1964 Oregon State Beavers football team
Encyclopedia
The 1964 Oregon State Beavers football
team represented Oregon State University
in the 1964 NCAA college football season. The Beavers ended this season with eight wins and three losses in their first season in the Athletic Association of Western Universites after competing as an independent for five years. The team captains were Dick Ruhl and Booker Washington. The Beavers scored 149 points and allowed 124 points. Led by head coach Tommy Prothro
, Oregon State won the Athletic Association of Western Universities conference championship and represented the conference in the 1965 Rose Bowl
.
Oregon State's Dan Espalin picked off a pass early in the first quarter at the Washington 39, which the Beavers converted into a touchdown on Charlie Shaw's one-yard plunge. However, Steve Clark's extra point was blocked after a bad snap. Later in the first quarter, the Huskies took the lead on a 66-yard drive, capped off by Charlie Browning's 19-yard run. Oregon State's defense took over in the second quarter; Washington could not breach their own 34-yard line. One of two Jack "Mad Dog" O'Billovich's interceptions helped set up Steve Clark's game-winning 21-yard field goal with five seconds left in the first half. After the game, newspapers marveled at the Beaver's use of the seldom-seen no-huddle offense on the drive. Neither team could muster anything in the second half. Oregon State's defense held Washington to 139 yards in the game. Charlie Shaw was named the Athletic Association of Western Universities Back of the Week for his play. Oregon State and Washington have not met in Portland since the 9-7 Beaver victory.
, who would take the head coaching position at Oregon State early in 1965. The Beavers' win was their second and final victory over their future coach.
at fullback. The duo combined for 14 touchdowns in the first five games for the Orangemen. Nance also held the distinction of being the defending NCAA heavyweight wrestling champion. Syracuse entered the game on a four-game winning streak, having held their opponents to four touchdowns over the span. In the process, the defense earned the odd nickname "The Spiders."
On Syracuse's opening drive, Wally Mahle connected with Little, who broke three tackles and sauntered into the end zone to complete the 55-yard touchdown reception. Oregon State responded by scoring 31 consecutive points. Cliff Watkins ran in from 13 yards out to knot the game at seven. Paul Brothers then took over, throwing for two touchdowns and running for another. Watkins caught Brothers' second touchdown pass. Nance's two-yard run in the fourth quarter made the final score 31-13. The 13 points were the most the Beavers had surrendered in 1964. The late touchdown staved off what would have been Syracuse's biggest loss in a decade. The 18-point loss was still the biggest for Syracuse in almost two years and would be the largest the Orangemen would experience in 1964. At season's end, Syracuse was invited to play in the Sugar Bowl. The 31 points were the most The Spiders surrendered all year.
On Stanford's first possession, Oregon State forced the Indians to punt, but Dan Espalin fumbled inside the Beaver 10. The defense held Stanford out of the end zone, but the Indians' Braden Beck kicked a 23-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead. Later in the first half, Stanford got a first down at the one-yard line, but Oregon State held the Indians to -1 yards in four carries to preserve the three point deficit.
In the second half, the Beavers forced Stanford to punt at their 45 but were flagged for having too many men on the field. The Indians drove the final 50 yards for a touchdown and a 9-0 lead. The Beavers responded by driving 76 yards in five plays, capped by Paul Brothers' 21-yard touchdown pass to Bob Grim to pull within two. In the fourth quarter, Stanford again drove to the Oregon State one before losing a yard on fourth down. The Beavers' last real threat ended when Medford native Dick Ragsdale intercepted Brothers' pass to Grim at the Indian 19 and returned the ball back to the 43. From there, Stanford drove 57 yards for the clinching touchdown with four minutes left. The two Oregon State turnovers were the only ones for either team. Brothers completed 11 of 22 passes for 134 yards and ran for another 46. The 180 total yards gave him 1360 on the year, the third-highest single season total in Oregon State history behind Terry Baker
's 1960 and 1962 campaigns. Stanford's victory over Oregon and Oregon State gave Stanford a sweep of Oregon for the first time since 1953.
