A bit of USC trivia on the Oregon Trail

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Oregon State’s surprising victory over No. 1 ranked USC brought plenty of references to the Beavers’ 3-0 upset win over the then-top ranked Trojans in 1967. Nearly every account of that game referred to the quagmire-like field and O.J. Simpson’s 188 yards rushing, but no one mentioned the single most important player -- the guy who kicked the field goal.

For the record, it was Mike Haggard who kicked the 30-yard field goal in the second quarter. He also missed two field goals that day, but in the end, gave the Beavers all the points they would need. It was the brightest moment in the Beavers’ ‘Giant Killers’ season, when they beat USC and Purdue, ranked second at the time, and tied UCLA, which also was ranked second when it played Oregon State.

And where is Mike Haggard today? Jason Amberg, Oregon State’s assistant sports information director, said, ‘I’m going to have to do some digging on that one.’

USC officials, meanwhile, know exactly where O.J. Simpson is today.

-- Chris Foster