Here is what’s on my mind after Friday’s epic 41-38 Oregon State victory over Oregon in the foggy, eerie solitude of Reser Stadium …

• The Beavers’ come-from-behind win over the ninth-ranked Ducks becomes an instant classic in this, the strangest of all football seasons in the most unsettling year of our lifetime.

I’d put it up there with the 44-41 double-overtime win by the Beavers over the Ducks in 1998 as the greatest among the 60 or so Civil War games I’ve witnessed through the years.

There was drama, controversy and a lot of good football over the 60 minutes of play, with the upstart Beavers — two-touchdown underdogs — giving Coach Jonathan Smith the signature victory of his three years at the OSU helm.

“Any time you have a rivalry game,” Smith said afterward, “you want to make it a rivalry.”

That may sound Yogi Berra-ish, but we all know what the coach means.

Oregon had won 11 of the previous 12 meetings between the schools. It’s hard to get worked up when one side is dominating a series like that.

The in-state matchup has never been more fun than the decade beginning in 1998, when the teams of Mike Riley and Mike Bellotti traded wins nearly every year.

I’m not saying those days are back. Oregon’s Nike-fueled program has compiled the greatest nucleus of talent in the Pac-12 and one of the best in the country. The Ducks also field one of the youngest rosters in college football, though that doesn’t matter as much as usual in the short term since all players are in a virtual redshirt situation this season.

But the triumph signals that Smith and his coaching staff are on the right path as they build a program almost from scratch after the Gary Andersen debacle before them. Their players hung in through a rough first half Friday, then were the better team in the second half as they provided a finish for all of Beaver Nation to embrace.

It’s enough to make me want to add a chapter to my book, “Civil War Rivalry: Oregon vs. Oregon State.”

• Oregon State had the better of the statistical line, too, with an edge in first downs (25-23), total offense (532-468) rushing yardage (269-183), total plays (82-66) and time of possession (34:02 to 25:58). The Beavers converted four of six fourth downs against a beleaguered Duck defense.

It was enough to make UO safety Verone McKinley choose to “apologize to the alumni” after the loss in a post-game interview — a move that, in the old days, would have provided bulletin-board material for the Beavers for next year.

• The Beavers’ bell cow was Jermar Jefferson, who carried 29 times for a Civil War-record 226 yards and two touchdowns in another dazzling display by the 5-11, 215-pound junior tailback. It was the most yards rushing against an Oregon team since Ohio State’s Ezekial Elliott punished the Ducks for 246 in a 42-20 romp in the 2015 CFP national championship game at Arlington, Tex.

Jefferson got OSU started with an 82-yard TD run. Coming on the heels of runs of 75 and 65 yards in the previous week’s 31-27 win over California, the Harbor City, Cal., native presumably has put to rest NFL concerns about his breakaway speed.

Jefferson has cemented his place among the top five running backs in Oregon State history. The program’s Mount Rushmore at that position feature Ken Simonton, (5,044 career yards), Jacquizz Rodgers (3,877), Yvenson Bernard (3,862) and Steven Jackson (3,625).

But as Quizz tweeted after Saturday’s game, “We see you @Munchie1_ trying to make your way on OSU Mt. Rushmore. We saved you a spot don’t worry!”

Jermar already ranks fifth on the OSU career list in rushing yardage (2,740) and touchdowns (27). He would have to stay for his senior season to move up the list any further, but his 5.8-yards-per-carry average is better than all the former greats ahead of him.

• The “spot” gods haven’t been kind to Oregon State in two of the last three games.

Two incorrect spots at the goal line in the fourth quarter played a major role in the 27-21 loss at Washington Nov. 14. Then there was the unkind spot on second-and-goal on Tristan Gebbia’s quarterback sneak and apparent TD inside the one-yard line in the final minute against Oregon. Gebbia failed to get into the end zone on third down, and when he went down with a hamstring injury after the play, the stage was set for another colossal disappointment for the Orange and Black.

On came Chance Nolan, the JC transfer who, in his first play at the major college level, coolly plunged for the game-winning TD in a moment he’ll forever remember.

