Notre Dame dominates Oregon State in Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl

The Sun Bowl is played at the historic Sun Bowl Stadium in El Paso, Texas.
Photo by Francisco Casillas, Copyright 2023, All Rights Reserved

By Chris Price
Copyright 2023 All Rights Reserved

EL PASO, TEXAS (December 29, 2023) In a spectacular display of skill and dominance, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish claimed a resounding 40-8 victory over the Oregon State Beavers at the 90th Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl at Sun Bowl Stadium. The sold-out crowd of 48,223 witnessed a memorable performance as Notre Dame showcased their prowess in both offensive and defensive aspects of the game. The Fighting Irish, now boasting a 10-3 season record, left no room for doubt about their superiority in the Sun Bowl. Notre Dame's offense, led by freshman quarterback Steven Angeli, executed with precision, amassing an impressive 448 yards. Angeli, in his first career start, set personal bests with 212 passing yards, three touchdown passes, 14 completions, and 18 attempts. Jordan Faison emerged as a standout player, earning the C.M. Hendricks MVP title. Faison's career-high 115 receiving yards, including a remarkable 55-yard reception, propelled Notre Dame to a 32-point victory, marking the largest margin in the program's bowl game history. The Fighting Irish ground game, led by Jadarian Price's career-best 106 rushing yards, was equally formidable. Price's one-yard touchdown run in the second quarter contributed to Notre Dame's 14-0 halftime lead. The Beavers struggled to find their footing, managing only 197 yards of total offense. Defensively, Notre Dame's performance was commendable, recording four sacks and securing a safety in the fourth quarter. The Beavers, despite a valiant effort, couldn't overcome the relentless Irish defense.

Arizona State's Demario Richard scores four TDs in Sun Bowl victory over Duke

By Mike Stockman

Staff Correspondent
Copyright 2014 TexSport Publications

EL PASO, TEXAS (December 27, 2014) It was a battle of the devils at University of Texas at El Paso’s football stadium where the Arizona State Sun Devils intercepted a game winning  touchdown pass over the Duke Blue Devils with less than 45 seconds left on the clock to hold take a 36-31 win n the 81^st Sun Bowl on December 27, 2014.

What started out as a 20 – 3 lead early in the second quarter by ASU, ended in a thrilling back and forth game that went down to who ever made the last big play. 

ASU’s Freshman running back Demario Richard tied the Sun Bowl record of most touchdowns by collecting four; two on the ground and two in the air.

Sun Devil field goal kicker Zane Gonzales, of Deer Park, TX, was successful on attempts from 28, 38, and 47 yards with three extra points to complete ASU’s scoring.

Other notable performances for ASU include Kalan Ballage’s  96 yard kick-off return after Duke took the lead 31-30 in the 4^th Quarter with 5:03 left. This set up Demario Richard’s second running touchdown to put the Sun Devils ahead for good.

The final notable performance from ASU came when defensive back Kweishi Brown snatched the ball out of the air for a critical interception in the corner of the end zone with 45 seconds left on the clock. This sealed the game for the Sun Devils.

Duke’s running back Shaquille Powell had over 160 yards while wide receiver Jamison Crowder, who could have been named MVP if Duke had won, had seven catches for 102 yards, 68 yard TD punt return, and a left-handed pass for a touchdown to Isaac Blakeney late in the game to put Duke ahead  31-30.

For the third year in a row, a Duke bowl game is plucked from their grasp, leaving seniors empty-handed after setting all-time Duke performance records.

ASU finishes 2014 with second straight 10-win season, and 28^th win in three years. This bumps Arizona State's  Sun Bowl record to 3-1-1.