EUGENE, Ore. — Since the first football game between Oregon and Oregon State on Nov. 3, 1894, the two teams have only hit pause in 1911, as rowdy fan behavior caused disruptions after the previous year’s game ended, and 1943 and 1944, due to war. However, the series will take a pause in 2026 after conference realignment made the historic matchup a non-conference game.
In the 129th meeting between the two teams, the Ducks won their third straight and second straight as a non-conference clash in September — 41-7 over the Beavers.
“I think everyone feels like this resonates a little bit more when it's on that Thanksgiving weekend,” head coach Dan Lanning said. “It's a little bit different when it's not, but it's still a game that means a ton.”
Led by the run game, Oregon overwhelmed Oregon State on Saturday afternoon. Six running backs, one quarterback, and one punter racked up 280 yards across 46 carries.
“We talked about winning the trenches before this game started,” Lanning said. “And to be able to rush for almost 300 yards and hold them to under 100 rushing after we started so poorly was a big win for us.”
The surprise of the game came when Oregon’s James Ferguson-Reynolds faked a punt on fourth down in the third quarter, running to secure a first down.
“He was able to execute a look that we thought might be there and did an unbelievable job,” Lanning said.
Ferguson-Reynolds kept the ball and ran towards the right side of the field as a hole opened up in the Beavers’ defense, eventually picking up 21 yards to keep the drive alive. It would end up turning into a touchdown to put the game out of reach for Oregon State.
The Beavers ended the game with back-to-back three-and-outs, leaving a sour taste for the fans wearing orange and black. With a pause in the series next year, the sting from the loss will stick around a bit longer than Beavers fans would probably like.
Oregon and Oregon State will resume their series in 2027 and continue to play annually through at least 2032. The new era of the Ducks versus the Beavers will reportedly kick off back at Autzen Stadium, meaning Oregon players and fans will not have to make the trip up to Corvallis until 2028.
With one historic rivalry series behind them, Oregon will look ahead to a newly formed rivalry series when it takes on Penn State in University Park, with kickoff set for 4:30 p.m. PDT on Sept. 27.