Tag: Oregon State Beavers

3 Keys to Victory for the Ducks against the Oregon State Beavers

Our biggest keys to victory for the Ducks in this year’s Civil War.

Although it feels like the Oregon Ducks season just began, we’re almost through the non-conference portion of the year and onto Big Ten play. The Ducks are 2-0 through their first two games, and although there are many concerns about the way they’ve played, things could be much worse.

This week, the Ducks are taking on the Oregon State Beavers — a matchup that traditionally took place in November during rivalry week of every season, before Oregon left the Pac-12 for the Big Ten.

The Beavers are 2-0 on the season as well, with wins over Idaho State and San Diego State. The Ducks are heavy favorites in this game, but as we’ve seen in Oregon’s first two matchups, a wide spread in Oregon’s favor means very little.

Below, I’ve listed the three major keys for Oregon on Saturday, so they can take home the win in their first road game of 2024.

Strike first

One of the biggest issues facing the Ducks on offense to start the year has been inconsistency. Last week against Boise State, Oregon didn’t get on the scoreboard until their third drive. This week, in order to jump-start Oregon’s offense, I want to see the Ducks get down the field and into the endzone quickly on their first drive. A quick score like that would set the tone, for the rest of the game, and potentially for the rest of the season, removing the fog that has been shrouding what we know Oregon’s offense can be.

Own the line of scrimmage

One of the biggest storylines to start the Ducks’ season has been offensive line woes, but last weekend against Boise State, the Ducks D-line looked shaky as well, allowing Broncos’ RB Ashton Jeanty to rush for 192 yards and 3 TDs on 7.7 yards per carry. This week, the Ducks need to own the line of scrimmage on both ends of the ball, establishing their own run game early and shutting the Beavers’ run game down. I also want to see Oregon’s edge rushers get to the quarterback early and often.

Decisiveness from Dillon Gabriel

Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

There have been several problems plaguing the Ducks through two games, but a major one has been the play of QB Dillon Gabriel, who has been underwhelming at best. His stats are good and he’s completing passes well, but against Boise State and Idaho, Gabriel has dealt with pressure poorly and struggled to bring depth into the passing game. This week, Gabriel needs to play with more confidence and decisiveness, getting the ball out of his hand on time, and slinging it down the field.

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A series history of the Civil War, one of college football’s most historic rivalries

A look at the history of the rivalry between the Oregon Ducks and the Oregon State Beavers

The Oregon Ducks vs. the Oregon State Beavers — September 14th, 2024.

It still doesn’t feel right to play the Civil War in week three of the college football season, but it’s a September game or nothing for these former conference foes, and forever rivals.

The Ducks and the Beavers will play for the 128th time this weekend, but this game will feel different than ever before. For the first time in the history of this rivalry, this is a non-conference game after the effective dissolution of the Pac-12 last year.

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The Civil War is one of college football’s most historic rivalries, in part because the all-time series has always been close. In the 127 games between these teams, Oregon has one 68 times, the Beavers have won 49, and the game has ended in a tie 10 times.

In the final years of the Pac-12, this rivalry was at its best. Last season, both the Ducks and the Beavers came into the post-thanksgiving game ranked in the top 15 of the AP Poll, both grasping for one of the four College Football Playoff spots. The Ducks won the game 31-7, and we got to see one of Bo Nix’s Heisman moments, as he connected with Troy Franklin on a long touchdown pass thrown across his body.

That was revenge for the year prior when Oregon State beat the Ducks in Corvallis, after trailing Oregon by 17 points in the fourth quarter. In that game, the Beavers had three rushers with over 50 yards on the ground, including 103 yards from star RB Damien Martinez.

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From 1997 to 2006, this series was deadlocked, with the home team winning each year until 2007 when the Beavers beat the Ducks in Autzen Stadium, 38-31.

Since Oregon is now a member of the Big Ten, and Oregon State survives in the Pac-12, this matchup is no longer guaranteed each year. This year’s game is the first part of a home-and-home scheduled through 2025, but in 2026 we may see a season without Oregon-Oregon State for the first time since 1944. Hopefully, the powers that be work to keep this rivalry alive because it’s games like these — not neutral site games in Las Vegas — that make college football as wonderful as it is.

