The "Giant Killers" of Oregon State football hold a special place in the history of sports in the Beaver State. The 1967 Beavers didn't qualify for a bowl game but electrified the nation with two wins and a tie against teams ranked #1 or 2 in the polls.
In their third year under coach Dee Andros, the Beavers were 3-2 after a loss to Brigham Young when they traveled to Purdue and beat the second-ranked Boilermakers, 22-14. After a home win over Washington State, they tied No. 2 UCLA, 16-16, at the Rose Bowl, then beat No. 1 USC, 3-0, at home. A 14-0 win at Oregon moved OSU to 7-2-1 and they finished ranked #7 in the country. At the time, only one team from the Athletic Association of Western Universities (renamed the Pac-8 the following year) was allowed to play in a bowl game.
The AAWU was loaded with big-time talent, Gary Beban led the UCLA offense with his golden arm, while O.J. Simpson was racking up the yards on the ground for USC. Oregon State played hard-nosed football, tough on defense and run-first on offense. Bill "Earthquake" Enyart and Billy Main combined for 1,400 yards and averaged five yards per carry. Steve Preece, a future NFL defensive back, orchestrated the offense at quarterback. Kicker Mike Haggard's three field goals were the difference in the breakthrough win at Purdue.
In the famous 3-0 victory over USC at Parker Stadium, the Beaver defense pitched a shutout. Simpson ran for 188 yards, but the Trojans never got inside the Beaver 18-yard line and missed their only field goal attempt. Mike Haggard's field goal with five minutes left in the first half was all OSU you would need. The announced crowd of 41,494 was the largest crowd to ever attend a sporting event in Oregon.
Defensive linemen Jon Sandstrom and Jess Lewis were named All-Americans, while Bill Enyart, Gary Houser and Dave Marlette were also named all-Conference. Defensive captain Skip Vanderbundt was headed to an NFL career as a linebacker.
Head Coach Dee Andros’ 1967 OSU roster included:
Steve Preece, Bill Enyart, Billy Main, Jerry Belcher, Don Summers, Bobby Mayes, Duane Barton, Ernie Smith, Roger Cantlon, Gary Houser, Nick Rogers, Jim Scheele, John Didion, Dave Marlette, Clyde Smith, Van Smith, Lee Jamison, Roger Stalick, Ron Boley, Mike Foote, Mike Leep, Jess Lewis, Bill Nelson, Jon Sandstrom, Harry Gunner, Bob Jeremiah, Rich LaSalle, Fred Milton, Skip Vanderbundt, Mike Groff, Charles Olds, Mark Waletich, Don Whitney, Rick Harrington, Don Welch.
The team has also been inducted in Oregon State University Athletics Hall of Fame.