Game 12 | 11 - 1 | Ducks rebound with 48-24 win over Beavers

Ducks rebound with 48-24 win over Beavers

By ANNE M. PETERSON (AP Sports Writer) | The Associated Press – 4 hours ago

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/ducks-rebound-48-24-win-011647972--ncaaf.html

CORVALLIS, Ore. (AP) -- After Oregon's loss to Stanford last weekend, running back Kenjon Barner figured there were three ways for the Ducks to respond in the Civil War against Oregon State.

''You can let it define you, destroy you or strengthen you,'' Barner said. ''With this team, every loss we've taken in the past, it's strengthened us, made us stronger. Looking back on Stanford, it was a loss. We knew what we had to do to get back on the winning track, and we did it.''

Barner ran for 198 yards and two touchdowns - despite leaving the game for a time with what he called a minor injury - and No. 5 Oregon defeated No. 16 Oregon State 48-24 in the Civil War.

Oregon running back Kenjon Barner (24) heads down field ahead of a pack of Oregon State defenders during the first half of their NCAA college football game in Corvallis, Ore., Saturday, Nov. 24, 2012. (AP Photo/Don Ryan)

The victory initially kept the Ducks (11-1, 8-1) alive for a spot in the Pac-12 title game, but Stanford defeated UCLA 35-17 later Saturday night to clinch the league's northern division.

Stanford's 17-14 overtime victory over the Ducks last Saturday meant that both teams finished the regular season with just one conference loss, but the Cardinal (10-2, 8-1) claimed the head-to-head matchup to advance to the championship game - a rematch with the Bruins - next Friday.

The Civil War ended shortly before the game between Stanford and UCLA started. Barner wasn't planning to watch it.

''I'm going to enjoy this win, have fun with my family that's here and find out tomorrow what the situation is,'' he said. ''I'd rather not watch.''

It was Oregon's fifth straight victory in the 116-game rivalry series with the Beavers.

While the Civil War is normally the season finale for both teams, Oregon State (8-3, 6-3) will host Nicholls State next Saturday in a matchup that was supposed to open the season but was put off when Hurricane Isaac bore down on the Colonels' Thibodaux, La., campus.

The Beavers will have to wait to find out where they're headed for a bowl game, but already their season can be counted a success after they went just 3-9 last year.

Barner appeared to hurt either his abdomen or ribs late in the first half and headed to the locker room. He returned after the break, but much of the work went to De'Anthony Thomas until he returned on a scoring drive that made it 41-17 early in the fourth quarter.

Barner would only describe the injury as minor.

Thomas finished with 122 yards rushing and three scores. Oregon redshirt freshman Marcus Mariota threw for 140 yards and a score, and also ran for 85 yards and a touchdown.

Sean Mannion threw for 311 yards and a late touchdown for the Beavers but was intercepted four times. Storm Woods rushed for 70 yards and two scores.

Mannion started the first four games of the season, throwing seven touchdowns and averaging 339 yards, but injured his left knee and required surgery. Vaz, who hadn't started since high school, took over and helped the Beavers to win in the next two games, and later became the team's starter.

But Vaz sprained his left ankle in the final moments of a loss to Stanford two weeks ago, and sat out last Saturday during Oregon State's 64-14 victory at home over California. Mannion got the nod for the Civil War.

''We have another opponent and we don't have time to pout and feel sorry for ourselves,'' Mannion said. ''Nicholls State is going to come in here and try to beat us, and we have to prepare accordingly. I think it will be a good thing because I know everyone is hurting about this one, especially the seniors.

Attendance was 47,249 fans, a Reser Stadium record.

Oregon put the Stanford loss behind them by striking quickly on their first possession with Mariota's 42-yard keeper. The touchdown drive took just 1:46, but the Ducks' 2-point try to cap it off failed.

The Beavers took a 7-6 lead on Woods' 7-yard touchdown run, but the Ducks answered on the next series with Thomas' 2-yard TD dash. Barner added a 1-yard scoring run before he was hurt.

Stanford held Barner to 66 yards the week before, but he had 141 yards before halftime against the Beavers. With his first 15 yards rushing Saturday, he moved past Derek Loville (1986-89) for second on Oregon's career rushing list.

Trevor Romaine kicked a 36-yard field goal to narrow it to 20-10 at halftime and the Beavers pulled closer with Woods' 2-yard scoring run on their first series of the second half.

It was all Ducks the rest of the way. Thomas scored on a 6-yard run to extend Oregon's lead to 27-17, before the Ducks capitalized on a Beaver fumble that led to Thomas' 29-yard touchdown run. Barner returned with his 1-yard run and Mariota found B.J. Kelley with a 2-yard touchdown pass.

Mannion hit Micah Hatfield with a 6-yard touchdown pass with 20 seconds left for the final margin.

While Barner was spending time with his family, Oregon coach Chip Kelly was going to be watching Saturday night to see what happened elsewhere in the Pac-12 and beyond.

''You got to pay attention,'' Kelly said. ''You got to know if you're practicing tomorrow.''

Even though the Ducks are missing out on the Pac-12 championship game, there is a good chance that at 11-1 they will be an at-large bid for a BCS bowl game.

