The No. 16 Notre Dame Fighting Irish will square off against the No. 19 Oregon State Beavers in the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas, on Friday, Dec. 29, at 2 p.m. ET. The Irish are in search of their second straight bowl victory under head coach Marcus Freeman after defeating South Carolina 45-28 in last year’s Gator Bowl.
Who won’t be playing in the Sun Bowl is more of a story than who will actually influence the outcome of the game on the field. With all the opt-outs and players hitting the transfer portal, both the Irish and the Beavers enter the Sun Bowl without the services of several key players. Both teams will be without their starting quarterbacks and multiple defensive starters. The Irish will also be without their star running back.
Freeman held a press conference on Saturday and discussed the lead-up to the Sun Bowl.
“All year we’ve talked about the 12 guaranteed opportunities, and so we’ve obviously turned the page to opportunity 13, and we’re grateful,” he shared. “I showed our team a couple of the videos on social media yesterday that you’ve seen the excitement of everybody that’s involved with the Sun Bowl. I want our team—I’m sure they’ve all seen it—but to hear that one more time and understand how grateful we are for this opportunity, how excited we are to bring this football program down to El Paso, Texas. And we’ve got to understand the challenge that it will be, and we have to grasp this opportunity.”
Missing Pieces: Notre Dame’s Key Players Opt Out
The Irish have lost five of their key players to the NFL Draft. They include quarterback Sam Hartman, running back Audric Estime, offensive tackle Joe Alt, outside linebacker Marist Liufau, and cornerback Cam Hart. In addition, Notre Dame has lost several players to the transfer portal, including wide receivers Tobias Merriweather, Rico Flores Jr., Chris Tyree, and Braylon James. Tight end Holden Staes also left the program through the transfer portal, as has center Zeke Correll.
Despite being without Hartman, Estime, and Alt on offense, the Irish retain plenty of young talent. Hartman’s backup Steve Angeli will be under center for the Sun Bowl. Duke transfer Riley Leonard will be the next man up at quarterback next season for the Irish. Since Leonard just transferred, he is unable to play against Oregon State. As a result, Angeli will get his first opportunity of the season to play in meaningful action as opposed to clean-up duty. Running back Jeremiyah Love and wide receiver Jaden Greathouse should also have ample opportunity to shine in the Sun Bowl. The true freshmen have enjoyed solid seasons, and are expected to be number-one options next year.
Oregon State’s Sun Bowl Puzzle: Notable Absences
Oregon State will be without the services of starting quarterback DJ Uiagalelei and his backup Aidan Chiles, who both entered the transfer portal. Chiles is headed to Michigan State. Stepping in at quarterback is Ben Gulbranson. Although he threw just one pass in live action this season, Gulbranson saw plenty of playing time in 2022. He completed 121 passes from 195 attempts for 1,455 yards a year ago. He also threw nine touchdowns and five interceptions.
Tight ends Jake Overman and Jack Velling are leaving the Oregon State program and won’t play in the Sun Bowl. The Beavers will also be without kicker Atticus Sappington who entered the transfer portal. If the game is closer than expected, Sappington’s absence could play a critical role in deciding the outcome of the Sun Bowl. Other Oregon State players missing the Sun Bowl include linebacker Easton Mascarenas-Arnold, and cornerback Jermod McCoy.
Oregon State’s Damien Martinez Back in the Mix
Running back Damien Martinez, suspended from the team in late November after being arrested and accused of driving under the influence of intoxicants, reckless driving, and reckless endangerment by Corvallis police, has been reinstated. That suggests availability for the Sun Bowl. A key player in the Beavers’ offense, Martinez rushed for 1,185 yards (6.1 average yards per carry) this season on 194 carries. He scored nine touchdowns. Martinez ranked second in the Pac-12 in rushing yards. His average YPG ranked fourth among all running backs in the conference with at least 100 attempts. He earned All-Pac 12 first-team honors this season.
Oregon State won six of their first seven games this season. They concluded the year dropping three of their last five games. The program is also entering a new era on multiple fronts. Head coach Jonathan Smith is headed to Michigan State. Trent Bray has been named the Beavers’ next head coach. Bray has been with the program for nearly 10 years. He has spent the last two-and-a-half years as Oregon State’s defensive coordinator. Oregon State is just one of two members remaining in the Pac-12, and many questions remain about the future of the conference and the program.
What to Expect in the Sun Bowl
On the surface, Notre Dame appears to be the deeper, more talented team. With playmakers on both teams sitting out the Sun Bowl and inexperience prevailing at most of the pivotal positions, game-planning from the coaching staff will be a challenge on both sides of the ball.
With Estime operating behind a strong offensive line, the Irish were productive in the ground game throughout the year. Without Estime and Alt, the Irish might have difficulty establishing a run game against Oregon State. The Beavers are 6-0 on the year when allowing the opposition fewer than 88 rushing yards. If the Irish are unable to establish a ground game, it could spell a long afternoon for Angeli and Notre Dame’s offense. Especially without Hartman’s late-game heroics to bail them out.
Oregon State’s program has many question marks heading into the Sun Bowl. Getting Martinez back in the mix is a big positive for the Beavers. But it might not be enough to defeat Notre Dame. The Irish are looking to cap off a solid season and build toward next year as well. The Irish were on the outside looking in this season for a spot in the College Football Playoff. A couple of key losses in winnable games put an end to those aspirations. The Sun Bowl matchup with Oregon State offers the Irish a golden opportunity. With a strong performance, Notre Dame can end the year on a high note and build momentum heading into next season. With both programs heading in seemingly different directions, expect a young, but talented Irish squad to prove the hungrier of the two teams in this year’s Sun Bowl.
