By Rob Moseley
Editor, GoDucks.com

The mood in Oregon's postgame locker room Friday evening illustrated just how far the Ducks have come this season.

In the wake of the team's 3-3 start, the Ducks were downright jubilant after wins on the road at Arizona State and Stanford. But as Oregon strung together five straight wins entering Friday, they began to expect more of themselves.

And so, in the wake of Friday's 52-42 Civil War win over Oregon State, in which the Beavers twice rallied within three during a 35-point second half, Oregon's mood was far from celebratory.

“I think we let ourselves get a little too relaxed,” said left tackle Tyler Johnstone, a member of the senior class honored before kickoff. “We kept telling ourselves all week, we knew they were going to come out and give us their best game of the season. But I think we really didn't take it to heart enough.”

Oregon (9-3, 7-2 Pac-12) allowed an OSU touchdown drive to open the game, then overcame some early offensive inconsistencies to lead 31-7 at halftime. But the Beavers gashed the UO defense after the break, and it took two touchdowns from Bralon Addison in the second half for the Ducks to hold on.

Oregon State closed within 38-35 with a punt return touchdown early in the fourth quarter, and within 48-45 on a 66-yard run up the middle by Ryan Nall midway through the period. In both cases the Ducks suffered within a missing injured player – punter Ian Wheeler and leading tackler Joe Walker, respectively – but that didn't make the breakdowns any easier to swallow.

After both touchdowns, Addison hauled in a scoring pass from Vernon Adams Jr. to help the Ducks answer. The UO offense finished well after failing to score on three of its first four possessions after halftime.

“They came out and started blitzing more, and playing man,” said Addison, who finished with three receiving touchdowns and one rushing. “We hadn't seen that much on film, so it took us a while to adjust to it. They kind of caught us off-guard, but I thought we did a great job of staying calm and composed.”

Walker had been Oregon's best defender of late, with 10 tackles at Stanford and 15 in the win over USC. Danny Mattingly started in his place and tied for the team-high Friday with seven tackles, but there's no doubt Walker was missed.

“Playing with him by my side has been so fluent,” said Rodney Hardrick, the other starter at inside linebacker. “Not that there's any type of drop-off in ability; it's in chemistry, working together. We fought through some things.”

After the game, UO coach Mark Helfrich told the Ducks that “maybe just a little bit we lost our edge,” having won five straight and entering Friday as a 35-point favorite over the Beavers. Then, after starting well in the first half, “we took a deep breath” in the second half, he said. “We relaxed.”

“Obviously everyone's happy we won, but honestly, the defense, we need to pick our stuff up,” senior end DeForest Buckner said. “First half we did good, but we let up in the second half and we can't do that. Coach talks about wanting to play a complete game, and we're lucky we have that opportunity.”

Indeed, the Ducks' disappointment Friday was softened by the fact they won six straight to close the regular season, and remain in contention for a New Year's Six bowl. If Stanford can win twice and reach the College Football Playoff, Oregon would be a strong contender for the Rose Bowl. Even if the Cardinal don't finish in the top four, the Ducks could qualify for another New Years' Six game, if results elsewhere around the country break right.

If nothing else, Oregon should be an attractive choice for the Alamo Bowl, which has the first choice of Pac-12 teams that don't play in the New Year's Six.

“It's a tough one,” Johnstone said. “I didn't play particularly well. We definitely struggled on both sides. But it's the last one out there (in Autzen Stadium), definitely a surreal feeling. We came out here to win, and that's all you can really ask for.”