History of Oregon State Beavers football

In 1893, Oregon State College was known as State Agricultural College (SAC). William H. Bloss, son of SAC's school president, was the school's first coach, and the quarterback of the 1893 team. Bloss moved to Corvallis, Oregon in June 1892. He previously played football in the Midwest, and was considered very knowledgeable of football.[1]

Bloss scheduled tryouts in the fall of 1893 trying to assemble a football team. By mid-October, he had found 17 players that would make up the first football team in Oregon State's history. The team was a hodgepodge of young men in Corvallis. Four players were not students, including Coach Bloss. One was a high school junior and another was a faculty member.[1]

SAC played its first games on an open grass lot with a perimeter fence. In 1896 or 1897, bleachers were built for the south side, which was designated the home side, and in 1899–1901, bleachers were built for the visitors on the north side. It was known as College Field on Lower Campus.[2]

The first game was played on November 11, 1893, at College Field on Lower Campus against Albany College. Over 500 spectators, who paid a ten cents admission, cheered on SAC to 62–0 win. Brady F. Burnett scored the first touchdown in Oregon State history on a fumble return.[1]

Fred Norcross

In 1906, Oregon Agricultural hired Fred Norcross as its head football coach.[3] Norcross had played quarterback for Fielding H. Yost's "Point a Minute" Michigan Wolverines from 1903 to 1905.[4] The Wolverines went 33–1–1 during that time.

Through the first six games of the 1906 season, Oregon Agricultural had compiled a 4–0–2 record, outscoring opponents, 77–0. In the final game of the season, Willamette defeated Oregon Agricultural, kicking a 23-yard field goal midway through the first half, the only points either team scored. Despite the result, Oregon Agricultural students marched through the streets of Salem, Oregon, chanting Oregon Agricultural fight songs.[5][6]

Oregon Agricultural started the 1907 season winning their first four games and then defeated Willamette, 42–0. On Thanksgiving Day, the undefeated Aggies faced undefeated St. Vincent's College. The game marked the first time Oregon Agricultural had traveled south of Berkeley. Oregon Agricultural prevailed with a 10–0 victory. The 1907 team was undefeated, untied, and unscored upon. When the team returned to Corvallis, 3,000 fans turned out to greet them, approximately the combined population of the town and the school. The band led the team and the crowd from downtown to the college in celebration.

In 1908, Oregon Agricultural began 4–0–1, outscoring their opponents, 73–0, including a 28–0 rout of Willamette. In the first 18 games under coach Norcross, Oregon Agricultural outscored their opponents 287–4, while compiling a 14–1–3 record. It did not last. Oregon Agricultural lost their final three games in 1908, including losses to Oregon and Washington. After the season, Oregon Agricultural and Norcross went their separate ways. Norcross never coached again, leaving his career college football coaching record at 14–4–3, a .738 winning percentage.

In 1910, Oregon Agricultural's loss to Oregon triggered a riot. The fist-fighting was so bad that the 1911 game between the two schools was canceled. A cigar-maker, Billy Eagles, proposed Albany, Oregon, as a neutral site to host the 1912 game, a 3–0 Oregon victory. It also served as a host for the 1913 Civil War. It would only be used one more time by the Beavers, to host the Sun Dodgers from the University of Washington in 1914.

The 1912 Civil War loss to Oregon cemented a losing season for the Beavers, snapping a streak of eight consecutive winning seasons. The 1904–1911 winning season streak remains the longest winning season streak in Oregon State history.

In 1914, Oregon State compiled a 7–0–2 record and played Washington to a scoreless tie, ending Washington's record-setting winning streak that dated back to 1908.

The 1915 season started off brightly. After three games, the Beavers were 3–0. Their fourth game was a 29–0 loss was to undefeated and untied Washington State. The loss snapped Oregon State's 15-game unbeaten streak, which continues to be the longest streak in Beaver history. Washington State would later go on to finish 7–0 and win the 1916 Rose Bowl against Brown, laying a claim to the national championship. What looked like an even more daunting challenge awaited.

Game five was most of the way across the country in East Lansing, Michigan. The Beavers' opponent was the Michigan Aggies, who had pummeled the Michigan Wolverines 24–0 in Ann Arbor the week before. Coupled with a train ride spanning two-thirds of the country without the ability to practice, the odds of a Beaver victory seemed slim at best. Roscoe Fawcett of Portland's Morning Oregonian set the odds at around zero, when he wrote, "One thing is very certain, and that is the Corvallis boys are due for a trimming...and a bad one!"

The 20–0 Beaver victory sent shock waves across the country. Sportswriter Grantland Rice was moved to write a poem called "The Pacific Slump." A portion went:

"Ah yes, it’s sad to think about the Old Pacific Slump, The way the West has hit the chute and hit it with a bump; But when you speak of things like this in a manner somewhat free, don’t mention it at Michigan or up at MAC; They haven’t any stuff at all to call for autumn boasts, except a team that smeared a team that smashed a team of Yost’s."

The Beavers returned home and thrashed Idaho 40–0 to run their record to 5–1 but dropped their last two games to finish the 1915 season 5–3.

The Beavers' 1916 Thanksgiving Day win in Southern California against the USC Trojans would be their last victory over the Men of Troy until 1935. Herman Abraham garnered All-American honors in 1916 thanks in part to his play in the game in East Lansing in 1915. The Great War and its call for troops swiftly reduced the Beavers to mediocrity. Only the 1917 and 1921 teams posted winning records. Coaches Joseph Pipall and H. G. Hargiss each only lasted two years. College Field was renamed Bell Field in 1921.

Coach R. B. Rutherford defeated Washington for the first time in 15 years in 1920 and posted a winning record in 1921. However, a losing record in 1922 put his position in jeopardy. Throwing caution to the wind, he took the 4–3–2 Beavers to Hawaii in 1923 for Oregon Agricultural's first games outside of the contiguous United States. The gamble did not pay off as the Beavers dropped a game to the Hawaiian All-Stars, playing their first college team, 14–9, and then another to the University of Hawaii, 7–0. The loss to Hawaii was a huge upset, as Hawaii had only begun playing intercollegiate football in 1920. A rainbow appeared over the field after the game, which led to Hawaii's team being nicknamed the Rainbows. The losses were devastating for a small agricultural school in Oregon, which had to pay to travel to Hawaii and suffered two humiliating defeats and, consequently, a second consecutive losing season, tying their longest losing-season streak to date. Coach R. B. Rutherford resigned as head coach shortly thereafter. Something to add.I was told by Bill Martin, who played for the 1923 State Champion The Dalles High School Indians, that the Indians defeated the Beavers that year in The Dalles.

In 1933, Oregon State promoted assistant coach Lon Stiner to be the new head coach. In their first four games under Stiner, the Beavers went 3–0–1, outscoring their opponents, 62–0. In game five, Oregon State's Norman "Ramblin' Red" Franklin returned the opening kickoff 94 yards for a touchdown, as Stiner's team defeated the San Francisco Dons, 12–7, using only 12 players. In week 6, Stiner coached in one of the greatest upset ties in college football history. On October 21, 1933, eleven Beaver "Iron Men" fought USC to a scoreless tie in what many consider to be the greatest game in Oregon State football history. The Trojans, defending two-time national champions, brought 25-game winning streak and an 80-man squad to Multnomah Stadium in Portland, Oregon, and saw their win streak broken by the Beavers. The Beavers did not make a substitution, playing only 11 men, each of whom played both ways for the entire 60 minutes. Red Franklin also had two interceptions in the Beavers' red zone, which helped to fend off the Trojan attack. The 1933 team was immortalized in a line of Oregon State's fight song, "Men of Iron, their strength will never yield."

The following game, in the second quarter, Oregon State's Clyde Devine blocked a Washington State punt, which rolled back into the end zone for a safety. The lone score held up as the Ironmen beat the Cougars 2–0, using only one substitute. The Washington State game is also memorable because it saw the first use of the Pyramid Play. The Beavers also used the play twice in a 13–3 loss to 7–0 Oregon, which knocked the Beavers out of the Rose Bowl race. Instead, 5–1–2 Oregon State traveled back to the Polo Grounds for a rematch with Fordham. The Rams were a much better team than the year before. They were 6–1 with wins against West Virginia 20–0 and New York 20–12. They also provided Alabama and Boston College with their only losses in 1933 by a combined score of 34–6. It was generally accepted that a win over the Beavers would secure a berth in the 1934 Rose Bowl, so they naturally were very motivated. However, Red Franklin returned the opening kickoff 94 yards for a touchdown and a 6–0 Oregon State lead. After the Rams scored a touchdown in the second quarter, the Beavers successfully used the Pyramid Play to keep the score tied at six. With just over a minute left in the first half, Oregon State's Adolphe Schwammel's 46-yard field goal cleared the crossbar by three feet to beat the Rams 9–6. The Beavers had allowed only four completed passes all year, but the Rams completed 10 in the loss. The few Beaver fans that had made the cross-country trip were enough to tear down both goalposts. The loss knocked Fordham out of the Rose Bowl picture; Columbia went instead. The win over Fordham remains the easternmost Oregon State victory since the 1928 victory over New York.

The Fordham game was scheduled to be the last game of the season, but 7–1 Nebraska coaxed Oregon State to Lincoln, Nebraska, on Thanksgiving Day with promises of two more games in 1935 and 1936. The season thus ended with a 22–0 loss at the hands of Nebraska, but the two losses were the fewest for the Beavers in seven years.

Len Younce is a member of the NFL 1940s All-Decade Team

The 1933 Beavers were the last to face a Paul Schissler-type schedule. From 1934 to 1948, Oregon State only scheduled three trips out of the two time zones of the Pacific Coast Conference.

The Beavers from 1934 to 1938 amassed a 21–22–7 record. The biggest victory of the era was a 13–7 win over the Trojans in 1935 at the Los Angeles Coliseum. It would be the last such win for the Beavers until 1960. The 1936 team ended Oregon's four-game Civil War winning streak. Perhaps, no season typified the five-year stretch like the 3–3–3 record Oregon State recorded in 1937. The final game was perhaps the worst loss in Beaver history, 7–0 to 2–3–3 Washington State. Oregon State only managed one first down.

