Civil War

The Civil War is the colloquial name for an American college football rivalry game played annually by the Oregon Ducks of the University of Oregon and Oregon State Beavers of Oregon State University. First played in 1894, it is seventh on the list of most played college football rivalry games in the United States. Oregon State is still a member of the Pac-12 Conference while Oregon moved to the Big Ten Conference on August 1, 2024. The rivalry has been discontinued for the foreseeable future as the 2025 season will be the last of the rivalry for the foreseeable future.

The game was first played in 1894 and has been contested 128 times as of 2024. The University of Oregon holds a series lead of 69-49-10. The game was not contested in 1900, 1901, 1911, 1943, and 1944 and two games were played in 1896 and 1945. The first reference to the "Civil War" name was in 1929 and came into common use in 1937. Prior to that, it was called the "Oregon Classic" or the "State Championship Game."

The game is usually played in even-numbered years at the home field of Oregon State University in Corvallis (since 1954, Reser Stadium, formerly Parker Stadium) and in odd-numbered years, at the home field of the University of Oregon in Eugene (since 1967, Autzen Stadium). Seven games were played at Multnomah Stadium, (now known as Providence Park) in Portland: in 1908, 1917, 1933, 1934, 1938, 1950, and 1952. In an effort to mitigate disorder, the 1912 and 1913 games were played at a neutral site in Albany, Oregon following riots after the 1910 game.

From 1997 through 2006 the winner of the game was the home team. The streak was snapped in 2007, when Oregon State beat Oregon at Autzen Stadium 38-31 in double overtime. In 2008, the Ducks returned the favor in Corvallis by beating OSU 65-38. The streak of visiting teams winning was snapped at two games in 2009 when the Ducks won 37-33 in Eugene.

From 1959 to 1961, the Platypus Trophy was awarded to the winning school. The trophy was lost for 40 years and found in 2005, and beginning with the 2007 game, was awarded to the winning school's alumni association.

Other athletic contests (most notably, men's and women's basketball) between the schools are also referred to as Civil War games.

Memorable games

1933: In a game played before 32,183 spectators at Multnomah Stadium in Portland, both teams came into the game undefeated: the Beavers were 5–0–2 and the Ducks were 7–0. The Beavers scored first, but the rest was all Oregon, with fullback (and future Chicago Cardinal) "Iron Mike" Mikulak rushing for 89 yards on the way to a 13–3 victory. The Ducks won a share of the PCC championship, but Stanford got the bid to the 1934 Rose Bowl.

1957: The Ducks had a 6–1 conference record and the Beavers were 5–2. A Beaver win at Hayward Field would give them a share of the conference title, but since the Beavers had been to the 1957 Rose Bowl, the Pacific Coast Conference's no-repeat rule meant that no matter what, the Ducks were headed for the 1958 Rose Bowl, their first Rose Bowl appearance since 1920. Both teams scored on their first possession, but that ended the scoring until late in the third quarter, when Beaver kicker Ted Searle put Oregon State on top, 10–7. A late fumble by the Ducks' Jim Shanley secures the win—but not the Rose Bowl—for the Beavers.

1959: The Ducks came into the game with just one loss. An Oregon win, coupled with a Washington loss, could have earned the Ducks a Rose Bowl invitation. Meanwhile, Oregon State was 2–6, its first losing record in 5 years. The Beavers started shakily, fumbling on their first two possessions and falling behind 7–0 in the first quarter. The rest was all Beavers as they salvaged their season with two touchdowns and a field goal to upset the Ducks, 15–7.

1969: With the score tied 7–7 and less than a minute to play, Oregon State placekicker Mike Nehl attempted a 29-yard field goal to put the Beavers ahead. Nehl had already had one field goal blocked and missed one field goal on the day, and this one was blocked by Oregon's Jim Franklin, hit an official, bounced off the foot of Oregon linebacker Don Graham, and was recovered by Oregon State tight end Bill Plumeau at the Duck 4 yard line. Nehl again came on to try his fourth field goal, and this time, connected on a 21-yard kick to give the Beavers a 10–7 win—the sixth on the way to what would be eight straight OSU Civil War wins.

1983: Played during a rainstorm and pitting two mediocre squads against each other, the game ended in a scoreless tie, and is commonly known as the "Toilet Bowl" because of the poor quality of play exhibited in the game. It was not a steadfast defensive struggle: there were eleven fumbles, five interceptions, and four missed field goals. It was the last NCAA Division I football game to end in a scoreless tie, and with the introduction of overtime into NCAA football (which eliminated ties), it is unlikely to ever happen in the future, unless a subsequent rule change allows tie games to once again occur.

