The '98 Civil War

By Kip Carlson

One more chance. That was all that was left.

Twenty years ago this fall, Oregon State went into the Civil War with a final opportunity to close out a big win, to turn a series of heartbreaking coulda-woulda-shouldas into a real celebration. The result was one of the wildest games in Beaver football history, and one of its biggest turning points.

For the next 15 years, the Beavers would be among the top teams in the Pacific-10 / Pacific-12 Conference. Head Coach Jonathan Smith was the Oregon State quarterback that afternoon – the day that can be pointed to as the moment the Beavers threw off the stigma of decades of losing and showed what football could be in Corvallis.

It was 20 years ago this week. And the way it played out, it was worth not one, but two celebrations by OSU fans.

SO CLOSE …

For a month in the autumn of 1998, Oregon State had been painfully close to crafting the football season that would end 27 falls of futility, a string of losing campaigns that went back to 1971.

And the Beavers had come up just short three straight weeks.

It started October 24, when freshman quarterback Jonathan Smith came off the bench in the second quarter at Washington and threw for 469 yards and three touchdowns to rally OSU. The Beavers scored a touchdown on the final play of the game but a two-point conversion try failed, leaving the result a 35-34 loss the Huskies.

The next week, on Halloween, Oregon State was driving for a game-winning field goal at home against California, only to fumble the ball away and lose 20-19.

And, November 7, OSU went toe-to-toe with third-ranked UCLA at Parker Stadium, tying the game 34-34 in the final minute. Moments later, though, a blown coverage resulted in a 61-yard touchdown pass for a 41-34 Bruin win.

"This game, I don't know," second-year Oregon State head coach Mike Riley said afterward. "I'm really sick. It was a great opportunity for a big, big win."

Making that loss even more painful was that it was the Beavers' sixth of the fall, cementing a 28th straight losing season when a winning record had seemed so possible. Oregon State had a week to gather itself from the back-to-back-to-back heartbreakers before its one final opportunity of the year:

Oregon. The 102nd Civil War against the 15th-ranked Ducks would be at Parker Stadium on November 21, and it represented a chance for OSU to show its 1998 progress wasn't limited to just coming close to winning.

"It's never gonna make up for the opportunity we had this season," freshman running back Ken Simonton said. "But it will leave us with a smile, something to build on."

Added defensive tackle Adam Wells: "If we go 5-6, that's still the best season they've had here in 28 years. Even though it's not winning, it's pretty dang close."

Oregon carried an 8-2 record into the game, having just throttled Arizona State 51-19 in Eugene after beating Washington 27-22 at home the week before. In those two games, senior quarterback Akili Smith had completed 40 of 62 passes for 839 yards and seven touchdowns with no interceptions; the return of freshman tailback Herman Ho-Ching to the lineup added a running threat for the Ducks.

"They are one of the best big-play teams in the country," Riley said.

The kind words went both ways as the week of the game began.

"Oregon State is the best 4-6 team in the country," Duck rover Michael Fletcher said. "Every year they have a great defense; now they have weapons on offense."

In the past three games, as Smith had taken over at quarterback, the Beavers had averaged 484.6 yards of total offense per game. That included 491 yards against third-ranked UCLA, and for the season Simonton had already rushed for 871 yards and nine touchdowns.

The four-game difference in the Beavers' and Ducks' records suddenly seemed an exaggeration of the gap between the teams.

"You just throw the records out the window and go play the game," Fletcher said.

GEARING UP

The mix of Oregon being in the running for a high-profile bowl and Oregon State showing clear signs of being a competitive program had anticipation for the game running high. OSU added temporary seating in the northwest and southwest corners of Parker Stadium to boost the capacity by about 1,100 seats, putting it over 37,000.

Another 270 seats were freed up by relocating the Oregon marching band from seats in the southwest corner to folding chairs between the front row and the field. That was still far from enough to accommodate all those who wanted to see the game live.

By Monday morning at 5:30 a.m., fans began lining up outside the OSU ticket office to buy the final 1,100 reserved seats. There were also enough fans trying to place phone orders that the university phone system crashed temporarily.

