Led by Tommy Prothro in his tenth and final season as head coach, the Beavers compiled an overall record of 8–3 with a mark of 3–1 in conference play, sharing the AAWU title with USC, and outscoring their opponents 149 to 124.

With 1963's starter Gordon Queen sidelined with a knee injury, quarterback Paul Brothers got the start for Oregon State.

Oregon State responded by driving 71 yards in 14 plays to set up Steve Clark's 27-yard field goal with 3:54 left in the first quarter.

Oregon State's Dan Espalin picked off a pass early in the first quarter at the Washington 39, which the Beavers converted into a touchdown on Charlie Shaw's one-yard plunge.

One of two Jack "Mad Dog" O'Billovich's interceptions helped set up Steve Clark's game-winning 21-yard field goal with five seconds left in the first half.

Espalin, who served as State's "squib" punter, handling punting duties on the opponent's half of the field, pinned the Huskies within the five-yard line three times.

The Beavers had an apparent touchdown called back for illegal procedure, so Oregon State kicked a 22-yard field goal to go up 3-0.

Danny Espalin returned the third quarter punt 43 yards for a touchdown, turning a 7-3 Oregon State deficit into a 10-7 Beaver victory.

In the fourth quarter Idaho drove down to Oregon State's 18 yard-line, but the Vandals' 25-yard field goal was no good.

On Syracuse's opening drive, Wally Mahle connected with Little, who broke three tackles and sauntered into the end zone to complete the 55-yard touchdown reception.

Marv Crowston, who started the season as a backup quarterback against Northwestern and who had been subsequently converted into a running back, had another touchdown plunge.

After the game, Indiana's head coach, Phil Dickens said, "I said it before and I’ll say it again: Oregon State is as good a ball club as we play this year."

On Stanford's first possession, Oregon State forced the Indians to punt, but Dan Espalin fumbled inside the Beaver 10.

The defense held Stanford out of the end zone, but the Indians' Braden Beck kicked a 23-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead.

Later in the first half, Stanford got a first down at the one-yard line, but Oregon State held the Indians to -1 yards in four carries to preserve the three-point deficit.

The Beavers responded by driving 77 yards in five plays, capped by Paul Brothers' 21-yard touchdown pass to Bob Grim to pull within two.

The Beavers' last real threat ended when Medford native Dick Ragsdale intercepted Brothers' pass to Grim at the Stanford 19 and returned the ball back to the 43.

In the final 54 seconds, the Ducks managed to drive to the Beaver 27, but their field goal fell short with no time left.

The Trojans wound up crushing the Bruins 34-13 behind three touchdown passes by future Oregon State coach Craig Fertig.

Because Southern California had a game left to play, the Athletic Association of Western universities coaches agreed that, unless the Beavers or Trojans got unanimous support, they would wait to choose the conference representative until after the Battle for the Jeweled Shillelagh.

Many sportswriters and Southern California fans understood this to mean that a win over Notre Dame game would get the Trojans a Rose Bowl berth, but the delay was purely procedural.

The tiebreaker, which was implemented only the previous February (before Oregon State was admitted to the conference), was to eliminate the team that had most recently gone to the Rose Bowl and Southern California had gone two years earlier.

The Beavers and Trojans each went 2-1 against common opponents, although Southern California beat Colorado more decisively and lost to Washington by a single point.

Then, the Wolverines lost to unheralded Purdue, led by sophomore quarterback Bob Griese, by a single point after failing on a two-point conversion.

After the close loss, Michigan won five straight, including the finale against #7 Ohio State to win the Big Ten conference.

Oregon State broke a scoreless tie in the second quarter, driving 84 yards in 17 plays to take a 7-0 lead.

Michigan's Mel Anthony caught the ball at his 10 and ran towards the right before, juking the final Beaver defender and running down the middle of the field for a Rose Bowl-record 84-yard touchdown.

After the smoke cleared, Oregon State ran a draw play for a couple of yards, and Brothers threw an incomplete pass.

On third-and-sixteen, Carl Ward then took a pitchout on the right side and broke three tackles down the sideline before moving to the middle of the field and running into the end zone.

The three touchdowns tied Four Horsemen of Notre Dame fullback Elmer Layden's Rose Bowl record and earned Anthony player of the game honors.