My Beaver Blog

Formerly known as the Civil War this was anything but civil. The Beavs took out the BIG STICK on Saturday and used it repeatedly on the Ducks. After trailing briefly 7-3 the Beavs scored the next 17 to go up 20-7. The quacks answered and closed to 27-21 early in the third after DA's only INT of the game, but that was it. What followed was 23 straight from the near flawless Beavers and a lifeless, un-imaginative effort from the quacks. The OSU offense moved at will against Phil's boys and the defense was stellar as usual. Final: BEAVS 50, Ducklings 21

Where do I start, so much good stuff to talk about. First, how about MR? It took him 11 games but we actually saw some efforts at misdirection with multiple fake end arounds and yes even a successful fake field goal. I didn't think he had it in him. Well done Mike!!! Player of the game is a tough call, DA played outstanding, nearly flawless in the first half completing 15 of 20 for 200+ yards. He did get rattled early in the third on a scramble when he was "hit" by a 5"9' CB. The hit left DA on the ground for some time and had him out of the game for one play. Upon his return he had one horribly thrown ball and then the INT. I was worried that he had been rattler and this might have been the end for the Beavs. Not to fret, following the ensuing Duck TD, DA drove the Beavs for a TD that them back up 13 and never looked back. 4 TD passes and another on the ground to go with at least 3 scrambles for first downs and this was clearly his best game of the year. I have previously been hard on DA, but only because I think this is the way he could have been playing for the past two years. Well better late than never, and better against the Ducks than anybody else. Great game, great career!! I think DA will be someone Beaver fans look back on and won't fully appreciate until we have to live without him.

However, the player of the game award goes to Swanny. 3 sacks, one forced fumble, an INT on a shuttle pass and one reception for 17 yards and a first down. It was clear that with him on the field at Reser for the final time and against the hated Ducks there was only one possible outcome to this game. He looked like he could have played 1-11 and still got the job done on D. Well done, your spirit and energy will be sorely missed.

Not even mentioned in this are the 10 (5FG and 5 EXP) kicks made by Serna on the day. All this lead to a Beaver sweep of Pac-10 weekly honors. Only the 2nd time since the award system started in 1983 that one team has won all 3 awards.

Reser said goodbye to seniors whose names are all over the record books. The career TD and yardage leader in DA, the career sack leader, by far, in Swanny and the career interception leader in Meeuwsen. Hmmm, what do these guys have in common? They are all from Oregon!!! Do we have a budding football hotbed forming here? OK, I don't think so either, but this is good to see. Especially for recruiting.

We now get a few weeks to reflect on the what-ifs of the LSU, ASU and SC games. We also get to look forward to one more game from this years Beavers and at this point I don't care who the opponent is. I hoping for a date in El Paso with Kyle Orton and Purdue. Of course I am a huge fan of the pass and Kyle and DA combining for 100 attempts would be entertaining if nothing else. Wow, we have come so far from the days of half empty (yes I am a pessimist) stadiums and Pettibone running the triple option on 3rd and 12. I actually might be changing my tune with regards to my satisfaction level of this season. If there is such a thing as a really good 6-5 year, this just might be it. No we didn't beat anyone with a winning record, yet, but we did claw back from 1-4 and beat all out NW rivals for the first time in 30 years. Slowly all these "haven't done whatever since whenever" streaks are being erased from the Beavs past. We''ll never be a perennial powerhouse, but we have reached a point of respectable and occasionally spectacular. I think I could live with that. But I reserve the right to change my mind. Hey, I pay a lot each year for that right and if I ever see the wishbone from the boys in black again you can be sure I won't hesitate to exercise it. Passion, heart and creativity is all I'm after in win or in defeat. I think this years group exemplifies these traits and I hope the tradition continues.

Some interesting game notes:

• DA outrushed the other 5 Ducks to carry the ball excluding Terrence Whitehead (49-48)
• He did so on fewer carries (12-22)
  
• Serna scored more points than the Beavs did in 5 games this season (20)
  
• The 50 points scored by the Beavs is the most in CW history
• The 29 point victory is the Beavs largest in CW history
• For the first time in school history the Beavs are going to a bowl for the 3rd consecutive year
• Team Nike had their first losing season since 1993
• OSU is 33-9 at home in the past 7 seasons
  

GO BEAVS!!!