With No. 6 Oregon football’s goals in sight, the Ducks’ postseason hopes hinge yet again on an end-of-year battle against in-state rival Oregon State at 5:30 p.m. Friday at Autzen Stadium on FOX.
The No. 16Beavers won last year’s game in Corvallis, 38-34, overcoming a three-touchdown deficit in the second half to knock the Ducks out of the Pac-12 title race. The loss has driven Oregon players to "remember what happened" as they prepare for this year's matchup.
At the moment, the127th game between the Ducks and Beavers is also the last scheduled contestbetween the two in a rivalry that's been played in three different centuries and continuously since 1945with many memorable games.
Oregon is headed to the Big Ten next seasonand Oregon State is still working out its future in the Pac-12.
The Ducks arecoming off a 49-13 win over Arizona Stateon the road last week,while the Beavers fell at home to Washington, 22-20.
Oregon is favored by nearly two touchdowns against an Oregon State team that has won at Autzen Stadium only once in 14 games since 1994 — a 38-31 overtime victory in 2007.
The Ducks (10-1, 7-1 Pac-12) could clinch a berth to the Pac-12 championship game against Washington in Las Vegas Dec. 1 with a win over the Beavers (8-3, 5-3 Pac-12). A loss, and an Arizona victory over Arizona State, would plummet Oregon out of the conference title game and likely out of a New Year's Six bowl berth.
Follow along for updates and photos from the rivalry showdown.
4 p.m.: Kickoff time is set
Kickoff is set for 5:40 p.m. Friday at Autzen Stadium as No. 6 Oregon hosts No. 16 Oregon State in the rivalry game. The game will be televised on FOX.
5:54 p.m.: Oregon opens with a TD drive
Bucky Irving took a 14-yard swing pass from Bo Nix in for the score as the Ducks drove 88 yards on 15 plays and ate up the game's first 8:41 to take a 7-0 lead with 6:19 to play in the first quarter.
First-quarter recap
What happened: Oregon leads 7-0 and will have the ball at the Oregon State 28 when the second quarter resumes.
The big play: Oregon stopped Oregon on a fourth-and-5 pass play from the Oregon 41 with 2:33 to play in the quarter.
Momentum swing: The Ducks opened the game with a 15-play, 88-yard scoring drive that ate up the first 8:42 of game time and gave Oregon a 7-0 lead.
6:19 p.m.: Nix run puts Ducks up 14-0
Bo Nix scored on a 16-yard bootleg at the 14:20 mark of the second half as Oregon goes up 14-0. The Ducks now have 146 yards to the Beavers' 20 and have had the ball for 11:54 to 3:36 for OSU.
6:36 p.m.: Ducks miss out on scoring chance
Oregon drove into the red zone but their drive stalled out after reaching the Oregon State 14. A 34-yard field goal attempt by Camden Lewis later in the drive went wide right with 6:32 to play in the first half.
6:53 p.m.: Oregon State scores in the final minute of the half
Silas Bolden caught a 9-yard TD pass from DJ Uiagalelei with 54 seconds to play in the half as the Beavers pulled within a touchdown of the Ducks' lead, 14-7.
6:59 p.m.: Nix leads last minute TD drive
Bo Nix connected with wide receiver Troy Franklin for a 41-yard touchdown with 8 seconds to play in the half as the Ducks went back up by two touchdowns, 21-7. The drive lasted 40 seconds and went 78 yards in five plays. Franklin's catch made him the all-time school record-holder in TD receptions with 25.
Halftime: Oregon 21, Oregon State 7
Bo Nix has thrown for 190 yards and two TDs on 18-of-22 passing, and rushed for another score.
The Ducks have outgained the Beavers, 291-95.
7:43 p.m.: Ducks increase lead to 24-7
Oregon’s defense stopped Oregon State on fourth-and-2 at the Ducks’ 29, then the offense went 64-yards in eight plays with Camden Lewis kicking a 25-yard field goal to put the Ducks up 24-7 with 6:01 to play in the third quarter.
7:58 p.m.: Third quarter ends with Ducks leading 24-7
The quarter ends with the Ducks at the Oregon State 16 with a first-and-10.
8:05 p.m.: Oregon lead grows to 24 points
Jordan James scores in a 1-yard run at the 14:37 mark of the fourth quarter as the Duck go up 31-7. It was another long drive for Oregon, which went 82 yards on 12 plays in 4:53.
8:40 p.m.: No. 6 Oregon defeats No. 16 Oregon State, 31-7
The Ducks are headed to the Pac-12 championship game.
Bo Nix completed 33-of-40 passes for 367 yards and two touchdowns, Tez Johnson (11 catches for 137 yards) and Troy Franklin (9 for 128 and a TD) had big days at wide receiver, and the defense held Oregon State to 273 total yards in the win at Autzen Stadium.
Oregon will play Washington Friday in Las Vegas.
Here are takeaways from the win over Oregon State and what the Ducks are saying about the rematch with Washington in the Pac-12 title game.
Stories to get you up to speed for Oregon football game day
- What's on the line for No. 6 Oregon Ducks football vs. No. 16 Oregon State Beavers
- Oregon Ducks football vs. Oregon State Beavers picks, predictions, odds: What media are saying
- 'Remember what happened': How Oregon football is getting fired up to take on Oregon State
- ‘Good for the state’: Oregon football, Oregon State coaches on future of rivalry game
- 3 keys to victory for Oregon Ducks football in showdown with Oregon State Beavers
- Where Oregon football stands in latest College Football Playoff rankings
- Pac-12 football power rankings: UW undefeated, Oregon controls destiny, Arizona is lurking
- Oregon football, Oregon State rivalry: Greatest wins, toughest losses of the past 40 years
- After Further Review: Bo Nix, Oregon football shine in win over ASU
- Oregon football wins and individual records fall in the Ducks' rout of Arizona State
Follow Chris Hansen on Twitter@chansen_RG or email atchansen@registerguard.com. For more sports coverage, visit registerguard.com. Want more stories like this? Subscribe to get unlimited access and support local journalism.
Alec Dietz covers University of Oregon football, volleyball, women’s basketball and baseball for The Register-Guard. You may reach him atadietz@registerguard.comand you can follow him on Twitter@AlecDietz.