(Here is a link to a podcast I did with Nolan for the Portland Tribune last winter)

For the Beavers, it was a storybook finish. For the Ducks, a disaster.

• Here’s hoping Gebbia’s 2020 season is not over after playing the best game of his career. The 6-2, 200-pound junior was outstanding in the second half as the Beavers scored TDs on four of their last five possessions. Gebbia was 16 for 22 for 182 yards passing after intermission, and he showed why he can be effective as a runner, too, scrambling for 13 yards on a critical fourth-and-seven play.

Jefferson revealed that the Beavers’ first play from scrimmage — his career-best 82-yard gallop down the right sidelines — was Gebbia’s idea. Smith and offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren typically script the first dozen or so plays each game.

“The play wasn’t supposed to go to me, but Tristan audibled it,” Jefferson said. “I saw the defense was unadjusted; I knew it was going to be a big hole. I went through it and saw daylight.

“He’s really a smart quarterback. He knows defensive coverages and safety rotations. He knows what he’s doing back there.”

Hamstrings don’t heal easily, though, and with only three games remaining in the regular season, Gebbia may not be back. It won’t surprise me if Chance get his first chance to start next Saturday at Utah.

• I haven’t heard his name mentioned, but an unsung hero for the Beavers Friday was Keli’i Montibon, who started at right guard in place of Nous Keobounnan after he was declared out due to a positive COVID-19 test.

It was the first career start for Montibon, a 6-2, 280-pound redshirt senior who had seen action in only three games in his four years at OSU, and not so much as a play this season. The Beaver offense didn’t skip a beat, which means Montibon must have done his job — not an easy thing in a pressure situation.

• AD Scott Barnes is looking like a wise man for signing Smith last January to a contract extension that runs through 2025. Barnes has also come up with enough money to help Smith keep his staff of assistants intact. That kind of consistency has paid huge dividends at places such as Oregon and Utah through the years.

I respect Lindgren’s play-calling and his work in developing quarterbacks such as Jake Luton and Gebbia. Defensive coordinator Tim Tibesar oversaw the nation’s worst defense his first year, but the Beavers have gotten better with experience. Tibesar’s adjustments seem to have paid off as the Beavers have played better in the second halves of their last three games, yielding a total of 24 points after intermission to Washington, Cal and Oregon.

I’ve been critical at times of Smith’s passivity on the sidelines, but that’s more of a plus than a minus in the overall scheme of things. I liked the way he stormed onto the field to protest the loss of a timeout after the long review of the Gebbia sneak late in the Oregon game.

Smith’s decision to gamble proved costly in losses at Hawaii and Washington State a year ago, but I understand his thinking. He wants to instill a positive, aggressive attitude in his players, especially important when your team is on the short side of the talent ledger. As Smith improves the talent level in the program, he’ll develop a better feel for when to go for broke and when to play it conservative.

Keep in mind, this is only Smith’s third season as a head coach. At 41, the former OSU quarterback is the second-youngest head coach in the Pac-12, less than a month older than Wazzu’s Nick Rolovich.

Jonathan is proving he’s a keeper, which is exactly what Barnes was banking on.

• Smith mentioned something after the game that was on my mind, too.

“I told the team after the game that this isn’t just about us,” he said. “It’s too bad Beaver Nation couldn’t have filled Reser Stadium tonight … to celebrate a win like this. It means so much to so many people.”

I also thought about Brian Grant’s kid, nickel back Jaydon Grant. The redshirt junior from West Linn High came to Oregon State as a walk-on, fought through a series of injuries, earned a scholarship and a starting job and is now a well-respected team captain.

“These are the moments you dream about as a kid growing up here,” Jaydon said after the game. “The rivalry is so close to home. … that’s the best part, not just for me but for all of us.”

Grant was asked about his decision to come to Oregon State after initially verbally committing to Oregon.

“The only thing I can do,” he said, “is thank God for leading me to take a chance on myself and become a Beaver.”

That has to be music to the ears of Smith, his coaches and all of Beaver Nation.

Readers: what are your thoughts on the 2020 game?Share your comments below.

Reach out to Kerry Eggers here.

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