Part 5 -- Finally!

This fall marks 20 years since the 1999 season – a campaign that saw Oregon State football move in a new direction and Beaver Nation celebrate a series of gridiron milestones. A six-part series of stories reliving that season will be published on www.osubeavers.com, with a new story appearing the week of each home game.

PART FIVE: Finally

By Kip Carlson

By 1999, for the better part of three decades, November had meant largely meaningless football at Oregon State.

Sure, there were the periodic Civil War wins that provided a year's bragging rights over the younger sibling from the south. But as OSU's string of losing seasons had grown to 28 straight, the Beavers generally had their chance at a winning record eliminated by the last week of October – in fact, it had happened as early as October 13. There had been only seven times in that stretch Oregon State had played so much as one game in November with a chance at a winning season on the line; they'd never carried that chance into the season's final game.

But now, in the last autumn of the 20th Century, OSU would have not one, but three November chances to finally end the longest streak of losing seasons in college football history. Late October victories over longtime tormentors UCLA and Washington State had put the Beavers at five wins heading into the season's final month.

"One step at a time, one game at a time – that's how we're going to deal with it," first-year head coach Dennis Erickson said after the win at WSU. "Our players know it … they know what's there and what they can accomplish. They know exactly what's on the line the next three weeks.

"We'll talk about it, but we'll prepare ourselves for Cal and try to get that sixth win at home."

The Beavers, now 5-3 on the season and 2-3 in the Pacific-10, would play California and Arizona at home before finishing the regular season at Oregon. Their rise hadn't gone unnoticed, as they'd been featured on ESPN's College GameDay the morning of the Washington State game and received one 25^th-place vote in both national polls.

NOVEMBER 6: VS CALIFORNIA
By the Monday morning preceding OSU's game against California, there was a long line at the Gill Coliseum ticket windows of fans wanting to see the potentially historic game. Still, OSU officials expected a Dad's Weekend crowd of about 32,000 – 3,000 less than Reser Stadium's capacity – so the athletic department also released 750 more tickets for OSU students.

"If (Reser Stadium) isn't filled for this game, I don't know when it's going to be totally filled," Erickson said. "I know the students are excited, I know our players are excited, and we just can't wait to get going and play.

"We're going to have some rock 'em, sock 'em football on Saturday because we haven't achieved what we want to achieve yet. We're playing hard, they believe in each other, and that's the key. Chemistry, charisma, whatever you want to call it – we've got great leadership and that's what it's all about."

It wouldn't be easy. California was 4-4 overall and 3-2 in the Pac-10 but was coming off a 17-7 win over Southern California. The Golden Bears' outstanding defense was nicknamed the "Hit Squad" but their offense was struggling with true freshman quarterback Kyle Boller.

Plus, Oregon State had lost its last six meetings with Cal, including a 20-19 loss in Corvallis the previous season in which the Beavers turned the ball over six times in Jonathan Smith's first start at quarterback for OSU.

"I don't think I was intimidated," Smith said. "I got beat up pretty good; I made some mistakes and got worn down. I gained respect for their defense during the game, and afterward I said, 'They are really good, really physical.' … they beat people up, they really do. They wear you down and make you error-prone. The only team close to the athletes Cal has is USC, but they don't play like Cal does."

Oregon State countered with a stingy defense of its own. Eight games in, the Beavers were leading the Pac-10 in fewest yards allowed per game and OSU had given up just 20 points and 513 yards in its past two games.

Also on Oregon State's side would be the motivation of the long-awaited winning season not only for the players, but for a good chunk of the State of Oregon as well.

"This game is huge; I don't think there are words that can express how important it is for us to win this game," said senior defensive tackle Aaron Wells, one of the Beavers co-captains. "Thirty years of pain, 30 years of people telling us that we suck, that we're sorry, that we're the lowest team in the Pac-10.

