Ducks vs. Beavers NewsWatch 12 Special

The NewsWatch 12 Sports Team breaks down the 124th meeting between the Oregon Ducks and the Oregon State Beavers football teams.

Coming up... a conversation with bryce bramscher about what it's like playing for the beavers this season.

It is the eve of the biggeset day in oregon football.

The ducks and beavers are set to clash once again in corvallis for an historic game that is no longer called "the civil war."

It's been a whirlwind to get to this point but hey, we're finally here.

Tonight we'll hear from medford's bryce bramscher about what the beavers' season looked like in 2020.

It was a rollercoaster 2019 for medford native brady breeze, but 2020 may have even hi"right nowh 12's special ducks versus beavers."

No this is not a drill, in 2020 we are actually going to play the historic ducks and beavers rivalry game.

It won't be called the civil war, but the tension and the rivalry is stronger than ever.

Thanks for joining the newswatch 12 ducks and beavers special, i am cameron derby.

And i am josh shelton.

You are right cameron.

This is a new opportunity for these teams to be 1-0 in a new era of this rivalry.

It has to be exciting for the coaches and players.

"you can feel the enthusiams, the energy, the anticipation of games like this.

You can just feel it in the community, in our town, in our city.

It is what it is.

I know our guys are really looking forward to the opportunity to play."

But a great challenge and i know our guys are excited about it, to be able to play on a short week.

We are playing the ducks who are playing really well.

Obviously you can see it by their record right now."

Before we get more into the rivalry... let's look back at how we got here.

Oregon opened the season without fans in the stands but plenty of ducks in the endzone.

Tyler shough was pretty impressive in his first start.

A throwing and rushing touchdown for the q-b.

C-j verdell didn't miss a beat either as the ducks rolled to a 35-14 win.

Oregon state had a good game on offense but came a few defensive stops short of a win.

Jermar jefferson scored three of the four beaver touchdowns-- rushing for 120 yards.

Tristan gebbia impressed as the beavers starter-- throwing for over 300 yards and a touchdown.

But 28 points wasn't enough for the beavers to capture a victory-- they lose 38 to 28.

Week 2-- ducks in pullman.

Oregon trailed heading into halftime but tyler shough showed why he won the starting job.

Three passing touchdowns in the second half.

Couldn't have done it without the defense.

A few big stops in the second half set the offense up in good position to own the second half.

Ducks win on the road-- 43-29.

Another oregon state game, another jermar jefferson 100-yard performance.

133-yards and a touchdown on the ground.

Plus the beavers got a little support from special teams with a blocked punt returned for a touchdown.

Sloppy conditions made offense hard to come by in the second half.

Beavers come up short against washington-- 27-21.

And last weekend the ducks had their toughest match-up yet.

A sloppy game on both sides but oregon got enough breaks-- including a pick-6 to take a lead into half instead of trailing.

Sometimes you gotta win ugly, right?

Shough impressed with 334 yards and three passing touchdowns.

Only 88 yards on the ground but they held onto stay undefeated-- 38-35 ducks win.

For the beavers-- their first win of the season.

And once again-- jermar jefferson was the story of the game.

196-yards on the ground and opened the game with a 75-yard run.

Oregon state blocked a punt late in the fourth giving gebbia and company great field position.

They capitalized on it and got the w.

31-27 beavers beat cal.

So the ducks enter this week undefeated through three games in a good spot to defend their pac-12 title.

And the beavers-- have momentum headed in the right direction.

Yeah and both teams have had their ups and downs this season.

Jermar jefferson for the beavers a bright spot despite their 1 and 2 record.

And tyler shough has been playing well trying to fill the shoes of justin herbert.

Let's take a look at how these teams stack up on paper.

Oregon has the advantage in almost every category.

Almost 15 hundred yards in total offense for the ducks.

Three ducks combine for most of their rushing.

Jefferson accounts for all but 45 yards of oregon state's.

The beavers are also a little bit more careful with the ball.

Each team looking to improve.

"the fractions of seconds is what we are looking at.

I think the advancement in that room between coach moorehead and all the quarterbacks has paid dividends.

It really has."

Butted to <"i think obviously offensively we can continue to work to have better balance.

That is run to pass and taking steps in the passing game."

No fans for the game this year but weather still a factor for the players.

Here's newswatch 12 chief meteorologist matt hoffman with a look at game day conditions.

Matt?

Here's a look at our forecast for the game.

You guys, we should see actually some pretty nice weather for this time of the year.

It should be dry for the game.

On friday in corvallis, mostly clear skies.

I kick off at four 30, temperatures likely in the mid to upper forties, but with those mostly clear conditions, temperatures will be cooling off quick.

So by the end of the game, we're looking at temperatures heading into the upper thirties.

So we'll be on the chili's side.

Make sure you have that jacket.

Good news though.

Winds will be light.

