As it turns out, Oregon State’s offseason mass exodus was a sign of things to come. Reser Stadium rapidly emptied out in a similar fashion as the Ducks took a 49-14 lead in the fourth quarter.

Four quarters of complete and utter domination gave way to No. 9 Oregon’s (3-0) blowout win over its in-state rival. Yet, the game’s two halves looked distinctly different despite the Ducks’ offense’s consistent production. 

In the first half, the contest’s two offenses went blow-for-blow in their own unique ways. The Beavers’ methodically moved the ball down the field with several long, time-consuming drives that saw Oregon State convert six-of-nine 3rd downs to put up 14 points. Because of this, the Ducks rarely got the football. In fact, Oregon ran just nine plays in the first quarter compared to OSU’s 23.

So, the Ducks had to make their limited time count. Remarkably, they were able to do so, manufacturing three touchdown drives that never used more than four minutes, the longest of which used just three minutes and 52 seconds.

Oregon relied on the explosive plays that head coach Dan Lanning had been calling for over the past few weeks. Big completions to the three-headed monster of Tez Johnson, Evan Stewart and Traeshon Holden led the charge as Dillon Gabriel worked a perfect 10-10 first half with 114 yards and both a rushing and passing touchdown. 

Oregon went into the locker room at halftime with a 22-14 lead despite only possessing the ball for just under nine of the half’s 30 minutes. But it just didn’t feel sustainable. There was this looming sense in Reser Stadium that if the Oregon offense stalled and the Beavers could continue to dominate the clock, the Ducks could end up in an uncomfortable situation. 

But something changed in that Ducks’ locker room at the break. Oregon’s defense came out with a newfound dominance, and the offense didn’t have to trade efficiency for effectiveness. 

In fact, the Ducks’ opening drive in the second half was their longest of the day at 4:35 (which is still an absurdly low number) and continued the momentum that they’d built in the first half. The rest of the game offensively became rhythmic for Oregon. The next three drives resulted in touchdowns, then a field goal, then Dante Moore kneeled the clock out. That 3rd down chainsaw that the Beavers love to flex only sounded six times, and Oregon converted on four of them. 

The difference between the two halves was strictly on the defensive side of the ball. 

Oregon limited the Beavers to a measly 91 total yards of offense in the second half while forcing 145 yards worth of punts. Oregon State couldn’t remotely move the ball, and its powerful run game that was supposed to run down the Oregon defense accumulated just 15 rushing yards in the final 30 minutes of play. 

“We avoided the explosive plays on defense,” Lanning said. “I think if you want to talk about a big mark, for us defensively the last couple of weeks we’ve had some explosive plays given up. We didn’t see that today.”

Oh, and that 6-9 that Oregon State was on 3rd down in the first half? That became 1-6 in the final 30 minutes of play. The Beavers’ ability to move the ball and land timely conversions disappeared just as fast as the OSU student section as it read the writing on the wall.

“We really, more than anything, talked about getting stops on 3rd down,” Lanning said. “To equate to stops on 3rd down, it meant winning 1st and 2nd down defensively. 

Now the Ducks are riding high into their first bye week of the season and have a chance to build on their momentum as conference play approaches.