Background
Prior to the game, the Beavers were coming off four straight losses including back to back blankings against USC and Washington State, where they allowed a total of 97 points. No team in Oregon State history had allowed that many points over back-to-back games. Prior to that, the Beavers lost to Division I-AA team Grambling State by a score of 23-6 and to Fresno State 33-24. To make matters worse for Oregon State, starting quarterback Erik Wilhelm was out for the season, and Pac-10 Conference (Pac-10) leading receiver Reggie Bynum was also out due to injury. Additionally, the Beavers had lost the last 10 games played against Washington by an average of 24 points.
The Huskies, on the other hand, were coming off a four-game win streak and were leading the Pac-10. After the betting odds came in to Las Vegas set at -38 for Washington, the Seattle media had a field day insulting the Beavers. One reporter went so far as to say that "Oregon State plays football pretty much the way Barney Fife played a deputy sheriff on Mayberry". In a television interview, Huskies head coach Don James said he expected to give his reserve quarterback Chris Chandler a chance for some playing time.
Oregon State head coach Dave Kragthorpe used the media comments in his pregame speech to the Beavers in an effort to motivate them to prove critics wrong before they went out on the field.
Read more about this topic: 1985 Oregon State Vs. Washington Football Game
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