[tps_title]Oregon State at Oregon[/tps_title]
[tps_header]2 p.m., Fox Sports 1[/tps_header]
OREGON STATE (2-9, 0-8) AT
OREGON (8-3, 6-2)
2 p.m., Fox Sports 1
Pointspread: Oregon is favored by 36 points
— The line has shifted a great deal from Oregon being a 30-point favorite to start the week.
— The No. 18 Ducks need to prepare for the regular-season finale, the annual Civil War against Oregon State, and then await word on where they’ll go in the postseason. An eighth straight 10-win season is still within reach. Oregon has won five in a row, but its three losses – to Michigan St., Utah and surging Washington State – thwarted a second straight Pac-12 North title. The Ducks took care of their end Saturday with a 48-28 victory over then-No. 22 USC, but Stanford won the Big Game against California to clinch the Pac-12 championship game berth and a shot at the Rose Bowl.
— Vernon Adams, out with a finger injury earlier in the season, passed for 407 yards and six touchdowns last week, the most ever thrown against USC by an opposing quarterback. The senior transfer also shares the Oregon record for touchdowns thrown in a game. Oregon’s winning streak coincides with Adams’ return from the injury on his throwing hand. He was hurt in the season opener against his former team, Eastern Washington, and he struggled – even donning gloves for the first time against the Spartans – before the Ducks shut him down for three games. In the five games since he’s been back, Adams has thrown for 300 or more yards and four or more TDs in three games.
— Meanwhile, the Beavers aren’t so discouraged about the season that they can’t get up for the 19th Civil War game. It’s been a disappointing year for Oregon State to say the least, as it has lost eight in a row. The latest defeat was 52-7 at home against Washington last Saturday. First-year coach Gary Andersen had already moved his team on to rivalry week minutes after the loss. ”Rivalry games are very, very, very important,” Andersen told the media. “That’s what I told them when we left the locker room – they’ve got an opportunity to play in a rivalry game that’s right up there as one of the best in the country, if not the best in the country. The fact of the matter is you’ll remember that forever.”
— It was expected that the Beavers would struggle this season following the departure of coach Mike Riley and prolific quarterback Sean Mannion. Andersen installed a new spread offense and new defense. The Beavers also grappled with a group of inexperienced quarterbacks. Dynamic freshman QB Seth Collins was the starter at the beginning of the season, but he didn’t play in the last four games because of a knee injury. Nick Mitchell, who entered the season as the third-stringer behind fellow redshirt freshman Marcus McMaryion, initially started in Collins’ place. But Mitchell missed his first seven passes against the Huskies and was replaced by McMaryion, who threw for 109 yards and a touchdown.
— Last week, Andersen said Collins was done for the season, but he was at practice Monday — playing at wide receiver. “If we have an opportunity to use him and we think it’s the best thing for the offense, then we absolutely will,” Andersen said following practice.
— Oregon State RB Storm Barrs-Woods, who has played in a couple of Civil Wars, said he sees no motivation issues in what will be Oregon State’s final game of the season. “That game in itself is such a rivalry, it’s such a big game, that I’m not worried about anyone on our team. The atmosphere of that game alone, you can’t be flat,” Barrs-Woods said.
— Oregon has won the last seven matchups in the Civil War.
Oregon State is 1-7 ATS in its last 8 games
Oregon State is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
Oregon State is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
Oregon State is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Oregon is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
Oregon is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Oregon’s last 6 games
Oregon is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games at home
My pick: Oregon will win and cover
Steve Rivera’s pick: Oregon will win and cover
Anthony Gimino’s pick: Oregon will win and cover
[tps_footer]
ALLSPORTSTUCSON.com publisher, writer and editor Javier Morales is a former Arizona Press Club award winner. He has also written articles for Bleacher Report and Lindy’s College Sports.[/tps_footer]