1939 breathed new life into the program. Oregon State's opener was a 12–0 victory over Stanford. Their next three games were decided by a combined 10 points, all Beaver victories. The 4–0 record earned the Beavers an AP #15 ranking. It was their first appearance in the relatively new poll. At the end of October, Oregon State beat Washington State 13–0, the Beavers' most lopsided win of the young year. It earned them a #11 ranking, which would be their highest until 1956. The next week, the #7 Trojans en route to a national championship came to Portland and beat the Beavers 19–7. It was the most points the Beavers would allow all year and took them out of the Rose Bowl race.

Oregon State beat Oregon and California (the Beavers first win over California outside of Berkeley) a combined 40–14. The following weekend, Oregon State looked like it would upset Jackie Robinson and #13 UCLA in the Coliseum, but the Bruins' Leo Cantor scored a touchdown with 1:01 left, tying the game at 13. The 13–13 score held up, but the 7–1–1 record was good enough for an invitation to play in the inaugural 1940 Pineapple Bowl against Hawaii, which the Beavers accepted. Much like in 1923, the Bowl was actually a two-game series in Hawaii. The first was against the Heanlani town team on Christmas Day, which Oregon State won 28–0. On New Years Day, the Beavers hopped out to a 19–0 first-quarter lead and never looked back in a 39–6 rout. The nine Beaver victories in the 1939 were the most ever, and the 9–1–1 record would stand as Oregon State's best record in between the 1926 and 2000 seasons.

Despite the defense allowing only 80 points in the nine game slate, the 1940 season proved disappointing. Oregon State jumped out of the gates 2–0–1, including a tie against the Trojans in the Coliseum but lost to #16 Washington in Seattle, 19–0. The 19 Husky points were the first of the year. Two more wins over California and UCLA in California and a win over Washington State brought Oregon State's record to 5–1–1. Through the first seven games they allowed only 32 points and posted five shutouts (the most in a season since 1933). However, the Beavers' record would get no better with losses in their fourth trip to California against the #4 Stanford Indians and the Civil War. The Oregon win would be the Ducks sole Civil War win between 1935 and 1947.

The 1941 season was a peculiar one. For the first time ever, Oregon State was scheduled to play every Pacific Coast Conference team. They were the only team to do so in 1941. With the memories of the 1940 Pineapple Bowl victory fading, the Beavers were picked to finish near the bottom of the conference. The season began in the Coliseum against the Trojans. The Beavers jumped out to a 7–0 first half lead, but the Trojans tied the game before halftime. The game almost ended in a tie, but the Trojans' Doug Essick hauled in a six-yard a touchdown with 13 seconds left to win 13–7. The Beavers responded by beating Washington in Portland, 9–6. After Washington, defending Pacific Coast champion Stanford came to Corvallis with their 13-game winning streak and #2 ranking, having demolished UCLA the previous week 33–0. Oregon State held them scoreless, winning 10–0.

Oregon State had two weeks to prepare for Washington State, but it was not enough as the Cougars shut out the Beavers 7–0. Over the next four weekends, Oregon State was a perfect 4–0, shutting out each opponent, and outscoring them a combined 85–0. In the meantime, Stanford, who had clawed up to #6, lost a shocker to Washington State in California, putting Oregon State back in control of its own Rose Bowl destiny with only one week left in the Pacific Coast Conference season. A Beaver victory would secure a Rose Bowl berth. A loss would have muddled things. Theoretically, a five-way tie could develop if Stanford somehow lost to California and Washington was able to beat the Trojans. In such a situation, the league would vote on the representative. Although Oregon State had the most conference victories, Oregon State and Stanford would be tied in conference losses. The Indians could have been elected by the three other California schools to go. However, the scenario seemed far-fetched at the time.

On the final weekend in November, the unthinkable happened. California shocked Stanford, Washington knocked off the Trojans, and the Ducks hopped out to a 7–6 fourth-quarter lead against the Beavers. Fullback Joe Day eliminated the debate with a 29-yard scamper with five minutes remaining to secure the Pacific Conference championship and Rose Bowl berth. The final AP poll ranked Oregon State #12.

At the time, the Pacific Conference champion selected their opponent in the Rose Bowl. #1 Minnesota was ineligible to play in a Bowl game due to Big Nine rules forbidding postseason games. Duke would have been a logical second choice, but Coach Wallace Wade had rubbed a lot of Californians the wrong way due to his antics following Duke's 7–3 loss in the 1939 Rose Bowl. The Southern California media championed Missouri or Fordham. Oregon State responded by inviting Fordham, with whom they had a history, but Fordham turned down the invitation to play against Missouri in the Sugar Bowl. Unable to invite their three first choices, the Beavers settled on number-two-ranked and undefeated Duke Blue Devils, much to the chagrin of Southern California.

On December 7, 1941, the United States was forced into World War II because of the surprise Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. On December 14, the Rose Bowl and the Rose Parade were canceled, by order of the Army. Many places offered to stage the event, including Norman, Oklahoma, and Atlanta, Georgia. Soldier Field similarly extended invitations to both teams. Instead, Duke invited the Beavers to make their own cross country trip to Durham, North Carolina, which Oregon State accepted. Duke Stadium only sat 35,000, but an additional 20,000 seats were brought in for the game from North Carolina, North Carolina State, and Wake Forest. 56,000 people ultimately crammed in to watch. Rarely getting a chance to see the Rose Bowl in its natural setting, scores of eastern and southern media also showed up.

Lon Stiner was new to the Rose Bowl, having never coached in one. His only experience in a bowl was the 1940 Pineapple Bowl. Duke was coached by Wallace Wade, for whom Duke Stadium was later renamed. He had already coached in four Rose Bowls, posting a 2–1–1 record. Both teams had impressive defenses. Each had five shutouts, and no team had scored more than 14 points against either team. However, the Blue Devils had the impressive offense, featuring quarterback James Thompson Prothro and were undefeated. The 311 points they scored was second in the country. Only two teams had stayed within 14 points. They outscored their opponents 311–41, an average of 35–5. Oregon State, on the other hand, had only outscored their opponents 123–33, an average victory of only 14–4. The Beavers took the field as 3–1 underdogs.

Some Duke players insist that they played the game in a deluge; the Beaver players insist that it was merely misty. Whatever the conditions, it was wet, favoring the Beavers. The opening kickoff was mishandled by the Blue Devils and recovered by the Beavers, but Oregon State could not turn the opportunity into any points. Later in the period, Oregon State's star, Donald Durdan, would break the scoreless tie with a 15-yard scamper. The Blue Devils answered in the second quarter after Duke's star, Steve Lach ran untouched into the end zone on a reverse. The first half ended with the score knotted at seven.

In the second half, the offenses shined for a brief moment. Partway through the third quarter, Oregon State retook the lead when George Zellick scored on a 31-yard pass from Robert Dethman. Duke immediately answered taking the kickoff and driving for a score to knot the game 14-all. The Beavers quickly answered, when reserve halfback, Gene Gray, hauled in Robert Dethman's 40-yard bomb and outraced two Duke defenders the last 28-yards for the score. Oregon State failed on the conversion though, leaving the door open for a Blue Devil comeback.

In the fourth quarter, the Beavers defense would bend but not break. The 14 points represented the most points scored so far in the season on the Beaver defense, and they did not want to let down the offense which appeared content with 20. Three times, Duke breached the Beaver 35 and three times they came up with no points. One drive managed to break into the Beaver red zone, but George Peters managed to come up with an interception to preserve the lead. The only points scored the rest of the game was by the Duke defense, a safety, when Don Durdan was tackled behind his own goal line after a bad snap from center.

The 20–16 upset victory sent shock waves throughout the country. Most people south of the Mason-Dixon had expected an easy Duke victory. Sid Feder of the Associated Press labeled it the biggest upset in the Rose Bowl's history. The player of the game was probably Duke's Steve Lach, who rushed for 129 yards and averaged 47 yards a punt, but the honor went to Dan Durdan. His 54 yards rushing and 44 yards per punt coupled with the Beaver's 20–16 victory carried the day. The game was the first, last, and only Rose Bowl victory for Oregon State and was also the first, last, and only time the Rose Bowl has not been played in Southern California. It was also the last time Duke and Oregon State played each other on the gridiron.

Reality quickly set in. Most of the players for both Duke and Oregon State served in World War II. Duke and Oregon State each lost a halfback later in 1942 as Duke's Walter Griffith and Oregon State's Everett Smith made the ultimate sacrifice in the Pacific Theater. The 1942 season proved disappointing; the Beavers could only muster a 4–5–1 season. The final two games provided the only real highlights as the Beavers beat the Ducks 39–2, which would stand as the most one-sided Civil War until the 50–21 Oregon State win in 2004. The season ended with an unexpected 7–7 tie with Michigan State in East Lansing, Michigan.

Oregon State did not field a team in 1943 and 1944. In 1945, in order to keep costs low, the four Pacific Northwest teams played each other twice. The Beavers went 3–3 in the six games, including a sweep of the Ducks, en route to a 4–4–1 record. The Beavers started off poorly in 1946 with a 50–7 loss to UCLA in the Coliseum. UCLA would go on to win the Pacific Coast championship. Oregon State would not lose another game, finishing 7–1–1, including a 6–0 win over Southern California, the Beaver's only victory over the Trojans between 1935 and 1957.

In 1947 and 1948, Oregon State posted a 10–9–3 record. In 1947, Oregon State lost to Oregon, whose quarterback was one Norman Van Brocklin, but toppled Nebraska in Lincoln, Nebraska, 27–6.

In 1948, Oregon State jumped out to a 2–1–1 record before losing 42–0 to eventual Pacific Coast Champion, California. It was Oregon State's third consecutive season with a six touchdown loss (albeit each loss was to the eventual Pacific Coast champion). Oregon State had only experienced two more lopsided losses in their history. After losing to California, the Beavers shut out UCLA in the Coliseum 28–0. Following the victory, Oregon State went 0–2–2 with losses to Michigan State and Oregon and ties against Washington State and Utah. The Beavers closed out the season by beating Nebraska for a second consecutive year, 28–12. The loss to Oregon was particularly damaging. Oregon had not won consecutive Civil Wars since they had won four-in-a-row from 1932 to 1935, and their win earned them a Cotton Bowl invitation. Oregon State, on the other hand, packed for Hawaii and the Pineapple Bowl.