"If we win this game it will send out a statement across the nation that OSU isn't a lucky program. We're a good program, just like any other in the nation, and we're here to play football. The whole state, the alumni, everybody is pushing for us to win. It's been 30 years; I don't care who you are, you know about it. Everybody is saying, 'Are they finally going to do it? Are they finally going to break this whole tradition?' A lot of people are pushing for us."

Erickson had been in many big games in his coaching journey, which included two national championships at Miami. This game, he said, was as big as any in which he'd been involved.
"Everything is relative to where you are in your program," Erickson said. "And for where we are, this is huge. It's comparable to any other time I've been in, whether you're playing for a national championship or a bowl game or whatever your goals are."

The Beavers were already bowl-eligible but hadn't wrapped up one of the Pac-10's postseason spots. Against the Bears, they'd be watched by representatives from the Holiday Bowl, which would take the conference runner-up; if the Beavers kept winning and things broke right in other games, Oregon State still had a track to the Rose Bowl.

The excitement spilled over into the streets of Corvallis, where businesses sported signs supporting the Beavers. The atmosphere on the OSU campus regarding football was different than in those previous dreary Novembers when most of the attention had already turned to basketball.

"A lot of talk, a lot of people coming up to you, you don't know, saying, 'Great game, we'll be there, we're excited,'" Smith said. "Even professors. It's really exciting around campus. It's fun to be a part of."

Added defensive tackle Shawn Ball: 'People I've never seen before, they just come up like, 'Shawn, thank you.'"

For the in-state players, the meaning of what could occur against Cal went deeper. Martin Maurer grew up in Medford and his uncles Dick and Ken played for the Beavers in the 1970s.

"There are a lot of people who shed blood and broke bones out here for Oregon State," Maurer said. "They didn't just lose games for 28 years."

If a win did come Saturday, columnists Brooks Hatch of the Corvallis Gazette-Times and Andrew Hinkelman of the OSU Daily Barometer wanted the fans to be ready – and in this case, that meant staying off the goalposts, which would be needed for the next week's game against Arizona.

"Maybe you can carry the players off the field on your collective shoulders, or go on a victory tour through the campus with the marching band. Something," Hinkelman wrote. "All I know is you can't bring down the goalposts."

If a win did come, there would be plenty of people on hand to celebrate. By the morning of the game, less than 400 tickets remained, all either obstructed-view seats or general admission. Those were sold by the 3:30 p.m. kickoff, with a more-than-capacity crowd of 35,520 eventually wedging its way into Reser Stadium on a clear afternoon with the temperature in the mid-60s; the game was also being televised nationally on Fox Sports Net.

As might have been expected, the defenses dominated, even though Oregon State entered the game ranked third nationally in total offense at 487.5 yards per game. Cal was as good as advertised, forcing OSU's Mike Fessler to punt a school-record 14 times – a dangerous proposition with Bear returner Deltha O'Neal among the nation's leaders, but the Beavers limited him to an average of 4.4 yards per return. Meanwhile, Oregon State made Cal's Nick Harris punt 11 times.

A big play provided the first points, as Boller hit Drae Harris for 83 yards and a 7-0 Cal lead with 1:53 left in the first quarter. Fessler helped OSU to the game's next points as one of his punts was downed at the Bear 2-yard line midway through the second quarter; two plays later, Cal was called for holding in its own end zone and the safety made it 7-2.

Both teams punted away most of the third quarter, but on the last play of the period OSU linebacker Darnell Robinson intercepted a Boller pass and returned it to the Cal 41. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Smith found wide receiver Roddy Tompkins sneaking behind the Bear secondary and hit him for the touchdown and an 8-7 lead with 14:53 to play.

"It's something we worked on all week and we knew if we had a chance to run it, it would work," Tompkins said. "It worked out just like we planned. My biggest concern was hold on to it first and get in the end zone if I had a chance."

Simonton – back near 100 percent after playing banged-up the past two weeks – ran in the two-point conversion and Oregon State led 10-7. The sixth win was in the Beavers' hands, if they could just hang onto it, and the crowd noise and energy ramped up to help them do just that.

