CORVALLIS — The 120th meeting of the Civil War between Oregon and Oregon State had a little bit of everything in the first half. For what has become a lopsided series the past decade, the first half was a competitive and evenly matched showing with teams trading blows like heavyweight boxers.
The Ducks used big plays to score their points while the Beavers methodically drove down the field. At the end of the half, Oregon and Oregon State were tied at 14.
Royce Freeman led Oregon in rushing with 71 yards on 11 carries while Tony Brooks-James added six carries for 37 yards.
Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert, playing in his first Civil War, struggled a bit by going 6-for-9 for 49 yards. He wasn’t given much help as two of his passes, particularly a long ball to Jalen Brown, were dropped.
Oregon State’s Ryan Nall was the Beavers’ main guy on offense, leading them with 86 total yards.
Oregon State struck first on its opening drive. While quarterback Marcus McMaryion kept the Duck defense honest with his ability to run the ball, running back Ryan Nall provided the power. He scored from nine yards to give the Beavers the early lead.
The Ducks would respond with a long drive of their own the next time they got the ball. Freeman got the Ducks deep into Beaver territory before Brooks-James scored on a three-yard run to tie the score at 7.
With Oregon State driving early in the second quarter, the Ducks got a turnover deep in their own territory. Arrion Springs forced a fumble that Justin Hollins recovered. An ensuing 15-yard penalty on the Beavers gave the Ducks much better field position.
The Ducks appeared to give the ball right back to Oregon State as freshman Justin Herbert threw a long interception on the next play after the fumble recovery. But a pass interference on the interception gave Oregon a second chance.
Brown helped the Ducks capitalize on that second chance when he threw a 33-yard score to Darren Carrington on a reverse pass. Brown hit Carrington in stride, dropping the ball perfectly over three Beaver defenders to take the 14-7 lead.
Oregon State responded with its own scoring drive. The Beavers marched right down the field, using big plays by Nall and McMaryion to tie the game at 14 midway through the second quarter.
Not to be outdone, Oregon marched right down the field, using big plays by Charles Nelson and Freeman to put the ball at Oregon State’s 12-yard line. However, Brooks-James fumbled and the Beavers recovered at their own five-yard line, evening the turnover battle.
STATS:
Oregon Passing
Justin Herbert: 6-for-9 for 49 yards
Jalen Brown: 1-for-1 for 33 yards and one touchdown
Oregon State Passing
Marcus McMaryion: 12-for-16 for 96 yards and one touchdown
Oregon Rushing
Royce Freeman: 11 carries for 71 yards
Tony Brooks-James: 6 carries for 37 yards
Oregon State Rushing
Ryan Nall: 12 carries for 52 yards and one touchdown
Marcus McMaryion: 6 carries for 35 yards
Oregon Receiving
Darren Carrington: 1 catch for 33 yards and one touchdown
Charles Nelson: 2 catches for 19 yards
Jacob Breeland: 2 catches for 17 yards
Oregon State Receiving
Ryan Nall: 2 catches for 34 yards
Timmy Hernandez: 3 catches for 24 yards
Ricky Ortiz: 1 catch for 6 yards and one touchdown.
Total Yards
Oregon: 190 (108 rushing and 82 passing)
Oregon State: 202 (104 rushing and 98 passing)
Turnovers
Oregon: 1
Oregon State: 1
Time of Possession:
Oregon: 9:52
Oregon State: 20:08