In the Pineapple Bowl, against the Hawaii Rainbows, Bob Krell recovered a fumble and intercepted a pass early in the game, which the Beavers turned into two quick scores: a one-yard run by Any Knuden and a short pass from halfback Ken Carpenter to Dick Twenge. There was plenty of scoring but Oregon State prevailed 47–27. The pass from Carpenter to Twenge would be one of five completed passes for the Beavers, albeit those five completions went for 112 yards. The Beavers outrushed the Rainbows 287–256, but the Rainbows had more passing yards, total yards, and first downs. The Pineapple Bowl was played until 1952 before being discontinued.

Following the bowl game, Lon Stiner was replaced as head coach by Kip Taylor.

Nobody expected much out of the Beavers in 1967; even the Oregon State media guide said that the Beavers would be "rebuilding" in 1967. Paul Brothers, who led Oregon State to the 1965 Rose Bowl as a sophomore graduated in 1966. Dee Andros gave the starting job to Steve Preece, the wunderkind Andros had recruited from Idaho shortly after he took the head coaching job at Oregon State. Another newcomer was Bill "Earthquake" Enyart, a converted linebacker, who replaced Voit and Pop Warner Award Winner Pete Pifer at fullback.

Oregon State started off the season in Portland, Oregon, against the Stanford Indians. Two second quarter Mike Haggard field goals were the difference in the Beavers building a 13–7 fourth-quarter lead. With 1:25 left, Skip Vanderbundt made a key interception at the Beaver 16 to preserve the 13–7 win. Battling 100-degree heat, Oregon State held on to defeat Arizona State the following weekend, 27–21. It was the Sun Devils' biggest loss in 1967. In Iowa City, Iowa, the following weekend, Oregon State jumped out to a 38–6 lead and held on to win 38–18. The nine-game winning streak was the nation's longest.

The following weekend, Oregon State attempted to run its winning streak to ten games in Seattle, Washington. The game was ominous because Oregon State's ten-game winning streak in 1963 ended in Seattle. Oregon State intercepted Washington in the end zone on the Huskies opening drive and drove 80 yards for a 6–0 lead. Washington would tie the game before halftime and win on an 18-yard run with two minutes left. The following weekend, reeling from the late game loss and looking forward to a trip to West Lafayette, Indiana, against #2 Purdue, Oregon State gave up four touchdowns against Brigham Young in a 31–13 loss. The Beavers only allowed five touchdowns the rest of the year.

The following weekend, Oregon State traveled to Indiana to play Purdue. Purdue was a 20-point favorite, the defending Rose Bowl champions and had won nine straight. In their first four games, the Boilermakers had defeated Texas A&M and Ohio State on the road and #1 Notre Dame in West Lafayette, Indiana. Their star was running back/cornerback Marvin Leroy Keyes. Keyes would go on to finish third in the 1967 Heisman Race and second in the 1968 Heisman Race. In both years, he was an All-American at both running back and cornerback. He appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated's 1968 college football preview. In 1987, he was voted Purdue's "All-Time Greatest Player." In 2004, College Football News ranked him the 86th best college football player ever.

The Purdue faithful did not think Oregon State had much of a chance, erecting tombstones with Beaver players' names on them. The Oregon State coaches made sure to take the team bus past the tombstones the day before the game. The Beavers struck first, driving 82 yards on their first possession. Purdue immediately responded by driving 62-yards to knot things up at seven. Keyes supplied the last seven yards to paydirt. Late in the first half, Oregon State recovered a Purdue fumble at the Purdue 26, which led to a 26-yard field goal by Mike Haggard. Oregon State went into halftime 30 minutes away from pulling off the upset.

Purdue took the lead for the first time, 14–10, in the third quarter on a 15-yard run by Keyes after a 65-yard drive. The Boilermakers would not breach the Beaver 40 for the rest of the game. Late in the period, Haggard kicked a 32-yard field goal to pull within 14–13. For most of the fourth quarter, Oregon State labored under a one-point deficit. However, with 6:35 left, Jess Lewis gave the Beavers the ball at the Boilermaker 30 after recovering his second fumble of the game. It took Oregon State less than three minutes to traverse the 30 yards. Earthquake Enyart rumbled in from four yards out to take a 19–14 lead with 3:54 left. On the ensuing kickoff, Haggard was instructed to kick it away from Keyes. He complied by lofting the ball. Purdue could not manage to field the kickoff and Oregon State's Mel Easley recovered at the Purdue 28. Haggard would go on to kick a 38-yard field goal to take a 22–14 lead with 1:06 left. Any hopes for a Purdue comeback were squashed when Mike Groff intercepted a pass on Purdue's first play from scrimmage.

Oregon State held Keyes to 74 yards rushing. Both Steve Preece and Earthquake Enyart outrushed him. Purdue would go on to win their next four games before losing a road game against Indiana, who wound up #4 in the final AP Poll. Purdue wound up #9, finishing as Big Ten co-champions with Indiana and Minnesota. Not knowing that more would come, 2000 people turned out at the Corvallis Airport to welcome the team home. The following weekend, Washington State came to Corvallis, Oregon. Oregon State put up 21 first half points. In the second half, Washington State came out motivated. They scored on their first possession and blocked an Oregon State punt, recovering at Oregon State's four. In four tries, they did not manage to notch a single yard. After stopping the Cougars, the Beavers did not look back, scoring two late touchdowns to win 35–7.

On the first Saturday in November, #15 Oregon State traveled to the Coliseum to take on #2 UCLA. Oddsmakers initially made the Bruins a 13-point favorite but gamblers loaded up on the upset-minded Beavers. At kickoff, the spread was a mere seven points. UCLA, coming off of a bye, had two weeks to prepare for Oregon State. The Bruins had faced a difficult schedule. They started off the season defeating #3 Tennessee 20–16. They had also had made two separate trips to Pennsylvania, defeating Pittsburgh by 32 points and Penn State, who wound up #10 in the final AP Poll, by two points.

The star for UCLA was quarterback Gary Beban, who would go on to win the 1967 Heisman Trophy. He and their three All-Conference linemen were the biggest reasons the Bruins were averaging 31 points an outing, averaging victories over their opponents by more than 15 points a game. There was no All-Conference selection for kicker in 1967, but UCLA's Zenon Andrusyshyn almost certainly would have been the All-Conference selection. The tilt was the first Oregon State-UCLA game since they were both members of the Pacific Coast Conference. It was also the first time Oregon State had squared off against their old coach, Tommy Prothro.

Less than three minutes in, Earthquake Enyart plowed into the end zone from a yard out, capping off a 38-yard drive, which began after a fumbled punt. UCLA's only threat in the quarter ended when Zenon Andrusyshyn's 42-yard attempt sailed wide right. Early in the second quarter, UCLA extinguished another Oregon State threat, stopping Enyart six inches short of the goal line on fourth-and-goal (although both Preece and Enyart continue to believe that Enyart crossed the goal line). The near miss reinvigorated UCLA, which drove 99 yards for the equalizer. Andrusyshyn made two field goals in the quarter to help UCLA go up 13–7 at halftime.

Late in the third quarter, Oregon State scored a touchdown, when Billy Main scampered in from nine yards out. However, Haggard's extra point hit the left upright, keeping the score knotted at 13. In the fourth quarter, UCLA put together a 71-yard drive, aided by an inadvertent whistle, which nullified a Bruin fumble. UCLA had to settle for a 26-yard field goal after Oregon State's defense stiffened. UCLA threatened to put the game away with about two minutes left, but Mark Waletich intercepted a Beban pass in the end zone. In 45 seconds, Oregon State drove 69 yards. However, they faced a decision on fourth and a long four from UCLA's 11. The Beavers decided to kick the field goal, knotting the score at 16 with 1:14 left. UCLA responded by driving down to the 23-yard line. UCLA sent Andrusyshyn onto the field, but Ron Boley managed to bat down the kick with less than 10 seconds left, preserving the 16–16 tie. The 16 points were the fewest UCLA had scored in 1967. 1000 fans turned out to welcome Oregon State back home.

The game had barely ended when Dee Andros began being assailed by questions about Oregon State's chances against the #1 Trojans. He finally grew sick of it and said, "I'm tired of playing these number two ranked teams. Bring on number one." The following weekend, he got his wish. The #1 Trojans were a juggernaut. In the 1960s, Southern California would finish no worse than second in their conference, winning six conference championships, playing in five Rose Bowls, and winning two national championships. The 1967 Trojans may have been the best Trojan team in the decade. Sporting News ranked 1967 Southern California as the #9 team of the 20th century. Their non-conference schedule included #1 Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana; #3 Michigan State in East Lansing, Michigan; and #4 Texas in the Coliseum. Southern California started off the non-conference slate with a 17–13 win over Texas in the Coliseum. Then, they traveled to East Lansing, Michigan, to defeat Michigan State 21–17. In the Battle for the Jeweled Shillelagh, the Trojans defeated the Irish 24–7 in South Bend, Indiana. The 17-point loss served as the largest margin of defeat the Irish would endure in South Bend, Indiana, between 1963 and 1979. When Southern California rolled into Corvallis, they were averaging winning every game by more than 20 points against one of the hardest schedules ever compiled.

Southern California's two biggest stars were right tackle Ron Yary and halfback O.J. Simpson. Yary was the best lineman in the country and would win the Outland Trophy at the end of the year. O.J. Simpson led the country with 1050 rushing yards. He would go on to finish second on Heisman ballots in 1967 and would win the trophy in 1968. Both players would wind up as the first overall pick of the NFL draft after each of their senior seasons, and each would enter both the College Football and Pro Football Hall of Fames.

The game was highly anticipated. California governor Ronald Reagan and Oregon governor Tom McCall made the trip. Ronald Reagan had famously said he would handpick a box of oranges if Oregon State won. Tom McCall turned the boast into a bet when he offered to put up a freshly caught silver salmon against Ronald Reagan's handpicked box of oranges. The game was held on Veteran's Day, so, along with the two governors, ten generals and admirals, including Lt. General Jimmy Doolittle; three Congressional Medal of Honor recipients; and the Air Force Academy Drum and Bugle Corps were on hand. 41,494 fans filled the 40,750-seat stadium. It was the most-attended single sporting event in the history of Oregon. The weather, which became a topic of contention after the fact, was pretty mundane for a November in Oregon. From the eighth to the 11th only .83" of rain fell and not a drop fell during the contest. At kickoff the #1 Trojans were 11-point favorites over the #13 Beavers.

