Ducks Suffer First Defeat

Friday, November 27

Corvallis, Ore.

4:30 PM

University of Oregon

3-1 , 3-1

Oregon State

2-2 , 2-2

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Oregon

Oregon State

Photo by: @EricEvansPhoto

11/27/20 | Football

Box Score FINAL STATS - Oregon State 41, #15 Oregon 38 Oregon Postgame Notes - Oregon State Oregon Season Stats - Wk 4

The Oregon football team led entering the fourth quarter, but OSU rallied to win Friday night.

By: Rob Moseley

CORVALLIS — Oregon State scored on fourth down from the 1-yard line with 33 seconds left Friday night at Reser Stadium as the Oregon football team suffered its first defeat of the 2020 season.

Tyler Shough was 20-of-31 passing for 285 yards and two touchdowns, and also rushed for a touchdown. But the UO quarterback also was intercepted twice, and the Ducks (3-1) didn't have a defensive takeaway as they lost the turnover battle for the third time in four games.

Isaac Slade-Matautia had 12 tackles and Noah Sewell returned from an injury suffered the week before to add 10 tackles for the Ducks. But OSU's Jermar Jefferson rushed for 226 yards and two touchdowns, helping the Beavers amass 532 yards of offense.

"For us, it's always about 1-0 (each week)," UO coach Mario Cristobal said. "That's why the combination of the game itself, not being able to finish when we had an opportunity, the fact that it's a rivalry — it's one that needs to sting, needs to hurt and needs to be used as fuel."

The 124th meeting of the Oregon Ducks vs.the Oregon State Beavers Stadium at Reser Stadium in Corvallis, Oregon on November 27, 2020 (Eric Evans Photography)

Oregon took a 31-19 lead into the fourth quarter after tight end Hunter Kampmoyer's second receiving touchdown in two games, midway through the third. OSU quarterback Tristan Gebbia scored on a 1-yard run early in the fourth quarter to get the Beavers within 31-26, and after Shough was intercepted on the next series, the Beavers quickly went up 34-31 on Jefferson's second touchdown of the evening.

"It hurts for sure; this is one of the worst feelings on Earth, is losing," said Shough, who had a rushing touchdown that helped Oregon take a 14-7 lead in the first quarter, and who added a 60-yard touchdown pass to Devon Williams in the second. "We're gonna take it and learn from it. … We've got to be better, and we all know it."

The Ducks found their footing down 34-31, crafting a 10-play, 75-yard drive aided by a 14-yard Travis Dye rush and a 23-yard reception by Kampmoyer. Cyrus Habibi-Likio finished off the drive with a touchdown run, and Oregon led 38-34 with 8:19 left.

Oregon State responded by driving into the red zone, but on fourth down Gebbia was pressured by Kayvon Thibodeaux, and Slade-Matautia broke up the pass. Needing to kill the final 2:18 from the clock, Oregon couldn't move the chains with a first down, and OSU drove from midfield to win the game on a 1-yard touchdown run by Chance Nolan, who replaced Gebbia due to injury.

The 124th meeting of the Oregon Ducks vs.the Oregon State Beavers Stadium at Reser Stadium in Corvallis, Oregon on November 27, 2020 (Eric Evans Photography)

"You've got to finish a game," Cristobal said. "We didn't finish it."

The Ducks lost for the first time in a year and four days, going back to a defeat at Arizona State on Nov. 23, 2019. Oregon had won three straight over OSU, and 11 of the previous 12.

Oregon will remain on the road next week to play at California, before wrapping up the regular season at home against Washington. The Huskies are the lone remaining unbeaten team in the Pac-12 North, entering play Saturday.