With just over eight minutes left in the fourth quarter on Saturday, sunlight began to creep over Reser Stadium. Oregon held a comfortable 30-13 lead over Oregon State, and as the Civil War wound down, it was as if the golden rays of the BCS Championship were shining over the Ducks.
 

Oregon (12-0, 9-0 Pacific-10 Conference) completed a perfect regular season with a 37-20 win over Oregon State, stamping a ticket to the national championship game in the process.
“The whole team came out and did a good job today,” sophomore quarterback Darron Thomas said. “We knew we had to come out for the last victory and finish, and we did so. Now we get to play for this last one.”
As has become commonplace for Oregon, the team got off to a slow start. Though Oregon State was forced to punt after a quick three-and-out in its first possession, sophomore cornerback Cliff Harris fumbled the kick, and the Beavers took the ball back in Oregon territory.
Beaver quarterback Ryan Katz followed with an interception of his own, then the Ducks promptly handed the ball back with another fumble. Oregon State finally took advantage of the mistake, punching the ball in on a six-yard pass to junior running back Jacquizz Rodgers.
Facing a 7-0 hole, Oregon didn’t blink and responded with a nine-play, 60-yard drive of its own capped off with a Kenjon Barner touchdown. The extra point, however, was blocked, and the Ducks were behind 7-6 as the first quarter ended.
“Lot of credit to (Oregon State head coach) Mike (Riley),” Oregon head coach Chip Kelly said. “They came ready to play and we anticipated that coming in.”
With the Beavers driving into Oregon territory at the beginning of the second quarter, Katz threw another costly interception to cornerback Talmadge Jackson, who returned the ball all the way to the 12-yard line. The Ducks, however, quickly stalled and were forced to kick a 36-yard field goal to take a 9-7 lead.
The Beavers attempted a fake field goal during their next possession, which was foiled by a Michael Clay interception. From there, the Ducks quickly punched the ball into the end zone with an eight-yard LaMichael James run. Suddenly, Oregon led 16-7.
Yet with a chance to take a commanding lead at halftime, the Ducks faltered. After taking the ball to Oregon State’s goal line, Oregon was crippled by a false start penalty and missed a 25-yard field goal in the waning seconds of the half.
It wouldn’t be until the third quarter until the Ducks truly broke the game open. Faced with a fourth and three situation in its second possession of the half, Oregon lined up as if ready to punt. Instead, Clay took a direct snap and ran it 64 yards all the way to goal line.
“We were going to do it the first time we punted,” Kelly said. “That turned out to be in the third quarter.”
From there, Thomas hit wide receiver D.J. Davis for a 19-yard touchdown. Suddenly down 23-7, Oregon State responded with an 11-play, 65-yard drive to the goal line. Oregon held steady on third down, forcing the Beavers to settle for a field goal.
Faced with a similar situation at the beginning of the fourth quarter, the Oregon defense again managed to escape by allowing just a field goal. For Kelly, the importance of the goal-line stands was immeasurable.
“Our red-zone defense was huge for us,” Kelly said. “To hold them to two field goals in those situations was huge.”
On the ensuing Oregon possession, Barner ran 23 yards for his second touchdown of the day and effectively sealed the win for Oregon.
“Kenjon’s a great player,” James said. “He came into the game and he got some long runs; it really helps to have us both because we can always have fresh legs.”
Not to be outdone, James punched in a touchdown of his own with 4:27 left on the clock. It would be Oregon’s final score of the day.
The Beavers added one more touchdown as the seconds winded down, but it was too little, too late. When the final whistle sounded, Thomas sprinted around the field with his index finger held high. Oregon was undefeated, and headed to Glendale, Ariz., to play for all the marbles.
“I’m just happy for everybody,” Thomas said. “Happy for the Duck fans, and happy for everybody who supported us.”
Facing the media minutes after the win, even Kelly had to acknowledge the achievement.
“I think it’s a testament to these players,” Kelly said. “They’ve been able to focus every single week on the game at hand … all the credit goes to the kids. They’re awesome.”
As Kelly spoke, a howl of joy could be heard from the hallway. On Saturday, the sun was beaming brightly upon the Oregon football team.
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