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Page 2B SPORTS East Oregonian Saturday, November 25, 2017 CIVIL WAR Ducks look for revenge, Beavers just want a Pac-12 win By ANNE M. PETERSON Associated Press EUGENE — Oregon understandably wants a little revenge for last year’s loss, while Oregon State just needs a conference win. The Beavers won last year’s Civil War 34-24, snapping an eight-game losing streak in the series. The teams meet for the 121st edition of the storied rivalry on Saturday at Autzen Stadium. The Ducks (6-5, 3-5) have the most to gain from a win. Oregon became bowl eligible last week with a 48-28 victory over Arizona, getting quarterback Justin Herbert back after a five- game absence because of a broken collarbone. So the Ducks will be playing for bowl position, while Herbert continues regaining his form. He threw for 235 yards and a touch- down, and also ran 40 yards for another score against the Wildcats. Asked if he saw any rust on his starting QB, Taggart said this week: “I guess if you want to try to pick out some things you can.” “Was he as sharp as you want him to be? No. He made a couple reads that I Pac-12 Oregon State Oregon Beavers Ducks (1-10) (6-5) • Saturday, 4 p.m. (ESPN2) • at Autzen Stadium AP Photo/Timothy J. Gonzalez In this Nov. 26, 2016, file photo, Oregon State running back Ryan Nall, top, dives over Oregon’s Danny Mattingly for a touchdown in the second half in Corvallis. think he’d want to take back after seeing the game, some simple things he could have done and helped us out a couple times, but for the most part I thought he was on,” Oregon’s coach added. Herbert is obviously key to the team’s bowl hopes wherever the Ducks ulti- mately land. Oregon was 1-4 during his absence. The sophomore from Eugene has thrown for 1,499 yards and 10 touchdowns with three interceptions this season. He’s also rushed for four scores. The Beavers have had a season of disappointment coming off what appeared to be a confidence-boosting victory over the Ducks last year. Oregon State has won College Football just one game this season, over lower-division Portland State, and hasn’t won in conference play. The team parted ways with head coach Gary Andersen early last month. Interim coach Cory Hall, who was cornerbacks coach under Andersen, knows he’ll have a challenge in Herbert and the Ducks on Saturday. “Don’t think for one minute that Oregon has forgotten about that,” Hall said about last year’s win. ROLLS ROYCE: Oregon senior running back Royce Freeman needs two more rushing touchdowns to pass Oregon State’s Ken Simonton for the Pac-12 record. If he rushes 100 yards on Saturday, he’ll move into sixth all-time on the NCAA career list for rushing yards. Two rushing touchdowns will put him in 10th place on the NCAA’s career list. He currently has 5,499 career rushing yards and 58 rushing TDs. DYE HONORS: Oregon sophomore linebacker Troy Dye was named the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week for his 11 tackles (six solo) in the victory over Arizona. The Wildcats, who had the nation’s third-ranked rushing offense going into the game, were held to just 171 yards by the Ducks. It was the sixth time this season and 11th in his career that Dye has had double-digit tackles. A LITTLE CIVIL WAR TRASH TALK: Hall, who watched last season’s Civil War from the coaches’ box, recalled when he know the Beavers would win. “I remember seeing that our sideline was jumping around and we didn’t have raincoats on and then I saw the fancy Nike Duck raincoats on. And I remember thinking, ‘We’re going to beat them. They’re not prepared for these elements.’” Oregon cornerback Arrion Springs responded: “it just sounds like the guy is hating on the guy that gets all the girls. You can’t never hate on the guy that gets all the girls, it just means the girls like him more. You can’t do that. It just never works out in your favor,” he told reporters. NALL FUTURE: Oregon State junior running back Ryan Nall isn’t saying what his plans are after this season. The Oregon native has rushed for 769 yards and eight touchdowns this season. Nall, who is on track to graduate after the winter term, needs 59 yards rushing to pass Pete Pifer (2,233) for seventh on the Beavers’ career list. Pro Football Division title at stake in Apple Cup Seahawks try to turn things around By TIM BOOTH Associated Press SEATTLE — When he finally takes off a Wash- ington State uniform for the final time, Luke Falk will do so owning most every major passing record in Pac-12 history. Yet to many observers Falk won’t hold a place in the hierarchy of great quar- terbacks in the history of the conference unless he can fill the missing piece from his career resume. That can change on Saturday. If Falk can lead the No. 14 Washington State past No. 15 Washington in the Apple Cup, the Cougars will claim the Pac-12 North Division title and a place in the conference champion- ship game opposite No. 11 Southern California. It would represent the biggest victory in a career of accolades for Falk. Washington has won four straight against its rivals and none have been close. A year ago in a similar situation where the winner claimed the Pac-12 North, the Huskies routed the Cougars 45-17 in Pullman. If Falk and the Cougars (9-2, 6-2 Pac-12, CFP No. 13) are to write this chapter of their history, it means winning at Husky Stadium, a place Washington State hasn’t won in a decade. Not so simple, huh? “You do your best all the time, so there really hasn’t been any holding back, effort, focus with regard to our team,” Washington State coach Mike