Oregon State only committed 10 turnovers in the previous nine games, but Oregon managed to recover three Beaver fumbles in the first half. After recovering one of Oregon State's fumbles at the Duck five, Oregon drove 95 yards for a touchdown. However, the Beavers' Al East manage to block the extra point to keep the score 6-0. The Ducks dominated the third quarter, driving to the Oregon State 16 before being pushed back. The Beavers' final drive began at the Oregon 41 with 5:43 left. Oregon State methodically drove 41 yards on 11 plays, taking almost five minutes off the clock. Booker Washington completed the drive by plowing in from the one with 54 seconds left, scoring his only collegiate touchdown in the process. Steve Clark's all-important extra point attempt split the uprights for a 7-6 Beaver lead. In the final 54 seconds, the Ducks managed to drive to the Beaver 27, but their field goal fell short with no time left.
. A big Southern California victory was the worst possible result for Oregon State. The win gave the Trojans a 6-3 overall record with a game against the #1 Fighting Irish left. Because Southern California had a game left to play, the Athletic Association of Western universities coaches agreed that, unless the Beavers or Trojans got unanimous support, they would wait to choose the conference representative until after the Battle for the Jeweled Shillelagh
. Neither team received unanimous support, so the conference delayed the vote. Many sports writers and Southern California fans understood this to mean that a win over Notre Dame game would get the Trojans a Rose Bowl berth, but the delay was purely procedural.
The Trojans wound up beating the Irish 20-17 behind Fertig's two touchdown passes. The conference vote took place immediately after the game concluded, splitting four votes a piece. Each team voted for itself; the three northern universities, which had all lost to the Beavers, voted for Oregon State and the three California universities, which had all lost to the Trojans, voted for Southern California. The tiebreaker, which was only implemented the previous February (before Oregon State was admitted to the conference), was to eliminate the team that had most recently gone to the Rose Bowl and Southern California had gone two years earlier. The Beavers had a better record than the Trojans and also had won one of the two conference victories against the Big 10, albeit against cellar-dwelling Indiana. The two teams went 2-1 against common opponents, although Southern California beat Colorado more decisively and lost to Washington by a single point. Trojans fans, many of whom lived in Pasadena, were livid, particularly because of the delay in the final vote. In addition, conference rules only permitted one team to play in a bowl game, which meant that Southern California's players, students, and fans were stuck in Southern California. The result was a very hostile environment for Oregon State before and during the Rose Bowl.
by 21 and #9 Michigan State by a touchdown. Then, the Wolverines lost to unheralded Purdue and their quarterback, Bob Griese, by a single point after failing on a two-point conversion. After the close loss, Michigan won five straight, including the finale against #7 Ohio State to win the Big Ten conference. Wolverine coach, Bump Elliott
, was no stranger to Oregon State, having been an assistant under former Beaver coach Kip Taylor
.
Oregon State broke a scoreless tie in the second quarter, driving 84 yards in 17 plays to take a 7-0 lead. Paul Brothers finished the drive by finding Paul McDougal for a five-yard touchdown pass. After the Beavers pinned Michigan at their own 16, the Wolverines' Mel Anthony ran for a Rose Bowl-record 84-yard touchdown. The extra point sailed wide, but Michigan added another touchdown before halftime for a 12-7 lead. The big play of the second half was the Wolverines' Bob Mielke blocking a Len Frketich punt partway through the third quarter. Anthony came up with the blocked punt at the Beaver 15. Anthony later converted the recovery into a one-yard touchdown and added a third touchdown later in the quarter. The three touchdowns tied another Rose Bowl record and earned Anthony player of the game honors. Michigan tacked on a fourth quarter touchdown to win 34-7. The win was the biggest by the Big Ten in the Rose Bowl since 1952, when the conference was still known as the Western Conference. The 34-7 loss remains Oregon State's last appearance in the Rose Bowl.
took the head coaching job at UCLA less than a week after the game ended. He took the Bruins to the Rose Bowl in 1966. Oregon State hired Idaho's Demosthenes Konstandies Andrecopoulos, a.k.a. Dee Andros
, as their new head coach. Andros immediately got to work, trying to recruit Steve Preece
. Preece had great speed (10.0 in the 100 yard dash), and a good arm, a great fit for the option offense Andros intended to implement. Linebackers Coach Ed Knecht, who had connections in Southwestern Idaho, received a phone call warning him that a rival school was attempting to steal Preece away from the Beavers, so Knecht promptly called Andros with the news. Andros responded, "Get the $@%! over there. And if you don't get him, don't bother to come back." Preece ultimately signed with Oregon State.
