Why Oregon State's 2004 Win Over The Ducks is Still Relevant Two Decades Later
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Oregon and Oregon State meet again on the gridiron this week in the latest chapter of the battle for the Platypus Trophy.
In his weekly press conference, former Beavers linebacker and current head coach Trent Bray was asked his fondest memory of the rivalry from his own playing days. Bray cracked a hint of a smile and alluded to the 2004 battle between the two sides - a contest that ended in a 50-21 victory for OSU at Reser Stadium.
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In front of a crowd of over 37,000 on November 20, 2004, Mike Riley's squad posted their best offensive performance of the season. Quarterback Derek Anderson completed 24 of his 41 passes for 351 yards with four touchdowns and an interception. Anderson also rushed for a touchdown on the day. Mike Hass caught nine passes for 154 yards and two touchdowns.
Kicker and current Oregon State staffer Alexis Serna connected on all five of his field goal attempts for the day. Also connecting on five of his extra point attempts, in terms of points scored, this still stands as the best kicking performance in Oregon State football history. Serna remains the program's career record holder with 80 field goals made.
Bray himself was the Beavers' leading tackler in the victory with nine and half a tackle for loss, as well as a QB hurry. Bray finished the year with a tackle count of 122, which is still in the top ten tackle counts in program history.
The most memorable performance of the game was that of defensive end Bill Swancutt. Swancutt, who was later named the Pac-10 Co-Defensive Player of the Year, posted three sacks and six total tackles, with a forced fumble and an interception. Swancutt also caught a 17-yard pass on the offensive side of the ball. The Beaver defense intercepted Ducks quarterback Kellen Clemens three times on the day.
Swancutt finished his own college career at the end of the season as the Beavers' career leader in tackles for loss (59.5) and sacks (37), places in the record books he still occupies today.
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The win still stands as the second-largest margin of victory for Oregon State over the Ducks and the Beavs largest margin of victory in the rivalry since World War II.
Oregon State moved on to a 7-5 record for the 2004 season, ending with a 38-21 win over Notre Dame in the insight Bowl.
The 2025 edition of the game kicks off at 12:00 p.m. PT on Saturday on the Big Ten Network. Oregon are five-touchdown favorites against the 0-3 Beavers.
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Joe Londergan joined the SI brand in 2023 with G5 Football Daily. With over 15 years of experience in covering and working directly in college and pro sports, Joe's expertise has been featured in Front Office Sports, SB Nation, and XRAY.FM. He is a member of both the Football Writers' Association of America and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers' Association. Joe holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Louisville and a master's degree in sports administration from Seattle University. Outside of his writing career, Joe enjoys golfing, although he admits that while he hits driver decently, his short game is a liability.
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