Oregon State Beavers football

The Oregon State Beavers football team represents Oregon State University in NCAA Division I FBS college football. The team first fielded an organized football team in 1893[2] and is a member of the Pac-12 Conference.

Oregon State Beavers football
2024 Oregon State Beavers football team
First season1893; 131 years ago
Athletic directorScott Barnes
Head coachTrent Bray
1st season, 0–0 (–)
StadiumReser Stadium
(capacity: 35,548)
Year built1953 (Reser Stadium)
Field surfaceFieldTurf
LocationCorvallis, Oregon
NCAA divisionDivision I FBS
ConferencePac-12
DivisionNorth (2011–21)
Past conferences
  • OIFA (1893–1897)
  • Independent (1898–1901, 1903–1907, 1909–1911, 1959–1963)
  • NIAA (1902, 1908, 1912–1914)
  • PCC (1916–1942, 1945–1958)
All-time record569–629–50 (.476)
Bowl record12–8 (.600)
Conference titles7 (1893, 1897, 1941, 1956, 1957, 1964, 2000)
Rivalries
Heisman winnersTerry Baker – 1962
Consensus All-Americans8
Current uniform
ColorsOrange and black[1]
   
Fight songHail to Old OSU
MascotBenny Beaver
Marching bandOregon State University Marching Band
OutfitterNike
WebsiteOSUBeavers.com

Their home games are played at Reser Stadium in Corvallis, Oregon.

History

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Early history

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Football at Oregon State University started in 1893 shortly after athletics were initially authorized at the college, which was then known as Oregon Agricultural College. Athletics were banned prior to May 1892, but when the school's president Benjamin Arnold died, his successor John Bloss reversed the ban.[3] Bloss' son, William, started the first team, on which he served as both coach and quarterback.[4] The team's first game was an easy 64–0 victory on November 11, 1893, over visiting Albany College.[5]

Conference affiliations

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The university has been in several athletic conferences. Prior to joining the Pac-12 Conference (then called the Pacific-8 Conference), OSU intermittently played as an independent school.[6]

Conference championships

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Oregon State has won seven conference titles, done through four different conferences, although two of them have links to the current Pac-12 Conference, as the conference claims the history of the PCC as their own, and the Athletic Association of Western Universities was the first name for the conference that later became the Pac-12 Conference.[8][9]

Year Conference Coach Overall record Conference record
1893 Oregon Intercollegiate Football Association Will Bloss 5–1 3–0
1897 Oregon Intercollegiate Football Association Will Bloss 6–0 3–0
1941 Pacific Coast Conference Lon Stiner 8–2 7–2
1956 Pacific Coast Conference Tommy Prothro 7–3–1 6–1–1
1957 Pacific Coast Conference Tommy Prothro 8–2 6–2
1964 Athletic Association of Western Universities Tommy Prothro 8–3 3–1
2000 Pacific-10 Conference Dennis Erickson 11–1 7–1

† Co-championship

Other claimed Championships

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1897 Champions of the Northwest

The 1897 Oregon Agricultural Aggies football team compiled a perfect 5–0 record, shut out four of five opponents, and outscored their opponents by a combined total of 164 to 8. the team claimed their 2nd league Championship (OIFA)[10]

The Aggies defeated Oregon (26–8) and Washington (16–0).[11]

With those two wins, they then proclaimed themselves regional "Champions of the Northwest".[12]


1907 Champions of the Pacific (West Coast)
1907 Champions of the Northwest

The 1907 Oregon Agricultural Aggies football team represented Oregon Agricultural College (now known as Oregon State University) as an independent during the 1907 college football season.

In their second season under head coach Fred Norcross, the Aggies compiled a perfect 6–0 record, did not allow any of their opponents to score, and outscored their opponents by a combined total of 137 to 0. The Aggies' victories included games against Oregon (4–0), Pacific University (49–0), and Willamette University (42–0).[11]

Oregon State's victory at Loyola, then known as the St. Vincent's College Saints, was a big deal out West, a Thanksgiving Day matchup of the "Champions of the Northwest" and the "Champions of the California", with the winner taking home the "Championship" of the entire West Coast.[13]

The Oregon Agricultural Aggies' then proclaimed themselves "Champions of the Pacific Coast"[14]

This is still the only perfect season in Oregon State history, and moreover, they did not allow a single point this season.[13]

Head coaches

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List of head coaches and tenure.[15]

Bowl games

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Oregon State University has played in 20 postseason bowl games.[16] The Beavers have also played in the Mirage Bowl, but this was a regular season game and a "bowl" in name only, not a post-season invitational bowl game.[17] The Beavers lost the 1980 edition of the game against No. 14 ranked UCLA 34–3 in front of 80,000 at National Olympic Stadium in Tokyo, Japan.