Oregon State Beavers football
The Oregon State Beavers football team represents Oregon State University in NCAA Division I-A college football. The team first fielded an organized football team in 1893 and is currently a member of the Pacific-12 Conference. The head coach is Mike Riley, with Danny Langsdorf as the offensive...
team represented Oregon State University
Oregon State University
Oregon State University is a coeducational, public research university located in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. The university offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees and a multitude of research opportunities. There are more than 200 academic degree programs offered through the...
in the 1964 NCAA college football season. The Beavers ended this season with eight wins and three losses in their first season in the Athletic Association of Western Universites after competing as an independent for five years. The team captains were Dick Ruhl and Booker Washington. The Beavers scored 149 points and allowed 124 points. Led by head coach Tommy Prothro
Tommy Prothro
James Thompson "Tommy" Prothro, Jr. was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Oregon State University from 1955 to 1964 and at the University of California, Los Angeles from 1965 to 1970, compiling a career college football record of 104–55–5...
, Oregon State won the Athletic Association of Western Universities conference championship and represented the conference in the 1965 Rose Bowl
1965 Rose Bowl
The 1965 Rose Bowl, played on January 1, 1965 was the 51st Rose Bowl Game. The Michigan Wolverines defeated the Oregon State Beavers by a score of 34–7...
.
Schedule
The Beavers finished the season with an 8–3 record, 3–1 in the Athletic Association of Western Universities. Ranks are based on the time the game was played.| Date | Opponent | Rank | Site | Beaver points | Opponents | Attendance | Record |
| September 19 | @ Northwestern Northwestern Wildcats football The Northwestern Wildcats football team, representing Northwestern University, is a NCAA Division I team and member of the Big Ten Conference, with evidence of organization in 1876... |
Dyche Stadium • Evanston, IL | 3 | 7 | 35,805 | 0-1 | |
| September 26 | @ Colorado Colorado Buffaloes football The Colorado Buffaloes football program represents the University of Colorado at Boulder in college football at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The team is currently a member of the Pacific-12 Conference, having previously been a charter member of the Big 12 Conference. Before joining the Big 12,... |
Folsom Field Folsom Field Folsom Field is an outdoor football stadium on the campus of the University of Colorado, at Boulder, Colorado. Opened in 1924, it is the home field of the Colorado Buffaloes of the Pacific-12 Conference; until July 2011, Colorado was a member of the Big 12 Conference. The horseshoe-shaped stadium... • Boulder, CO |
14 | 7 | 17,500 | 1-1 | |
| October 3 | @ Baylor | Baylor Stadium Floyd Casey Stadium Floyd Casey Stadium is a stadium in Waco, Texas. It is primarily used for football, and is the home field of the Baylor Bears. Floyd Casey Stadium is about four miles from the Baylor campus. Floyd Casey Stadium was built in 1950 and cost $1.8 million dollars to construct... • Waco, TX |
13 | 6 | 23,000 | 2-1 | |
| October 10 | vs. Washington Washington Huskies football College football has a long history at the University of Washington. The Washington Huskies have won 15 Pacific-10 Conference championships, seven Rose Bowl titles, and three national championships. Washington's all-time record of 653-398-50 ranks 20th by all-time winning percentage and 21st by... |
Multnomah Stadium PGE Park Jeld-Wen Field is an outdoor sports stadium located in Portland, Oregon, United States that is used primarily for soccer and American football... • Portland, OR |
9 | 7 | 33,853 | 3-1 | |
| October 17 | Parker Stadium Reser Stadium Reser Stadium is an outdoor athletic stadium in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. on the campus of Oregon State University. It is the home of the Oregon State Beavers of the Pacific-12 Conference. Originally opened in 1953 as Parker Stadium, the stadium was renamed in 1999, and its current... • Corvallis, OR |
10 | 7 | 13,527 | 4-1 | ||