"Our phone operators were still taking orders, but they were busy," OSU ticket director Joe Sharpe told the Corvallis Gazette-Times. "People still got in, but it was just the luck of the draw … and if we had some more seats we wouldn't have any problem selling them. We probably could have sold another 5,000 easy."

Oregon State students had picked up their full allotment of 5,300 tickets, helping assure the vast majority would be Beaver fans. That was just fine with OSU receivers coach Michael Johnson; at the Monday lunch meeting of the Corvallis Beaver Huddle, he told the crowd, "I'd love nothing more than to see 30,000 orange shirts. It's our turn to have the homefield advantage. We need to come out and make Parker Stadium the Beavers' home. I can guarantee we're going to play hard. When we play hard, we can play with anybody if we execute."

Riley, who grew up in Corvallis, would be coaching his first Civil War game in Parker Stadium; his father, Bud, had been on Dee Andros' coaching staff in the 1960s and 1970s. In the younger Riley's first season as head coach, the Beavers had been beaten 48-30 in Eugene.

"For me, it's been emotional, because I was rooting for the Beavers and my dad's team," Riley told the OSU Daily Barometer. "Whenever you're coaching in a game like this, it's really fun. I have a background in it, so it makes it a big deal to me personally."

The 1997 victory was Oregon's fourth straight win in the series, dating back to OSU's 15-12 win in 1993. The Ducks' streak started with a 17-13 win in Corvallis in 1994, sending them to the Rose Bowl, and UO's fifth-year seniors had been part of that historic win.

"That's an unbelievable legacy that they will leave behind, that no team in the conference won more games than they did," Oregon head coach Mike Bellotti told The Oregonian. "They proved to themselves and the world that Oregon wasn't a flash in the pan."

Oregon State's seniors, winless in the series, had their sights set on reversing the trend in their final game.

"It's about time we beat those guys," OSU offensive guard Larry Ramirez said. "I've got four losses to them, and it's time for us to get a win. I'm tired of losing the Civil War."

Friday morning, readers of The Oregonian found a column by Dwight Jaynes titled "An OSU victory still a longshot." Jaynes first noted the surge in Beaver believers, relating that an informal poll by KATU-TV showed 63 percent picking OSU to win the Civil War, and he wrote he felt Riley would soon have OSU over .500.

"But the Beavers are not going to beat the Ducks," Jaynes wrote. "I think it's important, in fact, to note just how big an upset it would be for Oregon State to even come close."

Jaynes opined that Oregon had four quarterbacks who would start ahead of Jonathan Smith and two running backs "the likes of which OSU hasn't seen in years."
In closing, though, Jaynes offered, "Oh, I don't care who wins – but I'd love to see the Beavers keep it close – make it a great game by beating the daylights out of my prediction.

"But if they can find a way to win this game, it will be one of the great achievements in the long history of the Civil War."

From a Beaver standpoint, the weekend got off to a good start: Friday night, OSU finished its volleyball season by beating Oregon 10-15, 15-5, 15-0, 15-3 at Gill Coliseum.

"It was a great note to end on," OSU setter Brandi Bonnarens told the Gazette-Times. "It was just perfect. It's like a movie … with a perfect ending to the movie."

WHAT A WAY TO FINISH

The forecast was for a chilly, rainy, windy late Saturday afternoon – kickoff was set for 3:30 p.m. – and that would make it the eighth straight wet Civil War in Corvallis.

One of those braving the rain would be Tony Robinson. The 10-year-old from Astoria had written Riley earlier that season; the Gazette-Times reprinted his letter the morning of the game:

"Dear Mike Riley.
"My name is Tony Robinson. I live in Astoria, O.R. I go to Lewis and Clark elementary School. I'm in the 4^th grade I'm 10 years old.
"I was wondering if this year at the civil war game I can run out of the tunnel with your team when you go on the field with my Beaver flag that has been my goal for a long time. If its alright with you I'd like to do it.
"Please write back.
"Thank you
"from Tony Robinson
"P.S. go Beavers
"P.S.S. we already have tickets"

Upon receiving the letter, Riley passed the word on to an OSU athletic staffer with the message, "I want to do something for this kid." The annual recognition of Oregon State's seniors before the game precluded Robinson running out the tunnel with the Beavers, so he'd be given a place on the sideline during the game.

