OSU building a new tradition under Pettibone By Steve Mims Oregon 0*ly l fWjitf Three wins may not seem like much to most college football teams, but to Oregon State head coach Jerry Pettibone, it is a start The Beavers enter this week end's Civil War clash at Oregon with three wins, more than they racked up in Pettibone's first two years at the helm. Win or lose this weekend. Pettibone has already declared this season a success "1 already feel great about the year we've had.” Pettibone said, "In only our third year, we beat one howl team (Wyoming) and beat another possible bowl team (Arizona State)." It's not just the wins that have Pettibone and the rest of the Beaver believers excited, it is the competitiveness of the program. Oregon State has played well in most of its games this year and has had its chances to win games. In Pettibone's first two years, the Beavers lost 19 games. 16 of them by double digits. This year, the Beavers have lost only four games by more than 10 points Recently. Oregon State lias done even better, losing to two upper-division Pacific-10 Con ference teams by a combined 10 points. The Beavers almost knocked UCI.A off of its Rose Bowl perch four weeks ago. tak ing a 17-14 lead into the fourth quarter before kicker Brooke Knight missed a late field goal, giving the Bruins a 20-17 victo ry. The following week the Beavers dropped a tight 31-27 OSU RECORD hm_meom 1971 5-6-0 1972 2 9-0 1973 2 9-0 1974 3 8-0 1975 1-KM) _ 1976 2 10 0 1977 2-9-0 1978 . 3-7 1 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 MOO 0-11-0 1-10 0 19 1 2- 8-JL 2 9-0 3:8-0 3- 8-0 2- 9 0 4- 6-1' 4-7-1 1 10 0 1 10 0 1-9-1 3- 7-0 decision to Stanford, tin- best offensive team in the conferent ,e. Oregon State fought back from a 24-7 third-quarter deficit to get within 31-27, before a late Stan ford interception sealed the defeat. A week later. Oregon State took a halftime lead on Wash ington before the Huskies steam rolled out of the locker room at halftime to get a 2H-21 win So what doe* all this mean, los ing lo these three (earns by a com bined 14 points' Not much to many, but to the Beavers, it is ti definite sign of progress It had tieen four years since an Oregon State team beat Stanford, eight years since a win over Washing ton. and you have to go back to 1978 to find the last time Oregon State beat the Bruins Does this mean that Pettibone and his staff are satisfied with just being competitive? "No," Petti bone said. "Moral victories don't mean anything to us anymore. We're to the point where we want to win We feel wo have a chance to do this every week.” To understand the optimism that is coming out of Corvallis, one must first understand the beaten psyche of Beaver fans Optimism has flown into Cor vallis often during the past few decades, but it always leaves a few years later, taking another coach with it The Beavers have not had a winning season since 1970. mak ing this the 23rd consecutive los ing season. In fact recently, they haven't really hoen close. Oregon State has won more than three games only three times during the past 23 years During that span, the Beavers have won two games on seven occasions, one game during another seven years and have been winless once Four different coaching changes have been made during that span, each one bringing a dif ferent approach to turn things around and optimism with it. Craig Kertig took over from Doe Andros, tho last Oregon Statu coat h to have n winning record ut a year, but he left after four years and an 8-38-1 record Next up was Joe A vezzano. whose teams lacked discipline on and off the field, and the results reflected it Avezzano's teams never won more than two games in one year, and after five years ho caught a plane out of town with a 8-47-2 record. The Heavers chose to try and improve through the air next, when new head coach Dave kragthorpe brought his "Air Express” package into Corvallis in 1UH5. Although kragthorpe never did get the Heavers over the hump, he did compile some wins. krngthorpe won throw games during two separate years, and twice led the team to four-win. one-tie seasons. However, after a 1-10 season in 1990 that includ ed a loss to Division 1-AA Mon tana. Kragthorpe was sent packing as well. When Oregon Stale fired Kragthorpe. it sent the program into a IHO- degree turnaround by installing Pettibone and bis wish bone running attack at the helm. Pettibono only won one game in his first year, nut it was a lug 14 :t win over Oregon in Eugene, enough to keep boosters happy for a while. Pettibone's wishbone offense has taken a while to be put in pla< e. but the results have been Turn to OSU. Page 100 1 ^/OT EATS, (POOl TREATS! 343-7512 706 E. 13TH Pick Uiese Sweats Once And Ybu May Never Pick Item Again T!i,it's l«‘( ause Russell's NuBlenc poly-cotton sweats are virtually pill-tree. So they'll !