On the Trojans' first play from scrimmage, O.J. Simpson quickly showed he was worthy of Heisman consideration, rushing for 40 yards around left end. However, the Trojans were forced to settle for a 36-yard field goal attempt, which sailed wide right. The Trojans never got any closer to the Beaver end zone. By the end of the first quarter, O.J. Simpson had already rushed for 87 yards. Early in the second quarter, the Juice finally broke loose. He shook off a tackler at the Trojan 37 and steamed upfield with three blockers to lead him. He only had one man to beat, Mark Waletich. Simpson slowed down to allow his blockers dispatch the overmatched defender. Out of nowhere, Jess Lewis closed on Simpson, eventually dragging O.J. down from behind at the Beaver 32. Southern California would get eight yards on the next three plays. Rather than attempt a 41-yard field goal, the Trojans went for it, but Ron Boley tackled the Trojans' quarterback, Steve Sogge, for no gain. Later in the second quarter, Oregon State's Skip Vanderbundt came up with a Southern California fumble at the Trojan 47. Over the next eight plays, the Beavers rushed for 34 yards all on running plays by Earthquake Enyart, Steve Preece, and Billy Main. On fourth-and-three at the Trojan 13, Mike Haggard's 30 yarder split the uprights for a 3–0 lead. Later in the first half, Mike Haggard's second attempt from 28 yards sailed wide right. The half ended with a 3–0 Oregon State lead.

In the third quarter, Oregon State's Enyart took off from the Beaver 24 and was not caught until he reached the Trojans' 19. When he was tackled, Enyart fumbled. The fumble was recovered by Southern California's team captain, Adrian Young, the All-American linebacker. As the game wore on, both defenses only seemed to get stronger. Early in the fourth quarter, Southern California faced a third-and-two at its own 23. Ron Boley dropped Steve Sogge for a loss. Later in the quarter, the Trojans had their best scoring opportunity of the second half, when they faced third-and-one at Oregon State's 42. Boley again tackled Sogge in the backfield for a two-yard loss. Oregon State's returner, Charlie Olds, received the ensuing punt at the Beaver nine and raced downfield. He was hit at the Trojan 35-yard line and fumbled. The ball bounced near Olds but not near enough to recover the fumble. Instead, Olds batted the ball out of bounds. The referees called a penalty for illegal batting, which was a personal foul, penalized by an automatic change of possession. Southern California was unable to generate a first down on the drive. In the last 44 minutes of the game, the Trojans managed just three first downs and only crossed midfield twice. Perhaps the best boost for the defense was the punting of Gary Houser. Southern California did not start a drive beyond their own 35 all game long. With three minutes left, Simpson fumbled. It proved to be his final carry. He ended with 188 yards rushing but, more importantly, no touchdowns. Fittingly, Jess Lewis came up with the fumble. Oregon State's offense was so enthused that they managed their only first downs of the second half, which enabled the Beavers to run out the clock.

The 3–0 loss was the last time the Trojans would be shut out until they went on probation in 1983. Oregon State's 2–0–1 record remains the best record against three top two teams in the same season. It is unclear whether Tom McCall ever received the box of oranges Ronald Reagan had promised to hand-pick. UCLA's 48–0 win over Washington the same day eliminated Oregon State from the Rose Bowl race. Conference rules did not permit more than one team to go to a bowl game at the time, so the Civil War would be Oregon State's last game of the year. On November 18, #1 UCLA and #2 Southern California battled for the Victory Bell in the Coliseum. UCLA was 7–0–1 and Southern California was 8–1. It has been dubbed the "Game of the Century" and the "signature game" in the rivalry. The 21–20 win on O.J. Simpson's 64-yard fourth quarter scamper helped propel the Trojans to a national championship.

The final opponent on #8 Oregon State's schedule was 2–7 Oregon. They were not another giant, but they were improving. Their two victories had both come in the previous four weeks. The Beavers were coming off one of the biggest victories in their program's history and were ripe to be upset. Gary Houser's first punt was partially blocked and recovered at the Beaver 31. On their first play from scrimmage, Oregon's Eric Olsen threw a 20-yard pass. The Ducks would only gain one yard on three plays and had to settle for a 27-yard field goal. Before halftime, Oregon State's Earthquake Enyart fumbled twice inside Oregon's 10-yard line. Charlie Olds ended the Ducks' best drive of the first half by picking off an Eric Olsen pass in the Beaver red zone.

Oregon State's first drive of the second half ended on a Beaver fumble at Oregon's 43. The Ducks capitalized, quickly finding themselves with first-and-goal at the Beaver three. Oregon State's defense did not fold, stopping Oregon a foot short of the end zone on third-and-goal. However, the Ducks dove in on their fourth attempt, increasing their lead to 10–0 with five minutes left in the third quarter. Oregon State was in dire straits after fumbling again at their own 45-yard line. Oregon drove 15 yards but missed a 47-yard field goal. Early in the fourth quarter, Oregon State finally hit their stride. Starting at their own 20, the running game began finding holes over and through the Duck defense. On one third-and-eight, Steve Preece found Don Summers for a 35-yard gain. On the next play, Roger Cantlon hauled in a pass at Oregon's one-yard line. From there, Enyart plowed over the Duck defenders and into the end zone, cutting Oregon's lead to 10–7 with nine minutes left. Oregon State's defense responded by forcing Oregon to go three-and-out. The punt only carried to Oregon State's 46. It took nine plays before Oregon State had first-and-goal on the four-yard line. The Ducks loaded up the middle to try and stop Enyart; however, Steve Preece threw them a curve, running around left end for a touchdown with two-and-a-half minutes left, taking the lead 14–10. After getting the ball back, Oregon's final four plays only netted seven yards, turning the ball over to Oregon State. The Ducks would not get it back.

The Civil War victory propelled the Beavers to #7 in the final AP Poll, which was their best ever final ranking. It would take another 33 years for Oregon State to be ranked any higher. Oregon State's 7–2–1 record was its best between 1962 and 2000. It is all the more impressive because they were only favored to win three of the ten games they played.

In the off-season, the Athletic Association of Western Universities was renamed the Pacific-8 conference. As good as the Giant Killers were, many expected the 1968 Beavers to be even better. Just four of the 22 starters graduated, perhaps the biggest loss was the kicker, Mike Haggard. Another starter, Jess Lewis, did not return in 1968 because he competed for the United States on the Olympic wrestling team. A top ten team returning the vast majority of their starters did not go unnoticed. Playboy rated Oregon State as the #1 team in their season preview. The pollsters rated the Beavers #6, Oregon State's highest-ever ranking up until that time.

Oregon State began the season by traveling to Iowa City, Iowa, for the third consecutive season to play Iowa. Iowa was not expected to put up much of a fight, losing the previous two to Oregon State by double digits. In the third quarter, though, Steve Preece was injured. He would not return. The backup quarterback, Gary Barton, committed three of the five Beaver turnovers. Oregon State wound up losing 21–20; a missed extra point made up the difference. Without Preece, the Beavers relied almost exclusively on Bill Enyart, who ran for 299 yards in a narrow 24–21 win over Utah, but Steve Preece returned to lead Oregon State past Washington 35–21.

The following weekend in Lexington, Kentucky, the Beavers stumbled again, losing to Kentucky 35–34. Once again, a missed extra point was the difference. After the loss, Oregon State started winning. After crushing Arizona State and doing just enough to beat Washington State, they knocked off the Jim Plunkett-led Stanford Indians 29–7 in Stanford Stadium. The win was their last in Stanford Stadium in 30 years and earned the Beavers a #15 ranking. In Tommy Prothro's first return to Corvallis, Oregon, since he was coach of the Beavers, Oregon State beat UCLA 45–21. It was the only time the Beavers would best Prothro as a coach.

The #13 Beavers traveled to the Coliseum to battle the #1 Trojans. The winner would represent the Pacific-8 in the Rose Bowl. A tie would have muddled the race. Oregon State took a 7–0 lead into the fourth quarter, but O.J. Simpson stole the show, on his way to winning the Heisman Trophy. He wound up running for 238 yards and a touchdown. Oregon State kept it close but fell 17–13.

The following weekend, the Beavers let out their frustration on the Ducks. The 41–19 win was the biggest blowout for Oregon State in the series since World War II. It also provided the Beavers their first advantage in the series (32–31–9) since they won the original Civil War in 1894. The Beavers finished #16 in the final poll. All-told, Oregon State was six points from an undefeated season. It was the closest the Beavers had come to an undefeated season since their last undefeated season in 1914 and would remain the closest until 2000. It was the third consecutive season that Oregon State finished as the runner-up in the conference to Southern California.

Despite the success, Oregon State did not receive much attention. Only the conference was allowed to go to the Rose Bowl. No other team was allowed to participate in a bowl game. Because they were precluded from participating in a bowl as the second-place team, most of the nation did not hear much about the team. In the off-season, Dee Andros met one of his black players, Fred Milton, on-campus. Milton had grown a Van Dyke; however, Andros had a no facial hair policy. When Milton refused to shave it off, he was kicked off the team.[7] The Black Student Union and 4000 other students protested Andros' decision. By the time the mess had sorted itself out, two-thirds of the black players had quit the team. There were no black recruits in the 1969 recruiting class. Andros was labeled a racist in many circles and seemed unable to shake it.

In 1969, Oregon State began the season with three straight road games. The Beavers began by losing to the Bruins and their new triple-option attack in the Coliseum. However, Oregon State managed to knock off Iowa, 42–14, and upset #18 Arizona State, 30–7. The Beavers would not beat the Sun Devils in Tempe, Arizona, again until the 2009 season. Oregon State could not build on the winning streak, losing to the #5 Trojans in Corvallis, Oregon.

Oregon State went back on the road again the following weekend against Washington. Set up by a second quarter interception, Washington drove 41 yards in eight plays to take the lead 6–0. Oregon State immediately responded by going 58 yards in seven plays to set up a Mike Nehl field goal which went through the uprights with no time left on the clock, cutting the lead to 6–3. For the next 28 minutes, the Beavers dominated every facet of the game, completely shutting the Huskies down, but Oregon State could not manage to score a single point. Getting the ball at their own 18 with 1:30 left. The Beavers managed to drive to the Husky 49. On the last play of the game, Steve Endicott lofted a pass into the night sky, which came down into the arms of Jim Scheele. Oregon State won 10–6. It was the only time the Beavers have won where all the points were scored with no time left on the clock.