"In that fourth quarter, that place was rocking, it really was," Smith said. "It was rocking early but you get tired of seeing three-and-out and us struggle on offense."

Said California head coach Tom Holmoe: "That crowd hadn't had this in 30 years."

The game reverted to form; it was an afternoon that saw OSU limited to 280 yards total offense and a 1-for-16 mark on third-down conversions; Cal picked up 229 yards – 83 of them on that one scoring play – and was 1-for-16 on third downs. Smith was limited to an 8-for-33 passing day but Simonton did rush for 134 yards to go over 1,000 yards for the season, and that two-point conversion gave him OSU's career scoring record with 170 points.

Appropriately, after the defense made Oregon State's first score and set up its second, it was another defensive play that became one of the landmark moments in the history of Beaver athletics.
With just under 10 minutes remaining, Cal had first-and-10 at its own 25. Boller fumbled the snap and OSU linebacker Tevita Moala was there to scoop up the ball and race 24 yards straight downfield into the end zone for a 17-7 lead.

In the next day's Salem Statesman-Journal, columnist Greg Jayne wrote: "Let the name Tevita Moala ring through the halls of the Oregon State campus. Let it ring from the top of Marys Peak. Let it ring from the lips of every Beaver who has come before him, every player, coach and fan who has suffered through 28 consecutive losing seasons."

Now the Beavers would have to give up two scores to lose on a night whose events thus far made that seem unlikely.

"We knew if we were going to win, it had to be on defense," Robinson said afterward. "We put a lot on ourselves. We feel we're the best defense in the Pac-10, and we went out and played like that tonight."

OSU's defense needed a few more big plays before calling it a night. After a Fessler punt was blocked, the Beavers dug in and stopped Cal at the Oregon State 22. In the final five minutes, the Bears drove to the OSU 26 but Terrance Carroll picked off Boller in the end zone to end the threat.

And that was that.

When the clock it 0:00, the scoreboard flashed the message, "Hail to Dorothy, the wicked streak is dead." Prince's "1999" came over loudspeakers and fireworks burst overhead. Erickson got the Gatorade shower from his players. Fans of all ages flooded the field – staying away from the goalposts – and mobbed the Beavers.

"I got trapped on the field," Ball said. "I saw grown men, 45 years old, just bawling, crying their eyes out."

Said Erickson: "When I talked to our players, we said this isn't just for this team in here. It's for everybody who has played at Oregon State, it's for every fan who has been here through the last 30 years. This is for all of them."

The Oregonian's Dwight Jaynes ruminated in his column the next morning about all those who had labored over several decades to bring this day about, from players to coaches to staff members. Wrote Jaynes: "There have been so many who have tried. So many who have cared about this program and dreamed of its success.

"Somewhere, classy former play-by-play guy Darrell Aune was smiling, enjoying Mike Parker's call of this game and thinking back to all the losses he made sound so gallant over the years. In the press room, sports information director Hal Cowan opened a single beer and saluted everyone – and smiled more than he has in the last quarter of a century.

"I wish his predecessor, the late John Eggers, could have been here to enjoy it, too.

"So many people have worked so hard to make this program a winner. And now, finally, it's happened. Somewhere, probably in a country-and-western joint, Joe Avezzano was smiling. Dave Kragthorpe will be happy when he gets the news and so will Jerry Pettibone and Craig Fertig. Mike Riley will fairly glow. The most difficult of coaching jobs finally got done."

Said OSU athletic director Mitch Barnhart: "I've only been here for two years, and it was absolutely gut-wrenching. I can't imagine what it's been like for these people who have been through it for the last three decades."

In the press box high above the west sideline, watching the scene unfold below was the last man who had coached Oregon State to a winning season: Dee Andros, who led the Beavers to a 6-5 record in 1970 and later served as the school's athletic director.

