Oregon vs. Oregon State score: Live game updates, college football scores, NCAA top 25 highlights

Oh. My. Goodness.

Remember how I said at the end of the last update that Oregon State needed to get a stop before half? Well, they didn’t. The Ducks offense just went 78 yards in five plays in 40 seconds with Bo Nix lofting up a 40-yard touchdown pass to Troy Franklin while on the run. Franklin makes the grab, shakes the defender and waltzes into the end zone.

What a momentum swing in the final minute. Just when it looked like Oregon State had gotten back into the game Oregon pulled the rug out from beneath it.

Oregon State is on the board

That’s the drive the Beavers desperately needed. A 15-play, 80-yard drive capped off with a 9-yard touchdown pass to Silas Bolden to make this a 14-7 game.

It was a drive helped along by a personal foul on Oregon for a suplex on a tackle, but more than anything, Oregon State didn’t make the costly mistakes this time. They had a false start but overcame it, and converted a fourth-and-1 inside the red zone to keep the drive alive.

Getting the points was the most important part of the drive, obviously, but allowing their defense to get some rest was a big win for the Beavers as well. They’d been on the field for nearly the entire half, and now get a long rest just before halftime.

Of course, they’ve still got to stop Oregon before halftime.

Not legal, but cool imo

Another false start in short yardage for the Beavers

This time it’s on a third-and-1 instead of fourth-and-1. Don’t let anybody ever tell you that a loud crowd doesn’t have an impact on a game, because we’ve seen multiple instances of it already tonight. The good news for the Beavers is they picked up a first down on the next play.

Oregon State gets its first stop…sorta

Oregon State is still struggling to stop the Ducks, as Oregon puts together a 12-play, 62-yard drive that takes another 6 minutes off the clock. That’s the bad news. The good news is Camden Lewis’ 34-yard field goal attempt sails well right of the uprights and is no good.

So we still have a two-score game here, but man, Oregon is grinding this game to dust. The Ducks have now had the ball for 18 minutes compared to Oregon State’s 5:30. They’re averaging 6.3 yards per play to Oregon State’s 3.3. They have 213 yards to Oregon State’s 26.

It has been an extremely one-sided game, as Oregon has been the only team to get stops tonight. Both Oregon State, and itself.

It’s three-and-out for the Beavers

DJU launches a deep ball on second down that’s broken up. Oregon State fans definitely think there was pass interference. Oregon fans believe it was perfect defense. The refs side with Oregon. The result is an Oregon State punt that gives the Ducks the ball at the UO22 with 12:38 left in the first half.

If ever there was a time for the Oregon State defense to force a turnover, or just get a quick stop, this is it. Autzen is alive, and there hasn’t been a single reason for any Ducks fan in attendance to quiet down. The Beavers need to give them one.

Another touchdown for the Ducks

There’s a lot of game left to be played, but it’s been all Ducks early on. While not as long as the first, Oregon’s second possession has the same result. Bo Nix keeps it and goes untouched around the left edge for a 16-yard touchdown run to make it 14-0 Ducks. It was an 8-play, 58-yard drive.

Oregon has had the ball for nearly 12 of the 16 minutes of game time that have been played. It already feels like the Beavers are in a must-score position.

End 1st: Oregon 7, Oregon State 0

The Ducks hold a 7-0 lead after a first quarter that felt like it lasted five minutes. So far, this rivalry showdown has been a tale of fourth downs. Oregon went for it on fourth-and-1 on its opening drive, converted and went on to score a touchdown. After Oregon State marched into Oregon territory, it went for it on fourth-and-1 but committed a false start to back them up 5 yards. The pass on the ensuing play fell incomplete.

Now we start the second quarter with Oregon deep in Beavers territory and threatening to make it a two-score game already. The Ducks have been the much more impressive team so far with 118 offensive yards to Oregon State’s 20. Bo Nix is already 8-of-9 passing for 68 yard and a touchdown, while Bucky Irving has 44 total yards and a score. 

Drive killed by a false start

Oregon State finds itself in a fourth-and-1 situation just like Oregon was, and lines up to go for it just like Oregon did. Unfortunately for the Beavers, there’s a false start on the left tackle, putting the Beavers in fourth-and-6. The Beavers go for it anyway, and DJU’s pass is high and incomplete. Turnover on downs.

That’s a helluva start for the Ducks

Oregon opens the game with a 15-play, 88-yard touchdown drive that melts 8:41 off the clock. Bo Nix was 5-for-5 for 50 yards, including a 14-yard touchdown pass to Bucky Irving to cap it all off.

It’s an odd start to the game. There’s no question Oregon State wants to take explosive plays away from the Ducks and force them to put together long drives, but there still didn’t seem to be much resistance from the Beavers on the drive. Aside from stuffing Nix on a third down, Oregon didn’t get chunk plays, but it had no problem getting nearly six yards per play.

Taking chunk plays away will be huge, but it’ll be just as important to keep the Ducks out of third and short and fourth and short situations, because you know they’ll be aggressive in this spots.

The first fourth-down decision of the day

Oregon goes for it on fourth-and-1 at the Oregon State 36-yard line after failing on third-and-1. Nix is more successful on the second attempt, picking up the first down to keep this opening drive — which has already taken up half the first quarter — alive.

Early whistle

Oregon’s Bucky Irving catches a swing pass and is tackled, or more accurately, it looks like he’s tackled. The only part of Irving’s body to touch the ground was his hand, but the refs blow the play dead, even after Irving continued on with what could’ve been a huge play for the Ducks.

And we’re underway!

Oregon starts with the ball at its 23 following a 12-yard kick return.

This is personal

Final battle before parting ways

No. 6 Oregon hosts No. 16 Oregon State in what could be the final meeting between these longtime rivals for quite a while. Oregon departs for the Big Ten after this season, while Oregon State’s future is a bit cloudier. And just in case the emotions of this moment weren’t enough to add extra meaning to this year’s contest, there are also some meaningful stakes.

Oregon can guarantee itself a rematch with Washington in next week’s Pac-12 Championship Game should the Ducks get past the Beavers. Should Oregon lose this rivalry tile, then Arizona would need to lose to Arizona State on Saturday for the Ducks to advance. A loss would also eliminate the Ducks from College Football Playoff consideration and likely tank Bo Nix’s Heisman hopes as well.

I can’t imagine there’s anything the Beavers and their fans would love more than to crush all of Oregon’s hopes and dreams as a parting gift. It’s one of the biggest games of Rivalry Week, and is surely the headlining contest on the slate for Friday.