| October 24 | vs. #8 Syracuse Syracuse Orange football The Syracuse Orange football program is a college football team that represents Syracuse University. The team is a member of the Big East Conference, which is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I conference that is part of the Football Bowl Subdivision... |
#17 | Multnomah Stadium PGE Park Jeld-Wen Field is an outdoor sports stadium located in Portland, Oregon, United States that is used primarily for soccer and American football... • Portland, OR |
31 | 13 | 24,236 | 5-1 |
| October 31 | @ Washington State Washington State Cougars football The Washington State Cougars football team is the intercollegiate football team of Washington State University. The team is a member of the Pacific-12 Conference... |
#14 | Rogers Field Rogers Field (Washington State) Rogers Field was an outdoor athletic stadium on the campus of Washington State University in Pullman, Washington. It was the home venue of the WSU Cougars football and track teams until severely damaged by a fire in April 1970... • Pullman, WA |
24 | 7 | 16,000 | 6-1 |
| November 7 | Indiana Indiana Hoosiers football The Indiana Hoosiers football program represents Indiana University Bloomington in NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football and in the Big Ten Conference.-Bowl games:... |
#16 | Parker Stadium Reser Stadium Reser Stadium is an outdoor athletic stadium in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. on the campus of Oregon State University. It is the home of the Oregon State Beavers of the Pacific-12 Conference. Originally opened in 1953 as Parker Stadium, the stadium was renamed in 1999, and its current... • Corvallis, OR |
24 | 14 | 20,389 | 7-1 |
| November 14 | @ Stanford Stanford Cardinal football The Stanford Cardinal football program represents Stanford University in college football at the NCAA Division I FBS level and is a member of the Pac-12 Conference's North Division. Stanford, the top-ranked academic institution with an FBS program, has a highly successful football tradition. The... |
#8 | Stanford Stadium Stanford Stadium Stanford Stadium is an outdoor athletic stadium on the Stanford University campus, the home of Stanford Cardinal college football team. It originally opened in 1921 as a football and track stadium, an earthen horseshoe with wooden bleacher seating and flooring upon a steel frame... • Stanford, CA |
7 | 16 | 39,500 | 7-2 |
| November 21 | #10 Oregon Oregon Ducks football The Oregon Ducks football program is the intercollegiate American football team for the University of Oregon located in the U.S. state of Oregon. The team competes at the NCAA Division I level in the Football Bowl Subdivision and is a member of the Pacific-12 Conference. Known as the Ducks, the... |
Parker Stadium Reser Stadium Reser Stadium is an outdoor athletic stadium in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. on the campus of Oregon State University. It is the home of the Oregon State Beavers of the Pacific-12 Conference. Originally opened in 1953 as Parker Stadium, the stadium was renamed in 1999, and its current... • Corvallis, OR |
7 | 6 | 30,154 | 8-2 | |
| January 1 | vs. #4 Michigan Michigan Wolverines football The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history... |
#8 | Rose Bowl Rose Bowl (stadium) The Rose Bowl is an outdoor athletic stadium in Pasadena, California, U.S., in Los Angeles County. The stadium is the site of the annual college football bowl game, the Rose Bowl, held on New Year's Day. In 1982, it became the home field of the UCLA Bruins college football team of the Pac-12... • Pasadena, CA |
7 | 34 | 100,423 | 8-3 |
Before the season
In the Spring, Oregon and Oregon State were unanimously invited to enter the Athletic Association of Western Universities after five years as independents. They rejoined six of the other seven members of the Pacific Coast Conference. (Idaho, having co-founded the Big Sky Conference in 1963, was not invited to join the AAWU.) Coach Tommy Prothro scrapped the T-formation installed for Terry Baker in favor of the Tiger's I-formation, named after offensive coordinator Bob "Tiger" Zelinka.Northwestern
With 1963's starter Gordon Queen sidelined with a knee injury, quarterback Marv Crowston got the start for Oregon State. The Beavers were held to 20 yards rushing and 112 total yards.Colorado
