10A
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2016
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Gary Henley | Sports Reporter
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COLLEGE FOOTBALL
SCHEDULE
KNAPPA WRESTLING
Nov. 30, Knappa Mix ‘n’ Match, 5 p.m.
Dec. 3, at Ocosta, TBA
Dec. 10, at Warrenton Tournament,
10 a.m.
Dec. 17, at Wahkiakum Meet, TBA
Dec. 29, at Clatskanie Holiday Meet,
TBA
Jan. 6-7, at Seaside Pac Rim, 10 a.m.
Jan. 12-14, at Oregon Classic, Red-
mond, TBA
Jan. 18, at Vernonia League Meet,
TBA
Jan. 21, at Gervais, TBA
Jan. 24, Knappa League Meet, TBA
Jan. 28, at Ilwaco, 10 a.m.
Feb. 1, Pre-Districts, at Neah-Kah-
Nie, 10 a.m.
Feb. 17-18, District Championships,
at Waldport
SAME RECORD,
DIFFERENT SEASONS
SPORTS
IN BRIEF
Mariners get
Whalen, Povse
from Braves
Associated Press
ATLANTA — The Seattle
Mariners acquired right-handers
Rob Whalen and Max Povse from
the Atlanta Braves on Monday
night for outfield prospect Alex
Jackson and a player to be named.
The 20-year-old Jackson was
the sixth pick in the 2014 ama-
teur draft. He has hit .233 in three
minor league seasons, including
.243 with 11 homers and 55 RBIs
for Class A Clinton of the Mid-
west League this year.
“We value upside, and we
believe Alex has a lot of it,” Braves
general manager John Coppolella
told The Associated Press. “We
believe in the potential and the
person, and we are excited for his
future with our organization.”
Jackson was a catcher at Ran-
cho Bernardo High School in San
Diego. Adding depth at catcher is
an offseason priority for Atlanta.
Coppolella would not say if Jack-
son might be given a look behind
the plate in 2017.
Whalen, 22, was 1-2 with a
6.57 ERA in five starts for Atlanta
this season and was Double-A
Mississippi’s pitcher of the year.
Povse, 23, had a 3.36 ERA at Mis-
sissippi and Class A Carolina.
Whalen was placed on the dis-
abled list Aug. 25 with right shoul-
der fatigue. He was a 12th-round
pick by the Mets in 2012 and was
traded to the Braves with right-
hander John Gant on July 24,
2015, for Kelly Johnson, Juan
Uribe and cash.
AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin
The Seattle Mariners acquired
right-handers Rob Whalen
(above) and Max Povse from
the Atlanta Braves on Monday
for outfield prospect Alex Jack-
son and a player to be named.
AP Photo/Timothy J. Gonzalez
AP Photo/Timothy J. Gonzalez
Oregon head coach Mark Helfrich looks on in the first half an
NCAA game against Oregon State, in Corvallis on Saturday.
Oregon State head coach Gary Andersen, left, talks with in-
jured wide receiver Seth Collins before the game Saturday.
Few bright spots in rough
season for Ducks, coach
Beavers make progress in
Andersen’s second season
By ANNE M. PETERSON
Associated Press
By ANNE M. PETERSON
Associated Press
UGENE — Oregon’s run as one of the nation’s elite teams came
crashing to a halt this season.
Now the question is, was the year just an anomaly?
The Ducks, who just two seasons ago were playing in the first Col-
lege Football Playoff championship game, wrapped up a season to for-
get with a 34-24 loss to the Oregon State Beavers in the 120th Civil
War. The loss snapped an eight-game winning streak in the series.
It was one of many streaks that would fall this season. Oregon fin-
ished 4-8 overall and at the bottom of the Pac-12 North standings at
2-7 — snapping a run of nine straight winning seasons in conference
play.
The final loss meant that Oregon wouldn’t be making a postseason
appearance for the first time since 2004. The Ducks had finished every
season ranked in the AP Top 25 since 2007.
It also threw coach Mark Helfrich’s future with the team in doubt,
as well as the direction of the program. Just moments after the Ducks
left the field at Oregon State, Helfrich was asked about his job security.
“Nobody’s job is safe in college football,” he said. “That’s just the
nature of the beast.”
Oregon hasn’t fired a head coach since 1976 when Don Read was
let go after three seasons.
At the final media availability of the season, the morning after the
Civil War loss, Helfrich said he had called athletic director Rob Mul-
lens to inquire about his status. The two were going to meet this week.
Helfrich tried to be positive, but conceded it was out of his control.
“We needed to win more games this year and I get that,” he said.
“There are a lot of factors involved there but all that stuff is up for
debate and determination by people that aren’t me. I think we’ve got a
great team coming back, a very talented team coming back, and that’s
exciting.”
The Ducks started the season with promise, ranked No. 24 in the
preseason AP poll. For the second straight season, Oregon brought in
an experienced graduate transfer at quarterback — this time Dakota
Prukop from Montana State.
The Ducks also hired a new defensive coordinator, former Michi-
gan coach Brady Hoke, who installed a 4-3 scheme. Matt Lubick was
promoted from within to replace departed offensive coordinator Scott
Frost, and David Yost was named quarterbacks coach.
