Oregon State vs. Oregon: 2015 Civil War Score, Platypus Trophy Winner and More

The No. 18 Oregon Ducks escaped with their sixth straight win to close the season in the 119th edition of their Civil War rivalry game against the Oregon State Beavers, but the struggles that led to their stumbled start to the campaign resurfaced in Friday's closer-than-hoped 52-42 win.

The Beavers outscored the Ducks 35-21 in the second half, but a 24-point deficit at the break was too great to overcome, giving Oregon its eighth straight win in the one-sided in-state rivalry.

Oregon was on cruise control before the Beavers running backs awoke in the second half, combining for four touchdowns in the final two quarters. Ryan Nall turned in 174 rushing yards, with a long of 66, while Seth Collins took in three scores and showed some acrobatics in the process. The Pac-12 Networks shared replays of two touchdown runs by Collins:

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Seth Collins with a FLYING touchdown for the Beavs! The Civil War is LIVE on @FS1 pic.twitter.com/NjrfPPBLAq

— Pac-12 Networks (@Pac12Networks) November 27, 2015"

The home run play that pulled the Beavers within a field goal was a huge punt return from Victor Bolden early in the fourth quarter, as shown by the Pac-12 Networks:

Oregon’s strong finish to the season has correlated with an outstanding second half from Vernon Adams Jr., who was 28-of-38 for 388 yards and three touchdowns Friday. During the Ducks’ winning streak, Adams has thrown 21 touchdowns and just four interceptions.

Running back Royce Freeman turned in his 10th game exceeding triple digits on the ground, rushing for 167 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

The sophomore now leads the nation with 1,706 rushing yards and took his place in the Oregon annals, per Andy McNamara of the school’s athletic department:

Freeman’s success was forecast. Adams' wasn't.

As the surprise successor to Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota, Adams transferred to Oregon in August after spending three seasons at Eastern Washington. His topsy-turvy saga in Eugene reached a tipping point when the team benched him in Week 3 for backup Jeff Lockie.

The Ducks won’t be defending their Pac-12 title but are poised for a trip to a high-profile bowl game after a strong finish.

The Beavers put forth a valiant effort for a 2-10 team that hasn't won since Week 3, but their overall performance in 2015 wasn't what they had hoped for after signing head coach Gary Andersen away from Wisconsin in the offseason. 

Even in a down year for the Pac-12 powerhouse, Oregon still found a way to once again seize the Platypus Trophy after defeating Oregon State in the Civil War for the eighth straight time. Oregon State will look to build upon its resilient performance next year.

Postgame Reaction

Oregon head coach Mike Helfrich acknowledged the game should’ve been out of reach much earlier, per Hayden Kim of the Daily Emerald:

But Helfrich also pointed out that the Ducks never surrendered the lead and came away in tact, per Rob Moseley of GoDucks.com:

For Duck Nation, the sky seemed to be falling following their 3-3 start, highlighted by a 62-20 drumming at the hands of then-No. 18 Utah. But, as Stewart Mandel of Fox Sports noted, Oregon will head into a formidable bowl game with the chance at 10 wins:

Though not up to par with their recent national title runs, a 9-3 finish to the regular season after losing Mariota is respectable. Adams will be gone next year, but with Freeman as one of seven offensive starters returning, the Ducks have a chance to return to their prolific status among college football’s elite in 2016.