The Oregon State football team visited the state of Colorado for the first time in its history. Playing in a cold drizzle, quarterback Paul Brothers threw for one touchdown and ran for another in his first start. The 14-7 win remains the only Beaver victory in the Rocky Mountain State.Baylor
Oregon State made its third ever trip to Texas still looking for its first win in the Lone Star State. Baylor featured the nation's leading receiver from 1963, Lawrence Elkins. Elkins put the Bears up 6-3 in the second quarter by hauling in a 33-yard touchdown pass. He and Baylor's Ken Hodge hauled in a total 12 receptions for 226 yards, but the Bears could only manage 47 yards on the ground. Paul Brothers immediately responded by driving 66 yards for a touchdown. Brothers ran in from nine-yards out himself for a 10-6 Beaver lead. Brothers wound up completing 9 of 12 passes for 117 yards and rushing for another 95. Oregon State's Steve Clark tacked on a 34-yard field goal in the third quarter. Dan Espalin's second interception with 2:49 left iced the Beaver victory. The Beavers would not win another game in Texas until the 2006 Sun Bowl. Since the 13-6 victory over Baylor, Oregon State has not won a road game in Texas or in any other state which fought for the Confederacy. However, the Beavers did post a tie against Tennessee in Knoxville in 1978.Washington
From 1925-1965, Washington did not play a game in Oregon south of Portland, just across the river from Washington, muting much of the home field advantage Oregon State would otherwise enjoy. The Huskies were the defending Athletic Association of Western Universities champion, hoping for a return to the Rose Bowl. They started out the season ranked #7 but had dropped games to Air Force and Iowa. Despite that fact, they entered the game four-point favorites.Oregon State's Dan Espalin picked off a pass early in the first quarter at the Washington 39, which the Beavers converted into a touchdown on Charlie Shaw's one-yard plunge. However, Steve Clark's extra point was blocked after a bad snap. Later in the first quarter, the Huskies took the lead on a 66-yard drive, capped off by Charlie Browning's 19-yard run. Oregon State's defense took over in the second quarter; Washington could not breach their own 34-yard line. One of two Jack "Mad Dog" O'Billovich's interceptions helped set up Steve Clark's game-winning 21-yard field goal with five seconds left in the first half. After the game, newspapers marveled at the Beaver's use of the seldom-seen no-huddle offense on the drive. Neither team could muster anything in the second half. Oregon State's defense held Washington to 139 yards in the game. Charlie Shaw was named the Athletic Association of Western Universities Back of the Week for his play. Oregon State and Washington have not met in Portland since the 9-7 Beaver victory.
Idaho
The game marked the first time all season that Oregon State played a game in Corvallis, Oregon. Danny Espalin returned a third quarter punt 43 yards for a touchdown, turning a 7-3 Oregon State deficit into a 10-7 Beaver victory. Idaho's coach was Dee AndrosDee Andros
Demosthenes Konstandies "Dee" Andrecopoulos was an American football player, coach, and college athletics administrator in the United States. He served as the head football coach at the University of Idaho from 1962 to 1964 and at Oregon State University from 1965 to 1975, compiling career...
, who would take the head coaching position at Oregon State early in 1965. The Beavers' win was their second and final victory over their future coach.
Syracuse
Syracuse's backfield featured two future AFL All-Stars, Floyd Little at tailback and Jim NanceJim Nance
James Solomon "Big Jim" Nance was an American collegiate and Professional Football fullback with the Boston Patriots during their days in the American Football League...
at fullback. The duo combined for 14 touchdowns in the first five games for the Orangemen. Nance also held the distinction of being the defending NCAA heavyweight wrestling champion. Syracuse entered the game on a four-game winning streak, having held their opponents to four touchdowns over the span. In the process, the defense earned the odd nickname "The Spiders."