Despite the win, the Beavers dropped the next two to fall to 3–4 but beat California and Washington State to go to 5–4. With less than a minute left in a Civil War knotted at seven, Mike Nehl, already having missed two field goals on the day, lined up to kick a 29-yard field. The Ducks' Jim Franklin managed to block the kick, but the ball ricocheted off of an official and hit Oregon linebacker, Don Graham's, foot beyond the line of scrimmage. Oregon State's Bill Plumeau came up with the free ball at the Oregon four. With only time for one play, Mike Nehl kicked the game-winning 21-yard field goal through the uprights for an improbable 10–7 Beaver victory.

In 1970, Oregon State began by blowing a 9–0 halftime lead to lose 14–9 to #18 UCLA. Oregon State then beat Iowa 21–14. The following weekend, the Beavers upset #14 and undefeated Oklahoma in Norman, Oklahoma, 23–14. Steve Endicott threw three touchdown passes and the defense held the Sooners scoreless in the second half. The Beavers wound up outgaining the Sooners 450–190. The loss to Oregon State was the only non-conference home loss Oklahoma would endure in the 1970s.

After splitting with #5 Southern California and Utah, Oregon State crossed the Rockies a second time to battle #19 Houston. The Cougars were 18-point favorites but trailed the Beavers until Steven Wright hauled in a 21-yard touchdown pass with 1:17 left for a 19–16 Houston win. The loss was the first of three for Oregon State. However, the Beavers swept California, Washington State, and Oregon for the second year in a row to finish with a winning record. Oregon State would not sweep California, Oregon, and Washington State in the same season again for three decades.

In 1971, Oregon State started 1–2, beating Iowa in Corvallis and losing road games to Georgia and Michigan State. The Beavers then managed to beat the Bruins in the Coliseum, 34–17. This remains the last time Oregon State has defeated any team in the Coliseum. The following weekend, California's Steve Sweeney made a diving catch in the end zone with no time left on the clock for a 30–27 California victory.

After stumbling to the 2–3 start, the #11 Sun Devils came to Portland, Oregon, to play the Beavers. Arizona State had not lost in more than two years, building a 21-game winning streak. The Beavers upset the Sun Devils 24–18 behind Dave Schilling's 47 carry, 157-yard, 3 touchdown performance. In the process, Schilling became Oregon State's all-time leading rusher. The victory was Oregon State's fifth consecutive victory over Arizona State. The 1914 tie with Washington, 1933 tie with Southern California, and 1971 victory over Arizona State meant that Oregon State had ended three of the 40 longest winning streaks in college football history. Only Notre Dame could claim the feat at the time. Miami of Florida has since joined Notre Dame and Oregon State.

After the win, Washington beat Oregon State 38–14. The following weekend, the Beavers hopped out to a 24–3 second-quarter lead over Stanford. However, the Indians clawed back to 24–17 on two Don Bunce touchdown passes. Midway through the fourth quarter Jackie Brown bowled in from one-yard out to pull Stanford within one, but Bunce's two-point conversion pass was intercepted by Steven Brown, his fourth interception of the game. However, Stanford got the ball back and scored on another Jackie Brown scamper with 53 seconds left to win 31–24. The loss was demoralizing on two fronts. Had the rest of the season played out like it did, the win over Stanford would have earned the 6–5 Beavers a Rose Bowl invitation over the 7–4 Indians. Instead, 8–3 Stanford went to the Rose Bowl and upset #4 Michigan. In addition, the loss dropped Oregon State to 3–5. Absent a tie, the Beavers would have to win out to avoid their first losing season since 1959. However, Arizona defeated Oregon State 34–22 in Tucson, Arizona. The Beavers followed up the defeat by beating the Cougars by seven. In the Civil War, Bill Cariquist would go in from six yards out with 100 seconds left on the clock to lead the Beavers to a 30–29 victory and ensure Bobby Moore (a.k.a. Ahmad Rashad) would never see a Civil War victory. The 5–6 record would remain Oregon State's best until 1998.

Dee Andros' best season after 1971 was 1974's 3–8 mark, where the three Oregon State wins were against the other three Pacific-8 teams in the Northwest: Washington, Washington State, and Oregon. The Beavers would not replicate the feat for another three decades. 1975 began with an eight-game losing streak. The single win was a 7–0 victory over Washington State, which proved to be the last game Andros would coach at Parker Stadium. The Cougars escaped to Albany, where a Portland sportswriter ran into Washington State's beleaguered coach, Jim Sweeney. Sweeney moaned that he had just lost to the worst football team in America. The win was the last over Washington State in Corvallis in almost two decades. The season ended with a 14–7 loss to Oregon, just Andros' second loss to the Ducks and Oregon's first home win in the series since 1963. The five consecutive losing seasons matched the Beavers' longest such streak. At season's end, Andros resigned as head coach and took over as athletic director. Craig Fertig, a fund-raiser, was named the new coach of Oregon State. He had 10 years of assistant coaching experience for the Trojans and the Portland Storm of the WFL. Oregon State was his first head coaching position.

The 1971 season was the first of a slump for the Beavers that would last almost 30 years, known derisively as "The Streak." From 1971 to 1998, Oregon State failed to garner a winning record and went 65–238–6, a .210 winning percentage, the lowest winning percentage of any major college team in the era. From 1972 to 1997, between the two 5–6 seasons which book-ended The Streak, Oregon State went 55–226–6, a .192 winning percentage, again the lowest percentage of any major college team in the era. In between 1972–1997, only four Beaver teams reached the four-win mark. All four seasons came in between 1988 and 1994. The best season was 1988's 4–6–1 record, a .409 winning percentage.

The Dennis Erickson Era at Oregon State began in Reno, Nevada on September 4, 1999. Nevada took a 13–7 lead into the fourth quarter, but tight end Martin Maurer caught a Jonathan Smith pass and rumbled 74-yards for a 14–13 Oregon State lead. Ken Simonton would tack on two more touchdowns to give the Beavers a 28–13 win. In the offseason, Parker Stadium had been renamed Reser Stadium. The first opponent to visit Reser Stadium was Fresno State. After spotting the Bulldogs a 14–13 first-quarter lead, the Beavers outscored Fresno 33–9. Billy Volek and the Bulldogs would go on to win the WAC championship.

Georgia Southern, the top-rated 1-AA team, and their star running back, Adrian N. Peterson, who would wind up the leading rusher in Division I-AA history, arrived in Corvallis, Oregon for a September 18 matchup. Peterson ran for 172 yards and two touchdowns. The game featured a multitude of big plays and excitement, and was tied at 34 with seven minutes left, but the Beavers scored twice in a three-minute span to put Georgia Southern away. It would be Georgia Southern's worst loss in 1999 on their way to the first of two consecutive 1-AA national championships.

Oregon State took their 3–0 record to Southern California looking for their first 4–0 start since 1957. The #16 Trojans held a 37–7 lead with 12 minutes left. After benching Jonathan Smith, back-up Terrance Bryant led Oregon State back with 22 unanswered points but could get no closer. The 22 points were the most fourth quarter points Southern California had given up in more than a quarter century. After losing to Washington, Oregon State held a 17–14 lead over Stanford with four minutes left, but lost 21–17. Stanford wound up winning the Pac-10 that season. The following weekend, in Corvallis, Oregon, Oregon State handed UCLA its worst loss since 1930, 55–7. With a win over Washington State in Pullman, Washington, Oregon State was a game away from its first non-losing season since 1970. In the Beavers first try for their sixth win, on November 6 in Corvallis, Kyle Boller put California on top in the first quarter with an 83-yard touchdown pass. The seven points would keep California in the lead into the fourth quarter. However, Oregon State exorcised 28 years worth of demons with two fourth-quarter touchdowns for a 17–7 win. The scoreboard read, "Hail Dorothy! The wicked streak is dead!"

With a win on November 13 against Arizona, ranked #4 before the season began, Oregon State would be able to clinch its first bowl berth since 1965. The Beavers took the lead on a 65-yard touchdown pass from Jonathan Smith to Roddy Tompkins with 88 seconds left in the first half. Oregon State would not relinquish it, winning 28–20. After losing the Civil War to Oregon 25–14 in Eugene, Oregon, Oregon State was invited to the 1999 O'ahu Bowl against Hawaii. Hawaii had rebounded from an 0–12 campaign in 1998 to go 8–4 in 1999, the best one-year turnaround in NCAA history at that time. Oregon State took the opening kickoff and drove 80 yards for a touchdown. Oregon State did not score again until the last play of the first half, when Ryan Cesca kicked a 37-yard field goal to knot the game at 10. The 37-yard field goal was his only made attempt in four first half tries. Prick Hannum's 35-yard field goal with 2:58 left gave Hawaii a 23–10 lead. Oregon State drove 81 yards in 1:31 to cut the lead to 23–17. Roddy Tompkins recovered Ryan Cesca's ensuing onside kick at Hawaii's 48. However, T.J. Houshmandzadeh was called for a controversial procedural penalty, nullifying the recovery. A second attempt at an onside kick went out of bounds, and Hawaii ran out the clock.

Oregon State started out the 2000 campaign narrowly beating Division I-AA Eastern Washington 21–19. Ken Simonton became the all-time leading Beaver rusher, running for 200 yards. The following weekend in Albuquerque, New Mexico, New Mexico hopped out to a 20–14 fourth-quarter lead, but the Beavers took a one-point lead on T.J. Houshmandzadeh's nine-yard touchdown pass from Jonathan Smith. Up one, Oregon State faced fourth-and-one at New Mexico 43-yard line. Simonton ran for a 43-yard touchdown. The Lobos drove to the Beaver 29, but Keith Heyward-Johnson intercepted Rudy Caamano's pass with 20 seconds left to cement a 28–20 win. Following a bye, the third time was the charm, as Oregon State throttled San Diego State 35–3 in Corvallis. It was the Beavers first win over San Diego State in three tries.

The following weekend, the #7 Trojans arrived in Corvallis. Oregon State had not defeated Southern California since the Beavers' Giant Killer year in 1967. In the 33 preceding years, the Trojans had outscored the Beavers 991–268, averaging winning each game 38–10. Oregon State only lost one game by less than a touchdown and that was in 1968 (17–13). The 2000 Trojans were the highest ranked version the Beavers had faced since 1988. The team was buoyed on both sides of the ball by two future Pro Bowlers: Carson Palmer on offense and Troy Polamalu on defense. Starting tailback Sultan McCullough came in averaging 118 yards a game.