The 20 bowl game total does not include an invitation to play in the Gotham Bowl in 1960, when no opponent could be found for Oregon State.[18] The Beavers are 12–8 in bowl game appearances.

Year Coach Bowl Opponent Result
1939 Lon Stiner Pineapple Bowl Hawaii W 39–6
1941 Lon Stiner Rose Bowl Duke W 20–16
1948 Lon Stiner Pineapple Bowl Hawaii W 47–27
1956 Tommy Prothro Rose Bowl Iowa L 19–35
1960 Tommy Prothro Gotham Bowl None Found
1962 Tommy Prothro Liberty Bowl Villanova W 6–0
1964 Tommy Prothro Rose Bowl Michigan L 7–34
1980 Joe Avezzano Mirage Bowl UCLA L 3–34
1999 Dennis Erickson Oahu Bowl Hawaii L 17–23
2000 Dennis Erickson Fiesta Bowl Notre Dame W 41–9
2002 Dennis Erickson Insight Bowl Pittsburgh L 13–38
2003 Mike Riley Las Vegas Bowl New Mexico W 55–14
2004 Mike Riley Insight Bowl Notre Dame W 38–21
2006 Mike Riley Sun Bowl Missouri W 39–38
2007 Mike Riley Emerald Bowl Maryland W 21–14
2008 Mike Riley Sun Bowl Pittsburgh W 3–0
2009 Mike Riley Las Vegas Bowl BYU L 20–44
2012 Mike Riley Alamo Bowl Texas L 27–31
2013 Mike Riley Hawaii Bowl Boise State W 38–23
2021 Jonathan Smith LA Bowl Utah State L 13–24
2022 Jonathan Smith Las Vegas Bowl Florida W 30–3
2023 Kefense Hynson Sun Bowl Notre Dame L 8–40

Home stadium

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The Beavers play their home games at Reser Stadium in Corvallis, Oregon. It was originally called Parker Stadium when it was constructed in 1953, and had a capacity of 25,000. Parker Stadium was renamed Reser Stadium in June 1999. Major renovations from 2005 to 2016 increased the stadium's capacity to 43,363, where it stood through the 2021 season.[19] Another renovation project, called "Completing Reser", was announced on Feb. 4, 2021.[20] The stadium featured a temporary capacity of 26,000 during the 2022 season[21] and now has an official capacity of 35,548 at the completion of the construction project for the 2023 season.[22]

Rivalries

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Oregon State fans prepare to rush the field in an historic upset of No. 3 USC in 2006

Oregon

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Oregon State University's primary rival is the University of Oregon. The two schools enjoy a fierce and long-standing rivalry due to the proximity of the two campuses. The University of Oregon is in Eugene, Oregon, about 40 miles (64 km) south of Corvallis.

The teams first matched up on the gridiron in 1894 and have been playing each other almost every year since. The rivalry game between the two schools is traditionally the last game of each season and was long known under the moniker "Civil War Game." The two schools have played each other 127 times which makes it the seventh-oldest college football rivalry game. Though not officially recognized by the universities, the Platypus Trophy is awarded annually to the winning alumni association.

Washington State

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The rivalry between Washington State started in 1895 when Washington State defeated the Beavers 41–35. The rivalry between the two schools has transformed after the 2021–2024 NCAA conference realignment made them the only schools remaining in the Pac-12. The Cougars have led the series 57–48 and won the last matchup with a score of 38–35. The Beavers largest margin of victory was 66–13 in 2008, while the Cougars largest margin of victory was 55–7 in 1991. Oregon State's longest win streak against the Cougars is six straight from 1966 to 1971, while Washington State's longest against the Beavers is ten straight from 1983 to 1993.

Northwest Championship

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Is a rivalry between Oregon State, Washington State, Washington state and Oregon. The four Pacific Northwest rivals began playing in a round-robin format in the 1903 season. No trophy is awarded to the Northwest Champion, and no organization grants the title,[23] although in 2002, the Washington Huskies wore homemade t-shirts for the Northwest Championship.[24][25][26]

Notable players and coaches

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Retired numbers

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No. Player Pos. Career Year ret. Ref.
11 Terry Baker QB/ HB 1959–1962 [27][28]

Although not a retired number Oregon State has "AL" displayed opposite Terry Baker's number "11" in Reser Stadium for long time donor/philanthropist/contributor Al Reser.

