A sea of orange cowboy hats carried a crowd surfing Benny in a celebratory crowd field storm nearly one year ago at Reser Stadium when the Beavers beat the Ducks 38-34 in thrilling comeback fashion.
The Oregon State University and University of Oregon football teams have been at odds through decades. With dance battles on the turf and ski races in the ’80s, the Oregon Duck and Benny are closing in on their last rivalry game for the foreseeable future at the end of this month on Nov. 24.
From the early 1900s as live beavers and ducks, to the present day Benny the Beaver and Oregon Duck, they have met once a year since 1945 in the highly anticipated rivalry football game.
Until 1952, OSU, or rather, Oregon State College, did not have the beloved Benny the Beaver mascot. They rotated through Jimmy the Coyote, a pastor with an impressive attendance record, and an actual beaver named Bevo, according to OSU Athletics.
“Benny Beaver, while officially accepted as the school’s mascot in 1952, actually can be traced back to the 1940-41 school year. A statue of a beaver named “Benny” appears in the school’s yearbook, and later a Barometer sports columnist used the pen name ‘Benny Beaver,’” stated OSU Athletics.
UO also tried its hand at having a live mascot, Puddles. Puddles and other live ducks remained the mascot until the 1940s when a deal with Walt Disney Productions granted UO the right to Donald as a mascot. Donald remains “The Oregon Duck” until this day but not without attempts to change it from the UO community, according to University of Oregon Athletics.
The first official Benny the Beaver was Ken Austin, Austin Hall’s namesake. Since then, Benny’s have grown to an undisclosed number, with their names being withheld from the public until their graduation.
An alumnus that hid under the guise when he attended OSU, Anders Rosenquist, said, “I (somehow) was chosen to represent my friends and school on TV and across the country.”
Rosenquist reflected on the incredible opportunities he had while Benny, which included traveling, being on the field and being in front of thousands of people.
Another Benny and now OSU graduate student, John Hackethorn, had similar thoughts and experiences to Rosenquist. Hackethorn revealed to the public upon his graduation in the spring that he had been Benny since 2021.
“It may sound tacky but seeing the joy you bring to the public is the best part,” Hackethorn said. “Taking pictures with fans that were either looking for you or surprised to run into you makes their day.”
Whilst performing silly dances in front of thousands, Hackethorn felt he has grown as a leader. He said that he truly enjoys performing to the people.
“There have been dozens of travel opportunities and unique experiences in really cool places, or meeting celebrities, but the (OSU) fans get so excited when they see Benny,” Hackethorn said.
Hackethorn also mentioned that the team atmosphere is especially strong between himself and the team.
“We hang out pretty frequently, which is good to get to know each other and build relationships,” Hackethorn said. “This makes football games or travel especially fun because you are working with your close friends.”
Hackethorn reflected on the last rivalry game he participated in, which now, in light of the new UO 2024 football schedule coming out, is even more impactful as Benny and the Oregon Duck are set to cheer one final game.
“The rivalry game in the fall of 2022 was one of the best memories. Being at such a deficit at halftime we ended up taking breaks for water and it seemed like every time we took a break, we heard screaming and sure enough we scored,” Hackethorn said.The game saw OSU come back from a huge deficit against UO at Reser Stadium.
“As the stadium erupted and we kept scoring or getting stops we were in disbelief. One of the other Bennys who’d graduated last year was working the second half and had never crowd surfed before,” Hackethorn said. “It was pretty memorable to lift him up as Benny for the final game of his career after the students stormed the field, and watch him float away.”