"I'm just so happy for those people down on that field," Andros said. "They have really went through hell and now they have something to be proud of."

NOVEMBER 13: VS. ARIZONA

After the rally to beat California, the next morning's newspapers were filled with stories not just of the game but the reaction of long-suffering Beaver fans and former players to the reality of finally having a winning season.

"I've been a fan for over 30 years," Bob Weinert, age 52, told The Oregonian. "My dad used to take me here. I've got kids who have never seen a winning Oregon State team. So this here … yep … pretty emotional."

The Oregonian also spoke with Tom Crino, 28: "All my life they have lost. I hope I don't have to wait another 28 years to watch this again. The emotions you see here … it's incredible."

The Gazette-Times talked with Mike and Judy Walker, both OSU graduates. Mike, a retired civil engineer, referenced OSU's 1962 Heisman winner: "We haven't been so excited since Terry Baker was out there. It's about time."

Further back in that morning's G-T, buried on page C6, was a story pondering whether Donald Trump might one day run for President. The story pointed out that in October, Trump had announced the formation of a committee to explore the feasibility of a presidential run.

On Monday, the Gazette-Times editorialized: "It's no secret why OSU's enrollment is turning around as quickly as the university's athletics program. New buildings are opening and the budget is rising, along with donations.

"Suddenly, it's cool again to go to OSU. It's fun to be among winners – regardless of whether the victories come on the fields of play, the paths of academia or the streets of business …
"Pride can be a powerful force for change. The Beavers are feeling it and so are the rest of us."

Lurking behind the glow of the sixth win, though, were some unpleasant possibilities. While Oregon State was now eligible for its first bowl game since the 1965 Rose Bowl, there was no guarantee yet the Beavers would get one of the Pac-10's bowl slots or any other bowl slot. And if they did – and lost the last two games of the regular season and their bowl game - they'd finish at 6-6, without that overall winning record.

The chance to eliminate those possibilities would come the next Saturday when Arizona – the preseason pick to win the Pac-10 title – visited Reser Stadium for a night game.

"I hope it's raining. I hope it's cold," Erickson said. "It'll be a lot of fun. If we get that one, if we get that seventh one, who knows what will happen."

The previous week Arizona had been beaten 33-25 by Washington at home. The Wildcats were 6-4 overall and 3-3 in the conference and still fighting for a bowl berth; OSU and Arizona were tied for fifth in the Pac-10 and the conference had just five guaranteed bowl berths. That situation kept the Beavers from dwelling too long on the emotional win over California and switched their focus to Arizona in a hurry.

"This is huge – we've got to win this one," senior offensive lineman Aaron Koch said. "It's fresh in everybody's mind that if we win this one, we're going somewhere, we won't be at home for Christmas for sure."

Oregon State picked up a pair of Pac-10 honors from the Cal game. Linebacker James Allen was named Defensive Player of the Week for his 10 tackles, three tackles for loss, two sacks and a pass deflection; Fessler was Special Teams Player of the Week for his 42.4 yard-per-punt average over 14 kicks.

Additionally, the Beavers picked up nine votes in the Associated Press media poll and five in the USA Today/ESPN coaches poll.

Hatch wrote in the G-T that the Beavers didn't want to get into a bowl game for being a good story due to ending the losing seasons streak and Erickson's successful comeback story.

"I don't want it to be a gimme, that somebody wants to invite us just because we finally broke the streak," Simonton said. "We want to earn it, to be a good draw for somebody. So we need these next two wins.

"To end the streak was cool, but it was more for the fans. It's not something we really focused on. We focused on winning. We knew it was just up to us to execute. Now we've just got to get focused for Arizona."

Even after the hullabaloo surrounding the Cal game, OSU officials were expecting a crowd of only about 30,000 for Arizona.

They better sell out," Simonton said. "Maybe the streak was enough for the fans, but I expect it to be sold out."