1987: Oregon earned the most lopsided victory in the Civil War series, a 44-0 drubbing led by Ducks quarterback Bill Musgrave.

1988: The Beavers had not won a Civil War in 13 years coming into the game, and Oregon head coach Rich Brooks had not lost a Civil War in 21 attempts (18-0-3) as either a Ducks coach or Beavers coach or player. Both streaks ended on this day, with the Beavers posting a solid 21–10 victory that included two fourth-quarter touchdowns.

1994: Oregon needed a win in front of a hostile Parker Stadium crowd to secure a bid to the 1995 Rose Bowl, but they trailed 13–10 in the fourth quarter. Duck quarterback Danny O'Neil took the Ducks on a 70-yard drive that culminated in a 19-yard pass to Dino Philyaw to give them the 17–13 win and their first Rose Bowl in 37 years.

1998: Oregon State prevails in double overtime (the first ever overtime Civil War), 44-41. Beaver fans rushed the field after the first overtime after the Ducks failed to score on fourth down, but a pass interference penalty gave the Ducks another chance. It took officials 15 minutes to clear the field, after which the Ducks scored to send the game to a second overtime. The Ducks managed a field goal in their possession, but Beavers running back Ken Simonton scores to give the Beavers an upset win, their fifth win of the season, and their best record since 1971.

2000: Oregon came into the game ranked #5 in the country with Oregon State at #8, the first time both teams have been ranked in the top 10 simultaneously. With a win, Oregon would go to the Rose Bowl; the Beavers needed a win to force a tie between the two teams, and keep alive hopes of going to the Rose Bowl. Oregon State won the game 23-13, but was denied a Rose Bowl bid when the University of Washington beat Washington State later the same day. Oregon State was extended an at-large invitation to BCS' Fiesta Bowl.

2001: Oregon came into the game needing only a victory over their arch-rival for the team's first outright Pacific-10 Conference championship since 1994 and a trip to the Fiesta Bowl; the Beavers needed a win to secure a winning season. After OSU initially took a 6-3 lead into halftime, Oregon rallied behind a Keenan Howry punt return for a touchdown to give the Ducks a lead they would not relinquish, amidst a driving rainstorm. Final score: Ducks 17, Beavers 14.

2007: Oregon State wins 38–31 in double overtime at Autzen, the first road team to win the game in 10 attempts. The game featured a blocked Oregon State field goal with 1:01 remaining, followed by a missed Oregon field goal as regulation expired.

2008: Oregon State needed a victory to get a bid to the 2009 Rose Bowl, their first Rose Bowl in 44 years. Instead, Oregon ran away with a 65–38 blowout, setting Civil War records for the most points scored by one team and the most total points scored.

2009: The "War of the Roses." In a back-and-forth game, Oregon wins 37-33. The Ducks went on to represent the Pac-10 in the 2010 Rose Bowl, their first appearance since 1995. It was the first time the Civil War guaranteed the winner a Rose Bowl berth.

2010: Oregon, coming into the game second in the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) standings, needed to win the game to secure a spot in the BCS championship game. Oregon State, at 5-6, needed a win to become bowl eligible. With ESPN's College GameDay staged in Corvallis for the first time, the Ducks won 37-20 to secure a spot against Auburn in the 2011 BCS National Championship Game.

2020: In the COVID-19 pandemic-shortened 2020 season, No. 15 Oregon entered the game with a 3–0 record to Oregon State's 1–2. In the game Jermar Jefferson rushed for 226 yards which is the most rushing yards ever in a game in the rivalry. After dropping behind by 12 entering the fourth quarter, Jermar Jefferson led the Beavers to an improbable 41–38 win on a foggy night in Corvallis in front of an empty stadium, knocking the Ducks out of playoff contention and notching the Beavers' first victory over a ranked opponent since 2014.

Notable game-related incidents

1910: following a 12-0 Oregon victory in Corvallis, fans of both teams began a verbal argument that escalated into exceedingly rowdy behavior as Ducks fans returned to the train station to leave. The UO's public relations department spread stories of (then) Oregon Agricultural College hooliganism to the statewide press, offending students of OAC and causing the rivalry to be suspended for 1911.

1937: After defeating Oregon 14-0 in Corvallis, Oregon State fans had a large rally the next evening that lasted for six hours. Approximately 2,000 Oregon State students decided to caravan the following day to Eugene and have another celebration. State police initially halted the group, then agreed to lead them through the town if they agreed to behave. However, once Oregon students got out of class, the situation escalated with Ducks pelting Beavers with tomatoes and water balloons, some Oregon State students were thrown into the millrace, and other OSU students taken to Skinner Butte, stripped and forced to repaint the "O" hillside letter yellow and slide down the painted surface.