For the next four hours or so, Robinson would have an up-close view of one heck of a show, along with the rest of the 37,777 fans wedged into Parker Stadium.

It began slowly enough, with the only first-quarter scoring being Jose Cortez's 34-yard field goal for Oregon State. Oregon took the lead in the second quarter on Akili Smith's nine-yard pass to Tony Hartley, only to have OSU answer with Jonathan Smith's 75-yard pass to Greg Ainsworth to put the Beavers up 10-7. Oregon led 14-10 at halftime after Akili Smith connected with Damon Griffin for 19 yards and a score.

That made four lead changes by intermission – and things were just warming up.

Simonton put Oregon State back in front 17-14 with a one-yard run early in the third quarter; Oregon came back with Akili Smith's three-yard score to go back up 21-17, and that's the way it was heading into the final period.

With eight minutes left in the game, Oregon edged its lead out to 24-17 on Nathan Villegas' 42-yard field goal. When the Ducks held the Beavers on OSU's next possession, it looked like Oregon was in control.

But Mike Fessler's punt was fumbled by Oregon's Fletcher, and Darnell Robinson recovered for OSU at the Duck 33.

"That was huge," Riley said. "I was just hoping we'd get the ball back with a chance – not be more than a touchdown behind."

Four plays later, Simonton scored from five yards out to knot the game 24-24 with 5:11 to play.

Oregon bounced back, driving 80 yards in seven plays, Akili Smith hitting Hartley for 28 yards and the touchdown as Hartley made an acrobatic catch amid a cluster of OSU defenders. The Ducks now led 31-24 with just 2:34 remaining.

Down to their final chance, the Beavers put together a 71-yard drive of their own in four plays. The last was Jonathan Smith's 30-yard pass to Tim Alexander; after making the catch of the quick throw, Alexander broke four tackles on his way to the end zone.

"It was a six-yard hitch route," Alexander told reporters afterward. "I caught the ball, turned upfield and made a couple guys miss and got in the end zone."
Cortez's point-after kick was good and it was 31-31 with just 1:27 to go. Oregon couldn't move the ball in the remaining time, and the Civil War was headed into its first-ever overtime.

FLYING FINISH

Oregon State took the ball first in the extra session and got another touchdown from Simonton – his third of the game – on a one-yard run around the right side, good for a 38-31 lead. Now, if the Beavers could hold the Ducks, the game would be over.

OSU forced an incomplete pass, a three-yard loss on a screen pass and another incompletion to leave Oregon with fourth-and-13 from the 28-yard line. Akili Smith dropped back and fired over the middle for Hartley at the 12-yard line, and the ball arrived about the same time as Beaver defensive back Andrae Holland.

The ball bounced out of Hartley's hands and hit the rain-soaked turf. Oregon State's students began swarming onto the north end of the field around their team, celebrating the Beavers' victory.

But …

Flag. Pass interference. First down, Oregon.

It took a few minutes to get it through to Oregon State's jubilant players that the game wasn't over, and even longer to get thousands of fans off the field. Getting them back into the stands wasn't going to happen; those who had rushed onto the turf simply crowded into the area between the grandstands and the field, surrounding – and even moving into – both teams' bench areas.

"It made us mad," Oregon's Griffin later told reporters. "A lot of the fans were pushing us and shoving us. We came into the huddle and said, 'Okay, we have another chance."

Oregon made the most of it, turning the reprieve into a two-yard pass from Akili Smith to Jared Weaver to tie the score at 38-38.

Now the game moved to the south end of Parker Stadium for the second overtime. Oregon settled for a 26-yard field goal by Villegas, and again it was the Beavers' game to win.

Oregon State started with a quick pass to tight end Martin Maurer over the right side, good for nine yards. Second down, one to go, from the Duck 16. On the sideline, Cortez booted balls into a net in case a game-tying field goal would be needed; he was surrounded by fellow OSU students as staff members kept an area clear for Cortez's practice kicks.

