Oregon State Beavers Football: Top 5 Civil War games

With Civil War week upon the Oregon State football team, BeaversEdge.com Managing Editor Brenden Slaughter takes a look back in recent history at some of the top performances between the two squads.

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2004: Oregon State 50, Oregon 21:

-> Oregon State's most lopsided win in the Civil War series came in 2004 when the Beavers, led by QB Derek Anderson, WR Mike Hass, and DT Bill Swancutt, had their way with Oregon in every facet of the game. Anderson threw for over 350 yards, Hass caught two touchdowns and 159 yards, and Swancutt has three sacks, a forced fumble, an INT, and a 17-yard reception on a fake field-goal. After a 1-4 start, the dominating victory over Oregon gives the Beavers a berth in the Insight Bowl, where they would go on to beat Notre Dame 38-21.

2006: Oregon State 30, Oregon 28:

-> It was tough for this one not to make the top-five as its also likely near the top of many Beaver fans' respective lists. Following a 2-3 start, Oregon State would go on to win eight of its next nine games, including the Civil War in Reser Stadium, en-route to its best win total since the Fiesta Bowl season of 2000. Behind Matt Moore, Yvenson Bernard, and a stout defense, the Beavers won a thriller in Corvallis in their penultimate regular-season game. Alexis Serna nailed the game-winning field-goal with 1:12 left and OSU partially blocks Oregon's just minutes later to preserve the win. Following the victory over Oregon, the Beavers would go on to beat Hawaii and Missouri to finish the season with an impressive 10-4 mark.

2013: No. 12 Oregon 36, Oregon State 35

-> One of my all-time personal favorites, the 2013 Civil War was truly an exciting contest for any college football fan. Oregon was flying high with Marcus Mariota while OSU was coming off a 69-27 drubbing at the hands of Washington a week prior. However, none of the previous history that season mattered as Sean Mannion, Brandin Cooks, and Terron Ward nearly pulled off a stunner in Autzen.

2015: No. 18 Oregon 52, Oregon State 42

-> While it's not easy to find a lot of good in Gary Andersen's inaugural season, the effort that this group put up against a far-superior Oregon team cannot be overstated. The Beavers had limped into Eugene with a 1-11 record and had little hope of out-playing the likes of Vernon Adams, Royce Freeman, and DeForest Buckner. While it was all Oregon for a while (31-7 at the half, 38-21 at the end of three), Andersen uncorked two-talented freshman offensive weapons in quarterback Seth Collins (3 rushing TD's) and running back Ryan Nall (174 yards, 1 TD) who nearly helped lead the Beavers to an upset. While it wasn't meant to be, seeing this type of fight from an undermanned OSU squad earns them a spot on the list.

While some may argue about the validity of the 2016 Civil War making the top-five, it will go down in Oregon State history as one of the most special wins in program history. If there was one thing that Andersen and Co. did right in their tenure, it was taking care of business against the Ducks in 2016.

After bursting onto the scene against the Ducks in the Civil War prior, running back Ryan Nall etched his name in history by carrying the ball 31 times for 155 yards and four scores. Thanks to Nall's impressive day on the ground, just enough defensive production, and the calm-mannered nature of QB Marcus McMaryion, the Beavers were able to send out its seniors on top.

While a case could be made that the Ducks had little to play for in that contest as Mark Helfrich was out as UO's HC just days later, ending the eight-year losing streak to the Ducks was a special moment that will forever live in Civil War lore.

Dubbed the "War for the Roses", the winner of the 2009 Civil War was guaranteed a berth in the Rose Bowl. While this was the second-straight season that the Beavers just needed a win in the Civil War to reach the Rose Bowl, it wasn't meant to be.

If there were two defining moments in the second-stint of the Mike Riley era, it was the 2008 and 2009 Civil Wars. All the Beavers needed to do was win one of them, and they would have reached a Rose Bowl, pushing the program to new heights. While the 2008 Civil War wasn't all that competitive, the 2009 Civil War was one of the series' best.

Despite it being an Oregon State loss, the Beavers played an incredible game in Autzen Stadium as Sean Canfield and Co. nearly led OSU to the Roses. While the Rodgers brothers had themselves a day, it was Jerimiah Masoli, LaMichael James, and LeGarrette Blount who carried the Ducks to a narrow victory.

This one comes in at No. 4 for the fact that there will never be another Civil War for the Roses as the Pac-12 Championship game eliminated the possibility of it ever happening again.

The Clash of the Titans...

While the 1998 Civil War might be slightly more special to those die-hard Oregon State fans that stuck through the program throughout the 28-year losing streak, the 2000 Civil War was when the Beavers arguably played their best game in the series with the most on the line.

The Ducks came into the game ranked fifth in the country, while Oregon State checked in at No. 8. Both teams needed the win to go to a BCS game as the Pac-12 wouldn't give three BCS bids to the pool of Oregon, Oregon State, and Washington.

Oregon quarterback Joey Harrington will never forget that game as he threw five interceptions (three to current OSU special teams coordinator Jake Cookus) while OSU quarterback Jonathan Smith, running back Ken Simonton, and receiver Robert Prescott led the Beavers to a 23-13 victory. The Beavers' defense was something special that season and credit goes to them for putting the brakes on a high-powered UO offense.

While the Beavers didn't make the Rose Bowl, Oregon State was extended an at-large invitation to the Fiesta Bowl where they defeated Notre Dame 41-9.

Who could ever forget the fly-sweep?

Coined earlier that season by Mike Riley after he discovered it via Willamette University, the play will go down in Oregon State history as one of the most successful and unique to ever be executed. Long before the entire college football world began running versions of the fly-sweep, Riley and Co. used a true-freshman receiver named James Rodgers (5-foot-7, 187 pounds) and caught the college football world by storm.

Earlier that season, Oregon had legit national championship aspirations as QB Dennis Dixon and then-first year offensive coordinator Chip Kelly had begun to unearth was what was going to be one of the most unstoppable offenses for the next several seasons. However, Dixon suffered a torn-ACL several weeks prior and the Ducks were playing backup QB, Justin Roper.

With the Ducks not being at full-strength, OSU was able to come out on top thanks to an inspired effort from QB Lyle Moevao, backup RB Matt Sieverson, and Rodgers, while the defense, led by big-names Al Afalava, Derrick Doggett, and others rose to the challenge of stopping Kelly's offense. Rodgers put the Beavers ahead on the fly-sweep before the Beaver defense stopped Jonathan Stewart on fourth down to preserve the win.

2007 marks the last time that Oregon State was able to knock off Oregon in Eugene...

Arguably the turning point in Oregon State football history, the 1998 Civil War will likely rank near the top of any Beaver fans' lists. While the win over the Ducks only gave the Beavers their fifth win of the season, what ensued over the next several years was all springboarded by the monumental upset.

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 to open the second OT, but OSU RB Ken Simonton scored to give the Beavers an upset win, their fifth win of the season, and their best record since 1971.

While Riley departed for the NFL shortly after the win, it set the stage for Erickson to lead one of the greatest runs in Beaver football history.