On Syracuse's opening drive, Wally Mahle connected with Little, who broke three tackles and sauntered into the end zone to complete the 55-yard touchdown reception. Oregon State responded by scoring 31 consecutive points. Cliff Watkins ran in from 13 yards out to knot the game at seven. Paul Brothers then took over, throwing for two touchdowns and running for another. Watkins caught Brothers' second touchdown pass. Nance's two-yard run in the fourth quarter made the final score 31-13. The 13 points were the most the Beavers had surrendered in 1964. The late touchdown staved off what would have been Syracuse's biggest loss in a decade. The 18-point loss was still the biggest for Syracuse in almost two years and would be the largest the Orangemen would experience in 1964. At season's end, Syracuse was invited to play in the Sugar Bowl. The 31 points were the most The Spiders surrendered all year.
Washington State
The orange-and-black of Oregon State entered the game, having not won on Halloween since 1936. On the game's second play, Washington State's Clarence Williams fumbled. The Beavers recovered at the Cougar 42 and marched 42 yards for the touchdown. Paul Brothers, who played most of the game with bruised ribs, hit Doug McDougal for the touchdown and a 7-0 lead. Washington State responded by driving 80 yards to knot the score at seven. Oregon State marched to the Cougar five, but Booker Washington's run on fourth-and-one was stopped for a loss. After holding Washington State, the Beavers got the ball at midfield. Brothers' 12-yard touchdown run capped off the 50-yard drive to give the Beavers a 14-7 lead. For most of the rest of the game, both team's defenses dominated. With less than two minutes left, Steve Clark split the uprights on a 26-yard field goal attempt. Marv Crowston, who started the game at quarterback against Northwestern but who had been subsequently converted into a running back, tacked on another touchdown plunge. The win was Oregon State's last Halloween victory until the Beavers' 26-19 win over UCLA in 2009.Indiana
Indiana made its only trip to Corvallis, Oregon. Paul Brothers threw two touchdown passes and ran for another as the Oregon State offense piled up 365 yards. The Beavers' win is the last meeting between the programs.Stanford
The highlight of Stanford's season was upsetting #7 and undefeated Oregon on Halloween. #8 Oregon State presented the Indians the chance to claim a second Top Ten victim and simultaneously sweep the state of Oregon. Dave Lewis became the first Native American to start a game at quarterback for the Stanford Indians. San Francisco 49er and Oregon State alumnus, Vern Burke, was on hand to watch the Beavers.On Stanford's first possession, Oregon State forced the Indians to punt, but Dan Espalin fumbled inside the Beaver 10. The defense held Stanford out of the end zone, but the Indians' Braden Beck kicked a 23-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead. Later in the first half, Stanford got a first down at the one-yard line, but Oregon State held the Indians to -1 yards in four carries to preserve the three point deficit.
In the second half, the Beavers forced Stanford to punt at their 45 but were flagged for having too many men on the field. The Indians drove the final 50 yards for a touchdown and a 9-0 lead. The Beavers responded by driving 76 yards in five plays, capped by Paul Brothers' 21-yard touchdown pass to Bob Grim to pull within two. In the fourth quarter, Stanford again drove to the Oregon State one before losing a yard on fourth down. The Beavers' last real threat ended when Medford native Dick Ragsdale intercepted Brothers' pass to Grim at the Indian 19 and returned the ball back to the 43. From there, Stanford drove 57 yards for the clinching touchdown with four minutes left. The two Oregon State turnovers were the only ones for either team. Brothers completed 11 of 22 passes for 134 yards and ran for another 46. The 180 total yards gave him 1360 on the year, the third-highest single season total in Oregon State history behind Terry Baker
Terry Baker
For the Canadian football player of the same name see Terry Baker .Terry Wayne Baker is a former quarterback for the Oregon State University football team. He played for them through the 1960-1962 seasons. He is most notable for winning the 1962 Heisman Trophy and playing the Final Four in the...
's 1960 and 1962 campaigns. Stanford's victory over Oregon and Oregon State gave Stanford a sweep of Oregon for the first time since 1953.