Individual national award winners

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QB Terry Baker, 1962 Heisman Trophy winner

Players

Terry Baker (1962)
Terry Baker (1962)
Alexis Serna (2005)
Mike Hass (2005)
Brandin Cooks (2013)
Terry Baker (1962)
Jack Colletto (2022)
Mike Kline (1961)
Terry Baker (1962)
Terry Baker (1962)
Terry Baker (1962)
Terry Baker (1962)
  • College Football Network Punt Returner of the Year
Anthony Gould (2022)
Terry Baker (1988)
Pellom McDaniels (2015)[29]
Esera Tuaolo (2024)[30]

Coaches

Dennis Erickson (2000)
Mike Riley (2008)
Mike Riley (2012)
Jonathan Smith (2022)
John Cooper (2016)

Individual conference awards

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Jacquizz Rodgers (2008)
Bill Swancutt (2004†)
Stephen Paea (2010)
Brandon Browner (2003)
Jeremy Perry (2005†)
Jacquizz Rodgers (2008)
Jermar Jefferson (2018)
Damien Martinez (2022)
Dave Kragthorpe (1989)
Dennis Erickson (2000)
Mike Riley (2008)
Jonathan Smith (2022†)
Joe Francis (1957)
Terry Baker (1962)
Vern Burke (1963)
Pete Pifer (1966)
Terry Baker (1962)
Vern Burke (1963)
Pete Pifer (1966)
Esera Tuaolo (1989)
Inoke Breckterfield (1998)
Bill Swancutt (2004)
Stephen Paea (2008, 2009)

†Shared Award

All-Americans

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Oregon State has had 53 first team All-Americans in the history of the program as of the end of the 2023 season, with 8 Consensus All-Americans and 2 Unanimous All-Americans.[31]

† Consensus Selection, ‡ Unanimous Selection[32]

College Football Hall of Fame inductees

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The Beavers have had three players and three coaches inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.[33]

Year inducted Player/Coach POS Seasons at Oregon St.
1982 Terry Baker QB 19601962
1991 Tommy Prothro Coach 19551964
2008 John Cooper Assistant Coach 19631964
2011 Bill Enyart FB 19671968
2019 Dennis Erickson Coach 19992002
2022 Mike Hass WR 20022005

Notable former players

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Chad Johnson (WR)

Media

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  • Radio flagship: KEX 1190 AM in Portland
  • Broadcasters: Mike Parker (play-by-play), Jim Wilson (analyst), and Ron Callan (sideline reporter).
  • Oregon State also has an extensive network of broadcast affiliates.[34]

Future opponents

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On December 1, 2023, it was announced that the Beavers and the Washington State Cougars would each play six Mountain West Conference opponents, five opponents from the Power Five conferences and one FCS opponent for the 2024 season.[35]

2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030
Idaho State Portland State Sacramento State Portland State Idaho San Jose State Ole Miss
Oregon[36] Fresno State Texas Tech New Mexico at New Mexico at Wake Forest at San Jose State
Purdue at Texas Tech at San Diego State at Ole Miss
at Boise State Houston at Houston
at California[36] Wake Forest
Washington State[36]

