With a thin layer of fog settling over the field in Corvallis, Oregon faced their in-state rival Oregon State for the 124th time. But the fog seemed as metaphoric as it was literal. The defense was nearly non-existent in the first quarter as neither team seemed able to make a stop.

Oregon looked unstoppable on their first two drives as they marched 77 yards and 93 yards on consecutive possessions for touchdowns; but their inability to stop the run early opened the door for a potential Beaver upset over the heavily favored Ducks.

Jermar Jefferson, the outstanding running back for Oregon State scored from 82-yards on his first carry and got the Beavers out of a deep hole with a 34-yard gain on his third carry of the game. But miscues, a three-and-out series, and two consecutive drives that ended in a field goal for Oregon State gave Oregon an edge.

Jefferson, who would finish the game with 29 carries for 226 yards and 2 scores, kept the Beavers in this contest as the Ducks, who had looked very good on the ground in their first two games, struggled at times to establish their own ground game and it created issues for the Oregon offense.

The Ducks running backs carried the ball 15 times for just 65 yards in the first half; combined with some Oregon State defensive adjustments to start the third quarter, the Ducks allowed Oregon State excellent field position on their second possession which was quickly turned into points pulling the Beavers to within striking distance down just 24-19 with just under nine minutes left in the third quarter.

This drive seemed to wake up the Oregon offense as the team marched down the field on the legs of Travis Dye and arm of Tyler Shough for a 6-play, 74-yard scoring drive to extend the lead to 31-19 just past the midway point of the third quarter.

Shough completed 20 of 31 passes for 285 yards and 2 touchdowns as the Duck offense continued to pile up impressive statistics gaining 468 yards on 65 plays Friday night.

Oregon State has closed the talent gap over the last two seasons and played this game with purpose and energy. A game that seemed destined to be a shootout did not disappoint those without a vested interest in the outcome. The Beavers, who traded field goals for touchdowns in the first half and missed a two point conversion attempt, worked their way to within a five-point margin early in the fourth quarter.

Shough, who had thrown two interceptions in the first three games for Oregon, threw two last night – the second of which was a turning point. Following a Beaver touchdown, Shough threw into double coverage giving the Beavers great field position which they quickly converted into points. A two-point conversion gave the Beavers a 34-31 lead and the Ducks found themselves trailing in the fourth quarter for the first time this season.

The Ducks responded with a 10-play, 75-yard drive capped by a Cyrus Habibi-Likio on-yard rush for the touchdown to put Oregon back in the lead at 38-34 with 4:31 left in the game. But it was an inability to close out the game which ultimately cost the Ducks. With just 2:18 left in the game, and Oregon State with three time outs, a three-and-out gave the Beavers possession with 1:55 left in the game.

With a 10-play, 53-yard drive to score the go-ahead touchdown with just 33 seconds left in the game, Oregon State put the dagger into the hearts of Duck fans with the go-ahead touchdown. The 41-38 victory is just the second Oregon State win over Oregon in the last 13 years.

The Ducks must regroup and head on the road again next week with a trip to Cal.

While it was never realistic to talk about College Football playoffs, the Ducks could still win the Pac-12 North and get a matchup with the South Division winner in the conference championship game next month.