Coming off an impressive victory over USC in Corvallis, the Beavers fell flat in Palo Alto, losing 38-0 to Stanford. The offense could not get anything going all game long, while Andrew Luck and the Cardinal offense carved up OSU's defense like a Thanksgiving turkey.
- Not exactly what Beaver fans were looking for heading into the season finale against the Ducks in the Civil War. While a little optimism was instilled after the thrashing of the Trojans, it was back to square one after the visit to Stanford. With little bright spots on either side of the ball, expectations are once again lowered from modest to desperate.
- Individually, Stephen Paea showed why he is a top defensive tackle prospect for the 2011 NFL Draft. He was able to give fits to both of Stanford's guards, although the Cardinal were able to scheme around Paea with running plays designed to put Paea out of position to make a play. His brute strength and quickness will sorely be missed next year.
- The injuries that have plagued the Beavers all season long have more than caught up to them. Especially against a superior team like Stanford, the defensive front and linebackers had trouble getting into position to keep the Cardinal offense under wraps. Stanford's offensive line played like the blue-chip recruits they were touted as, and OSU (apart from Paea) just seemed small and over-matched in comparison.
- While this has been a relatively uncharacteristic year for Beaver football, it is puzzling to see the offense lay a goose egg in the second to last game of the season. Beaver fans have been accustomed to the team's steady rise as the season has progressed, but the troubles on the offensive line and the lack of consistent play-makers apart from Jacquizz put any progress on hold. The youth on the team has also showed, with a tendency to get down on themselves after slow starts.
- The last two Oregon State losing seasons (in 2001 and 2005), the Beavers were 5-5 heading into the Civil War, needing a win over Oregon to become bowl eligible. The same scenario occurs this year, with OSU needing a victory to get to 6-6 and become bowl eligible. Also, in '01 and '05, the Ducks were riding on highly successful campaigns, entering each of those match-ups at 9-1. In 2001 the Ducks were looking to claim the Pac-10 title, while in 2005 their only loss came to top ranked USC and were vying for a BCS at large birth. Both those Duck wins were in Eugene. This year, of course, the Ducks are the top ranked team in the nation, and with the Pac-10 title already clinched, they are looking to solidify a spot in the National Championship Game with a Civil War victory in Corvallis.
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