By Kyle Golik
The demise of the Pac-12 has only amplified the fuel to the fire of bitterness between Oregon and Oregon leading up to their Saturday clash at Reser Stadium. Many on the Oregon State side felt Oregon had an opportunity to keep the conference together but chased television dollars along with their hated rival Washington to the Big Ten.
Bitterness has transcended this rivalry ever since their debut in 1894 when Oregon Agriculture College (Oregon State) welcomed their friends from Eugene known as the “Lemon Yellows,” Oregon State won that contest 16-0. A year later, a “friendly” practice at Oregon turned into a 44-0 romp for a team that would become known as the “Webfooters,” the name Oregon used prior to adopting the Ducks.
In ensuing years, the rivalry took a hiatus following their 1910 clash that included some “rowdy hat-grabbing behavior.” After a fragile truce, the rivalry was restored in 1912 and throughout the rivlalry, there have been clashes for the Rose Bowl, scoreless ties, and Heisman Trophy winners, but overall the Civil War has provided the Beaver State and the nation some of the finest moments in the sport.
Here are my Top 5 games in the rivalry.
First here are three clashes that did not quite make it, we will call them the best of the rest:
1962 Oregon State 20 Oregon 17
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Eventual Heisman Trophy winner quarterback Terry Baker led Oregon State on a second-half comeback after trailing 17-6 at halftime. Rich Brooks, who would become head coach at Oregon between 1977-1994 and had a 14-3-1 against Oregon State, punted the ball and as the ball approached future NFL Hall of Famer Mel Renfro, Renfro attempts to avoid the ball but cannot and Oregon State’s Dick Ruhl recovers the ball on the Oregon 13. On the ensuing possession, Baker throws the game-winning touchdown on a fourth and goal to give Oregon State the win.
2000 Oregon State 23 Oregon 13
This one was for all the marbles, both were vying for a BCS Bowl opportunity and the Pac-10 championship. It would be the battle between Oregon State’s Jonathan Smith, who would head coach his alma mater from 2018 to 2023, and Oregon’s Joey Harrington. It wasn’t Harrington’s day as he threw five interceptions. Smith connects on two touchdown passes.
2009 Oregon 37 Oregon State 33
Oregon State throughout 2009 was a hard out for the Pac-10 as it lost one possession encounters to Arizona and Southern California. It was Chip Kelly’s first season and a win would secure the Rose Bowl and Pac-10 championship. Oregon State made it a see-saw battle throughout the first three quarters, and it was LaMichael James’ third touchdown on the day that put Oregon up for good.
#5 1964 Oregon State 7 Oregon 6
The 1964 clash would be the last in the legendary coaching rivalry of Oregon’s Len Casanova and Oregon State’s Tommy Prothro, as Prothro would take the UCLA job the following year. The contest would also mark the last in the series for 30 years where both teams had Rose Bowl implications. The game was a defensive affair as Oregon led 6-0 throughout – having an extra point blocked. In the waning seconds, Oregon State’s Booker Washington scored his only career touchdown but the Beavers were able to convert on the extra point to get a win.
#4 1983 “The Toilet Bowl” Oregon State 0 Oregon 0
In the lone tie Oregon’s Rich Brooks had in his 18 seasons, Brooks often reflects on this being the only game he ever coached that it seemed no one wanted to win. The game would “feature” 11 fumbles, five interceptions, and four missed field goals in the midst of a downpour. On the final play, Oregon nearly pulled off the win with a pass and a few laterals but the final recipient on the lateral Ladaria Johnson could only make it to the 14-yard line. The game would be dubbed “The Toilet Bowl” for obvious reasons, and this game holds the distinction as the last scoreless tie in NCAA history.
#3 1956 Oregon 14 Oregon State 14 / 1957 Oregon State 10 Oregon 7
It’s hard to talk about one without the other, this was the high water mark in the Prothro/Casanova coaching rivalry and arguably these two matchups, especially the 1957 encounter might have been the hottest since the “hat grabbing” in the 1910 encounter.
In 1956, Oregon State locked up the Rose Bowl and with their annual encounter with Oregon, who played Pitt tough and had just defeated Southern California the previous week, it led to the rivalry being chosen to be nationally televised on NBC on Thanksgiving. In the second half, Oregon State All-American Earnel Durden gets into a fight and is ejected on the second half kickoff. As the pressure mounts for Oregon State, Oregon capitalizes late on a Tom Crabtree touchdown pass to Jack Morris to secure the 14 all tie.
That tie began to fuel the 1957 encounter, but what helped accelerate it even more was the Rose Bowl no repeat rule would thwart Oregon State’s ability to return and opened the door for Oregon to go to the Rose Bowl. The Civil War is now at its fever pitch that a giant 40 foot banner of Beat Oregon is draped on a building on the Oregon State campus.
The game would live up to the hype as both teams scored on their opening possessions, then the defenses began to clamp down. Later Oregon State would kick a go ahead field goal, but Oregon threatened late, what appeared to be a Jim Shanley touchdown was denied by Oregon State’s Nub Beamer as he stripped and recovered the Shanley fumble.
#2 1994 Oregon 17 Oregon State 13
1994 is seen as the birth of modern Oregon football. It was the year Kenny Wheaten got “The Pick” against Washington, and Oregon would defeat two other Top 11 teams in Southern California and Arizona. Parker (now Reser) Stadium would be host to what Oregon fans thought was their finest season since the Len Casanova teams.
Oregon State played the near-perfect spoiler, thwarting the Ducks offensive throughout much of the game the Beavers held a 13-10 lead. With an opportunity late to put Oregon away, Oregon State was denied on the Oregon 14-yard line, as Oregon State quarterback Don Shanklin was dropped for a loss. Late in the fourth quarter, Oregon would go on a 70-yard drive led by quarterback Danny O’Neil.
As crunch time mounted, Oregon wide receiver Cristin McLemore, who left the game earlier due to injury, returned to help. McLemore would have two key receptions on the drive. It would be O’Neil’s screen pass to Dino Philyaw that Philyaw took 19 yards for the go-ahead touchdown.
#1 1998 Oregon State 44 Oregon 41 – 2 OT
The 1998 game would mark a significant turning point for the rivalry and both programs. For the first time since the Prothro/Casanova dueled in the 1950s and 1960s, both Oregon and Oregon State were on the track not only for bowl games, but also for championships.
Oregon State head coach Mike Riley had built a foundation that Dennis Erickson would take Oregon State to a Fiesta Bowl and a Top 5 rank only a few years later. That foundation was built on this game.
The encounter was a see-saw battle throughout as regulation ended in a 31-31 tie. Oregon quarterback Akili Smith would complete 35 of 53 passes for 430 yards and four touchdowns. Oregon State quarterback Jonathan Smith would pass for 303 yards.
During the first overtime, on what appeared to be a game-sealing Oregon State stop, Oregon State fans had their own version of “The Band Is On The Field,” but what they missed was Oregon State committed a penalty and it took 10 minutes to empty the field so play could resume.
During the second overtime, Oregon State freshman running back Ken Simonton scored his fourth touchdown to secure the win for Oregon State. It was the school’s fifth win on the season, the most since 1971, but importantly it set a tone for the rivalry moving forward.
