No. 16 Notre Dame made its 42nd appearance in a bowl game a victorious one, defeating No. 19 Oregon State 40-8 in the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas, on Friday. The dominating victory marked the second Sun Bowl win for the Fighting Irish in as many appearances. The Irish defeated Miami 33-17 in the 2010 edition of the game.
With the win in the 90th Sun Bowl, the Irish claimed their first victory over the Beavers. Oregon State had defeated the Irish in the 2001 Fiesta Bowl and the 2004 Insight Bowl. Notre Dame is now 103-57-6 all-time against the Pac-12. That record includes a 2-0 record this season. The Irish defeated No. 10 USC 48-20 at home and beat Stanford 56-23 on the road in the final game of the regular season.
Friday’s victory over Oregon State in the Sun Bowl marked the first 10-win season as a head coach for Marcus Freeman. It is the sixth time in the last seven seasons that Notre Dame has orchestrated a 10-win season.
A Day of Firsts for Steve Angeli
Making his first career start in place of Sam Hartman who opted out of the Sun Bowl, Steve Angeli led the Irish charge. Utilizing his arm and his legs, Angeli kept the Irish offense in overdrive from start to finish. During Notre Dame’s initial drive, Angeli led the offense on a 96-yard scoring drive that spanned 11 plays. Following a 55-yard bomb to Jordan Faison, Angeli found Jayden Thomas in the end zone to give the Irish a 7-0 lead. They never looked back.
Even though it appears that Notre Dame has found its starting quarterback for next season in Duke transfer Riley Leonard, Angeli turned heads with his Sun Bowl performance. For the game, the sophomore signal caller completed 15 of 19 pass attempts for 232 yards and three touchdowns. He also rushed for 27 yards on eight carries.
“This is a moment I will remember for the rest of my life,” Angeli told CBS following the game. “But it’s not about me. It’s about the guys around me. The guys up front, my receivers. All the guys that have been in my room that have nurtured me. I’m so proud of this team. This team was special.”
A Golden Defense
Notre Dame’s defensive coordinator Al Golden developed the Irish defense into one of the top units in the nation this season. The Irish ranked first in pass efficiency defense (94.91); second in red zone defense (.706), and fourth in passing yards allowed (154.2).
The stout Irish defense lived up to its billing against Oregon State. Behind a third-string quarterback, a patchwork offensive line, and without their leading playmakers, Oregon State just couldn’t get anything going against Golden’s senior-laden squad. The Irish defense held Oregon State in check for 3 ½ quarters, allowing just a single score late in the game. Jimmy Valsin III caught a 33-yard pass from Ben Gulbranson to avoid the shutout. Gulbranson finished the game 16 for 27 for 180 yards and an interception.
The Irish defense didn’t allow a third-down conversion until the final minutes of the game. All told, Oregon State went 1-for-9 on third downs. The Irish sacked Gulbranson three times and applied constant pressure. The Irish defense allowed Oregon State just 197 total yards and only two yards rushing.
In the first half, Josh Burnham and Jaden Mickey flashed, thwarting a fake punt attempt by the Beavers. The offense, given a short field, capitalized. Notre Dame executed a seven-play drive that covered 44 yards, culminating with a one-yard touchdown run by Jadarian Price, who rushed for 106 yards on the day. In the waning seconds of the second quarter, Benjamin Morrison intercepted Gulbranson to end the half. It was the 16th pick by the Irish defense this season. That is the most picks for an Irish defense since 2014.
Sun Bowl Exodus
The Notre Dame roster, like most rosters at this time of year, underwent numerous changes ahead of the Sun Bowl. The Irish faced Oregon State without the services of Hartman, Joe Alt, Audric Estime, Blake Fisher, Thomas Harper, Cam Hart, and Marist Liufau, among others. No starters no problem. The players that suited up showed out.
Oregon State played without several key players as well, namely starting quarterback DJ Uiagalelei and his backup Aidan Chiles. Both signal callers entered the transfer portal ahead of the Sun Bowl. The Beavers also played without the services of leading rusher Damien Martinez, and tight ends Jake Overman and Jack Velling, both leading playmakers. It showed.
Youth Movement
Notre Dame offered the Irish faithful a glimpse of the future in the Sun Bowl victory. With so many offensive starters not playing, the Irish showcased their depth with young talent at all the skill positions. As anticipated, Oregon State resembled a team in flux.
With star running back Estime not playing, Price rushed for 106 yards on 13 carries for the Irish. He also scored a touchdown. Freshman walk-on Faison was the game’s Most Valuable Player. Faison finished with five catches for 115 yards and a touchdown.
As a team, the Irish were dialed in for the Sun Bowl. For now, Notre Dame can celebrate its 10-win season. But the countdown is already on for the 2024 season, where more will be expected. Like a 12-win season and a spot in the expanded College Football Playoff.