On the Trojans' first play from scrimmage, the Beavers forced Carson Palmer out of the pocket and intercepted the future Heisman winner. On the ensuing drive, Chad Johnson hauled in a 15-yard touchdown pass from Jonathan Smith. A little over four minutes later, Ken Simonton scampered in from 20 yards out to put Oregon State up 14–0 less than 10 minutes into the game. The deficit only seemed to wake the Trojans from their slumber. Palmer threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to pull within seven. After the Beavers broke into the Trojan red zone, Oregon State fumbled, and the Trojans' Zeke Moreno picked it up and ran 88 yards for a touchdown. It was Zeke Moreno's third defensive touchdown against the Beavers in his career. At that point, things looked bleak for Oregon State; a 14–0 lead had degenerated into a 14–14 tie. The Beavers had never beaten the Trojans after giving up two touchdowns.

At that point, the improbable happened, a possum appeared running around in the South end zone. It proceeded to run north down the field. As it neared the North end zone, the crowd grew louder and louder, cheering on the marsupial. When it finally crossed the goal line, the crowd exploded. The jumbotron was showing a slow motion replay of the possum's ramble, when it was finally wrangled by Jess Lewis, head of maintenance for Oregon State's athletic facilities and former Giant Killer. Thirty-three years previous, Lewis had made the game-saving tackle of O.J Simpson and recovered O.J. Simpson's fumble after Simpson's final carry of the day to seal the 1967 victory, the Beavers' last win over the Trojans. Just like that, the crowd was back in the game and whatever momentum the Trojans had evaporated. The half ended tied at 14.

The Trojans took the second half kickoff and drove into Beaver territory. They looked completely in charge when Antonie Harris hauled in what appeared to be a Carson Palmer touchdown pass. However, the play was nullified by a delay of game penalty. The Trojans had to settle for a field goal attempt which hit an upright to preserve the tie. Defenses dominated the third quarter. McCullough left the game with a knee injury. The Beavers had held him to 33 yards, 85 yards short of his season average. Early in the fourth quarter, the Trojans blinked. Petros Papadakis fumbled inside the Trojan 10-yard line. Oregon State's Calvin Carlyle came up with the ball. Simonton plowed in from two yards out to take a 21–14 lead with 11:14 left. After the Trojans punted, Oregon State drove to the Trojan 24. Ryan Cesca connected on his first goal of the year to take a 24–14 lead. After two consecutive Trojan drives ended in interceptions, the game appeared over, but Oregon State's punter, Mike Fessler, fumbled at the Beavers' 12-yard line. Palmer threw his second touchdown pass with 2:16 left, narrowing the deficit to 24–21. The Trojans' failed onside kick gave Oregon State great field position. Simonton turned a short gain into a 36-yard touchdown, which put the game away. The touchdown gave Simonton 234 yards on the day, the second most yards the Trojans had ever given up to one running back. The Trojans could only manage 63 yards rushing; they were outrushed by the possum. The famous run by the possum entered the lore of Oregon State football, and Oregon State was still unbeaten at 4–0.

The following weekend, #23 Oregon State traveled to Seattle, Washington, to battle #11 Washington. Washington had already beaten the #4 Miami Hurricanes 34–29 in Seattle, Washington. Miami would wind up the #2 team in the country in 2000, and the Huskies would finish #3 nationally. The Beavers were ranked for the first time since the end of the 1968 season. Down 33–23 with less than eight minutes left, Jonathan Smith engineered an improbable comeback, throwing an 80-yard touchdown pass to Chad Johnson wearing just one shoe. The Beavers got the ball back with less than five minutes left and drove 60 yards to the Husky 25. Trailing 33–30, the Beavers faced second and one with 42 seconds left and no timeouts. Instead of throwing a pass, Smith handed off to Simonton, who was tackled for a loss by Washington's Larry Tripplett. The Beavers had failed to call a third-down play beforehand, so Jonathan Smith was forced to spike the ball with less than 20 seconds left. Now facing fourth down, Ryan Cesca came on to kick a 46-yard field goal but missed wide right with 14 seconds left. The Beavers had suffered their first loss of the season.

The following weekend, the defending Pac-10 champion Cardinal came to Corvallis. Earlier in the year, Stanford had defeated #5 Texas 27–24. The Cardinal hopped out to a 3–0 first quarter, but the Beavers led at halftime 17–6. Early in the third quarter, in the shadow of their own goalpost, Jonathan Smith hit Chad Johnson on a short sideline route. Johnson eluded his defender and went the distance for a 97-yard touchdown play, the longest pass in Beaver history. Stanford never challenged after that point, losing 38–6. It was the biggest loss for the Cardinal in 2000.

The next Saturday, Oregon State traveled to the Rose Bowl to play #23 UCLA. The Bruins started off the 2000 season beating #3 Alabama and #3 Michigan. UCLA led at halftime 10–7. In the first half, Oregon State's starting running back, Ken Simonton, reaggravated a nagging groin injury and could not return to the game. The second half would prove to be an epic battle. Just 52 seconds into the third quarter, Jonathan Smith threw his first interception since the Eastern Washington game. Mat Ball returned the interception for a touchdown and a 17–7 lead. The Beavers responded less than two minutes later with their version of the Immaculate Reception. Smith threw to tight end Martin Maurer over the middle, but UCLA's Marques Anderson knocked the ball out of Maurer's hands. The ball fluttered through the air and wound up in the arms of Oregon State receiver Robert Prescott, who ran in for a 57-yard touchdown pass. The Bruins took a 31–21 fourth-quarter lead, but the Beavers swiftly tied the game at 31 with 9:25 left on a four-yard touchdown pass from Smith to Maurer. Oregon State built a 37–31 lead but faced 3rd-and-long inside its own ten-yard line. Disaster struck; Smith fumbled in the end zone and UCLA recovered. However, a penalty flag was on the field. Maurer was called for a touchdown-saving false start, nullifying the play. On 3rd-and-21, Antonio Battle ran for 22 yards on a draw play. Later in the drive, Patrick McCall ran for a 66-yard touchdown with 1:52 left. The Bruins scored to pull within six, 44–38, and recovered the onside kick, but turned the ball over on downs to effectively end the game.

After beating Washington State 38–9 on October 28, the 7–1 Beavers traveled to Berkeley, California, to play the Golden Bears. The Beavers were ranked #11 in the BCS standings, their first ever BCS ranking. They were ranked #10 in the Associated Press poll, breaking into the national top ten rankings for the first time since 1968. The Beaver-Golden Bear game was one of streaks. In the first seven minutes, the Beavers built a 14–0 lead on two Ken Simonton runs. The Golden Bears narrowed the lead to 14–12 early in the second quarter. Oregon State scored 17 points in a six-and-a-half minute span to take a 31–12 lead with 2:53 left. Kyle Boller threw his second touchdown pass with 10 seconds left in the first half to pull within 31–19. A little over 20 minutes into the second half, Kyle Boller's third touchdown pass cut the Beaver lead to 31–29 with 9:43 left. Oregon State's Patrick McCall scored on a 27-yard run with 6:06 left to take a 38–29 lead. The Golden Bears kicked a 40-yard field goal with 1:44 left, which made the final score 38–32.

The following weekend, Oregon State went to Tucson, Arizona, to play Arizona. The Beavers had never beaten the Wildcats in Tucson. Oregon State won 33–9. It was the first time the Wildcats had been held without a touchdown since 1994, when Oregon beat them 10–9 on their way to the Rose Bowl. The win set up the biggest Civil War game in generations. Fifth-ranked Oregon came to Corvallis to play #8 Oregon State, each with identical 9–1 records. Oregon, with a win, would clinch the Pac-10 championship and a Rose Bowl appearance. Oregon State was a win away from a share of the Pac-10 championship but needed help to go to the Rose Bowl. Washington's win over the Beavers had been the first of six consecutive second half comebacks by the Huskies on their way to a 9–1 record of their own. Oregon State needed a win and a Washington loss to go to the Rose Bowl. The game featured the highest ranked Beaver and Duck teams ever. Oregon and Oregon State's combined 18–2 record was the best combined record since 1933, when the Beavers and Ducks were 12–0–2 entering that year's Civil War game.

On Oregon's opening drive, Joey Harrington was intercepted by Jake Cookus, who returned the ball 13 yards to Oregon's 18. From there, Jonathan Smith found Robert Prescott for a 31-yard touchdown pass less than five minutes into the game. Six minutes later, Smith threw a 49-yard touchdown pass to Prescott to put the Beavers up 14–0. After Oregon's Josh Frankel missed a 44-yard field goal, Oregon State drove 58 yards to set up a 32-yard Ryan Cesca field goal. Harrington cut the lead to 17–7 after he snuck in from six yards out. In the third quarter, Simonton scampered in from 20 yards out to put the Beavers up 23–7. In the fourth quarter, Oregon's Sammy Morris scored from one yard out to cut the lead to 23–13, which proved to be the final score. Midway through the final quarter, the Ducks' last real threat ended when Sefa O'Reilly sacked Harrington, forcing a fumble, which the Beavers recovered. Oregon State's defense wound up forcing six Harrington turnovers. The 23 points were the fewest Oregon State had scored since the Eastern Washington game. For the first time since their loss to Oregon on September 30, Washington would fail to overcome a second half deficit; they did not need to, easily beating Washington State 51–3 to clinch a Rose Bowl berth. Three teams from the Pacific Northwest finished 1–2–3 for the first time since 1941, all with 7–1 conference records.

As the United States waited to see who won the disputed 2000 presidential election, Oregon State waited to see where they would play their bowl game. Fifteen days later, on December 4, one of the two mysteries was solved when the #5-ranked Beavers were invited to play the #10 Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the Fiesta Bowl in Tempe, Arizona on January 1, 2001. Oregon State had not won in Tempe since 1969. Notre Dame had last won in Tempe in 1998, the last time they had played there. Notre Dame began the season against four consecutive ranked opponents: #25 Texas A&M, #1 Nebraska, #13 Purdue, and #23 Michigan State. Notre Dame split the four games. They beat Texas A&M 24–10, but lost to Nebraska in overtime after future Heisman Trophy winner Eric Crouch crashed in from seven yards out. To add injury to insult, Notre Dame's starting quarterback, Arnaz Battle, was injured in the loss. The following week, the Irish beat Drew Brees and the Boilermakers 23–21 on a last second field goal but lost to T.J. Duckett and the Michigan State Spartans 27–21 on a 68-yard touchdown pass from Jeff Smoker to Herb Haygood with 1:48 left. Michigan State was the last ranked team Notre Dame would play. After making Matt LoVecchio the starting quarterback, the Irish swept their final seven opponents. Only 8–3 Air Force managed to stay within 12 points of the Irish. Arnaz Battle was converted into a flanker. The real star of the Irish was running back Julius Jones with 1169 all-purpose yards. In their 11 games, Notre Dame only turned the ball over eight times. LoVecchio was only intercepted once.