References

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  1. ^ "Colors | Oregon State University Relations and Marketing". July 8, 2019.
  2. ^ "Oregon State Historical Data". cfbdatawarehouse.com. Archived from the original on January 6, 2012. Retrieved January 25, 2012.
  3. ^ Forgard, Benjamin. "The Evolution of School Spirit and Tradition at Oregon State University". Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  4. ^ Edmonston, George Jr. "The Birth of OSU Football". OSU Alumni Association. Archived from the original on October 17, 2013. Retrieved May 30, 2012.
  5. ^ Bear and Forbear, "College Column," Corvallis Times, vol. 6, no. 39 (Nov. 15, 1893), pg. 3.
  6. ^ "Athletics" (PDF). The Orange & Black.
  7. ^ "League of Colleges," Spokane Daily Chronicle, vol. 17, no. 34 (Oct. 11, 1902), p. 1.
  8. ^ "Pac-12 Football Champions". Pac-12 Conference. Archived from the original on October 17, 2014. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  9. ^ "Football," Corvallis Gazette vol. 30, no. 45 (Dec. 22, 1893), p. 1., quoting the Corvallis Gazette.
  10. ^ "football team, 1897".
  11. ^ a b "2016 Football Media Guide" (PDF). Oregon State University. pp. 148–149. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 22, 2016. Retrieved September 20, 2016.
  12. ^ Welsch, Jeff (January 2003). Tales from Oregon State Sports. Sports Publishing. pp. 1–10. ISBN 978-1-58261-706-0. Retrieved January 3, 2008.
  13. ^ a b "1907 College Football Top 25". tiptop25.com.
  14. ^ "Barometer Football Number, 1907". oregondigital.org.
  15. ^ "Oregon State Beavers Coaches".
  16. ^ "Oregon State University Football Media Guide: Bowl Game History" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on December 29, 2013. Retrieved February 9, 2007.
  17. ^ "Oregon State Bowl History". Archived from the original on October 29, 2006. Retrieved February 9, 2007.
  18. ^ "Gotham Bowl inaugural off". Register Guard. Retrieved April 18, 2012.
  19. ^ "Reser Stadium". osubeavers.com. Retrieved November 21, 2016.
  20. ^ "OSU receives $50 million lead gift to complete Reser Stadium, enable year-round university programs". Oregon State University Athletics. Retrieved December 18, 2022.
  21. ^ Lindblom, Jeffrey (August 30, 2022). "Reser Stadium renovations will continue past Beavers' home opener". www.kptv.com. Retrieved December 18, 2022.
  22. ^ "Soon to be coming your way: a full stadium in Corvallis". Kerry Eggers. Retrieved December 18, 2022.
  23. ^ Condotta, Bob (October 12, 2004). "Huskies eyeing mythical Northwest title". The Seattle Times. Retrieved January 8, 2022. Fans of other schools cried that the Northwest Championship was strictly mythical, just another devious Neuheisel ploy. But the Huskies didn't care, and proudly laid claim to it again last year when, in the midst of one of the most chaotic seasons in school history, the lone highlight was beating Oregon State, Oregon and Washington State by a combined 61 points.
  24. ^ Maisel, Ivan (November 25, 2002). "Tale Of Two T-Shirts". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved January 8, 2022. Washington is content with its unofficial Northwest Championship. "It had to be enough," quarterback Cody Pickett said Sunday. "Everybody left us for dead. We had to rally around something."
  25. ^ Kercheval, Ben (April 1, 2019). "How the Arizona Hotshots ended their losing streak to become the AAF's hottest team". CBS Sports. Retrieved January 8, 2022. "We just found something to play for. We had games against Oregon State, Oregon and Washington State, so we created a 'Northwest Championship.' We found a rallying cry. We had little shirts with check marks on them," he said. "And we knocked them all off." ... At Washington, Neuheisel found the best way to motivate his players was the perfect storm of playing their top three rivals in successive weeks.
  26. ^ Jude, Adam (October 5, 2016). "Silence was Golden, and purple: Remembering when UW last won at Oregon in 2002". The Seattle Times. Retrieved January 8, 2022. That completed what Neuheisel had dubbed the Northwest Championship, with the Huskies closing out the season with successive victories over Oregon State, Oregon and WSU (after losing to USC, Arizona State and UCLA the three weeks prior). Neuheisel even had T-shirts made up with blank boxes to check off after each win. [...] The Huskies wore those T-shirts as they marched back onto the Autzen Stadium turf for their postgame brouhaha.
  27. ^ "Terry Baker (1988) – Hall of Fame". Oregon State University Athletics. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  28. ^ "Terry Baker – Football | Oregon Sports Hall of Fame & Museum". November 17, 2018.
  29. ^ "NCAA honors McDaniels with Silver Anniversary Award". news.emory.edu. January 20, 2015. Retrieved January 2, 2020.
  30. ^ "2024 NCAA Inspiration Award: Esera Tuaolo". National Collegiate Athletic Association. December 6, 2023.
  31. ^ "2012 Football Media Guide – All-Americans" (PDF). OSUBeavers.com. p. 138. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
  32. ^ http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_records/DI/2009/2009Awards.pdf [bare URL PDF]
  33. ^ Hall of Fame. "Inductees by College". CFBHOF. Archived from the original on November 7, 2014. Retrieved November 8, 2014.
  34. ^ "Radio Affiliates". Oregon State University Athletics. Retrieved December 15, 2023.
  35. ^ Kelley, Kevin (December 1, 2023). "Mountain West announces football scheduling agreement with Oregon State, Washington State". FBSchedules.com.
  36. ^ a b c Kelley, Kevin (December 7, 2023). "Oregon State, Washington State football schedules shaping up, per report". FBSchedules.com.
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