Chase Cota turns in memorable performance in first Oregon State rivalry game

In a game with over a hundred years of bad blood between the two schools, it was a former longtime UCLA Bruin who was arguably the player of the game for the Oregon Ducks on Saturday afternoon.

Chase Cota is not just an inter-conference transfer who happened to be playing in his first “Civil Showdown”, he is the son of former Oregon legend Chad Cota – so this breakout performance no doubt meant a lot to the veteran wideout even if the result wasn’t what he or Duck fans wanted.

Cota finished with nine receptions for 136 yards, and his 44-yard touchdown reception not only set the tone for the Ducks in a brutal road environment but was one of the most impressive receptions of the year across all of college football.

Unfortunately, Cota’s only rivalry experience against the Beavers left a sour taste in his mouth.

“It hasn’t really settled yet. I was definitely bummed on the field along with everybody else,” Cota said after the game. “This has just been a big game forever, and it means so much to everyone in the state. We can’t have this sour taste in our mouth again.”

Without any more years of college eligibility remaining, Cota won’t have the opportunity to get any revenge against the Beavers next year. Despite that, it’s nice to see him have the final chapter at Oregon that we wished he would, and to cap it all off with a spectacular game against Oregon State, just as he grew up dreaming of doing.

Here are some of the best reactions to his performance on Saturday:

The Highlight

Another Look

Arm Strength

Cota's Thank You

Game-Time Decision

Duck Destiny

Story originally appeared on Ducks Wire