EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Oregon defensive lineman Keyon Ware-Hudson carries the weight of past rivalry games as the Ducks prepare to face Oregon State this weekend. Ware-Hudson, one of the few remaining players from Oregon’s 2020 squad, recalls the bitter loss that year and its lingering impact.

“That’s like a chip on my shoulder,” Ware-Hudson said. “We still talk about it to this day. They’re all over the building. With them winning the trenches, it’s something that we focus heavily on and try to calculate off of.”

Reflecting on last year’s matchup in 2022, Ware-Hudson emphasized the need for the Ducks to finish strong. "I just think we needed to stop the run," he said. "We got too comfortable and relaxed throughout the fourth quarter. We need to keep rolling and have a ‘finish’ mentality."

The Oregon defense has been focusing on stopping the run after struggling with it in past games, including last week. "We’re progressing every week," Ware-Hudson said. "Just minor mess-ups within the calls, but communication throughout the whole line is key when we set."

Facing Oregon State, known for its strong ground game, is a challenge Ware-Hudson and his teammates are prepared for. “Every year, Oregon State is known for running the ball pretty good,” he said. “They know how to do cutbacks on stretches, so we’ve got to be locked into what’s ahead of us.”

With an influx of new players on the team, Ware-Hudson has taken on a leadership role in motivating the younger guys. "It’s like every game, but with this rivalry, there’s a lot of hate between us," he said. "I try to keep their minds level and make them realize who we’re playing against."

The timing of this year’s game, coming early in the season instead of November, feels different for Ware-Hudson. "We’ve got Coach B [Mike] running around saying it feels like Thanksgiving because we usually play them around this time," he said. "It’s a little weird playing them early, but we’ve got to do what we’ve got to do."

Despite only having two games of film to analyze, Ware-Hudson doesn’t see it as a disadvantage. “We can still watch from last year,” he said. “They run some of the same plays, so we just add that into this year and capitalize on it.”

Oregon State’s offensive line has experienced changes, with their right guard out for the season. Ware-Hudson acknowledged that it could affect the Beavers’ communication. “He was one of their key guys, and the guy they have now has just one start ahead,” he said. “The communication might not be as strong as it would be with the previous guy, so we’ll try to work on that.”

Playing against Oregon State’s personnel, which has seen significant turnover, presents additional challenges. "It’s just like every game," Ware-Hudson said. "You’re going to get different looks and personnel. They’re usually a bigger, heavy personnel team, so we adjust to that and add in our front with theirs."

As for past experiences playing in Corvallis, Ware-Hudson recalls the intensity of the environment. "It’s rough," he said of the past two trips. “I try to let all that die down, then walk off. Nothing happened to me personally, but I’ve seen people get beer poured on them, spit on... I try to stay away from that.”

With memories of previous rivalry games fresh in his mind, Ware-Hudson is ready to lead the Ducks into an early-season showdown against the Beavers.