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Previewing the Oregon State Beavers defense ahead of Week 3 game vs. Oregon Ducks

The Oregon State defense will be one of the toughest challenges the Ducks will face in the 2024 season.

Oregon State has every right to be disappointed after the ACC, Big Ten and Big 12 spurned them for what could be perceived as weaker teams.

The Beavers had a better team than Colorado and probably better than both Los Angeles schools in 2023. Unfortunately, it’s not about the talent on the field those decisions were made in the way they were.

Especially the defense.

The Beavers had a good defense last season and it seems as if there is little to no drop off on that front here in 2024. That unit opened some eyes after pitching a shutout on the road at San Diego State.

“Their defense, as it always has been since I’ve been here, is very sound and create some tough looks, so it’ll be a fun challenge for us,” Oregon Ducks coach Dan Lanning said.

It makes sense the Beaver defense wouldn’t have a drop-off since they hired defensive coordinator Trent Bray to replace Jonathan Smith as their head coach.

The Beavers are giving up just 7.5 points a game and 77 yards on the ground. In order to come out of Corvallis with a victory, Oregon is going to have to make a significant dent in both of those categories.

Oregon State has also just allowed 168 yards through the air and a couple of reasons they are that good are defensive backs Jaden Robinson and Skyler Thomas. Both are upperclassmen and both lead the Beavers with nine tackles each.

Look for the Beavers to blitz the Ducks with outside linebacker Nikko Taylor, who has two of their three sacks. Oregon has had some trouble up front protecting Dillon Gabriel and the Beavers will try to exploit that as much as possible.

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Oregon Ducks unveil white ‘Mighty Oregon’ uniform combo for Week 3 Civil War

Check out the Oregon Ducks jerseys against Oregon State for Week 3.

Things are going to look a bit strange this weekend for the first-ever September Civil War between the Oregon Ducks and Oregon State Beavers, but the visiting team is going to be showing up in style.

On Wednesday afternoon, the Ducks announced that they will be breaking out their newest ‘Mighty Oregon‘ throwback jerseys, one of the most coveted sets of the Generation O collection.

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The combo will come with the classic green helmet and the classic Oregon O on the sides. We also will get the throwback white jersey tops, and the green pants to go along with it.

Mighty Oregon Throwback Jerseys

Photo Courtesy of Oregon Athletic Department
Photo Courtesy of Oregon Athletic Department
Photo Courtesy of Oregon Athletic Department
Photo Courtesy of Oregon Athletic Department
Photo Courtesy of Oregon Athletic Department
Photo Courtesy of Oregon Athletic Department

This is the first time that we will be seeing these jerseys officially worn for the Ducks, which is fitting for this abnormal rivalry game, which is now played in the non-conference part of the schedule with Oregon and Oregon State going into separate conferences.

The Ducks are favored by a couple of scores going into the game on Saturday afternoon but need a dominant performance to calm a lot of concerns from Oregon fans.

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More than just bragging rights at stake for Pac-12 schools in Week 3

The two schools left behind by the Pac-12 falling apart will face old rivals in Week 3, hoping to each make a statement with a victory.

The annual rivalry matchups between the Oregon Ducks-Oregon State Beavers and the Washington Huskies-Washington State Cougars have always carried significantly more weight than your average conference game.

In-state supremacy and year-long bragging rights are huge factors in rivalry games all across the country, and the two Pacific Northwest rivalries are among the oldest – and fiercest – in all of college football.

There’s rarely anything civil about the Oregon-Oregon State matchup – long known as the Civil War – while the Apple Cup between the two Washington schools has a rich history of dividing the state down the middle.

This year, however, the two games are set to take place this Saturday – and take on a very different meaning for the four involved programs.

The demise of the 100+-year-old Pac-12 conference – which long hosted all four teams – resulted in the Ducks and Huskies departing for the Big Ten and left the Beavers and Cougars homeless, hung out to dry without a conference while the eight other programs landed either in the Big Ten, Big 12, or ACC.

To add insult to injury, Washington State’s Athletic Director, Pat Chung, took the same position across the state at Washington, while Oregon State saw their promising head coach, and former quarterback, Jonathan Smith leave unexpectedly to take the same job at Michigan State, leading to mass exodus of talent including quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei (Florida State) and running back Damien Martinez (Miami).

