Why The 2007 Emerald Bowl is Relevant To This Weekend's Oregon State Game

Dec 28, 2007; San Francisco, CA, USA; Oregon State Beavers tailback Yvenson Bernard (26) tries to elude a diving tackle attempt by Maryland Terrapins linebacker Moise Fokou (48) during the second quarter in the Emerald Bowl at AT&T Park. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Oregon State Beavers don't run into ACC teams very often on the gridiron. With a date against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons set for this Saturday, that contest will be just the Beavers' fourth against an ACC team since 2007.

That year, at the end of a 2007 campaign that history books still remember as one of the weirdest and most exciting seasons in college football, Oregon State met the Maryland Terrapins in the Emerald Bowl at AT&T Park in San Francisco. On a cloudy evening of December 28, the Beavers beat Maryland 21-14. That result remains the Beavers' most recent victory over a team that represented the ACC at the time of the meeting.

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MORE: 3 Areas Where Oregon State Need a Solution Against Wake Forest

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The Terps scored on their opening possession to make it 7-0, but the Beavs immediately answered with Sean Canfield touchdown pass to James Rodgers at the end of a 68-yard drive. To wrap the first quarter, Maryland took a 14-7 lead on a touchdown pass to Darrius Heyward-Bey at the end of a four-play, 80-yard drive.

In the second quarter, neither offense managed to get much traction with the Oregon State defense intercepting two passes and forcing two punts. Maryland had an interception of their own, along with two takeaways from fumbles and forcing a missed field goal. Fortunately for the Beavs, they tied the game in the closing seconds of the second quarter when several bruising runs from Yvenson Bernard got them back into the end zone.

A series of punts started the third quarter, before Bernard broke off a 29-yard run down to the Maryland seven-yard line. Two plays later, Bernard fumbled at the two, but Rodgers jumped on it in the end zone to give the Beavers the lead with ten seconds remaining in the third quarter.

Maryland missed a field goal on the next drive, and failed to capitalize on their last two offensive possessions. Oregon State bled the final 6:24 off of the clock to secure the win and the fourth bowl victory of the Mike RIley era at OSU. Bernard was named the offensive MVP of the game with 38 carries for 177 yards and a touchdown. Linebacker Derrick Doggett with eight tackles and a sack was named the Defensive MVP.

This weekend, Oregon State kicks off against Wake Forest on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. PT on The CW.

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