After 14 years (including his two years in the ‘90s) as the head coach and savior of Oregon State football, Mike Riley is taking over the highly coveted Nebraska head coaching position. The decision was a surprise. It could have been made because of money (he’s making twice as much), angry whispers from the Beaver community, or just the chance at football prestige. The entire Oregon State community wishes him the very best and I personally hope that he absolutely destroys the Oregon Ducks when his new team hosts his old rivals in 2016. Regardless, here are seven of his best games from his time at Oregon State.
1998 44-41 (Double overtime) #15 Oregon
Even though Mike Riley temporarily left for the NFL after the season, this game is arguably the best in Civil War history. At the end of the first overtime, the Ducks threw an incomplete pass on a fourth down and Beaver fans ran out onto the field in celebration. Unfortunately for them, pass interference was called and the refs spent the next 15 minutes halting premature celebration. The Ducks tied the game a few plays later. However, the game was won in the second overtime on a touchdown run by freshman running back Ken Simonton and Mike Riley had a historic victory that many hail as the turning point for Oregon State football.
2003 26-24 Boise State
Casual fans remember the 2007 Fiesta Bowl upset over Oklahoma that inspired every pickup game to include a hook and lateral in honor of Jared Zabransky and the Cinderella Broncos. However, from 2002-2004, Boise State only lost three games. When they entered Corvallis, they had won thirteen in a row. They didn’t lose again the whole season. Here’s the point: Boise State was really freaking good and Oregon State was able to beat them in this classic.
2006 33-31 #2 USC
My fourteen-year-old self thought that this game should have stopped the world. The Beavers, at least, halted a 38 game regular season winning streak and a 27 game Pac-10 winning streak (although the Trojans had to forfeit many of these wins years later because they violated NCAA rules). After falling behind 30-10, USC stormed back and only needed a two-point conversion to send the game to overtime. Jeff Van Orsow batted down the pass and Mike Riley had his first big upset as the head coach.
2007 31-28 #2 California
Mike Riley’s squad got lucky in this upset when California quarterback Kevin Riley attempted to scramble for a touchdown on the last play of the game. He was tackled at the 10-yard line and the Beavers had another underdog victory. The Beavers won six of seven to finish the season, including the Civil War (their last win against University of Oregon) and the Emerald Bowl.
2008 27-21 #1 USC
This might be Mike Riley’s biggest upset of all. USC had just clobbered #5 Ohio State a week prior and were favorites for a national championship. Oregon State was 1-2 and 25 point underdogs. However, freshman Jacquizz Rodgers ran for 186 yards and two touchdowns to spark the Beavers. Standing 5-foot-7, Rodgers is a great symbol of Mike Riley’s teams. He played with heart and found ways to score against bigger, star-studded Trojans. After the game Rodgers is quoted as saying, “It’s not always the best team that wins on a day. It’s who plays hard.” Riley always seemed to inspire his players to play with heart and it showed in this David vs. Goliath victory.
2012 10-7 #13 Wisconsin
This win is extra special to me because I was living near Madison, WI at the time. The Badgers were coming off a narrow Rose Bowl defeat to the Oregon Ducks, and came into Corvallis with hype around their team including running back Montee Ball, who had matched an NCAA record for most touchdowns in a season in 2011. However, the Beavers defense held Ball to 61 yards and shocked the state of Wisconsin for a win. I happily remember walking near a bar that afternoon and hearing a few older Wisconsinites swearing loudly at the state of Oregon (badly pronouncing it Or-E-gone). I smiled, silently thanking Mike Riley for the surprise win.
2014 35-27 #7 Arizona State
About an hour before kickoff, I was dining at my favorite Italian restaurant when a young boy with a Beaver’s cap walked in. Trying to be friendly, I asked him if he thought the struggling Beavers had a chance that night. He looked at me as if I asked whether I thought the soccer team would be suiting up instead. “Not a chance,” he said shaking his head. He then proceeded to criticize everything to do with Mike Riley, promising that Riley would be fired by the end of the season. Later that night, I hoped that kid was watching as Riley reminded everyone that he still knew how to coach an upset.
Mike Riley has spent fourteen years in Corvallis as the underdog, coaching unheralded recruits and finding ways to win with less talent. He brought Oregon State back to national relevancy and is the most important figure in Beaver football history. At Nebraska, he will be coaching top recruits and avoiding upsets rather than serving them. I just hope he remembers what made him such a great coach at Oregon State.
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