1954: 50-60 UO students infiltrated Corvallis and lit the traditional OSU homecoming bonfire early. While it had been done before, this time OSU students were able to capture 25 UO students and hold them "prisoner". The captured students had their heads shaved, were painted orange and black and some were forced to do menial labor for OSU fraternities. One captured Duck was marched through the OSU campus with a sign that said "I'm a dumb Duck." Meanwhile, the UO raiding party kidnapped a single OSU student and paraded him around the UO campus.

1960: a UO student abducted the OSU homecoming queen from the front of her home in Corvallis. She was returned unharmed thirty minutes later, but before that the OSU student body president received a ransom note demanding he ride a child's scooter to the center of Eugene and make a public appeal for her return.

1972: After a 30-3 UO victory at Corvallis which ended an eight-game win streak in the series by the Beavers, Ducks fans stormed the OSU field to take down goal posts; after taking down the south goalposts, Beavers fans attempted to defend the north goalposts, resulting in a large brawl.

2010: After a 37–20 victory which sent the Ducks to the BCS championship, a group of Duck fans lit on fire a T-shirt saying "I hate your Ducks" over the Beavers logo on the field. The resulting fire caused significant damage to the artificial turf. Police used a photo of the incident from the Portland Tribune to arrest a University of Oregon student and charge him with riot and several misdemeanors.

2017: Both the Ducks and Beavers entered this game carrying sub-par seasons. The Ducks stood at 6–5, while the Beavers were riding a nine-game losing streak at 1–10. The game was one for the history books, with Oregon rolling to a 69–10 win, setting records for the series in both points scored and margin of victory. It was Oregon's ninth win in the last ten meetings, and it offered a sense of revenge for the Ducks after dropping the prior year's meeting in Corvallis. Royce Freeman scored two rushing TDs in the first half of to break OSU's Ken Simonton's all-time Pac-12 rushing touchdown record, which stood at 59 for 16 years. It would mark Royce's 60th rushing touchdown for the Ducks. He also piled up 122 rushing yards which moved him into seventh all-time in NCAA history.

2020: In the COVID-19 pandemic-shortened 2020 season, No. 15 Oregon entered the game with a 3–0 record to Oregon State's 1–2. In the game Jermar Jefferson rushed for 226 yards which is the most rushing yards ever in a game in the rivalry. After dropping behind by 12 entering the fourth quarter, Jermar Jefferson led the Beavers to an improbable 41–38 win on a foggy night in Corvallis in front of an empty stadium, knocking the Ducks out of playoff contention and notching the Beavers' first victory over a ranked opponent since 2014.

2022: In the 2022 edition of the rivalry, Oregon entered the game ranked No. 9 in the country and Oregon State entered the game ranked No. 21 in the country. The Ducks stormed out to a 31–10 lead by the third quarter, but the Beavers, behind a potent rushing attack, scored touchdowns on all of their next four drives to take a 38–34 lead. The Ducks then went on a time-consuming drive, but failed to convert a fourth and goal at the Oregon State 3 yard line, thus allowing Oregon State to take possession. The Beavers then picked up a first down and ran out the clock to complete an improbable comeback.

