2008 Sun
Bowl
Pittsburgh (9-3) vs. Oregon State (8-4)
Dec. 31, 2:00 p.m. ET, CBS
Payout:
$1.9 million Location: Sun Bowl, El Paso TX
 |
|
National
Rankings |
|
Oregon State |
Pitt |
|
Total Offense |
|
26th 418.25 ypg |
63rd 356.17 ypg |
|
Total Defense |
|
31st 323.33 ypg |
30th 320.83 ypg |
|
Scoring Offense |
|
25th 32.83 ppg |
40th 29.33 ppg |
|
Scoring Defense |
|
61st 25 ppg |
46th 23 ppg |
|
Run Offense |
|
47th 164.58 ypg |
63rd 143.25 ypg |
|
Run Defense |
|
47th 134.75 ypg |
35th 127.83 ypg |
|
Pass Offense |
|
26th 253.67 ypg |
60th 212.92 ypg |
|
Pass Defense |
|
33rd 188.58 ypg |
40th 193 ypg |
|
Turnover Margin |
|
50th 0.17 |
79th -0.33 |
|
Oregon State
at Stanford L 36-28
at Penn St L 45-14
Hawaii W 45-7
USC W 27-21
at Utah L 31-28
Wash St W 66-13
at Wash W 34-13
Arizona St W 27-25
at UCLA W 34-6
California W 34-21
at Arizona W 19-17
Oregon L 65-38 |
Pitt
Bo Green L 27-17
Buffalo W 27-16
Iowa W 21-20
at Syracuse W 34-24
at USF W 26-21
at Navy W 42-21
Rutgers L 54-34
at N D W 36-33 4OT
Louisville W 41-7
at Cincinnati L 28-21
W Virginia W 19-15
at Conn. W 34-10 |
|
Position
Ratings
relative to each
other |
|
OSU |
5
highest
1 lowest |
P |
|
3.5 |
Quarterbacks |
3 |
|
4 |
RBs |
5 |
|
4 |
Receivers |
4 |
|
3.5 |
O
Line |
2.5 |
|
4 |
D
Line |
4 |
|
4 |
Linebackers |
4 |
|
4 |
Secondary |
4 |
|
3 |
Spec
Teams |
4 |
|
4 |
Coaching |
3 |
|
By
Richard Cirminiello
As late as the end of November,
Pittsburgh and Oregon State were
still aiming for a BCS bowl
berth before dropping pivotal
games and falling out of
contention. All things
considered, the Sun Bowl, which
always seems to create
interesting matchups, is not
such a bad consolation prize.
The Beavers, in particular, will
need to have short memories in
order to remain focused on the
task at hand. Just a win away
from their first Rose Bowl in
over four decades, they got
trampled by Oregon in the Civil
War, 65-38. Those professing
that time heals all wounds were
not in Corvallis that afternoon.
Whether the 2008 season is
deemed a success or a
disappointment will hinge on how
well Oregon State closes. A
second straight loss will erase
the memory of that stunning
September upset of USC and
magically improbable run toward
Pasadena. A fifth bowl win
in-a-row, however, will be a
show of resiliency that puts a
smiley face on an otherwise
difficult situation.
While it took a few years and
some tenuous moments, the
Panthers are finally enjoying a
breakthrough season with Dave
Wannstedt on the sidelines.
After missing out on the
postseason the last three years,
this is not your ordinary bowl
game for the Panthers. It’ll be
a long-awaited celebration for a
school that has a chance to win
10 games in a season for the
first time in more than a
quarter-century. In RB LeSean
McCoy and LB Scott McKillop, the
program has a McAll-Star on each
side of the ball. McCoy has
rushed for 1,403 yards and 21
touchdowns, his second
consecutive banner year in the
Steel City. McKillop is a
warrior in run defense, piling
up a Big East-best 126 tackles,
16.5 of which were behind the
line of scrimmage. Pitt’s last
bowl win? Six years ago over
Oregon State in the Insight
Bowl.
Players to watch:
Some in the Sun Bowl community
are hailing this as the return
to Texas of Oregon State’s
Rodgers brothers. While they’ll
physically be in El Paso,
neither may be physically able
to perform. WR James Rodgers
is definitely out with a
broken collarbone, while
Jacquizz Rodgers is
questionable with a strained
right shoulder. If Quizz is a
scratch, it’ll be up to redshirt
freshman Ryan McCants to
provide the balance for the
offense. It’ll also put more
pressure on QB Lyle Moevao,
WR Sammie Stroughter, and
the rest of the Beaver passing
game to make more plays through
the air. A playmaker on offense
and special teams, Stroughter’s
importance mushrooms without the
big-play ability of the Rodgers
boys. He’ll be tested throughout
the game by Aaron Berry,
Pittsburgh top cover guy at
cornerback.
Pittsburgh better establish
McCoy early because it’s not
easy throwing on an Oregon State
defense that harbors four
defensive backs on the
All-Pac-10 team. If the Panthers
do challenge the Beavers through
the air, Bill Stull ought
to take a long look for No. 82,
true freshman WR Jonathan
Baldwin. Don’t be deceived
by this year’s modest numbers of
18 catches for 404 yards and
three touchdowns. He’s a budding
superstar, who creates match up
headaches with his 6-6 frame and
leaping ability. Given a chance
to make plays, Baldwin could
have his coming-out party in El
Paso. Defensively, Pitt has a
bookend along the defensive line
to combat Oregon State’s
Victor Butler and Slade
Norris. Sophomores Greg
Romeus and Jabaal Sheard
are high energy, explosive
types, who’ve combined for 22.5
tackles for loss and 11 sacks.
Moevao is just 5-11, and prone
to having passes batted down by
determined rushers, like Romeus
and Sheard.
Pittsburgh will win if...
the pass defense doesn’t go
AWOL. When the Panthers had
problems this season, it was
usually because the secondary
was getting exposed. In the loss
to Bowling Green, the Falcons
threw two touchdown passes. In
the loss to Rutgers, Mike Teel
had a record day. In the loss to
Cincinnati, Tony Pike was almost
perfect. In fact, Pitt is 7-0
when it yields no more than one
touchdown pass. The Beavers are
constantly striving for
offensive balance. It’s up to
Phil Bennett’s defense to make
sure they don’t achieve it.
Oregon State will win if...
it keeps McCoy from taking over
the game. The Beavers’ overall
numbers in run defense are a bit
deceiving. Drilling down a
little further reveals that this
unit was vulnerable in all four
of its losses to Stanford, Penn
State, Utah, and Oregon. In that
game with the Ducks, Oregon
State was shredded for 385 yards
and three scores on the ground.
It has to build a fence around
McCoy, forcing Stull to
overachieve as a passer. That’s
not likely to happen. For the
year, Panther quarterbacks have
thrown just 10 touchdown passes
while getting picked off 13
times.
What will happen: Even
the suggestion that Jacquizz
Rodgers won’t be 100% is enough
to alter the outlook of the Sun
Bowl. Think back to the four
games when the freshman wasn’t
the focal point of the offense.
The Beavers lost to Stanford,
Penn State, and Oregon, and
managed just 19 points in a
narrow escape at Arizona. This
is a totally different team when
he’s not zigzagging through
defenses. Without a healthy
Rodgers, Oregon State will have
problems moving the ball on the
stingy Pittsburgh defense. McCoy
will do his part for the Panther
offense, grinding out 125 yards
and two scores in a meaningful
postseason win for the program.
Line: Oregon State -2.5
... CFN Prediction:
Pittsburgh 24 ... Oregon
State 21