Oregon Football: 20 Images from the 2011 Civil War

Saturday afternoon saw the Oregon Ducks football team finish its regular-season schedule with a 49-21 victory over interstate rivals the Oregon State Beavers.

The Ducks' victory in the 117th meeting of the two teams secured their berth into the inaugural Pac-12 Championship Game, where they will face the South Division champion UCLA Bruins at Autzen Stadium. The winner will earn a berth into the Rose Bowl to face either Wisconsin or Michigan State.

Though the series has been a bit lopsided in Oregon's favor in the past decade, both teams always come to play, even if it's only in the role of spoiler.

I love the opportunity to go to all of these games with my family and spend much of those Saturdays taking photos of the spectacle that is college football.

Here are my top-20 pics from the 2011 Civil War.

Don't Call It a Carpool

Both mascots hitch a ride from their perspective tailgate parties and into the stadium.

It Takes Balls to Win the Civil War

There was a ton of them at Autzen Stadium, so that wasn't a problem. 

This Was Their Bowl Game

There are few things as fierce as a wounded, cornered animal.  Even if it's a beaver.  The team from Corvallis wasn't bowl eligible due to its sucking all year long, so the only thing it could do was battle for pride and send the Ducks to a lesser bowl with a victory in Eugene.

Academics Come First at the University of Oregon

Before each home game there's an impromptu spelling lesson guided by scantily clad dames.

Rolling Deep

Darron Thomas and Bryan Bennett lead the QB corps through warmups.

Digging the Scene

Head coach Chip Kelly checks out both teams prior to kickoff.  I saw him try to eat some of the FieldTurf, but he spit it right out.  I'm sure that's not the only thing he learned from Les Miles in Dallas a couple of months ago.

In Phil We Trust

Phil Knight, founder of Nike and a significant Oregon athletics benefactor, is a fixture on the sidelines at all of Oregon's home games.

Conditioning Wins Championships

Hardly anyone can keep up with the Ducks' blazing-fast tempo on offense.  The secret: tons of jumping jacks.

Let's Get It on

Safety John Boyett can't wait to hit something.  And he did.  Often.

Striving for Balance

Oregon played a balanced game on Saturday, gaining 365 yards on the ground and 305 through the air.  The Oregon cheerleaders reacted in kind with a balanced effort as well.

Ducks in a Row

Oregon is known for its disciplined practice sessions.  The same principals apply to its pre-game rituals.

The Kids Are Alright

The student section at Autzen was wild as usual.

Thomas to Thomas: Always an Option

QB Darron Thomas pitches the ball to freshman sensation De'Anthony "Black Mamba" Thomas.

Halftime

It's picturesque around Autzen stadium with plenty of room to get out and stretch your legs.  I was doing just that when I shot this photo with my new iPhone 4S and the "Photo Toaster" app.

Hometown Hero

I always root for Oregon State cornerback Jordan Poyer.  Almost always.  When he plays against the Ducks he can get bent as far as I care, but every other day he's the guy that led my alma mater Astoria High (go Fighting Fisherman!) to a state championship at quarterback, as he scored 120 touchdowns in three years.

A New Tradition?

Oregon has always been accused of being flashy, gimmicky and lacking tradition.  During the game my wife may have started a new one for the Ducks when she noticed all the birds that circle Autzen during the games and exclaimed "War Seagull!"

His Name Is David Paulson

At schools like USC, Notre Dame and Penn State (and in Operation Mayhem), players have no name. (Check the backs of their jerseys.)  

When you're a go-to tight end on a team that needs exactly that more often than not, you do have a name.  

His name is David Paulson.

His name is David Paulson.

His name is David Paulson.

His name is David Paulson.

Enjoy It While It Lasts

Someday in the not so distant future, political correctness will be the law of the land and all the fun will be sucked out of everything.  

Until then, we get together on Saturdays, grill meat, watch dudes hit each other as hard as they can and toss hot chicks in the air as an exclamation point.  

Suck it, Russia.

Hey Mannion, Nice Shot

It was a tough day at the office for the redshirt freshman QB, Sean Mannion, who managed to toss for 299 yards and three touchdowns while being consistently pressured by Oregon's defense.  At least his backs helped him out by running for a total of 16 yards.

Later, Skater, See You Back Here on Friday

After the game, Oregon's mascot remained full of energy, even after his 196 push-ups.  A golf cart took him back to the pond for a brief rest prior to Friday's match against Rick Neuweasel's squad from LA.

I take my photos with a Canon T2i and a Sigma 70-200 f2.8 telephoto lens.  Most of these photos were taken from the 77th row of section 25 at Autzen.  For more images of Oregon Ducks football, go to conradbechtolt.com.