The Civil War - anything can happen when the Beavs play the Ducks
By ANNE M. PETERSON
AP Sports Writer
CORVALLIS, Ore. (AP) - It's that time when it seems like everybody in the state of Oregon is either a Beaver or a Duck.
``We don't like the Beavers. I don't like orange and black,'' Oregon running back Jeremiah Johnson said. ``We're the Ducks. To knock them off, I would love it.''
The 110th Civil War between Oregon (7-4, 4-4) and Oregon State (7-4, 5-3) will be decided on Friday at Reser Stadium.
The rivalry between Stanford and California is the oldest on the West Coast, dating to 1892. But the Civil War has been played 109 times, once more than the so-called Big Game in the San Francisco Bay Area.
The Apple Cup between Washington and Washington State started in 1900 and has been played 99 times.
Former Oregon State split end Jeff Kolberg (1969-71) summed up the meaning of the Civil War years ago when he recounted a pregame speech that the late Dee Andros delivered to his players in 1970.
``He said, 'This isn't a game. It's about the right to live in this state. You've got to live here the rest of your life, and you've got to see these guys. It's going to be a hell of a lot easier to see them if you beat the hell out of them,' `` Kolberg recalled.
At the turn of the century, Oregon accused Oregon State of using ringers in the Civil War. In 1910, post-game fistfights canceled the next year's event. And in 1937, Eugene police were called to quell rampaging Oregon State fans.
Probably the most notorious on-field shenanigan involved Oregon's State so-called ``Pyramid Play,'' now banned by the NCAA.
It happened in 1933 before a crowd of more than 32,000 at Portland's Multnomah Stadium. The Ducks' extra-point attempt was blocked by Clyde Devine, who was lifted off the field by his teammates.
Despite Devine's effort, Oregon still won that one, 13-3.
Some other highlights in the storied rivalry, from past to present:
Nov. 25, 1916 - Oregon 27, Oregon Agricultural College 0. The win gave the Ducks a 6-0-1 regular-season record and sent them to their first Rose Bowl, in which they defeated Penn 14-0.
Nov. 21, 1953 - Oregon State 7, Oregon 0. The Beavers stunned the Hayward Field crowd when Oregon quarterback Barney Holland's pass bounced off the hands of George Shaw - the first pick of the 1955 NFL draft by the Baltimore Colts _ and was intercepted by OSU's Tommy Little and returned 30 yards for a TD.
Nov. 23, 1957 - Oregon State 10, Oregon 7. On 4th and goal from the Oregon State 1-yard line, the Ducks decided against a potential game-tying field goal and went for the touchdown. Halfback Jim Shanley appeared headed for the end zone, but OSU's Nub Beamer, who had been blocked to the ground, reached up just as Shanley was about to cross the goal line and caused the most famous fumble in the series' history.
Nov. 24, 1962 - Oregon State 20, Oregon 17. The Beavers and Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Terry Baker trailed 17-6 at halftime but dominated the second half, and Baker's 13-yard touchdown pass to Danny Espalin in the fourth quarter sealed it.
Nov. 18, 1967 - Oregon State 14, Oregon 10. A week after defeating USC and O.J. Simpson 3-0 in the mud in Corvallis, the Beavers' famous ``Giant Killers'' team came back from a 10-0 deficit to win the first Civil War at the new Autzen Stadium.
Nov. 19, 1983 - Oregon 0, Oregon State 0. Yikes. (Since then, college football has adopted an overtime system, guaranteeing an eventual winner.)
Nov. 23, 1991 - Oregon State 14, Oregon 3. Jerry Pettibone got his only win after 10 straight losses in his first season as Beavers coach when quarterback Ian Shields, playing with a broken big toe, scored on a 6-yard bootleg for the go-ahead touchdown. It was OSU's first win in Eugene in 18 years.
Nov. 19, 1994 - Oregon 17, Oregon State 13. The Ducks entered the game tied with Southern California for the Pac-10 championship and needed a win to clinch their first Rose Bowl berth since 1957. Trailing 13-10, quarterback Danny O'Neil drove the team 70 yards, hitting Dino Philyaw for a 19-yard touchdown with 3:47 to play.
Nov. 21, 1998 - Oregon State 44, Oregon 41, 2OT. The first-ever Civil War to be decided in overtime was won on Ken Simonton's 16-yard run into the end zone.
