Mark Helfrich on Ducks’ season: ‘We didn’t win enough games’

The defeat capped the Ducks’ worst season since a 3-8 finish in 1991. The Beavers are rebuilding under Head Coach Gary Andersen and a season of high expectations for the Ducks fell apart in the first month. Even after losing the national title game to Ohio State, there was no reason the team should’ve fallen off a cliff like it did.

OR (4-8, 2-7) will end its disappointing season in the basement of the Pac-12 North, a dramatic fall for a team that just two seasons ago played in the first College Football Playoff championship game.

Oregon’s 30-28 come-from-behind win at Utah last Saturday serves notice that the Ducks are still quite risky on offense.

The Oregon State football team will honor teammates who have missed the season due to illness.

Could the rumors be quieted for 60 minutes of football? It was an unbelievable performance all-around by Oregon State.

Oregon State opened the scoring on Nall’s 12-yard touchdown run.

Given the fragility of Oregon’s season ticket base and the potential for things to get even worse, OR officials are coming to terms with the necessity of making a change. Freeman needs 161 yards for his third straight 1,000-yard season; Brooks-James is 299 yards away from 1,000. The Civil War is tied at 7-7.

Not since 2007 had Oregon State defeated Oregon, an eight-game streak that matched the longest in the history of rivalry that played out its 120th installment Saturday. OR had moved deep into OSU territory but Brooks-James lost the ball and Kendall Hill fell on it to hold off the Ducks.

The Ducks were efficient to start the second half, taking the lead on Herbert’s 23-yard touchdown pass to Charles Nelson.

OR broke a 14-14 halftime tie with a quick scoring drive to start the second half.

The Beavers found the end zone on their next drive, capping a 6:33 drive with a 6-yard toss from Marcus McMaryion to Ricky Ortiz.

Oregon State redshirt sophomore RB Ryan Nall rushed for 155 yards and four touchdowns on 31 carries in Saturday’s 34-24 win over Oregon.

Both teams were just over 100 yards on the ground in the first half. No match for Stanford, Rice totaled 14 yards and no first downs in the first quarter and trailed 20-3 by halftime. The Beavers had the ball for 39:55 compared to Oregon’s 20:55.

OR went back into the lead at 21-14 when Herbert threw a 23-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Charles Nelson with 11:43 left in the third quarter. Aidan Schneider’s 46-yard field goal extended the lead for the Ducks. The 80-yard drive ended with a Nall touchdown, giving the Beavers a crucial 28-24 lead. They told him by email they had no scholarship available after his final junior college season two years ago, and he never forgot. The tough 2016 season featured a five-game losing streak and losses to Washington and Oregon State.

OR freshman quarterback, Justin Herbert, completed 16-28 passes, throwing for 180 yards, scoring one touchdown, and no interceptions. Oregon State can not afford senseless penalties against the talented Oregon Ducks. Most importantly about Head Coach Mark Helfrich, but also about Starting Running Back Royce Freeman. We respect Helfrich. At the end of the day, we’re going to play for him.