Leach said. “So it’s not like there’s some extra private reserve in the cellar of the bank that we are able to draw from because all the sudden, this is a game that gets a lot of attention around here.” This won’t be entirely on Falk’s shoulders. Wash- ington State’s offense is the Apple Cup Wash. State Washington Cougars Huskies (9-2) (9-2) • Saturday, 5 p.m. (FOX) • at Husky Stadium most diverse it’s been since Leach arrived in Pullman, and the Cougars have an underappreciated defense led by defensive lineman Hercules Mata’afa that ranks second in the conference and 11th nationally. Of course, Washington (9-2, 6-2 Pac-12, CFP No. 17) will also have a significant say in whether the Cougars are celebrating their first division title. The Huskies are the spoilers this time around, their loss to Stanford two weeks ago assuring that Washington can’t repeat as North Divi- sion champions no matter Saturday’s outcome. The Huskies have won seven of the last eight in the series and for most of this season had one of the top defenses in the country. But the Huskies have shown some vulnerability of late, giving up 30 points in consecutive games and last week watching Utah’s Tyler Huntley throw for 293 yards and two touchdowns. “I think we’ve been being tested like real football in the Pac-12 is,” Washington coach Chris Petersen said. “I think there are some good quarterbacks and there are some good coaches that can scheme. I think we’ve been tested like we really should be. To me, it’s been real football.” Here’s what else to watch in the 110th Apple Cup: ON THE LINE: The matchup between Wash- ington State’s defensive line and Washington’s offensive line will be critical. The Cougars are 10th in the country with 35 sacks. The Huskies are tied for 24th in the country allowing just 15 sacks. Mata’afa has 9½ sacks, but he’s gotten help from Frankie Luvu. TIME AFTER TIME: It may be a bit of a misnomer considering the type of offense Washington State runs, but the Cougars lead the Pac-12 and are ninth in the country in time of posses- sion. Petersen believes that will be important in which style will dictate the pace of the game. “They’re hanging on to the ball and they’re converting third downs,” Petersen said. “They’re controlling the clock and the game their way.” EARLY JUMP: Recent Apple Cup matchups have become blowouts very early in favor of the Huskies. Last year was the worst example for Washington State as the Huskies jumped to a 28-3 lead and cruised. In the three previous matchups with both Leach and Petersen as the head coaches, Wash- ington has outscored Wash- ington State 66-13 in the first half of those three games. LUCKY NO. 7: There’s been a bit of magic for Wash- ington State in the past two Apple Cup’s that have ended in 7s. The most famous was the 1997 game won by the Cougars 41-35 that clinched Washington State’s first Rose Bowl berth in 67 years. Led by Ryan Leaf, the Cougars stormed the field after the victory with roses handed out as part of the celebration. Ten years later was almost as satisfying for the Cougars. Down 35-28 early in the fourth quarter, Washington State rallied for a 42-35 win on a 35-yard TD pass from Alex Brink to Brandon Gibson with 31 secondsw left. By JOSH DUBOW Associated Press SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Coach Pete Carroll and the Seattle Seahawks have a lot bigger worries than wondering if the San Francisco 49ers are ready to make a quarterback switch to Jimmy Garoppolo. With the Seahawks (6-4) having lost two out of three games to remain behind the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC West and missing several key defensive players, led by cornerback Richard Sherman and safety Kam Chancellor, they are focused on getting their season going in the right direction headed into Sunday’s game at San Fran- cisco (1-9). So the fact the 49ers are sticking with rookie C.J. Beathard for at least one more week instead of turning the reins over to the quarterback of the future, Garoppolo, didn’t change a thing for the Seahawks. “We’re just preparing for the 49ers,” Carroll said. “They’ve got a style of offense, they’ve got really good players that do what they do. Whoever’s triggering it from the quar- terback spot, we’re going to go play football.” The Seahawks are usually at their best at this time of year, going 34-9 after the start of November over the past five seasons to overcome some slow starts and get into position for a playoff run. But that has not been the case this season. Seattle lost at home to Washington three weeks ago and then this past Monday at home to the Falcons as the injuries have taken a toll. “November and December have been good months for us,” Carroll said. “And that’s kind of where we are right now. Unfor- NFL Seattle San Francisco Seahawks 49ers (6-4) (1-9) • Sunday, 1:05 p.m. (FOX) • at Levi’s Stadium tunately we’re in the same situation. I wish we were ahead of those numbers, but we’re kind of in the same spot.” The 49ers are in a far different situation, but at least have the good feeling of coming off a win, having beaten the Giants 31-21 before the bye to avoid a possible winless season. “We’re 1-9. It’s not like we’re doing cartwheels saying we’ve got this figured out,” general manager John Lynch said. “We have a long way to go.” Here are some other things to watch: BEATHARD’S CHANCE: The 49ers are sticking with Beathard while Garoppolo still learns the offense, in part because of how well he played two weeks ago before the bye in San Francisco’s first win. Beathard completed 19 of 25 passes for 288 yards and two