The defense appeared shaky but the Ducks nonetheless won their
first two games, against UC Davis and Virginia. A 35-32 loss at
Nebraska started a five-game slide — the longest for the Ducks in 20
years — which finally ended at home with a 54-35 victory over Ari-
zona State on Oct. 29.
ORVALLIS — With a victory — finally — over rival Oregon in
the Civil War, the Oregon State Beavers took a meaningful step
in their evolution under coach Gary Andersen.
The Beavers finished 4-8 overall, a two-game improvement over
last season, and won three Pac-12 games after going winless in the
conference last year.
But perhaps the most positive indicator of where the Beavers are
going came when they snapped an eight-game losing streak to the
Ducks. Already out of postseason contention — it was essentially Ore-
gon State’s bowl game — the team was both tough and persistent.
“This is a big, big statement for us to be able to get ourselves back
in a position to grow as a football team and football program,” Ander-
sen said.
The Beavers rallied from a 24-14 third-quarter deficit with three
straight touchdown runs from sophomore tailback Ryan Nall, appro-
priately nicknamed “Wrecking Nall,” to win it 34-24 .
Nall finished the game with four touchdowns, most for a Beaver
since Jacquizz Rodgers ran for three and caught another against Wash-
ington in 2010. Steven Jackson had the last game with four rushing
TDs in 2003.
Nall, a native Oregonian who played at Portland’s Central Catholic
High School, was named the Pac-12 offensive player of the week for
the effort. He finished the season with 951 yards rushing and 13 touch-
downs on the ground, and also caught a pair of TD passes. He had four
100-yard rushing games.
It was the second straight victory for Oregon State, which also beat
Arizona 42-17 at home a week before the season finale. It was the
first time since 2013 that the Beavers had won consecutive confer-
ence games.
For senior left tackle Sean Harlow, it was the perfect way to end his
college career.
“That one has a little extra something special to it,” Harlow said
after the Civil War win. “To be able to get one last one, a home game in
our place against them of all people, and to run the ball physically and
force our will on them all game — there’s nothing better.”
And they did it despite numerous key injuries.
The Beavers lost starting quarterback Darell Garretson midway
through the season to a broken ankle. Backup Conor Blount injured
his knee in the same game — essentially thrusting sophomore Mar-
cus McMaryion into the starting role for the Beavers’ final six games.
McMaryion threw for 1,286 yards and 10 touchdowns, but also
threw five interceptions. Five of those touchdown passes came in the
victory over Arizona.
E
C
Coach Carroll looking for rebound after Seahawks dud
By CURTIS CRABTREE
Associated Press
RENTON, Wash. — Pete Car-
roll took responsibility Monday for
the poor performance by the under-
manned Seattle Seahawks against
Tampa Bay.
There is optimism, though, that a
number of starters that missed the loss
to the Buccaneers will be back for
next Sunday’s game against Carolina.
“I don’t think that this is a trend
or this is a turn in the wrong direction
or any of that kind of stuff. I think we
had a bad outing and we’re going to
get right this week and get back at it,”
Carroll said.
After stringing together their two
best offensive performances of the
season against the New England
Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles,
the Seahawks tripped all over them-
selves Sunday against the Tampa Bay
Buccaneers.
UP NEXT: SEAHAWKS
• Carolina Panthers (4-7)
at Seattle Seahawks (7-3-1)
• Sunday, 5:30 p.m. TV: NBC
Russell Wilson was sacked six
times and hit 11 times in total. Thomas
Rawls managed just 38 yards on 12
carries and Seattle turned the ball over
three times in a 14-5 defeat. Wilson
was intercepted twice, once each by
Alterraun Verner and Bradley McDou-
gald. It was just the sixth time in his
career he’s thrown multiple intercep-
tions in a regular-season game.
However, the biggest area of con-
cern centered on the struggles of the
offensive line.
“Nobody played very well. We
had problems,” Carroll said.
It should come as no surprise at
this point. The unit has taken its share
of blame throughout the season for
Seattle’s sputtering offensive attack.
Seattle didn’t convert a single third
down until the final possession of the
game. Wilson was pressured relent-
lessly as three rookies up front —
left tackle George Fant, right guard
Germain Ifedi and center Joey Hunt,
making his first start for an injured
Justin Britt — struggled to handle the
Buccaneers pass rushers.
It was the third time this season
the Seahawks’ offense failed to score
a touchdown.
“I thought it was really clear that
we were just clearly off,” Carroll said.
“We’ve played 11 games and I think
this is the first time we’ve really felt
like that.”
Seattle is set to get a slew of rein-
forcements back as soon as this week.
Defensive end Michael Bennett is
expected to return to the lineup after
missing the last five games following
knee surgery. Linebacker Mike Mor-
gan and Britt will be ready to go.
AP Photo/Jason Behnken
Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle Gerald McCoy sacks Seattle
Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson during the fourth quarter Sun-
day in Tampa, Fla. The Buccaneers won the game 14-5.