CORVALLIS — Lt. Jeff Lanz of the Oregon State Police foresees a feisty and combative showdown between the Ducks and the Beavers during Saturday’s Civil War game. And that’s just in the parking lot.

Increased patrols will help ensure that people behave themselves, Lanz said. Nonetheless, he anticipates that some fans will let their passions get the better of them. “There’s a lot of emotion involved in this game, especially this year because it’s been 44 years since OSU went to the Rose Bowl,” he said.

Additional state troopers also will patrol Interstate 5, Highway 99W and other major roads into Corvallis in search of speeders, drunken drivers, unbuckled passengers and other people violating traffic laws, Lanz said. Corvallis Police Department officials also are bringing in the big mobile DUII processing center that state troopers used for Halloween weekend.

That weekend started with Oregon State University’s homecoming activities and ended with a home game between the Beavers and the Arizona State Sun Devils. There were no arrests for drunken driving on the day of the game. Lanz said he likes to think people got the message from seeing the mobile unit at the corner of Fourth Street and Harrison Avenue.

“It was very effective,” Lanz said. “It was a good way to remind people to drive safely during a very busy weekend.”

He hopes the unit has a similar effect this weekend. The refitted 36-foot Winnebago RV is owned by the Oregon State Police, but is available to local police agencies when they anticipate a spike in the number of people who elect to drink and drive.

Drinking is just part of the potential problem, Henslee said.

“As alcohol consumption increases, people lose the ability to make sound decisions, judgment is negatively influenced and inhibitions are relaxed,” Henslee said. “Overall, these conditions can lead to an increase in criminal behavior, including DUII, assault, disorderly conduct and vandalism.”

Henslee said police also will beef up patrols during the day. “Having officers available to respond to emergency situations as quickly as possible is paramount to the Corvallis Police Department,” he said.

The mobile unit streamlines the processing of suspects, Lanz said. “This provides officers with an additional resource to book DUII suspects in a timely and efficient manner, increasing officers’ availability to the community,” he said.

“This is a historic game for which the battle should be played between the lines on the football field, not in the lanes of all roads leading to and from Corvallis,” said OSP Superintendent Timothy McLain. “Just like coaches who stress the importance of playing smart and in control, we can’t emphasize enough the importance of being smart and under control when driving.”

Lanz urged people to leave early for the game so they’re not caught in heavy traffic, where tempers might flare.

“Don’t let your emotions cause your behavior to get out of hand so you can be there in person to watch how it unfolds from the first play to the last,” Lanz said.