So not much of a windshield factor to speak of, uh, for the morning hours.

If you're heading up to the game, you will have to deal with likely with some fog for west side valleys back to you guys.

Uninvite your new boyfriend.

Uninvite your drunken uncle.

Uninvite your argumentative aunt.

Uninvite your favorite aunt.

Uninvite your bragging brother.

Uninvite your best friend.

Uninvite your half-sister.

Uninvite your vegan niece.

This holiday, keep your gathering small.

Limit groups.

Save lives.

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Any 2020 has been the year beavers."

Special ducks versus beavers."

The year 2020 has been unlike any other year in the last half century.

Sports seasons canceled or postponed, empty stadiums, few non-conference battles because the world continues to deal with the covid-19 pandemic.

But the show-- it must go on.

I spoke with medford-native and current tight end for the oregon state beavers bryce bramscher on what it was like getting to this point, what preparing and competing during a pandemic was like, and what it means to still have the rivalry game.

Josh shelton: here we are in 2020, not really knowing that we're going to have a football season earlier this year, but glad we're having it.

What's it been like for you preparing for this season?

Bryce bramscher: you know, it's been a lot of different things.

I think, one of the biggest, parts that we had to, you know, just have the faith in that something would happen and the season would come together and i think that everyone was on board with that.

We worked really hard in the off season.

And, i think it's going to show this week, hopefully.

Josh: tell me a little bit about this off season, because it's an off season.

Unlike any other that you've been dealing with from high school football all the way, to now your time in college football, but no spring football and then a lot of uncertainty going into the fall season.

What was that like for you as a player, trying to prepare for a possible 20, 20 football season?

<bryce: it was definitely challenging.

There was a lot of challenges that went with it.

There was a lot of unknowns.

But like i said, we just kind of had to have faith in the process and trust, trust the medical staff and our coaches that they would put together, something that would keep us safe and, have a successful season.

Josh: what was the biggest challenge for you going into this season with the kind of stop and start nature of it?

Bryce: that's a good question.

I think the biggest challenge.

Was just, trying to, you know, stay consistent with everything and just, there's so many unknowns going on.

And i think the biggest part of that was just not knowing, you know, what's going on with this virus and just kind of trusting the medical professionals to, to do their job.

Josh: covid-19 it's in everybody's lives right now.

What's been the biggest change during this football season for you.

As you, as you go to these different places to play, (bryce key) bryce: i'd say, you know, everything's just a lot tighter ship.

Like everything's just monitored more closely.

There's assigned seats, there's testing every day, you know, everything's just, i guess just more put together and organized.

(topic key) josh: the rivalry between the ducks and the beavers goes back 126 years.

This one's going to be a little bit different than, the ones we've seen in the past is knowing it's this really weird season.

How much excitement from the player side or importance are you guys putting into this game?

Maybe compared to other seasons or how similar?

Bryce: yeah.

You know, i think it's really similar, actually.

I don't think much has changed.

We have the same mindset going into it as we would any other season.

Obviously there's other complications with covid, but.

I think, you know, i think it's pretty much the same mindset we're here to, to win and we've prepared all week for it.

Josh: what should a beavers and beavers fans be expecting to see from the oregon state football team?

That's, you know, the author sense in which you're a big part of it.

Is slowly starting to put it together.

And we've seen that momentum build over the last three years.

Bryce: yeah, i think, you guys can expect to show for sure.

It's going to be fun.

I think our offenses, you know, clicking and, we're putting it all together.

You know, defense as well and special teams, they all count.

So i think we're really looking like a strong team going into this week.

Josh: anything else you want to add before i let you go?

Bryce: go beavs that's it.

Coming up in just a few moments, a conversation with medford special ducks versus newswatch 12's "welcome back to newswatch 12's special ducks versus beavers."

It has been a wild year for brady breeze.

From low man on the totum poll to defensive mvp in the rose bowl in just a couple weeks.

From wildfires here in his hometown to declaring for the nfl draft.

But for this former south medford panther, the chaos has brought a lot of blessings.

That madness began in week 10 of last season.

çááannouncer yellsááÑ "slovis, under pressure, and intercepted again!

Brady breeze!

Touchdown oregon."

çáábrady lineááÑ "that was kind of like a dream come true for me.

You know like?

I was always trying to work up the depth chart.

I never really got many opportunities.

As soon as i started to get more playing time and get more opportunities, i was like "shoot i got to make the best of it.

I got to like, make my dreams come true because of all the work i had put in the past couple years.

I finally got some real playing time.

So, it was crazy to be able to make so many plays like that.

It was crazy to see the way our season went.

And be able to see a guy like justin herbert from eugene.

çáádrop brady lineááÑ çáátopic lineááÑ just to be able to have that bond between me and him just like making oregon history and stuff like that so.

