OREGON 7/7/10/0 - 24
OREGON ST 7/7/7/13 - 34
CORVALLIS, OREGON - The Oregon Ducks went into Reser Stadium having won the last eight contests against their oldest rival - the Oregon State Beavers. However, after building a 10-point lead in the third quarter, the Duck defense allowed 20 unanswered points from the Beavers to lose their final game of the 2016 season, 34-24; a loss that ultimately ended head coach Mark Helfrich’s time at the UO and marked the worse season of Duck football since going 3-8, 1-7 in 1991.
Oregon State’s powerful running back, Ryan Nall, scored the game’s first touchdown of the night after the Beaver defense forced an Oregon three-and-out on the opening possession. Nall finished the game with 155 yards and four touchdowns on 31 carries, and capped off OSU’s first scoring drive with 12-yard touchdown.
The running back tandem of Royce Freeman and Tony Brooks-James helped fuel a 10-play, 75-yard drive that tied the game with a short touchdown run from the latter. Arrion Springs forced a Beaver fumble that resulted in a 33-yard reverse touchdown pass from Jalen Brown to Darren Carrington II that put the Ducks up 14 to 7 with 12:24 left in the second, but Marcus McMaryion tied it up later in the quarter with a six-yard TD pass to RIcky Ortiz.
It appeared the Ducks would reclaim the lead when they reached the OSU 12-yard line, but Brooks-James fumbled the ball, and the score remained tied at 14 apiece going into the half.
Oregon started out strong in the third quarter by forcing consecutive three-and-outs from the Oregon State offense while also scoring on their first two possessions. Justin Herbert connected with Charles Nelson for a 23-yard score, then Aidan Schneider gave the Ducks a two-score lead when he made a 46-yard field goal, but the Beavers weren’t ready to call it quits. As the weather took a turn for the worse, Oregon State rallied behind their big bruising running back. Nall scored the final three touchdowns of the game, including OSU’s final scoring drive in which the back carried the ball seven times to drain the clock and put the Beavs up by 10.
Oregon’s final offensive play of the game was a dropped potential touchdown pass to Johnny Mundt. Offensive penalties, missed tackles, and dropped passes damned the Ducks to the bottom of the PAC-12 North standings. While both teams finished with a 4-8 record, the results of the Civil War left fans of the Beavers feeling like they had won the Super Bowl, while Duck fans were left with the sensation of falling off a cliff having reached the National Championship game just two seasons prior.
“The outcomes are on me. What's on you is going back to work and never, ever letting this feeling happen again”
- Mark Helfrich after his final game as UO Head Coach
Oregon Offense (total: 384 - pass: 213 - rush: 171)
Oregon State Offense (total: 411 - pass: 101 - rush: 310)
Oregon Defense (forced turnovers: 1 - FUM: 1)
Oregon State Defense (forced turnovers: 1 - FUM: 1)
UO (4-8, 2-7) OSU (4-8, 3-6)