Willamette in Sports Illustrated

Note: This post was originally published on 12/13/2008 on a different site.

The August 11, 2008 issue of Sports Illustrated included the college football preview.  Oregon State was ranked 20th and the first sentence of the 1-page article on them stated, “After a visit to nearby Willamette University, Oregon State’s coaches left with a new play for their offense: the Fly Sweep.”  I didn’t know that the college where I attended for undergrad was a place where big name school NCAA football coaches learned new plays.  Willamette was just an NAIA team when I attended there.  Still, the Willamette Bearcats did well not long after I graduated, going undefeated and winning a conference championship.  The coach from that time, Dan Hawkins, went on to coach at Boise State and, most recently, the big name NCAA school University of Colorado.  He has even been quoted in Sports Illustrated.  I had him for a volleyball and tennis class during my sophomore and junior years.

This year the Bearcats also did well.  They finished 11-1 and made the NCAA Division III playoffs.  I guess they’re no longer just an NAIA team anymore.  They’re only loss was to the defending national championship University of Wisconsin-Whitewater on Nov. 29 and it came down to just three points.  Willamette seems to be a good football school for its size.  As for Oregon State, they finished their regular season 8-4 and are ranked 24th in the AP Top 25.  They’re schedule to face Pittsburgh in the Sun Bowl on Dec. 31.  They’re not one of the surprise front runners like Alabama was and Florida and Oklahoma are.  I don’t recall Oregon State upsetting any higher ranked teams.  But it seems that the Fly Sweep help them have a decent season, much better than the University of Washington (U-Dub) Huskies’ 0-12 season.  Maybe they should have visited Willamette and learned the Fly Sweep.