Hey there -- I'm Rich Kurz, a sports producer at KGW, and I'm in the press box at Reser Stadium for the 110th Civil War. Game time's less than 15 minutes away for this big game with plenty on the line. The home team has won the last nine games in the series. Check back - I'll be updating often, and be sure to send me your comments!
12:36 pm
First big news out of Corvallis -- the Ducks are going with Brady Leaf at QB over previous starter Dennis Dixon. We'll have to see how that changes the Ducks offensive gameplan.
12:45
Just the start the Beavs wanted -- Ducks turn it over, Beavs recover, then cheers erupt for completion on first pass for OSU.
12:47
That didn't take long -- Beavs hit Jason Vandiver for his first career TD. How's a guy get that open that close to the endzone?
12:53
That big 33-yard pass play for the Ducks didn't quiet the crowd at all -- they went nuts when OSU got in there and nailed Leaf on the very next. And it's getting a bit chippy - offsetting personal fouls on that play.
12:57pm
Quick note on the fans -- the only empty seats in the house appear to be in the corner of the end zone where the Ducks fans are. That section is about three-quarters full. The rest of the stadium is packed with Beaver orange. Most of that orange is raingear; in true Civil War-fashion, a nice steady, light rain is falling.
1:06pm
OSU is losing the chance to build some momentum -- two false starts in the same handfull of plays. After converting a big third down on a screen to Bernard, they're shooting themselves in the foot. It's loud in here, but you'd think the Beavs could block out their own fans.
1:10pm
Another big third down play for the Beavs -- and another big penalty on OSU. A personal foul after about a 30-yard gain; think these teams like each other?
1:13pm
The turnover doesn't dim the fans hopes; the crowd noise was rocking the pressbox as the Ducks try to get points off the OSU turnover. But it's a momentum killer - a pass down to the UO 41-yard line, then the receiver coughs it up.
1:19pm
This is the best the Ducks offense has looked on the road in a while. For a guy who hasn't played a whole lot, Leaf looks really comfortable and relaxed in the pocket.
1:20pm
The catch that's under review is down in the corner of the end zone where I'm sitting. From here, I thought it looked like a touchdown, but those refs are a whole lot closer to the play than I am.
1:23pm
TD Ducks! They didn't use Jonathan Stewart a whole lot until they got down inside the 20, then he battered away at the D until he got into the end zone. We've got a tie game with 2:19 left in the first quarter.
1:35pm
Alexis Serna hits a long FG to give OSU a 10-7 lead; it was hard to tell if it was going to be long enough from up here. The Beavs put some points on the board, but the Ducks "D" seems like it's getting into a rhythm. After that early touchdown, they've really been getting after the Beavs. It feels like we're just getting past that early part of the game when all the emotion is running, and now it's just down to who the better football team is.
1:41pm
WOW! A HUGE gamechanger --- what was Leaf thinking? Derrick Doggett picks him off, then runs nearly untouched to the end zone to give the Beavs a 17-7 lead. I'm not sure if Leaf thought he had a good angle after the pick, but it didn't look like he was in any hurry to try to tackle Doggett. That's what the Beavs needed to keep their emotions high!
1:50pm
Leaf is right back in the game after throwing that INT. I'd heard UO Coach Bellotti say he'd play both QB's, but Dixon hasn't gotten off the bench yet. And boy is it loud -- Beaver Nation was yelling so hard on that fourth down play, the photographer's deck was shaking!
1:54pm
Not going well for the Ducks -- they drive on OSU, only to miss a short field goal. And THAT comes after the Ducks run Jeremiah Johnson right up the middle on 3rd and short. I'm surprised to see Jonathan Stewart turned into a goal-line only RB. He's the guy you'd think would get the ball a lot more.
1:58pm
Love that Civil War weather! The rain has picked up and the fog is moving in. It's just about 2pm, but it looks like dusk is just minutes away.
2:01pm
Can you feel the love? Ducks DE Nick Reed loses his head -- ok, his helmet -- on the play, and a whole bunch of players from both sides do a little pushing and shoving afterwards, but the Ducks are the only ones to get a 15-year personal foul penalty.
2:04pm
50-yd FG attempt for Alexis Serna -- and he hits it. You can't exactly say he nailed it (in fact, it just squeaked over the bottom corner of the goalpost), but like my old baseball coach would've said, it was a line drive in the scorebook.
2:06pm
Wow -- and ANOTHER big play. What runback for Jonathan Stewart. He hesitated bringing the kickoff out of the endzone, then put a sick move on a defender en route to a 68-yard return. The Ducks now have a chance to get some points with :17 left in the half.
2:10pm
Man -- the Ducks have gotta be hurting. Special teams are killing them again. A second, short FG missed to end the half. They should be down a TD, but are now down 13. At least they haven't had the chance to drop a punt yet (like the bunch they muffed last week).
All right - hit the fridge and grab some grub, then send me your comments during halftime.
2:33pm
Ducks "D" rises to the occasion -- and the special teams manages to field a punt. But can the "O" put it in the end zone so it doesn't have to rely on a FG attempt again?
2:38pm
The long bomb to Jordan Kent is under review, but either way, you've gotta respect the long ball Brady Leaf throws. Seems like it's almost effortless. That's been the first play in a while that's stretched either team.