The Ducks hold a 60-46-10 advantage in the Civil War which began in 1894 and is the seventh-most contested rivalry in the nation.

It was the fourth time that both teams were ranked for the Civil War. The last was in 2009, when Oregon was No. 7 and Oregon State was No. 13. That game was dubbed the ''War of the Roses'' because the winner was guaranteed a Rose Bowl berth. Oregon won 37-33.

Week 13 | Civil War | Oregon looks for Civil War rebound

Oregon looks for Civil War rebound

By ANNE M. PETERSON (AP Sports Writer) | The Associated Press – 14 hours ago

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/oregon-looks-civil-war-rebound-194524762--ncaaf.html

CORVALLIS, Ore. (AP) -- With so many scenarios for how the season may - or may not - play out, No. 5 Oregon was focused only on Oregon State and the 116th Civil War.

Oregon's march toward the national championship game detoured last Saturday with a 17-14 overtime loss to Stanford. Now, even the team's shot at the Pac-12 championship is in jeopardy.

''You have to be mentally tough,'' Oregon running back Kenjon Barner said. ''It's football. You're going to lose some games. It happens.''

Saturday's Civil War at Reser Stadium is a must-win for Oregon (10-1, 7-1) if they want to keep their hopes for a fourth straight Pac-12 title alive. But the Ducks will need UCLA to help with a victory over Stanford in Los Angeles. To be back in the mix for a national championship berth, they'll likely also need USC to topple undefeated and top-ranked Notre Dame.

Oregon State coach Mike Riley laughed when asked this if he's worried the Ducks will be doubly motivated against the 16th-ranked Beavers (8-2, 6-2) after the loss.

''I don't know what they're mindset is going to be,'' Riley said. ''But they're a really good, resilient football team. So that's what we expect.''

No matter what happens on Saturday, Oregon State can count this season as a success. The Beavers have staged a stunning turnaround with essentially the same team that went just 3-9 last season.

Oregon State's best weapon against the speedy Ducks may be its defense - much like Stanford's was in its victory over Oregon last weekend.

The Ducks have the fourth-ranked offense in the country, averaging 548.3 yards a game, and the fifth-best rushing offense with 313.5 yards a game. Stanford's stout D was able to hold the Ducks to 198 yards on the ground and 405 yards in total offense.

The Cardinal held Barner, averaging 136 yards rushing going in, to just 66 yards.

Oregon State has the nation's No. 14 rushing defense, allowing opponents only 108.7 yards on the ground per game. The Beavers' overall defense is ranked third in the Pac-12, allowing an average of 345 yards.

On offense, Oregon State will start Sean Mannion at quarterback because quarterback Cody Vaz only returned to practice Wednesday after a left ankle sprain.

Mannion started the first four games of the season, throwing seven touchdowns and averaging 339 yards, but injured his left knee and required surgery. Vaz, who hadn't started since high school, took over and helped the Beavers to win in the next two games, and later became the team's starter.

But Vaz sprained his left ankle in the final moments of a loss to Stanford two weeks ago, and sat out last Saturday during Oregon State's 64-14 victory at home over California.

Oregon defensive coordinator Nick Aliotti said this week that Oregon State's receiving duo, senior Markus Wheaton and sophomore Brandin Cooks, have the Ducks' attention.

Cook has 1,039 receiving yards with five touchdowns this season, and Wheaton has 986 yards with 10 TD catches. Both are among the top 15 in the nation for average receiving yards.

''I wish I could tell you 'Not many worries, not many concerns,' but we got our work cut out for us because they remind me of an 'SC down-the-field throwing team and last time I checked we didn't do really well in that one,'' Aliotti said. ''We're going to have to cover those receivers.''

For the record, Oregon beat the Trojans 62-51 but Matt Barkley threw for five touchdowns, including two to Marqise Lee.

Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota spent Sunday mulling over the loss to Stanford then got back to work on Monday. The redshirt freshman threw for 207 yards and a touchdown against the Cardinal.

''There were a lot of times I was trying to force it too much,'' Mariota reflected this week.

Mariota needs three total touchdowns - via pass or keepers - to reach Oregon's single season record of 36 set by Akili Smith in 1998 and matched by Darron Thomas in 2011. He already holds the Pac-12 freshman record with 29 touchdown passes this season.

In what could be his final game at Autzen Stadium, Barner needs two rushing touchdowns to match pal LaMichael James' single season record of 21 at Oregon in 2010. He needs just 15 more rushing yard to move past Derek Loville (1986-89) into second on Oregon career list.

The Ducks hold a 59-46-10 advantage in the Civil War, and they've won the last four games in the series. It is the seventh-longest contested rivalry in the nation, dating back to 1894.

Saturday's game will mark the fourth time that both teams are ranked for the Civil War. The last was in 2009, when Oregon was No. 7 and Oregon State was No. 13. That game was dubbed the ''War of the Roses'' because the winner was guaranteed a Rose Bowl berth. Oregon won 37-33.

Riley has seen his share of Civil Wars, both as coach of the Beavers and as the son of former Oregon State assistant coach Bud Riley, who passed away earlier this year. Growing up in Corvallis, Riley's watched the game from both the stands and the sidelines.