Whoever showed up, there was a good chance they'd be wearing orange – as would fans in a multitude of places. OSU Bookstore general merchandising manager Steve Summers said they'd had orders that week from State College, Pa.; Salisbury, N.C..; Woodside, N.Y.; and Tokyo, Japan, among other places.

"We're getting worldwide requests for merchandise," Summers told the Gazette-Times. "They're looking for anything that's orange. Whether it's a cap, a T-shirt, or a sweatshirt … I can't pinpoint any one specific item, but we've had all-time high, record sales."

The Beavers were hoping the orange-clad fans that Saturday would have to be bundled up. Koch thought a rainy, cold night would work to OSU's advantage against the warm-weather Wildcats.

"When I saw the game was going to be at 7 at night, I said, 'That's exactly where we want them.' Cold, at night, the second-to-last game of the season; it's not the greatest time to play."

Alas, it was an unusually balmy November evening – clear, calm and 60 degrees – for a just-shy-of-sellout crowd of 33,314. That brought OSU's home attendance for the season to 195,101 – a school record.

With fog hovering over the field, Arizona struck first with a 19-yard touchdown pass from Keith Smith to Bobby Wade midway through the first quarter. The Beavers answered with a 46-yard drive that ended with Smith hitting T.J. Houshmandzadeh for five yards and the tying score.

The Wildcats answered with a field goal for a 10-7 lead early in the second quarter. Oregon State took the lead just 1:28 before halftime as Smith found Tompkins in stride down the sideline and he sprinted to the end zone for a 14-7 lead. Arizona wasn't done, though, managing a field goal on the last play of the half to draw within 14-13.

Oregon State extended the lead in the third quarter as a punt bounced off an Arizona player and Shamon Jamerson recovered at the Wildcat 4, then Smith eventually snuck over from a yard out to make it 21-13.

The Beaver defense set up another score later in the period when Allen picked off Ortege Jenkins at the UA 31. Smith found Maurer with a one-yard pass for the touchdown, the Beavers led 28-13 and the crowd could start thinking about bowl destinations.

That got dicey when Arizona's Trung Candidate ran 50 yards for a touchdown with 4:36 left in the third quarter, cutting it to a one-score lead at 28-20.

Arizona finished the game with 500 yards of total offense, well outdistancing OSU's 319, but the Beaver defense blanked the Wildcats on their last six possessions to secure the win. Smith was 17-for-41 passing for 209 yards and three touchdowns, with Robert Prescott making six catches for 72 yards; Simonton carried 21 times for 149 yards.

When it was over, OSU fans again swarmed the field. This time, they weren't quite as well behaved as several managed to climb the north goalpost but were hauled off before causing damage. At the other end of the field, an 11-year-old girl was hurt when she was knocked down in the crowd of fans rushing into the south end zone.

The rest of the evening, though, was celebration. The Beavers no longer had a shot at the Rose Bowl, but depending on the Civil War results and the outcomes of other games, Oregon State could end up in the Holiday Bowl as the Pac-10's second-place team, the Sun Bowl as the third-place team, or the Aloha or O'ahu bowls as the fourth- or fifth-place team.

"I don't care," Koch said of his choice of destination. "Hawaii, El Paso … San Diego would be great. My wife's family is from San Diego and I really like it down there, so I hope we go to San Diego.
"I'm just glad we're going. Nobody was picking us to do this; 7-3, that's a good record. Seven wins is big."

Wherever the bowl, Barnhart was confident there would be a lot of Beaver fans making the trip.

"I think people will be very excited to watch this team play," Barnhart said. "With the exception of one game, we've given fans all they want to watch. We have an exciting offense and our defense is playing their hearts out."

First, though, there was the matter of the 103rd Civil War, matching two teams riding four-game winning streaks.

"It's going to be a great contest," Erickson said. "Two 7-3 teams in a Civil War - that's been a while, I think. So it's going to be a fun week and rivalries are always the greatest games of all and that's what we have to look forward to now."

NEXT: Wrapping it up.

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