Gazette-Times Reporter

Win today's Civil War and the Oregon State football team will receive an invitation to the Rose Bowl for the first time in 44 years.

To be in that position heading into the final regular season game has been more than a decade in the making for coach Mike Riley since he took over the program for the first time in 1997.

He laid the foundation for two years, left to the NFL and returned in 2003. Since his first run, the Beavers have played in seven bowl games in nine years.

Four have come under Riley, and a fifth is assured no matter the outcome today.

The program has struggled for exposure and respect. It's still running away from the infamous 28-year losing streak.

OSU is now a mainstay in the upper half of the Pacific-10 Conference, finishing third in 2006 and 2007. At least a share of the conference title and a Rose Bowl appearance this season cements its position as an established program that can contend for a Pac-10 title each season.

"It's amazing 2004 to now watching the program mature to what it has become," senior cornerback Brandon Hughes said. "I can't put words to it. When I first came here the stadium wasn't built and it had AstroTurf. I remember going into games and we knew we were going to get booed by our own fans. And now just to see us in this position that we are in, it's unfathomable."

With one of the biggest games in OSU history looming, Riley paused earlier this week to reflect on how far the Beavers have come.

"It feels very good when I look at the people around me," he said. "I've done a good job of hiring. I have a staff that cares about kids and who are good football coaches. To look around at the dynamics around here, I'm happy. We are winning but what pleases me the most is we have good folks here. And that frees us up to win games and not have distractions."

Riley knows the history of the program well with ties back to when his father, Bud, was an OSU assistant coach from 1965-72.

He remembers the family atmosphere around the program back then, when it was in the last winning era before the late 1900s. So he went about creating the same thing.

"It's unusual to be coaching where you grew up and have real ties with your school," Riley said. "People are the most important part of the program. There are people I went to high school with, people I grew up with, and I have some working here. To have that is very unique. And to have a second chance, I feel very fortunate."

Riley has been behind many key changes in personnel. He put together a coaching staff of like-minded individuals to support his vision.

Receivers coach Jay Locey and coordinator of support services Gary Beck went to Corvallis High with Riley. Defensive coordinator Mark Banker and offensive coordinator Danny Langsdorf have been long-time friends of Riley.

"The staff is a great group of people to work with," Locey said. "Everybody is on the same page. That's been real fun. When the staff is together, the players are together. It's a pretty focused group. I think it is real common in terms of why people came here. They wanted a family-type atmosphere."

Locey built an NCAA Division III powerhouse at Linfield, but Riley lured him away with the hope of doing the same at OSU, but on a bigger stage.

Creating a program is more than players and coaches. Riley helped pick strength coaches and support people, including the cook.

"There's no distraction here," Hughes said. "We have a great coaching staff all the way down to the cook. We have a great supporting cast here. It's hard to fall to the wayside with all the avenues we are blessed to have."

After a bad academic stretch early in Riley's second run at OSU, the coaches started working closely with the academic personnel to help players stay eligible and graduate.

"Mike has done a great job of creating the winning culture on and off the field," Locey said. "He has done a good job of putting the pieces together."

That has trickled down to the players. They are recruited to fit into the program athletically, but also with their personality. Quarterback Sean Canfield said he feels something special around this team because all the players are Riley recruits for the first time.

The Beavers have become know as a developer of three-star recruits since they don't get five-star players. So a sense of satisfaction comes from those who find success at OSU.

"Everything is stacked up rather nicely from the first time I got here," Hughes said. "Coach Riley put a lot of effort into building a program to where it is today. Everybody here works hard to get the program to this position. And it's overdue. We're glad to be in this position."

An accumulation of all this comes to a head this afternoon. A win and it's on to one of the elite bowl games.

Lose, and a tumble down the postseason pecking order begins. There's no chance at the Holiday Bowl, according to game officials. The Sun Bowl is the reality.

"There's a lot on this game regardless," Riley said. "It has been building toward this. Everybody maintained pretty well. The Civil War is always a great game, but this one has some added stuff. To be part of a game like this after all the work, I guess you can say it's fun. I hope that's the case after the game."