Oregon State
Eastern Wash
Beavers Survive Scare
September 02, 2000 | Football
Sept. 2, 2000
CORVALLIS, Ore. - Ken Simonton rushed for 200 yards to break the Oregon State career rushing record as the Beavers beat Eastern Washington 21-19 on Saturday night.
But other than Simonton, the game - played in a cold rain - was a disappointing season-opening performance for the Beavers, who are trying to prove they aren't a flash in the pan after last year's 7-5 record, their first winning season in 29 years.
Instead, they let the Division I-AA Eagles get within 21-19 with 3:19 left when Fred Salanoa completed passes of 24 and 31 yards and then scrambled 8 yards into the end zone.
Beavers receivers repeatedly dropped passes. Quarterback Jonathan Smith, who had not thrown an interception in 156 passes - 14 shy of a school record - threw two.
The second came as the Beavers were leading 14-6 and driving into the end zone in the third quarter. Instead, Smith's pass went straight into the hands of Ole Oleson on the Eagles' 1, and Oleson returned it for 90 yards.
Three plays later, Jesse Chatman ran 2 yards into the end zone. Eastern Washington's attempt at a 2-point conversion failed, and the score was 14-12.
Except for the Eagles' last touchdown, the Beavers defense did a good job holding down both their running game and Salanoa, who completed 13 of 30 passes for 139 yards with one interception.
The Eagles finished with 197 total offensive yards - just 58 rushing - compared to 326 for the Beavers.
Simonton, a junior, entered the game 39 yards short of overtaking the career school rushing record of 2,563 yards set by Dave Schilling from 1969-71.
The score was 3-0 following a 44-yard field goal by the Eagles' Troy Griggs when Simonton set the record in the second quarter on a 21-yard run up the middle. Two plays later, he scored the first of his three touchdowns, pushing his way 2 yards into the end zone to make it 7-3.
Simonton also broke Schilling's record of 13 100-yard rushing games for Oregon State.
The Eagles got another 22-field goal from Griggs to make it 7-6 with 9:49 left in the third quarter.
On the next Oregon State possession, Smith connected on passes of 15 and 17 yards before Simonton completed a 14-yard touchdown run to make it 14-6 in the third quarter.
Simonton also scored on a 14-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter to make it 21-12.
By TARA BURGHART
Associated Press Writer
