EUGENE, Ore. — Redshirt freshman
LaMichael James ran for 166 yards and three touchdowns Thursday night
to send No. 7 Oregon to the Rose Bowl with a 37-33 victory over No. 13
Oregon State in the Civil War.
Oregon (10-2, 8-1) also claimed the
Pac-10 championship with the victory, ending USC's seven-season hold on
the title. The Ducks, who have not been to the Rose Bowl since 1995,
will face Ohio State in Pasadena on New Year's Day.
LeGarrette Blount, who hadn't played
since throwing a punch after Oregon's season-opening loss to Boise
State, returned to the field and scored on a 12-yard run in the third
quarter.
Oregon State (8-4, 6-3) was vying for
its first Rose Bowl berth since the 1964 season. The Beavers will have
to wait until the rest of the Pac-10 wraps up the season to find out
which bowl they will play in.
It was the first time the annual rivalry game was a winner-takes-all path to Pasadena.
After the game the Duck mascot
clutched a bouquet of roses as he was lifted above the fans who rushed
the field at Autzen Stadium.
Jeremiah Masoli threw for 201 yards
and a touchdown for the Ducks, who capped a stunning turnaround from
their 19-8 crash in the season opener against the Broncos.
Sean Canfield threw for 306 yards and
two touchdowns for the Beavers. Jacquizz Rodgers, the Pac-10's
second-leading rusher behind Toby Gerhart with an average of 119.4
yards a game, rushed for just 64 yards and a score.
Oregon State had a chance to take the
lead late in the fourth but Canfield threw an incomplete pass on
fourth-and-15 from the Oregon 28.
Masoli took over with more than 6
minutes left and ran out the clock with an impressive drive that
featured two fourth-down conversions. He absorbed a hit during a 6-yard
scramble on fourth-and-three and pitched it to Kenjon Barner to set up a
4-yard run on fourth-and-two that allowed the Ducks to finish it off.