I mean, i was always kind of prayed about doing stuff like that as a kid but i never thought it would really happen because it was just such a crazy year.

çáádrop topic lineááÑ you never really think that you are going to score a touchdown in the rose bowl or have a pick six against usc at the coliseum.

Like, that is the kind of stuff that you can't even really dream about you know?

Because it is just so crazy.

The fact that it happened, i am forver grateful."

"it is a dream come true.

Out here as a little kid i sat right up there in that section up in nose bleeds.

Now i am here starting in the rose bowl.

You can do anything if you put your mind to it and believe in god.

I am so blessed to be here.

I am so excited to beat wisconsin.

Let's go."

<cam says- " this thing is going back and forth like a tennis ball.

Oregon is struggling on offense.

Back to brady breeze.

He comes flying in and forces a fumble midway through the 4th quarter.

Brady breeze wakes the ducks up using the helmet to crash the wisconsin party."

Brady says- "just the fact that two guys from oregon were able to play for oregon and start for oregon, let alone win a rose bowl.

Then even on top of that, be able to be the mvp's of the rose bowl both him and i.

It was just crazy."

After winning the defensive mvp of the 2020 rose bowl game, medford native brady breeze is announcing that he will opt out of the upcoming college football season.

Brady says- "i feel like we were all upset when they canceled our season.

I looked around at the team and everyone was just absolutely heart broken.

Because of all of the work we put in.

Then, they canceled our season.

Then, we were told by our coaches "hey, you don't have to come back to eugene until january or whatever.

Until november or january because we don't know when the next game is going to be.

So everyone started thinking "okay i will just start getting ready for the draft."

That was just kind of everyone's mindset.

That was my mindset as well.

I was like "well i mean we are not having a season.

They canceled my senior season.

So, i guess i am just going to start working on my future."

Cam says- "was it worth it breaking that up as we move forward now?"

Brady says- "they brought the new schedule back and they said 6 games or whatever and if you test postive you are out for three weeks.

That is really like half the season.

So i talked to jevon and all of them and thomas.

We were all like "you know what?

This is not even worth it.

This season, there are just too many uncertainties for us.

It just felt like it was a sign for me just to go.

It was just a sign from god.

A "hey you know, you have had a great career this is a way for you to make your next step."

Cam says- "i kind of wanted to talk to you about what southern oregon is going through."

<dispatch- "affirm.

They are requesting law code 3 for evecuations in the area of almeda and michelle oxford street area near the ashland water treatment plant."

Cam says- "did you actually get to physically come back here after all the fires happened?"

Brady says-" i came down there and saw a bunch of the stuff that happened and everything.

I kind of drove around the town.

I went to orchard hill elementary and helped give out some stuff.

I just kind of sat there and talked to people.

Just seeing how different everything looked.

It was pretty emotional for me.

Because all you could see what chiminies and and car frames.

You know how many people care about those areas and how many people lost businesses and lost their houses.

I was just like "jeez this is the place where i grew up and seeing it like this is something i could have never imagined."

Cam says- "what do you remember the most about playing for bill and the south medford program?"

Brady says- "i don't know just the friday night lights and stuff.

Spiegelberg stadium.

It is still one of the greatest stadiums i have ever played in.

Even though i have played in all the pac-12 stadiums, spiegelber is still... there is nothing like it."

Cam says- "this will no doubt be one the toughest years for a draft prospect to go through this draft process without playing the previous season that all the other players have played.

What do you have to do in order to keep yourself in the limelight for those gm's, for those scouts?"

Brady says- "there is not much i have to do.

I just have to keep training.

I have to perform well in the combine or the pro day if i get a combine invite.

But i mean, i can't go an tweet to the gm's or anything like that.

So, i mean i guess the way to get noticed is to keep training in the dark, keep training in the quiet.

Then, when the combine and pro day comes, that is when you got to catch their attention and let them know that you have put all this work in.

Let them know that you have put all this work in and that you have been watching film and preparing for the nfl.

So, that is what i am doing."

Coming up in just a moment, who's gonna win this thing?

Beavers."

Special ducks versus newswatch have a good game against oregon's defense.

Not oregon state's year yet.

Last year this rivalry game wrapped up the regular season but this year it's really more of a half way point.

Here's a look at what's next for the ducks.

Big game tomorrow... then it's a trip down to berkeley to take on the golden bears.

One last home game in eugene a week after that.

Pac-12 championship set for friday, december 18-th.

We'll get a better idea who's playing in that one a few weeks from now.

And a quick outlook for the beavers.

Rivalry game at 4 tomorrow and that's the last time they'll be at reser.

Beavers end the season with two road games.

First one is in utah and then a week later they're headed to stanford.

24 to 10 ducks last year... let's see how it shakes out tomorrow.

And of course don't forget to tune in to college gamenight on newswatch 12 after saturday's college football games.

Talking beavers, ducks and