Game results

█ Green: Oregon victories (68) █ Orange: Oregon State victories (49) █ Gray: Tied games (10)				Oregon's home stadium: Autzen Stadium		Oregon State's home stadium: Reser Stadium		Bold font: Winning team Italic font: Losing team Plain font: Tied games
Visiting team Home team Notes				1894 Oregon:0 OAC:16	1895 OAC:0 Oregon:44	1896 OAC:0 Oregon:2	1896 Oregon:12 OAC:8	1897 OAC:26 Oregon:8	1898 Oregon:38 OAC:0	1899 OAC:0 Oregon:38
V H N	1900–1901 No games		1902 Oregon:0 OAC:0	1903 OAC:0 Oregon:5	1904 Oregon:6 OAC:5	1905 OAC:0 Oregon:6	1906 Oregon:0 OAC:0	1907 OAC:4 Oregon:0	1908 Oregon:8 OAC:0 Portland	1909 OAC:0 Oregon:12
V H N	1910 Oregon:12 OAC:0	1911 No game	1912 Oregon:3 OAC:0 Albany	1913 OAC:10 Oregon:10 Albany	1914 Oregon:3 OAC:3	1915 OAC:0 Oregon:9	1916 Oregon:27 OAC:0	1917 OAC:14 Oregon:7 Portland	1918 Oregon:13 OAC:6	1919 OAC:0 Oregon:9
V H N	1920 Oregon:0 OAC:0	1921 OAC:0 Oregon:0	1922 Oregon:10 OAC:0	1923 OAC:6 Oregon:0	1924 Oregon:7 OAC:3	1925 OAC:24 Oregon:13	1926 Oregon:0 OAC:16	1927 OSAC:21 Oregon:7	1928 Oregon:12 OSAC:0	1929 OSAC:0 Oregon:16
V H N	1930 Oregon:0 OSAC:15	1931 OSAC:0 Oregon:0	1932 Oregon:12 OSAC:6	1933 Oregon:13 OSAC:3 Portland	1934 Oregon:9 OSAC:6 Portland	1935 OSAC:0 Oregon:13	1936 Oregon:0 OSAC:18	1937 OSC:14 Oregon:0	1938 OSC:14 Oregon:0 Portland	1939 OSC:19 Oregon:14
V H N	1940 Oregon:20 OSC:0	1941 OSC:12 Oregon:7	1942 Oregon:2 OSC:39	1943–1944 No games	1945 Oregon:6 OSC:19	1945 OSC:13 Oregon:12	1946 Oregon:0 OSC:13	1947 OSC:6 Oregon:14	1948 Oregon:10 OSC:0	1949 OSC:20 Oregon:10
V H N	1950 OSC:14 Oregon:2 Portland	1951 OSC:14 Oregon:7	1952 OSC:22 Oregon:19 Portland	1953 OSC:7 Oregon:0	1954 Oregon:33 OSC:14	1955 OSC:0 Oregon:28	1956 Oregon:14 OSC:14	1957 OSC:10 Oregon:7	1958 Oregon:20 OSC:0	1959 OSC:15 Oregon:7
V H N	1960 Oregon:14 OSC:14	1961 OSU:6 Oregon:2	1962 Oregon:7 OSU:20	1963 OSU:14 Oregon:31	1964 Oregon:6 OSU:7	1965 OSU:19 Oregon:14	1966 Oregon:15 OSU:20	1967 OSU:14 Oregon:0	1968 Oregon:19 OSU:41	1969 OSU:10 Oregon:7
V H N	1970 Oregon:9 OSU:24	1971 OSU:30 Oregon:29	1972 Oregon:30 OSU:3	1973 OSU:17 Oregon:14	1974 Oregon:16 OSU:35	1975 OSU:7 Oregon:14	1976 Oregon:23 OSU:14	1977 Oregon:28 OSU:16	1978 Oregon:24 OSU:3	1979 OSU:3 Oregon:24
V H N	1980 Oregon:40 OSU:21	1981 OSU:17 Oregon:47	1982 Oregon:7 OSU:6	1983 OSU:0 Oregon:0	1984 Oregon:31 OSU:6	1985 OSU:13 Oregon:34	1986 Oregon:49 OSU:28	1987 OSU:0 Oregon:44	1988 Oregon:10 OSU:21	1989 OSU:21 Oregon:30
V H N	1990 Oregon:6 OSU:3	1991 OSU:14 Oregon:3	1992 Oregon:7 OSU:0	1993 OSU:15 Oregon:12	1994 Oregon:17 OSU:13	1995 OSU:10 Oregon:12	1996 Oregon:49 OSU:13	1997 OSU:30 Oregon:48	1998 Oregon:41 OSU:44 2 OTs	1999 OSU:14 Oregon:25
V H N	2000 Oregon:13 OSU:23	2001 OSU:14 Oregon:17	2002 Oregon:24 OSU:45	2003 OSU:20 Oregon:34	2004 Oregon:21 OSU:50	2005 OSU:14 Oregon:56	2006 Oregon:28 OSU:30	2007 OSU:38 Oregon:31 2 OTs	2008 Oregon:65 OSU:38 game notes	2009 OSU:33 Oregon:37
V H N	2010 Oregon:37 OSU:20	2011 OSU:21 Oregon:49	2012 Oregon:48 OSU:24	2013 OSU:35 Oregon:36	2014 Oregon:47 OSU:19	2015 OSU:42 Oregon:52	2016 Oregon:24 OSU:34	2017 OSU:10 Oregon:69	2018 Oregon:55 OSU:15	2019 OSU:10 Oregon:24
V H N	2020 Oregon:38 OSU:41	2021 OSU:29 Oregon:38	2022 Oregon:34 OSU:38	2023 OSU:7 Oregon:31	2024 Oregon:49 OSU:14

See also

• Most-played rivalries in NCAA Division I FBS

External links

• University of Oregon Football Media Guide
• Oregon State Football Media Guide