 Having just lost its head coach to the NFL, the Beavers hired a former NFL coach, Dennis Erickson, to take over the reins in Corvallis.The Dennis Erickson Era at Oregon State began in Reno, Nevada on September 4, 1999.Nevada took a 13–7 lead into the fourth quarter, but tight end Martin Maurer caught a Jonathan Smith pass and rumbled 74-yards for a 14–13 Oregon State lead.