Ducks Fall to Beavers, 30-28

Friday, November 24

Corvallis, Ore.

12:30 p.m.

University of Oregon

7-5 , 4-5

Oregon State

8-4 , 6-3

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Oregon

Oregon State

Photo by: Associated Press

11/25/06 | Football

Box Score

By: Associated Press

CORVALLIS, Ore. (AP) -Alexis Serna kicked a 40-yard field goal with 1:12 left, Ben Siegert blocked Oregon's potential game-winning kick less than a minute later, and the Beavers held off the Ducks 30-28 Friday in the 110th edition of the Civil War.

Oregon's Matt Evensen attempted a 44-yard field goal with 20 seconds left, but Siegert knocked it down and the home team won this in-state rivalry for the 10th straight season.

Oregon coach Mike Bellotti started quarterback Brady Leaf after a week of speculation on whether he would stick with Dennis Dixon, who had struggled of late.

Leaf led a fourth-quarter drive, capped by a 26-yard scoring pass to Jordan Kent and a QB keeper for a two-point conversion, that put the Ducks (7-5, 4-5 Pac-10) up for the first time in the game, 28-27.

Oregon State (8-4, 5-3) took the ball down to the Ducks' 22 and settled for Serna's 40-yarder in a driving rain. It proved to be enough.

Matt Moore completed 16 of 22 passes for 255 yards and one touchdown for the Beavers, who have won six of their last seven games.

Leaf completed 25 of 42 passes for 274 yards and a score. He was intercepted once.

The game went sour for Oregon on its very first series. Dante Rosario's fumble was recovered by Oregon State's Brandon Hughes and the Beavers went on to score on Moore's 11-yard pass to Jason Vandiver.

Oregon tied it at 7 on Jonathan Stewart's 2-yard scoring dive with 2:19 to go in the first quarter.

Oregon State pulled back ahead with Serna's 39-yard field goal.

Leaf was intercepted by Oregon State's Derrick Doggett, who returned it 34 yards for a touchdown to put the Beavers up 17-7.

Serna just barely cleared a 50-yarder to make it 20-7.

Oregon narrowed it on Stewart's 22-yard scoring run to open the second half, but his Oregon State counterpart, Yvenson Bernard, answered with a 6-yard TD rush.

Stewart rushed for a 2-yard touchdown midway through the fourth quarter that made it 27-20. The extra point was blocked. Then Leaf found Kent in the end zone and got the two himself for an Oregon lead with 3:07 to go.

Nearly constant rain made the field slippery, and there were a few stumbles and dropped balls on both sides.

Oregon's last win at Reser Stadium was back in 1996, when the Ducks won 49-13. Oregon holds the overall lead in the series 55-45-10.

Game Notes

Oregon quarterback Brady Leaf made his first collegiate start today. Wide receiver Kyle Weatherspoon made his second career start.
Leaf set new career-bests today in completions (25), attempts (42), passing yards (274) and rushing yards (15).
Wide receiver Jordan Kent had four catches for 102 yards – his second 100-receiving yard game of the season. As a team, Oregon has had eight games with a 100-yard receiver this season, which is the most since they had eight in 2003. The Ducks have had eight or more 100-yard receiving games just four times in school history.
Receiver Jaison Williams moved to second all-time on the UO single season receptions list and now has 68 catches this season. He trails only Samie Parker (77 catches; 2003). He also moved to eighth all-time on the single-season receiving yardage list and now has 984 yards this season.
Jonathan Stewart's three rushing touchdowns today is a career-high. He previously had two rushing scores in three different appearances.
Weatherspoon's first-quarter reception was his first of the season. He finished the game with two receptions in his first appearance of the season.
Defensive end Darius Sanders moved to a tie for ninth all-time on the UO single-season sacks list. He now has nine sacks this season.
Jonathan Stewart's 68-yard kickoff return is his longest of the season and the longest by any Duck player this year.
The Ducks have given up 129 points off turnovers this season (16 TD, 6 FG), including 14 points today. That's 42 percent of Oregon's total points allowed (307) this season. (Washington State missed a PAT after one of their touchdowns).