touchdowns in a 31-21 win. “C.J. did play his best football last week, which definitely, to me, made the decision easier,” coach Kyle Shanahan said. RUNNING ROTA- TION: The Seahawks’ underperforming run game will get another remodel this week. With Mike Davis likely out due to a groin injury, the Seahawks will again turn to the combo of Thomas Rawls and Eddie Lacy to try and get something started on the ground. Seattle ranks 17th in rushing, but Wilson is the leading rusher and the running backs have provided very little since rookie Chris Carson went down with an ankle injury early in the season. Rawls was an unexpected scratch before last Monday’s game against Atlanta. He’s aver- aging 2.6 yards per carry. Lacy is averaging 2.5 yards per carry. “I remain the same and I always stay true. I come out here and continue to work, continue to lead,” Rawls said. HAPPY HYDE: San Francisco running back Carlos Hyde is having one of his most productive seasons. He’s topped 100 yards from scrimmage the past two games and already has career highs with 42 catches for 274 yards. Hyde has 36 carries for 227 yards in his past two games against Seattle. “He can do anything,” Carroll said. “He can run any kind style of football. Whether it’s gap scheme or zone scheme, he can do it all. He’s done a great job coming out of the back- field.” CORNERING THE MARKET: Seattle rookie cornerback Shaquill Griffin is expected out due to a concussion suffered against the Falcons. Seattle felt fortunate to sign Byron Maxwell as a free agent last week following the loss of Sherman for the season with an Achilles tendon injury. But Maxwell was thrust into a heavy workload in his first game back with Seattle, playing 59 of 62 possible defensive snaps. Carroll felt Maxwell played well, outside of one pass interfer- ence penalty. “He looked like the guy that we hoped he would look like, and that is without a whole lot of preparation,” Carroll said. “He really kicked right back into the technique and the style of play.” College Football No. 25 Boise State travels to Fresno State to finish off regular season By DAVID WHITE Associated Press FRESNO, Calif. — Boise State football is back in the national rankings for the 16th consecutive season. To stay there come the college football bowl season, the Broncos will have to beat its biggest rival. Twice. The No. 25 Broncos (9-2, 7-0 Mountain West, No. 23 CFP) finish the regular season Saturday at Fresno State (8-3, 6-1). Win or lose, they will play the Bulldogs again Dec. 2 in the Mountain West Conference champion- ship game - most likely to be played in Boise, Idaho, no matter the results at Bulldog Stadium. “The fact is we’re going to play two games and we’d like to win both those games,” Broncos coach Bryan Harsin said. “If we’re iffy on, ‘Let’s just win one of the two and we’ll make the second one most important,’ then I think we’ve completely derailed everything we’re trying to accomplish throughout the season.” The Broncos are back in the Top 25 after winning seven straight games since a 2-2 start. Even if they lose, they are very much in control of their postseason destination. A loss to Fresno State will give them identical records overall and in the conference, but the tie does not go to the head-to- head winner. The Mountain West cham- Mtn. West Boise State Fresno State Broncos Bulldogs (9-2) (8-3) • Sat., 12:30 p.m. (CBSSN) • at Fresno, Calif. pionship game host would go to the team with the best composite computer score among four digital rankings: the Wolfe Ratings, Anderson & Hester Rakings, Colley Matrix and the Billingsley Report. Boise State holds an average ranking lead of 22.5- to-43.8 over Fresno State. “I’m not going to get too involved in it,” Fresno State coach Jeff Tedford said. “We’re just going to prepare to play and anticipate going on the road to play. It’s unfor- tunate for the fans, I will tell you that.” Fresno State fans won’t complain too much. Last year, the Bulldogs were 1-11 for the worst record in program history dating to 1921. Tedford has led them to a seven-win turnaround in his first season that is best in the Football Bowl Subdivision. Here are other things to watch: GETTING DEFEN- SIVE: Fresno State brought back former Bulldogs quarterback Tedford in the offseason, and what did the offensive guru deliver? The Mountain West’s No. 1 scoring defense from a cast of players that allowed 30-plus points eight times last season. This year’s unit is allowing 17.3 points per game, good for 12th in the nation. Only Alabama and Washington have breached the 30-point mark. Boise State leads the conference with 34.8 points per game, so this will be a tough test. FAVORITE TARGET: Boise State senior receiver Cedrick Wilson clinched his second 1,000-yard season while playing through a shoulder injury. His 57 catches are a career best, making him the preferred target of quarterback Brett Rypien, who leads the conference by completing 63.9 percent of his passes. QUARTERBACK PLAY: Fresno State quar- terback Marcus McMaryion, a summer transfer from Oregon State, was just the quarterback Tedford needed to create his brand of effi- cient offense. McMaryion is comfortable throwing short check-down passes when the coverage is strong, mobile enough to buy time in the pocket for routes to develop, and strong-armed enough to get the ball over the top of defense for home-run throws. FIERCE RIVALS: This remains one of the great grudge matches outside the Power Five establishment. The Bulldogs look to end a 21-game losing streak to top-25 teams dating to 2004, and are 0-8 against ranked Broncos teams.