 28 carries. The Harbor City, California native is one of only two players in the FBS with multiple touchdowns of 75 or more yards this season.
“That boy’s special,” Oregon State wide receiver Kolby Taylor said. “Two games in a row he’s had 80-yard touchdown runs, and definitely makes our job a lot easier on the outside, so glad he’s my teammate.”
As the Beavers surged back into the game, the Oregon offense sputtered.
Unlike the Beavers, Oregon’s early-game momentum wouldn’t last through the night. By the third quarter, they were unable to replicate the same rushing efficiency, putting up only 183 total yards on the ground by the final whistle.
Firepower in the Beavers’ run game, along with a costly interception from Ducks’ quarterback Tyler Shough, gave Oregon State its first lead of the night at 12:34 in the fourth quarter.
The Oregon offense mustered one final drive, culminating in a touchdown from Cyrus Habibi-Likio, giving the Ducks a 38-34 lead in the waning minutes of the game. In the face of a four-point deficit, the Beavers found a way to walk away with the win.
Thirty minutes after the clock struck zero, the crowd outside Reser Stadium had only grown larger. Honking horns and students shouting in elation dotted the scene. What was a trap game for the Ducks was the Super Bowl for the Beavs, and it showed among players and fans alike.
With the game on the line, the Ducks defense gave up chunks of yardage and lost battles at the line of scrimmage, offering token resistance to an all-but-nuanced Beavers offense.
“Obviously really proud of this football team, the resilience, the fight for four quarters,” Oregon State head coach Jonathon Smith said. “And it was a great football game, back and forth, both teams making plays and responding, and obviously really happy for our guys to come out on top.”
The Ducks will now be required to rise out of the fog a better, more focused team and approach the remainder of the abbreviated season with conviction. With a playoff berth completely off the table, Oregon football will take on a struggling California Golden Bears team next week for a much-needed opportunity to “get right.”