CIVIL WAR VICTORY!

Caitlin H.

December 4, 2009 - 2:36 PM

I know we have stopped at Autzen Stadium in our virtual tour of campus before, but some things are so good they just need to be visited again and again.

I was one amongst the almost 60,000 person crowd at Autzen Stadium last Thursday night for the Civil War. The in-state rivalry between UO and Oregon State is one of the longest running college rivalries in the country. This game was winner-takes-all; whoever was left standing victorious at the end of the game was punching their ticket to the Rose Bowl, and claiming the Pac-10 Championship. On a personal level, it was possibly my last game at Autzen Stadium as a student and my first ever Civil War at home. It was a night filled with such a vast array of emotions it is difficult to describe.

Thursday morning I had class, which was an odd sensation knowing that it was also game day. It was my last day of classes before finals this term and I had a final paper due to complete one of my courses. Academically there was much to focus on, and all I really wanted to do was relax, think about the game, and enjoy the experience.

As I stood by my friends inside Autzen at the front of Section 8, I realized how lucky I was to even have a ticket to this event. In short, the ticket distribution for this game in particular was a complete nightmare. Two of my friends were not able to get a ticket (for reasons I can't explain) even though they had taken exactly the same steps I had. Can you imagine after nearly four years of following the team, not being able to attend your last home game because the distribution system didn't work, and you happened to be one of the unlucky ones? Head football coach Chip Kelly didn't like it, and after a few emails/phone calls he was able to provide tickets for a few deserving fans when student complaints about the ticket distribution system seem have fallen on deaf ears all season. There are so many things I could say about Chip Kelly as our head football coach, but I'll stick with one statement: I believe in Chip Kelly.

The game jerked on my heartstrings clear through the fourth quarter. There were moments I wasn't sure who would win the day. It was quite the matchup. As the final moments on the clock counted down and Oregon secured the win, I rushed the field with countless others and quickly found myself being pushed and pulled in every direction. I couldn't tell you how long those moments on the field lasted, though I know I'll never forget them. The Ducks were Pac 10 champs. The Ducks were going to the Rose Bowl. I was celebrating an epic victory during my potentially final moments as a student inside Autzen. I remember the Duck being passed overhead and running into a handful of football players. From time to time I would come across a familiar face lit up in shared enthusiasm for such a thrilling victory.

After taking a moment or two to capture a few photos with friends on the field, I eventually made my way home. While my excitement has hardly died down, I know I need to focus on finals coming up next week. But after that it is off to Pasadena for the 2010 Rose Bowl! And what a trip that will be.