Back on the field, the Beavers lined up with the ball on the right hashmark, sending Maurer into motion from left to right through the backfield. Smith took the snap, turned right and handed the ball to Simonton; Maurer blocked out, tight end Joe Kuykendall blocked down, and there was a crease just about even with the numerals marking the yard lines as Simonton bounced outside.

"Once I turned the corner and saw the end zone, the only thing going through my mind was, 'Just leave. Go,'" Simonton said. "It felt so good to hit that end zone and end it right there."

Indeed, Simonton scampered to the right sideline, stepped out of one tackle attempt, and had clear sailing into the waiting arms of his fellow Beaver students who had been standing at the edge of the field.

Oregon State 44, Oregon 41, and – after the ninth lead change of the game - it was definitely over. The Beavers had their first five-win season since 1971 and their first home win over the Ducks in a decade. Now, the celebration was really on and those who had made the early surge onto the turf were joined by thousands of others.

AFTERMATH

The celebration continued well after the final play and after the teams left the field. In the Valley Football Center weight room, Jonathan Smith looked out the window toward the field and watched Beaver fans assaulting the goalposts.

"This victory is awesome," Smith said. "To beat Oregon, to bring life back into a rivalry … it's awesome. It's the best way to send the seniors out, to go out on a win after four years of hard work. It's just awesome."

Smith had completed 17 of 28 passes for 303 yards and two touchdowns without being intercepted. Alexander had five catches for 102 yards, giving him OSU's single-season receiving record with 1,591 yards.

The Beavers had also run for 186 yards behind an effective offensive line of Maurer, Kuykendall, Ramirez, Matt Gartung, Jason White, Jared Cornell, Aaron Koch and Keith DiDomenico.

"They played their best game of the year," Smith said. "No sacks, huge holes. Those guys won the ballgame."
Simonton's fourth touchdown run of the night tied an Oregon State record and gave him 157 yards for the evening, putting him at 1,028 for the season; he was the first Beaver since Dave Schilling in 1970 to crack the 1,000-yard mark.

Oregon State's defense, meanwhile, had limited Oregon to 31 yards rushing. Akili Smith had passed for 430 yards and four touchdowns, but the Beavers had also sacked him six times.

"I knew they weren't going to run on us," OSU linebacker Brian Rogers said. "But they have a great quarterback and great receivers, and that kind of balanced them out.
"We just made one more play than they did tonight."

Eventually, in the ensuing festivities, Beaver fans managed to dislodge the uprights from the south goalpost, with an OSU student seriously injured as it fell to the ground.
When the party finally broke up, there were large chunks of Parker Stadium's artificial turf missing, but that was no problem: it had been announced earlier in the year that the playing surface would be replaced in the offseason, and fans seeking souvenirs had simply started the transition early.

Speaking to reporters, Oregon State senior defensive lineman Inoke Breckterfield asked them to deliver a message to Beaver fans:

"Thank you for believing in us. We won this for you."

POSTSCRIPT

Many things would change around Oregon State's football program in the aftermath of that 102nd Civil War.

Riley left Oregon State later in the year to become head coach of the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League. He was succeeded by Dennis Erickson, who had coached national championship teams at Miami during a well-traveled career.

By the time the 1999 season began, Parker Stadium had been renamed Reser Stadium in honor of a donation by Al and Pat Reser. And there was new turf – but it was another artificial surface, not the natural grass that had been hinted at the previous fall.

Erickson stepped in and guided Oregon State to a 7-4 record in the 1999 regular season. On November 6, the Beavers beat California 17-7 for OSU's sixth win of the season, officially putting to rest the streak of losing seasons at 28 in a row. Oregon State was selected for the O'ahu Bowl and lost to Hawaii 23-17, but that marked OSU's first postseason appearance since the 1965 Rose Bowl.

Over the next 15 years under Erickson and the returning Riley, the Beavers would have 11 winning seasons, go to 11 bowl games (winning seven) and finish in the national rankings five times, including being ranked fourth at the end of the 2000 season after beating Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl.

And in many ways, it all began that wet, wild Saturday in Corvallis two decades ago this week.

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