Civil War: The Oregonian Effect
As the Oregon State football team prepares for their last game of the season against the Oregon Ducks on Saturday afternoon, several players will feel a little extra motivation against their southern rivals.
For offensive lineman Blake Brandel, running backs Ryan Nall and Thomas Tyner, and safety David Morris, the Civil War against OSU’s arch rival means more than the average game.
Since the start of OSU football, there has been a fair number of native Oregonians on every squad, but in recent years, the number of impact players who hail from the state of Oregon have been dwindling. The state isn’t known for producing many blue-chip players, and recently, most of the big time football players from Oregon have headed to Eugene.
However, there are always hidden gems that fly under the radar in terms of recruiting that eventually make a big impact in college. Take Nall for example. The Beavers were the only FBS team to offer Nall and once he hit the field, the rest was history.
When those four players take the field at Autzen Stadium on Saturday, it’s something that they have dreamed about their entire lives.
If you grew up in Oregon, usually you were a Duck or a Beaver. There are few exceptions to the cultural norm as some houses are divided by marriage or alma maters, but usually you’re forced to pick either orange and black or green and yellow.
For offensive lineman Blake Brandel, who hails from Portland, being a Duck was never an option.
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“I was 100 percent a Beaver,” Brandel said with a smile. “My mom went to Oregon State and I grew up in anti-duck household. No University of Oregon stuff was ever worn at any family functions because people would have thrown a fit.”
When asked about whether or not he genuinely dislikes the Ducks, Brandel noted that it’s the way it should be with a rival.
“That’s how it is and I hope that’s the way they feel because it’s a rivalry,” Brandel said. “I grew up hating the Ducks and that’s how it is. I’ve got some friends on the Ducks and I love them, but I’m going to hate them at the same time.”
Despite playing for Oregon for his first two college football seasons, Tyner notes that he always picked the orange and black cupcakes in school when he was a kid.
“It means a lot to play in this game,” Tyner said. “I remember back in elementary school, they would always have orange and black cupcakes and green and yellow cupcakes, and I’d always end up picking the the orange and black ones at lunch.”
While some players grew up always favoring the Beavers like Tyner and Brandel, Nall and Morris grew up either in the middle or leaning green and yellow.
“I was a Duck and my whole family were Ducks,” Morris said with a wry smile. “When I committed to Oregon State, that’s when my whole family switched and now we are all Beavers.”
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“I was always definitely more in the middle with whoever was doing better,” Nall said. “(The dislike) for Oregon really grows on you when you are a part of OSU. I can only imagine how Thomas (Tyner) feels. He always jokes around about how he isn’t a Duck anymore and that he hates them. I definitely have more love for Oregon State more so now than before.”
When asked about whether or not he still holds a little green and yellow in his heart, Morris was quick to shut down that train of thought.
“I’m all the way with the Beavers,” Morris said. “I’m not rooting for anyone else except for us on Saturday.”
Tyner is in a position like no other when he steps onto the field at Autzen Stadium on Saturday as Eugene was the place that he called home for a couple years of his life.
“It will definitely be a little weird, but I’m more excited than anything,” Tyner said. “That game is just so big for the state and being able to play in it again and for a different side is something not a lot of people get to do. It’s a very unique situation and I’m more excited than anything.”
The one thing that all these players have in common when they go to war with the Ducks on Saturday is that this game means just a little more to them given their familiarity with the game.
“It’s really cool being from Oregon and watching the Civil War and now being able to play in it,” Morris said. “I was here last year when the Beavers won and even though they got the win, I wanted to be out there. I can’t wait to get out there and give it all I have and hopefully get a W.”
All of these Oregonians on OSU’s roster have been through a season that they would prefer to forget as the Beavers have won just one game this season, but for them, winning the Civil War would really help remedy this season and give the Beavers something to build on heading into next year.
“It would be huge for us to get a win,” Morris said. “I remember (Gary Andersen) used to say ‘If you are coming here, you better be here to win and to win the Civil War’. Obviously we haven’t gotten the wins that we’ve wanted to this season, but now our goal is ending the season on a high note and beating our rivals.”