''I feel like this is to be embraced. It's fun to be involved in it, that's one of the things about tradition and history,'' Riley said. ''This game has been played a long time. In the record books when you total them all up it means the same thing, a win or a loss. But for the moment when you're in it, getting to play in a fun game like this, it means a lot to everybody.''

Week 13 | Preview | Civil War | Oregon-Oregon St. Preview

Oregon-Oregon St. Preview

By TAYLOR BECHTOLD (STATS Writer) | The Associated Press – Wed, Nov 21, 2012 1:54 AM EST

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/oregon-oregon-st-preview-065405123--ncaaf.html

After losing their chance at a perfect season, fifth-ranked Oregon can't afford to hang its head for very long.

The Ducks, also fifth in the BCS standings, still have an outside chance at reaching the BCS title game - with a whole lot of help.

Oregon first has to secure bragging rights Saturday in Corvallis with a Civil War win over 16th-ranked Oregon State.

With an offense averaging an FBS-leading 54.8 points per game, Oregon (10-1, 7-1 Pac-12) spent just six days as the nation's top-ranked team before its once-unstoppable offense sputtered in a stunning 17-14 overtime loss to visiting Stanford.

That ended Oregon's 13-game winning streak, which was the longest in the nation. It also snapped the team's NCAA-record streak of 23 games with at least 30 points.

Now, the Ducks need a few things to fall in their favor to play in their second national championship game in three years. A USC win over No. 1 Notre Dame would be a huge help, as would losses by Alabama, Georgia and Florida this weekend.

Additionally, Oregon has to hope Stanford has a bit of a hangover. While UCLA has already clinched the Pac-12 South, Oregon can still represent the North with a win and a Bruins victory over the Cardinal on Saturday.

"It's not going to be easy, but we understand that we have a couple of more games and whatever plays out plays out,'' quarterback Marcus Mariota said. "We just have to control what we can control.''

Mariota has to find a way to get the offense back on track after Oregon was held to a season-low 405 yards against Stanford and converted just 4 of 17 third downs.

Mariota led the team with 89 rushing yards while completing 21 of 37 passes for 207 and a touchdown with one interception. Tailback Kenjon Barner, who was averaging 136.0 yards per game, finished with just 66 against a Cardinal defense that came in as the nation's best against the run.

The Ducks, fifth in the nation on the ground (313.5 yards per game), face another stout run defense in Oregon State, which ranks second in the Pac-12 at 108.7 yards per game.

The Beavers (8-2, 6-2) improved to 5-0 at home last Saturday with one of their best performances of the season, outgaining California 559-322 in a 62-14 victory.

Sean Mannion shined by completing 24 of 34 passes for 325 yards and matching a career-high with four touchdowns while starting in place of Cody Vaz, who had taken the job before getting hurt late in a Nov. 10 loss to Stanford.

Mannion, who threw for 299 yards with three TDs and two interceptions in a 49-21 loss to Oregon last year, will be under center again this week.

"Sean obviously prepared very well,'' coach Mike Riley said. "And he had a look in his eye this week.''

Terron Ward, coming off a 128-yard, two-touchdown effort against Cal, will try to put together another strong performance against a banged-up Oregon defense that allowed 161 yards to Stanford's Stepfan Taylor.

Another big day on the ground likely won't come easy, though. The Ducks have held Oregon State to 2.6 yards per carry during their four-game series winning streak, and allowed only 16 rushing yards while playing the final 38 minutes with the lead in last season's rout.

That, of course, came against a Beavers team that finished 3-9. Now, beating the Ducks for the first time since a 38-31 double-overtime win at Autzen Stadium in 2007 could put Oregon State in a high-profile bowl.

"It's great to be where we are," Riley said. "We try not to be surprised by success, we work for that hard. But I am proud of the turnaround in this team and the work they did in the offseason and what they've accomplished to this point.

"It's much more fun and exciting to be going into the Civil War at 8-2 rather than 3-8."

The Beavers have turned it over a Pac-12 low 14 times this season, but they've given it away eight time in their last two home losses to the Ducks.

Prior to that, Oregon State totaled only three turnovers during a five-game series winning streak in Corvallis.

Oregon | Oregon Ducks Schedule 2012 Season

Aug. 30, the first day of the 2012 season, can't get here soon enough. We're 82 days away from that blessed event.

That's a long time to go without football. But fans suffer through it every year, so it can be done.

It's a long way until Aug. 30. We'll try to make the long wait bearable.

We’ll give you the schedule for the Ducks:

1.    Sat, Sep 1            Arkansas State

2.    Sat, Sep 8            Fresno State

3.    Sat, Sep 15          Tennessee Tech

4.    Sat, Sep 22          Arizona

5.    Sat, Sep 29          at Washington State

6.    Sat, Oct 6            Washington

7.    Thu, Oct 18         at Arizona State

8.    Sat, Oct 27          Colorado

9.    Sat, Nov 3            at (6) USC

10.  Sat, Nov 10          at California

11.  Sat, Nov 17          (7) Stanford

12.  Sat, Nov 24          at Oregon State