Oregon Ducks

• 2017-18 Record: 7-6 (4-5 PAC 12)
• Current Record: 7-4 (4-4 PAC 12)
• Previous Game Result: Win vs. Arizona State (31-29)
• Head Coach: Mario Cristobal
• Total Offense Ranking: 39th in FBS (439.2 YPG)
• Total Defense Ranking: 73rd in FBS (402.6 YPG)

Tale Of The Tape

This is it. The biggest game in the state of Oregon. The Civil War. The history, the tradition, and the passion will all be on full display in Reser Stadium on Friday. The ducks (The undercase is intentional) have not performed up to expectations, or at least up to their fans expectations. After an embarrassing showing in the Las Vegas Bowl against Boise State, the off-season was marred by the abrupt departure of former Head Coach Willie Taggart to Florida State. The ducks had to act fast to secure the positions of defensive coordinator Jim Leavitt, who was rumored to have been considering leaving for a Head Coaching job.

However, despite the turmoil, the ducks managed to start out with a 3-0 record thanks to an embarrassingly easy non-conference slate. However, they would blow a huge lead against Stanford at home, losing in OT by a score of 38-31. The game was even more embarrassing as some of the Oregon fans decided to pelt the Stanford players with various items as they left the field. Since then, the ducks have turned into an enigma of sorts in the PAC 12. While they would win games against Washington and Arizona State, they would lose to Washington State, Arizona and Utah. Due to some struggles on offense, Offensive Coordinator Marcus Arroyo will likely be coaching for his job on Friday. Expect the Oregon offense to be looking to put up points fast and in bunches.

Player To Watch

Justin Herbert(Quarterback, Jr.)

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A player that many expect to go early in the upcoming NFL Draft, Justin Herbert has been hot and cold all season. In some games he seems to miss all his throws and in others he will make throws that shouldn’t be made. In recent weeks, Herbert has been a lone bright spot for an Oregon offense that has been sputtering to such an extent that it may end up costing Marcus Arroyo his job as Offensive Coordinator, throwing for over 2800 yards, 27 TD’s and only 8 INT’s. Oregon will be anxious to score points, so expect the ducks offense to be heavily reliant on Herbert.

Biggest Question Mark

Can the Beavers defense hold off the ducks offense?

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If the Beavers want any shot at defeating the ducks, then their defense is going to have to step up. While Oregon’s offense has been struggling as of late, they are still a dangerous group and the Beavers haven’t exactly done a great job of stopping opposing offenses this season. It will be interesting to see how the Beaver defense fares against the struggling ducks offense.

History With Oregon State

This will be the 122nd edition of the annual Civil War. The ducks lead the overall series with a record of 64 wins, 47 losses and 10 ties. The first meeting between these schools was back in 1894, making the Civil War the 5th oldest rivalry in college football. The rivalry has often spilled out to the fans over the years. The 1911 Civil War was cancelled after fans from both schools began a confrontation following the 1910 Civil War. In 1937, over 2,000 OSU fans stormed the Oregon campus and surrounding city of Eugene following a Civil War win over the ducks, only to have several of them stripped naked and forced to paint a yellow “O” on Skinner Butte by UO students. In 1954, OSU fans took around 25 UO students “hostage” after 50-60 UO students lit the OSU homecoming bonfire early and were subsequently caught. They had their heads shaved, were painted orange and black, and were forced to do menial labor for OSU fraternities. In 1972, UO fans attempted to storm the field at then-Parker Stadium after a Civil War win over the Beavers and tear down the goalposts, which led to a massive brawl in the North end-zone.

Schedule

Oregon will wait to hear what bowl game it is playing in, while the Beavers will begin preparing for the 2019 season.