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No. 6 Oregon aims for Pac-12 title, and perhaps more, but No. 15 Oregon State comes to town

2023-11-23 00:51
Oregon will clinch a spot in the Pac-12 championship game with a victory over the rival Beavers
No. 6 Oregon aims for Pac-12 title, and perhaps more, but No. 15 Oregon State comes to town

No. 15 Oregon State (8-3, 5-3 Pac-12, No. 16 CFP) at No. 6 Oregon (10-1, 7-1, No. 6), Friday, 8:40 p.m. EST (FOX).

Line: Oregon by 13 1/2 according to FanDuel Sportsbook.

Series record: Oregon leads 67-49-10.

WHAT’S AT STAKE?

Oregon will clinch a spot in the Pac-12 championship game with a victory over the rival Beavers. They'll face No. 4 Washington, a team that defeated the Ducks 36-33 earlier this season. The Huskies held off Oregon State 22-20 this past Saturday at Reser Stadium. Friday's meeting could be the last rivalry game between the two Oregon teams for the foreseeable future. Oregon is departing to the Big Ten next season, while Oregon State and Washington State are left alone in the Pac-12 after the conference collapsed over the summer.

KEY MATCHUP

Oregon State's best chance on offense will be its running game, led by Damien Martinez, who ran for two touchdowns last weekend against the Huskies and is ranked second in the Pac-12 with an average of 104.3 yards rushing per game. Oregon State has 26 rushing touchdowns, third in the Pac-12. But the Ducks rank third in the conference allowing just 96.2 yards on the ground a game.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Oregon State: Martinez leads the Pac-12 with six 100-yard rushing games this season, and he's had three straight games with 100 yards or more. This season he's rushed for 1,147 total yards and ranks 11th on the Beavers' all-time list with 2,129 career rushing yards. He needs 27 more yards to move into the top 10. He's the only Pac-12 player among 10 finalists for the Doak Walker award for the nation's top running back.

Oregon: Quarterback Bo Nix is among the favorites to win the Heisman Trophy. Last weekend at Arizona State he threw a career-high six touchdown passes. It was his third straight game with at least four passing TDs. He is on pace to break the NCAA single-season record with a 78.1 completion percentage. He's got 35 touchdown passes this year and just two interceptions.

FACTS & FIGURES

It is the 127th overall meeting between the two teams, making it the fourth-most contested rivalry in the nation. ... Oregon State came from behind to beat the Ducks 38-34 last season in Corvallis, spoiling Oregon's shot at a conference championship. ... The rivalry game used to be called the Civil War, but the moniker was dropped in 2020. ... Oregon has won five straight games since the loss to Washington on Oct. 14. ... The Ducks have allowed just five sacks while the Beavers are tied for first in the league with 36 sacks. ... Oregon State's defense limited Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. to 162 passing yards last week, his lowest output this season.

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AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football