And you can bet those two programs are looking for revenge this weekend.

The Beavers are 2-0 after knocking off Idaho State at home in Week 1, 38-15, and blanking San Diego State on the road, 21-0, in Week 2. Oregon State is top 40 in both offense and defense at CBS Sports, showing plenty of promise under new coach Trent Bray.

This will be the 128th matchup between the Ducks and Beavers, and while Oregon remains a top-ten team, winning at Reser Stadium has eluded them since 2018.

Washington State is also 2-0 to start the season, blasting Portland State 70-30 in Week 1 and securing a big win over a Big 12 opponent in Texas Tech during Week 2. The Cougs will travel across the state to Seattle to face UW, who is 2-0 as well under new coach Jedd Fisch.

PNW fans will have to split screen if they want to watch both games, which start at 12:30 PM PT on Saturday. The Apple Cup will be on Peacock, while Oregon and Oregon State will be on FOX.

Previewing the Oregon State Beavers offense ahead of Week 3 game vs. Oregon Ducks

OSU may have a lot of new names on that roster, but the offense consisting of big linemen, speedy backs and receivers remains the same.

One could understand why an Oregon fan would have to look more closely to the game program than usual in this version of the Civil War.

Nearly every notable player who participated in the last game has bolted out of Corvallis to look elsewhere to play. Even the kicker, Atticus Sappington, changed allegiances and is now an Oregon Duck.

What’s left, however, seems to be a pretty good offense that Oregon has to prepare for as they would every year when this game falls on the schedule.

There may be some new faces, but it’s the same old Oregon State offense that consists of a quarterback who doesn’t make many mistakes, a big offensive line, and some speedy skill players who are difficult to bring down once they have the ball.

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Quarterback Gevani McCoy, who beat out veteran Ben Gulbranson for the job, is brand new to campus after transferring in from Idaho. It seems as if that was a good decision as McCoy is completing nearly 70 percent of his passes, 295 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. The stats don’t light up the stat sheet, but making no mistakes is the key.

Left tackle Gerad Christian-Lichtenhan is a mountain of a man at 6-foot-9 and 329 pounds. At right tackle is Grant Starck at 6-4 and 288 pounds.  Center Van Wells is the “smallest” one of the bunch at 6-foot-2 and 318 pounds. The guards are Tyler Voltin who is 6-foot-4 and weighs 368 pounds and Joshua Gray at a mere 6-4 and 310 pounds.

That offensive line will do its best to open up some running holes for tailbacks Jam Griffin and Anthony Hankerson. Each is averaging over 100 yards a game and each has three touchdowns to their name.

Oregon State has the usual smallish, but really quick receivers that are tough to catch up and bring down with Taz Riddicks and Trent Walker, who leads the Beavers in receiving with 12 catches and 124 yards in the first two contests.

What is different this season is that the tight end position hasn’t have many touches yet. Bryce Caulfield has just one catch. Oregon State is without Jack Velling and his eight touchdowns from a year ago. He has moved on to Michigan State with coach Jonathan Smith and that absence has been sorely missed so far.

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Pac-12, Mountain West fail to extend scheduling agreement, so now what?

Oregon State and Washington State did not extend a scheduling agreement with the Mountain West into 2025.

The Washington State Cougars and Oregon State Beavers each began the unprecedented 2024 college football season with a win on Saturday, but it wasn’t the big headline surrounding the two programs this weekend.

Rather, it was the lack of news.

Sunday, September 1 was the deadline to extend the football scheduling partnership with the Mountain West into the 2025 season, a deadline that passed without an agreement – although neither side felt any urgency to formalize plans.

“If there’s no agreement, that doesn’t mean we can’t still do something,” a source told Jon Wilner of the San Diego Union Tribune. “This is not a standoff situation.”

The current deal provides both Oregon State and Washington State with six games against Mountain West schools, three at home and three on the road, for the 2024 season.

The two schools plan to compete as a two-team conference for 2024 and 2025, and while the deadline has passed it does sound like the two sides could still agree to a similar, albeit restructured, scheduling agreement for 2025.

