This War Ain’t So Civil
November 25, 2016
It’s finally here, the most awaited game in the OSU and UO football seasons: the Civil War. Rivalry weekend in football always has an electricity in the air that can never be replicated, and is especially intense in the state of Oregon. Every year, the Oregon State Beavers and Oregon Ducks meet for a battle of brawn, blood, sweat and tears. The location of the game alternates yearly between Autzen Stadium in Eugene and Reser Stadium here in Corvallis. Ladies and gentleman, the Civil War is tomorrow here at Reser Stadium in Corvallis and the Beavers are ready to fight out a win against our archrivals.
The Civil War is the official title for the rival game between the two teams, a rivalry that has lasted for over a century. The 2016 Civil War is the 120th game between the two Oregon teams, and the rivalry is the 7th longest running rivalry in the nation. The game was referred to as the Civil War by a newspaper for the first time in 1929, and was officially labeled as such for the 1937 football season. In the past 119 meetings, the Oregon Ducks have won 63 games, the Oregon State Beavers have won 46 games and 10 games were tied.
The Oregon Ducks are currently coming off of an 8 game Civil War victory streak, but this is the year that many hope the streak is broken. After eight long agonizing years of loss, the Beavers are posed to prove the program’s progress and newly developed strength. The Civil War this year looks to be one of the most evenly matched games between the two for the greater part of the last decade. In 2012, ESPN elected the Civil War–located at Reser–as the location to host GameDay for the rivalry weekend. The winner of the game would attend the Rose Bowl; after a hard fought game, the Beavers fell to the Ducks, 48-24. That year the Beavers would head to the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio to fall to Texas. The matchup this year seems to be the only other time within recent years that the two teams have had a season of equal levels.
The entire football season leading up to tomorrow has been focused on this one game, on the one hour the ball will be in play and on the two teams that grasp a deep division on sports fans statewide. Students across campus will come together tomorrow for the moment many have been waiting for during the last 11 weeks. As students, we all have interesting perspectives and individual ways to bring out in the inner school spirit for the game.
Carly Loving, a sophomore studying Mechanical Engineering, responded to what she is excited about for this Civil War. “Having an excuse to wear my nun costume. I have been watching the Ducks and the Beavers play since I was little and it’s exciting to finally see them play in real life and not just on TV.”
Friends Brooke Stevens, a sophomore studying Kinesiology, and Kamryn Brown, a sophomore studying Public Health, both are dedicated to attending the game. Stevens mentioned how this would be her first Civil War game and Brown noted how she is excited to see the school spirit. Stevens also discussed that she will be picking Brown up from the airport in Portland the morning before the game and the two will return directly to campus to attend the game.
Sophomore Stephen Stoddard noted how he is “most excited to see a decent Civil War where we won’t just get absolutely demolished by the Ducks.” In a bigger sense, the entire student body is ready to see the Beavers enter the field and be able to battle out a close game that will go down in history.
Eleven weeks down and one game that will decide it all. Eleven players on the field and a game to cap off the 120th meeting in an extended rivalry to once again prove who is the best football team in the state of Oregon. Blackout tomorrow at 1:00 pm in Reser Stadium where the Oregon Ducks will have to face the Oregon State Beavers. The time has come, and everyone’s ready. #GoBeavs!
Sources:
http://www.winsipedia.com/oregon/vs/oregon-state
