Season of the Giant Killers - Game 7
October 28, 1967
Safety Mark Waletich breaks up a Cougar pass attempt.
The Oregon State Football Team welcomed the Washington State Cougars to Corvallis for game seven of the 'Season
of the Giant Killers'. The Beavers were coming off a tremendous win against the then No. 2 ranked Purdue Boilermakers.
With the current No. 2 ranked UCLA on the horizon, Coach Andros and his staff were working hard to make sure their
resurgent crew didn't overlook the Cougars.
Washington State was in the middle of a rough stretch and had lost eight games in a row dating back to the previous
season. Nonetheless, they had been playing tough defense and had given a scare to the top rated team in the nation,
USC, losing just 9-0. WSU Coach Bert Clark was anxious to right his sinking ship, and he saw OSU as a prime candidate
to break his squad's demoralizing losing streak.
Despite homecoming festivities and the triumph over Purdue, fans were in short supply for the Saturday afternoon
showdown at Parker stadium. Only 18,115 turned out for the game, although inclement weather likely played a role.
Heavy rains and high winds had pounded the Willamette Valley all week and threatened to continue the onslaught
over the weekend. The freshman teams played during the worst of it only the day before, with the younger Beavers
thrashing the rookie Cougars 56-13.
Game Recap
The Beavers jumped on the scoreboard early, getting a boost from a couple of personal fouls by overzealous Cougar
defenders. The Beaver defense had forced the Cougars to punt, and Charlie Olds was back to field the return. Olds
called for a fair catch at the WSU 44-yard line, but it didn't stop the Cougar cover man from laying the lumber.
The penalty moved the Beavers to the WSU 29, where on the first play, the Cougars were flagged for piling on after
the whistle. After the refs marched off the second penalty, the Beavers had a first down from the WSU 12. From
there, Coach Andros put the ball in the hands of big Bill Enyart who proceeded to carry the ball five times in
a row, the last being a one-yard blast for the score. Mike Haggard's kick was good, and the Beavers were up 7-0.
The Cougars mounted a drive to respond, charging downfield and into Beaver territory. While the Beaver defense
would frequently bend, they would rarely break. This drive was no exception, as they forced a 40-yard field goal attempt
that fell short and wide of the mark. The Beavers' offensive attack had trouble getting into gear, and was unable
to mount a serious scoring threat for much of the half. Another Cougar drive, late in the second period, again
breached the midfield mark and moved them into Beaver territory. Again the Beaver 'D' tightened the screws, this
time forcing a fumble that was recovered by Skip Vanderbundt on the OSU 31-yard line.
Halfback Billy Main flys downfield on his way to a 58-yard touchdown.
Following the turnover, the Beaver offense kicked into high gear, bolstered by a 28-yard dash by halfback Billy
Main on a trap play. Main eluded two defenders before being pulled down on the WSU nine-yard line. "Earthquake"
Enyart again lived up to his nickname, carrying the ball for the next three plays and plowing over the goal line
for a one-yard score. Haggard's PAT upped the lead to 14-0.
With only 1:38 left to play in the half, it didn't seem as though the Beavers would get another scoring opportunity.
Things changed, however, when the Beaver defense forced a quick three-and-out. A short punt return brought the
ball back to the OSU 27-yard line, where the offense took over with less than a minute to go in the period. It
proved to be more than enough time for quarterback Steve Preece, who quickly connected on a 15-yard screen pass
to Main. The next play was the back-breaker, as Main flew past the safety and, in full stride, pulled in a bullet
from Preece on the WSU 23. The Cougar defenders stood no chance of catching Main as he raced in for the 58-yard
score. Another successful kick by Haggard increased the margin to 21-0 as the half came to a close.
The Cougars came out of their locker room looking to salve their wounded pride. On their opening drive, they completed
their first three passes of the game. With the help of two Beaver penalties, the Cougars managed to move the chains
to the OSU 11-yard line for a first down. Down by three touchdowns, they had no choice but to go for it on fourth
and two, and were rewarded with a first down on the Beaver one-yard line. Two plays later, the Cougars were on
board with their first touchdown of the afternoon.
Only two minutes later, the Cougars had another scoring opportunity after a WSU defender blocked a Gary Houser
punt. The Cougars recovered on the OSU four-yard line and looked ready to place another TD on the scoreboard. The
Beaver defense - never ones make things easy on an opposing offense - refused to allow the Cougars any positive
yardage on four consecutive plays.
The Beavers went scoreless in the third quarter, but made up for it with two touchdown strikes in the final period.
The first was set up when Vanderbundt intercepted a Cougar pass, returning it to the WSU 33-yard line. Halfback
Don Summers did the honors with a five-yard run off left tackle. A 53-yard punt return by Mark Waletich gave the
Beavers excellent field position once again, this time at the WSU 15-yard line. Coach Andros sent in the reserves,
and Preece's backup, Bob Mayes, earned the score on a 4-yard keeper. Haggard was perfect on both PATs, giving the
Beavers a 35-7 lead.
There wasn't sufficient time on the clock for WSU to mount a rally, but it didn't stop the Cougars from trying. Their best chance came when their halfback busted around the corner for 47 yards to the OSU three-yard line. The run would have been good enough for a score if not for the efforts of Larry Rich, who came all the way across the field for the TD-saving tackle. The Cougar offense had enjoyed little success piercing the Beaver front in short yardage situations, and this drive was no exception as the Beavers held firm on four consectutive downs.
Post-Game Comments, 1967
"Oregon State is one of the most difficult teams to defense for… Preece mixes his option, his trap plays,
and his fullback well." On the Beavers facing #1 ranked USC in two weeks: "OSU had better adjust for
some real speed when it meets USC." - WSU Coach Bert Clark
"The kids did a great job - now bring on UCLA." - Coach Dee Andros
Next up: Week 8 - The UCLA Bruins
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