As of now, both Oregon State and Washington State already have six games scheduled for 2025. WSU will play North Texas, San Diego State, Idaho, Washington, Virginia, and Oregon State, while OSU will play Cal, Fresno State, Houston, Texas Tech, Oregon, and of course Washington State.

Oregon State trolls Oregon about local Big Ten Network blackouts

Oregon State Beavers make jab at rival Oregon Ducks for Big Ten media rights causing blackouts locally ahead of college football season.

The Pac-12 conference was gutted for a variety of factors, which prominently included a media rights deal that wasn’t working for the member institutions or the fans.

The Pac-12 Network was difficult for fans to find, and the lack of games on major networks led to limited visibility and major frustration – which was expected to be alleviated in the Big Ten, Big 12, and ACC.

However, as Comcast subscribers in the Pacific Northwest are finding out, the same old problems persist.

Comcast offers a $10 add-on which features the Big Ten Network, a relatively small price to pay for fans of Oregon, Washington, USC, and UCLA to ensure access to their favorite teams as they embark on a new season.

Except, as reported by John Canzano, a battle of ‘territorial rights’ currently means local games will be blacked out on the Big Ten Network – proof the more things change, the more they stay the same.

The irony of Oregon bolting from the Pac-12 to join the Big Ten – in part because of more reliable media rights – is certainly not lost on Oregon State, who took a shot at their longtime rivals with a social media post on Tuesday.

The Beavers were one of two Pac-12 schools left in the dust during realignment, and they are now playing as independents along with Washington State for the next few years while they look to rebuild the conference.

It has certainly been a rough calendar year for the Beavers and Cougars, but they can relish the fact their games are much easier to find on TV locally, at least for the time being.

Oregon and Oregon State men’s basketball lock in a home-and-home series

The Oregon Ducks and Oregon State Beavers have scheduled a multi-year non-conference series between their men’s basketball teams.

One of the biggest consequences of conference realignment is how it affects the traditions and rivalries that have defined college athletics for decades. Following the Oregon Ducks move to the Big Ten, the Cascade Clashes between the Ducks and the Washington Huskies will be preserved, but battles with the Ducks’ in-state rival, the Oregon State Beavers, aren’t guaranteed.

But despite what seems to be constant conference realignment, individual teams and athletic departments are working to maintain the rivalries that are integral to college sports. Jon Rothstein reported on Tuesday that the Oregon and Oregon State men’s basketball teams have locked in a “multi-year series,” starting this season in Corvallis

Since Oregon is now a member of the Big Ten and the Beavers are still in the Pac-12, this won’t be a conference matchup, and it will likely occur near the beginning of the season. This agreement won’t take everything about this rivalry back to normal, but it’s a big step.

The Beavers did not have a fantastic team in 2023, and they likely won’t improve much in 2024, but compared to the Ducks’ usual non-conference opponents, Oregon State is a step up. The March Madness selection committee values the non-conference strength of schedule when selecting bubble teams, which could be important for Oregon.

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Check out the 11 college football teams with new NCAA Nike Air Max Solos

Check out the new 2024 Oregon Ducks Nike Air Max sneaker.

For college football fans, August brings new life.

We’re just a few short weeks away from the start of the 2024-25 season and Nike has released one of its annual collaborations with some of the biggest universities around the country.

While the much anticipated NFL and NCAAF Nike Air Pegasus collections will not drop until some time later this summer, fans of certain colleges gained a surprise early back-to-school gift with the release of 11 new 2024 Air Max Solos.

These sneakers should appeal to true Air Max superfans. They were inspired by and include elements from past models including the AM90 heel cup.

The shoes go on sale to the public at 10 a.m. ET on Thursday, Aug. 8, and each pair costs $109.99.

Oregon Nike Air Max Solo

Oregon Ducks Nike Air Max Solo
Oregon Ducks Nike Air Max Solo (Fanatics)

Price: $109.99

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Alabama Nike Air Max Solo

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Florida Nike Air Max Solo

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Georgia Nike Air Max Solo

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Michigan Nike Air Max Solo

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Michigan State Nike Air Max Solo

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Ohio State Nike Air Max Solo

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Oregon State Nike Air Max Solo

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Penn State Nike Air Max Solo

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Tennessee Nike Air Max Solo

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Texas Nike Air Max Solo

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