Oregon
The Beavers entered the game in a four-way tie for first place with the Bruins, Huskies, and Trojans. Oregon and Washington State also had outside shots at the Rose Bowl. In order to qualify for the Rose Bowl, Oregon and the Washingtons needed the Bruins and Trojans to tie. A Bruin-Trojan tie also would have put Oregon State in the Rose Bowl with a win. The Beavers also could clinch at least a share of the conference championship with a win. The Ducks started the season 6-0 and #7 in the AP poll before a last-minute Stanford field goal derailed their season. Oregon followed up the home loss with a home tie against Washington State. The Ducks had not lost or tied a road game in almost two years, the last time Oregon played in Corvallis. 30,154 people were in attendance, the most to ever watch a game in Corvallis up until that time.Oregon State only committed 10 turnovers in the previous nine games, but Oregon managed to recover three Beaver fumbles in the first half. After recovering one of Oregon State's fumbles at the Duck five, Oregon drove 95 yards for a touchdown. However, the Beavers' Al East manage to block the extra point to keep the score 6-0. The Ducks dominated the third quarter, driving to the Oregon State 16 before being pushed back. The Beavers' final drive began at the Oregon 41 with 5:43 left. Oregon State methodically drove 41 yards on 11 plays, taking almost five minutes off the clock. Booker Washington completed the drive by plowing in from the one with 54 seconds left, scoring his only collegiate touchdown in the process. Steve Clark's all-important extra point attempt split the uprights for a 7-6 Beaver lead. In the final 54 seconds, the Ducks managed to drive to the Beaver 27, but their field goal fell short with no time left.
After the Civil War
The Trojans wound up crushing the Bruins 34-13 behind three touchdown passes by future Oregon State coach Craig FertigCraig Fertig
-External links:...
. A big Southern California victory was the worst possible result for Oregon State. The win gave the Trojans a 6-3 overall record with a game against the #1 Fighting Irish left. Because Southern California had a game left to play, the Athletic Association of Western universities coaches agreed that, unless the Beavers or Trojans got unanimous support, they would wait to choose the conference representative until after the Battle for the Jeweled Shillelagh
Jeweled Shillelagh
The Jeweled Shillelagh is passed between the annual winner of the college football game between the University of Southern California Trojans and the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish. The shillelagh, an Irish war club, is made of oak or blackthorn saplings from Ireland...
. Neither team received unanimous support, so the conference delayed the vote. Many sports writers and Southern California fans understood this to mean that a win over Notre Dame game would get the Trojans a Rose Bowl berth, but the delay was purely procedural.
The Trojans wound up beating the Irish 20-17 behind Fertig's two touchdown passes. The conference vote took place immediately after the game concluded, splitting four votes a piece. Each team voted for itself; the three northern universities, which had all lost to the Beavers, voted for Oregon State and the three California universities, which had all lost to the Trojans, voted for Southern California. The tiebreaker, which was only implemented the previous February (before Oregon State was admitted to the conference), was to eliminate the team that had most recently gone to the Rose Bowl and Southern California had gone two years earlier. The Beavers had a better record than the Trojans and also had won one of the two conference victories against the Big 10, albeit against cellar-dwelling Indiana. The two teams went 2-1 against common opponents, although Southern California beat Colorado more decisively and lost to Washington by a single point. Trojans fans, many of whom lived in Pasadena, were livid, particularly because of the delay in the final vote. In addition, conference rules only permitted one team to play in a bowl game, which meant that Southern California's players, students, and fans were stuck in Southern California. The result was a very hostile environment for Oregon State before and during the Rose Bowl.
Michigan
Michigan defeated #6 Navy and Roger StaubachRoger Staubach
Roger Thomas Staubach is a businessman, Heisman Trophy winner and legendary Hall of Fame former quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys from 1969 until 1979. Staubach was instrumental in developing the Cowboys into becoming one of the best teams of the 1970s and led the team to nine of the Cowboys'...
by 21 and #9 Michigan State by a touchdown. Then, the Wolverines lost to unheralded Purdue and their quarterback, Bob Griese, by a single point after failing on a two-point conversion. After the close loss, Michigan won five straight, including the finale against #7 Ohio State to win the Big Ten conference. Wolverine coach, Bump Elliott
Bump Elliott
Chalmers W. "Bump" Elliott is a former American football player, coach, and college athletics administrator. He played halfback at Purdue University and the University of Michigan...
