CORVALLIS - Oregon senior receiver Jaison Williams was all smiles standing on the Reser Stadium turf Saturday night as he took in the atmosphere of a Civil War win.

The last two rivalry games had not been so kind to the Ducks, and the sting of losing to the Beavers at home last year was strong.

Was there a better feeling than at that moment?

"Not a chance. It feels really good," Williams said.

Beyond the motivation of losing to their rivals the last two years, there was media chatter that maybe the Ducks had lost their grip as the better Division I football program in Oregon.

Oregon coach Mike Bellotti had a sharp response to that notion.

"There's a lot of talk about the power shifting in the state. They better check their writing again," he said, surrounded by a hoard of media in a cramped hallway in the basement of Gill Coliseum.

While some of his players talked about revenge for two straight losses to the Beavers, Bellotti was just happy to get a victory, the Ducks' first at the stadium since 1996.

"We wanted to win the game. The results after that we weren't worried about," Bellotti said.

Saturday's win strengthened the possibility that Oregon will play in the Dec. 30 Holiday Bowl in San Diego.

There's also a chance the Ducks could go to the Las Vegas Bowl, but a return trip to the Sun Bowl, Dec. 31 in El Paso, Texas, is unlikely.

As many Oregon State players walked off the field, the Ducks ran to the southwest corner of the stadium to enjoy the victory with their fans.

"It's definitely revenge for last year," Williams said. "To go out and ruin somebody's dreams like that, it feels real good."

After getting back to their locker room following the game, Oregon sang its alma mater, as is a custom for Bellotti's teams. "Gawd, that feels good," a voice from inside said.

Bellotti said there was a special feeling inside that room.

"You have to be there to understand it," he said. "It's a culmination of a couple years of frustration and one great football game that they played."