Oregon State had not won a bowl game in 38 seasons. Notre Dame won four national championships in that span. Despite the teams' histories, Oregon State was a three-point favorite at kickoff. In the first quarter, Oregon State outgained Notre Dame 110–8 but clung to a 3–0 lead on a Ryan Cesca's 32-yard field goal midway through the quarter. Five seconds into the second quarter, Cesca doubled the lead with a 29-yard field goal. On the Beavers' next drive, the Irish stopped the Beavers on fourth-and-goal at the Irish 1, but were forced to punt. Oregon State got the ball back at their own 26. Chad Johnson took a short Jonathan Smith pass and turned it into a 74-yard touchdown with 4:18 left in the half. The play proved to be the most controversial in the game, as replays showed the referees had clearly missed Johnson dropping the ball at the two-yard line before he scored the touchdown. After getting the ball back, LoVecchio was sacked twice to push Notre Dame back to their own two-yard line. Oregon State's Calvin Carlyle bailed out the Irish with a personal foul that gave Notre Dame a first down. Aided by a phantom pass interference call, the Irish drove to the Beaver 12-yard line, where Nick Setta kicked a 29-yard field goal to cut the lead to 12–3 at halftime. Oregon State had outgained Notre Dame 278–98 at halftime but only led by nine points.

In the second half, Notre Dame finally forced Oregon State to punt. However, LoVecchio fumbled after being sacked by Darnell Robinson, and Oregon State's Eric Manning recovered the fumble at the Irish 26. Two plays later, Smith threw a 23-yard touchdown to T.J. Houshmandzadeh with 12:04 left in the third quarter. The touchdown was Smith's 19th touchdown pass, an Oregon State record. Less than three minutes later, Notre Dame was forced to punt on its next possession. Houshmandzadeh returned the ball 16 yards and fumbled after a Rocky Boiman hit. Oregon State's Terrell Roberts picked up the fumble and ran 45-yards for a touchdown. Robert Prescott hauled in the two-point conversion for a 27–3 Oregon State lead. On Notre Dame's next drive, Robinson intercepted LoVecchio, giving the ball to Oregon State at the Irish 22. Four plays later, Johnson hauled in his second touchdown from four yards out with 7:02 left. Simonton capped Oregon State's scoring by rumbling in from four yards out with 4:54 left in the third quarter to put the Beavers up 41–3. In 7:10, Oregon State had scored 29 points, more than any other team on Notre Dame's schedule could muster in 60 minutes. Shortly thereafter, the Beavers began to substitute heavily. Notre Dame took advantage, when Tony Fisher ran in from one yard out to cut the lead to 32. 41–9 proved to be the final score.

Oregon State outgained Notre Dame 446–155. Julius Jones was held to 30 yards rushing. The rest of the Irish combined to rush for -13 yards on 24 carries. LoVecchio was 13 of 33 for 138 yards with two interceptions; he also carried the ball nine times for -49 yards, netting 89 total yards. The win was all the more impressive when one considers that Oregon State was penalized a Fiesta Bowl and school record 18 times for 174 yards. Ken Simonton's 85 yards gave him 1559 yards for the year, a new Oregon State record. A crowd of 75,428 turned out to watch the game, the best-ever attended non-championship game Fiesta Bowl and the most-attended Beaver victory ever. Estimates of the number of Beaver fans in the stadium that night ranged from 30,000 to 40,000. The loss was the biggest for Notre Dame in more than 15 years. It was the second-largest postseason loss for the Irish in their history. Only 1973's 40–6 Orange Bowl loss was larger. The win was Oregon State's largest margin of victory in a postseason game since the 1940 Pineapple Bowl. Oregon State finished 11–1, their best record in 93 years. The Beavers finished ranked #4 nationally, their highest ever ranking.

Oregon State's 2001 recruiting class included two future Pro Bowlers: Derek Anderson and Steven Jackson. Just over six months later, Ken Simonton appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated's College Preview issue. The issue ranked Oregon State #1. The first game was on the first Sunday in September in Fresno, California, against the Fresno State Bulldogs. Fresno State was riding high after upsetting Colorado in Boulder 24–22. The Bulldogs hopped out to a 17–3 second-quarter lead. After forcing a punt with just over six minutes left, the Bulldogs' Kendall Edwards hit the Beavers' Terrell Roberts, breaking Roberts' hand, before Roberts could field the punt. At the time, the punting team members were required by rule to stay more than two yards away from the returner until he fielded the punt. Edwards arrived so early that the ball hit him in the back. After getting up, Edwards hit Patrick McCall, who fielded the punt. Edwards then proceeded to taunt McCall before being swarmed by teammates, congratulating him for his "accomplishment." Roberts did not return to the game and missed the following game after undergoing surgery for his broken hand. The play resulted in a 15-yard penalty against Fresno State but no ejection for the blatant and dangerous infraction and subsequent taunting. The Beavers responded by driving 57 yards, Simonton's 16-yard touchdown scamper capped the first half scoring at 17–10. Oregon State could get no closer than seven the rest of the game, losing 44–24. At game's end, the Beavers were penalized 19 times for 129 yards; outside of the personal foul, the Bulldogs were penalized eight times for 58 yards. Fresno State fans continue to celebrate Edwards' hit. On top of everything else, Oregon State fans complained of poor treatment by the Fresno fans, including reports of being pelted with batteries.

Oregon State beat New Mexico State 27–22 in a game which was not as close as the final score indicated. The Aggies scored their final touchdown with 1:33 left. The scheduled September 15 game against Montana State was canceled due to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. To this day Oregon State has never played Montana State in football. After three weeks off, #10 UCLA made the trek to Corvallis and crushed Oregon State 38–7. The lone Beaver touchdown was a 63-yard run by freshman, Steven Jackson, his first college touchdown. The Bruins would climb to #3 in the BCS before losing four of its final five games. Terrell Roberts returned in a reserve role for the Bruins game, but free safety Calvin Carlyle received a season-ending injury in practice leading up to the game.

In Pullman, Washington, against the Cougars on October 6, undefeated Washington State hopped out to a 31–3 halftime lead. Entering the fourth quarter, Oregon State had pulled within 21. With less than seven minutes left, Kenny Farley blocked a Cougar punt. Jason Lowe picked up the ball and ran in from four yards out for a touchdown to cut the Cougars lead to 34–20. With 35 seconds left, Mitch Meeuwsen, playing in only his second game, returned a Cougar fumble 35 yards for a touchdown to pull the Beavers within seven. However, Ryan Cesca's onside kick was recovered by the Cougars, who held on for the 34–27 win.

After the narrow loss, Oregon State went 2–1 against the Arizonas and California. Then, the Beavers traveled to the Coliseum to play the Trojans. Oregon State's last victory over the Trojans in the Coliseum was in 1960. Troy Polamalu put the Trojans on the board first by blocking a Beaver punt, which the Trojans recovered in the Beaver end zone, in the first quarter to put the Trojans up 7–0. Both teams' defenses dominated for most of the game. Oregon State could only manage a 24-yard Ryan Cesca field goal in the first half.

In the third quarter, after the Trojans took a 10–3 lead, Steven Jackson hauled in a four-yard touchdown pass from Jonathan Smith to knot the score at 10. In the fourth quarter, the Beavers, trying to exorcise 41 years worth of demons at the Coliseum, drove into the Trojan red zone twice only to have both drives end with 35-yard field goal attempts. Ryan Cesca missed the first wide left with 6:17 left and the second wide right with 33 seconds left. In overtime, the Trojans won the toss and elected to go second. Cesca hit a 29-yard field goal on the Beavers' possession. Carson Palmer, who the Beavers had held in check all game, finally got the Trojan offense into the end zone, when he broke Terrell Roberts' tackle and dove in from four yards out, absorbing a Nick Barnett hit at the goal line. The 16–13 Southern California victory remains the closest Trojan victory over the Beavers in the last half century. The loss dropped Oregon State to 3–5.

In order to avoid a losing season, Oregon State would have to sweep their final three games. The task looked difficult with #8 Washington and #4 Oregon, tied atop the conference, remaining on the schedule. The Beavers had not beaten the Huskies since Lavance Northington recovered a blocked punt in the end zone in 1985. Aside from the 1985 upset, Oregon State had not beaten Washington since 1974, which was the last Beaver victory over the Huskies in Corvallis. Since the victory in 1974, Washington had outscored Oregon State 807–305, averaging beating the Beavers by more than three touchdowns every time the two took the field. The 2001 Husky team started off the season by besting #10 Michigan and had only tasted defeat once, against #7 UCLA in the first half of the season. Both Steven Jackson and Ken Simonton scored three touchdowns as the Beavers blew out the Huskies 49–24. Simonton caught the only touchdown reception of his four-year career. It was the largest margin of victory for Oregon State over Washington in a half century. The following weekend, Oregon State crushed Northern Arizona 45–10, evening the Beavers record at 5–5. Simonton rushed for 151 yards, leaving him at 887 yards on the year. With 113 yards against Oregon, he would be the first running back in the Pac-10 and fifth running back in college football history to rush for 1,000 yards in four different years.

Two weeks later, the Beavers and #4 Ducks squared off in the first December Civil War in more than a half century. The teams had to compete with rain, hail, and wind gusting up to 30 mph. The conditions only got worse as the game progressed. Oregon had beaten #22 Wisconsin to start the year but lost to Stanford at home by a touchdown in late October. They were averaging almost 36 points a game. The Beavers' Kirk Yliniemi, who had replaced Ryan Cesca as the field goal kicker partway through the Northern Arizona game, kicked 43- and 28-yard field goals to pace the Beavers to a 6–3 halftime lead. The Ducks only had 98 yards total offense in the first half.