, was no stranger to Oregon State, having been an assistant under former Beaver coach Kip Taylor
Kip Taylor
-External links:...
.
Oregon State broke a scoreless tie in the second quarter, driving 84 yards in 17 plays to take a 7-0 lead. Paul Brothers finished the drive by finding Paul McDougal for a five-yard touchdown pass. After the Beavers pinned Michigan at their own 16, the Wolverines' Mel Anthony ran for a Rose Bowl-record 84-yard touchdown. The extra point sailed wide, but Michigan added another touchdown before halftime for a 12-7 lead. The big play of the second half was the Wolverines' Bob Mielke blocking a Len Frketich punt partway through the third quarter. Anthony came up with the blocked punt at the Beaver 15. Anthony later converted the recovery into a one-yard touchdown and added a third touchdown later in the quarter. The three touchdowns tied another Rose Bowl record and earned Anthony player of the game honors. Michigan tacked on a fourth quarter touchdown to win 34-7. The win was the biggest by the Big Ten in the Rose Bowl since 1952, when the conference was still known as the Western Conference. The 34-7 loss remains Oregon State's last appearance in the Rose Bowl.
After the season
Coach Tommy ProthroTommy Prothro
James Thompson "Tommy" Prothro, Jr. was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Oregon State University from 1955 to 1964 and at the University of California, Los Angeles from 1965 to 1970, compiling a career college football record of 104–55–5...
took the head coaching job at UCLA less than a week after the game ended. He took the Bruins to the Rose Bowl in 1966. Oregon State hired Idaho's Demosthenes Konstandies Andrecopoulos, a.k.a. Dee Andros
Dee Andros
Demosthenes Konstandies "Dee" Andrecopoulos was an American football player, coach, and college athletics administrator in the United States. He served as the head football coach at the University of Idaho from 1962 to 1964 and at Oregon State University from 1965 to 1975, compiling career...
, as their new head coach. Andros immediately got to work, trying to recruit Steve Preece
Steve Preece
Steven "Steve" Packer Preece is a former professional football player, a defensive back in the NFL for 9 seasons, from 1969 to 1977.-Early life:...
. Preece had great speed (10.0 in the 100 yard dash), and a good arm, a great fit for the option offense Andros intended to implement. Linebackers Coach Ed Knecht, who had connections in Southwestern Idaho, received a phone call warning him that a rival school was attempting to steal Preece away from the Beavers, so Knecht promptly called Andros with the news. Andros responded, "Get the $@%! over there. And if you don't get him, don't bother to come back." Preece ultimately signed with Oregon State.
Team players drafted into in the NFL
| Player | Position | Round | Pick | NFL Club |
| Dick Koeper | Tackle | 6 | 74 | Green Bay Packers 1965 Green Bay Packers season The 1965 Green Bay Packers season was their 45th season in the National Football League. The club posted a 10-3-1 record under coach Vince Lombardi, earning them a tie for first place in the Western Conference with the Baltimore Colts. The Packers and Colts played a one-game playoff in Green Bay,... |
| Doug McDougal | End | 16 | 215 | Dallas Cowboys 1965 Dallas Cowboys season The 1965 Dallas Cowboys season was their sixth in the league. The team improved on their previous output of 5–8–1, winning seven games. They qualifyed for the playoffs for the first time in franchise history.-Schedule:-Playoffs:-Standings:-Roster:... |
| Len Frketich | End/Punter | 17 | 226 | San Francisco 49ers Packers 1965 San Francisco 49ers season -NFL Draft:-Schedule:-Standings:-External links:* *... |
| Steve Clark | Kicker | 17 | 234 | Green Bay Packers 1965 Green Bay Packers season The 1965 Green Bay Packers season was their 45th season in the National Football League. The club posted a 10-3-1 record under coach Vince Lombardi, earning them a tie for first place in the Western Conference with the Baltimore Colts. The Packers and Colts played a one-game playoff in Green Bay,... |