One hundred and twelve times the University has played a football game against the Oregon State Beavers. In those games the Ducks are 56-46-10 against their rivals from Corvallis.
But never has the Pacific-10 Championship and Rose Bowl been promised to the winner.
“It being the last game makes it that much more special,” senior place kicker Morgan Flint said. “And it being the Civil War, it’s always a big game whether it means everything or nothing. Lucky for us it means everything and hopefully we’ll go out there and come out on top.”
For the first time since 2001 a team from Oregon will be the Pacific-10 Conference Champion. The stage is set for an epic collision under the Autzen lights tonight with state and conference bragging rights on the line.
“It will be crazy because it’s the Civil War, but what makes it more so is what’s at stake,” junior linebacker Casey Matthews said.
The Oregon players aren’t dumb, they know what winning would mean to Duck fans. But it’s been their goal since beating Arizona in double overtime to hush the talk and focus on the present. They don’t want to think about the other 112 games these two teams have played, or even the 65-38 win Oregon had last year. This is 2009 and for them, Oregon State is just one more team on the schedule.
“We try to tell (everyone) that it’s just another game,” senior running back Andre Crenshaw. “We have to go out practice hard and do what we know how to do.”
“We’ve got great leadership,” head coach Chip Kelly said. “Our older guys, the Ed Dickson’s, Spencer Paysinger, the T.J. Ward’s, the Will Tukuafu’s, these guys have been pretty poised throughout the whole season. So I’m not worried about them getting too excited and playing the game in their minds before we play the game on Thursday.”
But for the freshmen and players not familiar with the Civil War, senior cornerback Walter Thurmond III says they won’t be able to actually know what it’s like until they run out of the tunnel.
I don’t think any of the freshmen are aware yet,” Thurmond said. “They’re just treating it like another game and it won’t be until they get out there in the game that they’ll know about the rivalry.”
It’s unthinkable for many fans of football in the state of Oregon that either the Beavers or Ducks will be representing the Pac-10 in Pasadena on Jan. 1, but after eight conference games, that’s where things are. Both teams have gotten to this point by two very different routes. Oregon lost almost a month ago to Stanford on Nov. 7 and had to save its slim lead in conference on Nov. 21 against Arizona. Meanwhile, the Beavers were 2-2 after their loss to Arizona on Sept. 26 and floundering. Then they reeled off six wins in their last seven games and Oregon State hasn’t lost since Oct. 24 at USC.
Now the Oregon State offense, led by running back Jacquizz Rodgers and quarterback Sean Canfield will try and do what the Ducks did to them last year: stop Oregon from going to the Rose Bowl. But the Oregon defense will do everything in its power to keep the dangerous Rodgers brothers off the field and in control.
“Our offense has been good this year in Pac-10 and as a defense we know we need to get the ball to them because they’re a pretty powerful force,” Matthews said.
It is also Senior Night for Oregon, so the added emotions of seniors saying farewell to the Autzen crowd will heighten the mood.
“I really couldn’t tell you until I’m out there (what I will feel),” senior tight end Ed Dickson said. “Basically, to put it on the line, I’m a senior and it’s my last time playing in Autzen Stadium in front of Duck fans. I might get emotional but it will drive me to compete that
much harder.”
The underclassmen know how important it means to play well as well.
“You’ve just got to respect the seniors, you’ve got to know how they’re feeling,” junior linebacker Spencer Paysinger said. “It’s their last game; you know they want to go out on top with a win. So its pretty much securing anything and everything for this win.”
Oregon’s entire season comes down to this game. Kelly’s favorite saying of the next game is the biggest game is finally as true as it can be and not only will the entire state of Oregon be watching tonight, but most of the country too.
And a little bit of friendly smack talk from Thurmond summed up what a lot of Duck fans are hoping for.
“I can’t even tell you until game time when I walk out there with my family (what I’m going to be feeling),” he said. “I’m just looking forward to that game and watching the guys putting a smacking on the Beavers.”
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No ifs, ands or buts: Civil War winner gets Roses
Daily Emerald
December 1, 2009
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