The 6–3 lead held up until the fourth quarter. The Ducks defense forced the Beavers to punt nine seconds into the final period. The ensuing play is probably the most controversial "no call" in Civil War history. Keenan Howry picked up the ball at the Duck 24. Kyle Roselle looked like he was in perfect position to make the play but was pushed forward and away from the play by Ty Tomlin. Howry ran 76 yards down the field untouched to give the Ducks their first lead of the ball game. Most Beaver fans who saw the game insist that Tomlin's block was in Roselle's back and thus illegal. Most Duck fans insist that the block was not in Roselle's back and thus clean. Whether Tomlin's block was legal or not, the touchdown stood. Oregon's Maurice Morris tacked on an eight-yard touchdown with 4:36 left, which appeared to put the game out of reach. However, the Beavers did not fold. They capped off an 11-play drive with a 24-yard Jonathan Smith to Josh Hawkins pass with 2:05 left, Smith's last touchdown pass. Smith hit Shawn Kintner for the two-point conversion to pull Oregon State within three at 17–14. However, the onside kick squirted out-of-bounds at the Beaver 45, which looked as if it would wrap up an Oregon victory. But on third-and-nine with 1:49 left, Joey Harrington rolled out. Kyle Roselle managed to strip the Heisman Trophy hopeful and Jake Cookus pounced on the ball at the Duck 33. However, the Beavers lost seven yards on two plays. On third-and-17, Smith rolled back to pass and threw to James Newson. However, Newson slipped on the Autzen turf and the pass was intercepted by Rashad Bauman with about a minute left, ending the Beavers' last chance.

The Oregon win was something of a Pyrrhic victory for the Ducks. Joey Harrington completed 11 of 22 passes for 104 yards and carried three times for -34 yards, 70 total yards, no touchdowns, and a fumble. It effectively ended Harrington's Heisman chances. In addition, although the Ducks won, the computers punished them for the narrow victory. Oregon dropped as far as three spots in the six computer polls which took margin of victory into account. However, the loss did not prove to be a complete moral victory for the Beavers. Jonathan Smith thoroughly outplayed Harrington, completing 20 of 38 passes for 252 yards, a touchdown, an interception, and rushed once for -4 yards. The 248 total yards made Smith Oregon State's all-time total yardage leader. However, Ken Simonton finished with 84 yards, bringing his season total to 971 yards, 29 yards short of 1000.

2002 began in Corvallis against Eastern Kentucky, a 49–10 Oregon State win. The following Thursday, the Beavers traveled to Philadelphia to play Temple. Behind four Derek Anderson touchdown passes, Oregon State prevailed 35–3. The win remains the easternmost Beaver victory since the 1962 Liberty Bowl. Nine days later, Anderson one-upped himself, throwing for a Beaver record-tying five touchdowns and running for another, in a 47–17 Oregon State victory over UNLV.

The next weekend, Fresno State came to Corvallis. Dennis Erickson said that he had counted all 382 days since the Bulldogs beat the Beavers in 2001 and that the 2001 loss gnawed at him. Oregon State fans sold out Reser Stadium in anticipation. In the first quarter, Aric Williams plowed through Fresno State's punt returner for a personal foul. The Beavers earned another personal foul in the melee that followed. Revenge had been gained, and the hit set the tempo. A minute later, Richard Siegler intercepted a Jeff Grady pass and returned it 65 yards for a 7–0 Oregon State lead. After Fresno kicked a 25-yard field goal, Derek Anderson found Kenny Farley for a 48-yard touchdown pass. Ryan Cesca tacked on a 51-yard field goal for a 17–3 first-quarter lead. The Bulldogs responded with three field goals to pull within 17–12, but Derek Anderson threw two more touchdown passes to James Newson and Shawn Kintner to put the Beavers up 31–12 at halftime. In the third quarter, Steven Jackson rushed for two touchdowns and Dwight Wright ran for another. Noah Happe capped Oregon State scoring when he returned an interception 52 yards for a touchdown and a 59–12 lead. Fresno's backup quarterback, Paul Pinegar, threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to make the final score a more-respectable 59–19. The loss was the biggest for the Bulldogs since 1996. It also was the most points the Beavers had scored since 1996's 67–22 win over Northern Illinois.

At the end of September, the Trojans shut out the Beavers 22–0 in the Coliseum. The following weekend, UCLA came to Corvallis. On Oregon State's first play from scrimmage, Steven Jackson rumbled 80 yards for a touchdown and a 7–0 lead. On UCLA's ensuing possession, they drove into field goal range, but Nick Barnett blocked UCLA's field goal attempt which was returned for an 83-yard touchdown by Dennis Weathersby, the longest blocked field goal return in Beaver history. Less than six minutes into the game, the Beavers were up 14–0. UCLA then took over, however, scoring the game's next 29 points. In the fourth quarter, the two teams traded touchdowns. Noah Happe returned a fumble 19 yards to pull the Beavers within eight, 43–35, with a little more than two minutes left. However, UCLA was able to recover the onside kick and run out the clock for the win.

The following weekend, in Tempe, Arizona, Oregon State built a 9–3 third-quarter lead on three Kirk Yliniemi field goals. The Sun Devils took the lead on a 46-yard screen pass from Andrew Walter to Hakim Hill and followed it with a 46-yard field goal to take a 13–9 third-quarter lead. Late in the fourth quarter, facing fourth-and-seven at the Beaver 48, Derek Anderson found Steven Jackson for a 28-yard pass. Oregon State had the ball first-and-goal at the nine-yard line, but Anderson's first pass attempt was deflected. With less than a minute left, Anderson was sacked for a six-yard loss. On third-and-goal, Anderson was sacked again for a 17-yard loss with 19 seconds left. Inexplicably, the Beavers were unable to get a final play off, and Arizona State left 13–9 winners.

After beating California 24–13, Oregon State beat Arizona 38–3, the identical score as in 2001. It was the first time that the Beavers had defeated a team by an identical score in two consecutive years since Oregon State beat Idaho 34–0 in 1946 and 1947. Oregon State then split with Stanford and Washington. In the Civil War, Derek Anderson broke a 17–17 tie by throwing a 10-yard touchdown pass to Shawn Kintner with 28 seconds left in the first half. The Beavers tacked on two third-quarter touchdowns to pull away from the Ducks, winning 45–24. The win left Oregon State tied for fourth in the Pac-10 and Oregon in eighth place.

Oregon State was invited to play Pittsburgh in the Insight Bowl in Phoenix, Arizona. Pittsburgh got the ball first. Larry Fitzgerald made a spectacular, diving 40-yard touchdown catch. Oregon State answered when James Newson ran into the end zone for a 65-yard touchdown reception. The teams entered the locker room tied 10–10 at halftime. The Beavers started with the ball in the second half. Oregon State tried a flea flicker, but Derek Anderson's pass was intercepted and returned to the Beaver 23. After the interception, the Panther's Rod Rutherford eventually plowed into the end zone from one-yard out to post a 17–10 lead. Pittsburgh scored another touchdown on a 66-yard punt return for a 24–10 lead. Kirk Yliniemi kicked a 31-yard field goal to narrow the deficit to 24–13, but Oregon State would get no closer. The Panthers tacked on two touchdowns with less than six minutes left, which made the final score 38–13.

In February 2003, Dennis Erickson resigned to become the new coach for the San Francisco 49ers. Corvallis native and former OSU coach Mike Riley, who had been fired as coach of the San Diego Chargers at the end of the 2001–2002 season, was hired to replace him.

The 2003 season started strong, with a 40–7 win over I-AA Sacramento State, but was followed by a 16–14 loss at Fresno State. The Beavers bounced back to win back-to-back home games against non-BCS schools, beating New Mexico State 28–16 and Boise State 26–24. The win over BSU would prove to be the Broncos' only loss of the season, which they would finish ranked #16.

The Beavers then upset #24 Arizona State, 45–17, at home, and traveled to Berkeley to defeat California, 35–21, in what would prove to be their only true road win of the year. After a bye week, they found themselves ranked #22 with the anticipation of games against the Washington schools. Alas, the good times would not last, and the Beavers fell 38–17 to the Huskies in Corvallis, followed by a 36–30 defeat in Pullman to the #6 ranked Cougars.

OSU returned home to reach bowl eligibility with a 52–23 win over Arizona, and to improve to 7–3 (4–2 Pac-10) with a 43–3 shellacking of Stanford. However, the Civil War would once again go to the home team, with the Ducks winning 34–20, and the regular season would end with a 52–28 loss at #2 and eventual (AP) national champion USC.

The Beavers would be invited to face the New Mexico Lobos in the 2003 Las Vegas Bowl, which they would win, 55–14.

The Beavers' 2004 season opened in Baton Rouge against #3 LSU. OSU were beaten 22–21, in overtime. In his college debut, Alexis Serna missed three extra points; the third miss, in overtime, sealed the loss. It was an inauspicious start to an illustrious career. The following Friday, Boise State would avenge their only loss of the previous season, defeating the Beavers 53–34; OSU was the first team from a BCS conference to ever fall to the Broncos. After a 17–7 win over New Mexico, the Beavers would drop back-to-back games to ranked opponents, dropping a road game 27–14 to Arizona State, and falling at home 49–7 to #10 California. At 1–4, a winning season looked unlikely.

However, a turnaround was in the works. Playing three straight games against mediocre teams helped; OSU defeated Washington, Washington State, and Arizona, who combined for a total of 9 wins in 2004 (including the three games against each other; Washington would finish 1–10). A visit from #1 USC was expected to result in a blowout loss. In a thick fog, the Beavers jumped out to a 13–0 lead. However, the Trojans, led by future Heisman winner (and loser) Reggie Bush, would score the next 28 points and hold on to win, 28–20.

After defeating Stanford, the Beavers entered the Civil War with a bowl berth on the line; both teams entered the game at 5–5. The outcome was never in doubt, as the Beavers won in Corvallis, 50–21. Alexis Serna redeemed himself by kicking five field goals, Derek Anderson passed for 351 yards in his final home game, and Mike Hass caught nine passes for 154 yards and two touchdowns. OSU's 50 points were a team Civil War record.

For the second time in five years, the Beavers' bowl game was against Notre Dame in the state of Arizona, this time at the Insight Bowl in downtown Phoenix. Oregon State jumped to a 21–0 lead and never trailed, cruising to a 38–21 victory.