2:41pm
Tick-tick-tick... the long reviews are rough at home, but rougher when you're sitting in the rain. Tough on the players, too -- a bunch of the Ducks were jumping around and stretching to try to stay loose for a call that took forever for the refs to review and say they'd gotten it right to begin with.
2:42pm
So now the Ducks decide to give Stewart the ball outside the red zone, and he pounds away on the Beavs, taking it 22 yards into the endzone to bring UO within six points. I'd expect to see a whole lot more of J-Stew this half.
2:44pm
It's either great tailgaters or the cold rain, but the stands look a whole lot emptier this half. The upper deck across from the pressbox is about half-full here in the third-quarter.
2:49pm
Moore has a big arm of his own -- a 48-yard catch and run for the Beavs down to the UO 9-yard line. The offenses are starting to stretch the D a bit.
2:51pm
Bernard into the endzone to extend the Beavs lead -- nice blocking, followed by *ANOTHER* personal foul penalty. It's becoming the Un-civil War. Beavs up 27-14.
2:56pm
Another big play from Stewart, converting on third and short. Was Bellotti keeping him fresh for the second half to throw at worn-out Beaver defenders?
3:00pm
Update on the weather -- at half-time I ran into a soaked-to-the bone Ron Pivo and equally-wet ace sports photographer Brian Warner. One look at them was all I needed to know I should be glad to be inside and not out in the rain.
3:09pm
A new Reser Stadium record for attendance - 44,015. It's the first sell-out since the new east grandstand opened last season.
3:17pm
12:31 left in the game -- Oregon's quickly running out of time to make this a game. The Duck offense has really struggled to find a flow.... they have managed to keep big-play man Sammie Stroughter from beating them on punts.
3:21pm
Late flag for pass interference comes after a loud roar from the crowd looking for that penalty. Another error that's going to cost the Ducks some time off the clock -- at the least.
3:25pm
Ok - this is about the third entry I started writing "The Beavs are gonna keep feeding Bernard and kill clock...." and then Matt Moore drops back as I type. I really thought they'd keep running a bit, and see if they can't kill some clock and get a first down.
3:27pm
There's gonna be some trouble out of this -- at the end of the punt coverage, two players were wrestling on the Oregon sidelines, and it looked like the Duck player threw a punch somewhat south of the stomach. Refs didn't call it, but everybody up in the pressbox saw it.
3:33pm
What a gun -- Brady Leaf just threw a 45-yard bomb that was broken up, but he threw it from one side of the field to the next.
3:34pm
Leaf missed Weatherspoon on that one - he was wide open crossing to the left side of the endzone.
3:39pm
Can you say... "Special-teams implosion?" Stewart steamrolls into the end zone, then the Ducks get the PAT blocked. That kick team has been a total disaster for Oregon. Two missed field goals and a blocked extra point are the seven points Oregon is now trailing by; make those and it's a tie game.
But the Ducks O looks like it's getting into rhythm with Stewart bringing the wood to the running game.
3:43pm
This is what it's all about -- one TD game with 4:42 left. Down to the wire at Reser!
3:45pm
Loud boos are banging off the rafters at Reser -- no doubt, the fans disagreed that a broken-up pass was incomplete, not caught and fumbled. But it woke the crowd up to cause the Ducks to jump offsides -- and now the Beavs are urging the crowd to ramp it up even louder.
3:47pm
Man -- what an effort by Jonathan Stewart. That guy just broke about four tackles and ran 25 yards laterally for an 11-yard gain and a first down.
3:51pm
Brady Leaf on the keeper to put Oregon up two -- either Bellotti has *NO* faith in his kicker, or he's betting the house today. Having Leaf run it on the keeper for the 2-point conversion is a risk to be sure. On the other, maybe no more risky than running Martinez out for another kick.
There's only one section of the stands cheering now -- the side wearing bright yellow raincoats. It almost seems like the Ducks needed a little extra pressure to kick it into gear.
3:53pm
Now Matt Moore has to answer -- and he is. Two completions to start the drive, totalling 45 yards. The Beavs are stepping it up. What a game!
3:56pm
Beavs are now trying to run some clock, but they're only at the UO 24-yard line. That's well within the Serna's range, but is it too early to run down the clock? And wouldn't you want to try punching it in the end zone, the way the O is clicking?
3:57pm
The chess match continues. OSU runs to the middle, which would make a field goal easier. UO calls its final timeout to stop the clock, and leave some time to try to answer any Beaver score.
3:59pm
The fans go nuts! Serna splits the uprights with a 40-yard field goal to give OSU a 30-28 lead. But remember -- Oregon got a great runback to end the first half and get within FG range
4:00pm
*Another great return by Stewart; he bobbled the ball, then busted it to the left and down to the 43-yard line of Oregon State. The fans are trying to disrupt the Oregon offense.
4:03pm
Now it all comes down to this -- a 44-yard field goal attempt. And Bellotti goes with the second-string kicker. Talk about pressure!
4:05pm
BLOCKED!!!!! OSU is going to win the 110th Civil War with a block of an Oregon field goal attempt with :20 left.
The fans storm the field -- and celebrate the big win!
Hope you guys enjoyed the game as much as I did -- thanks for reading along. We'll see you next time -- Rich
