Sun Bowl Mania

Sun Bowl videos

First up, here's this year's version of Sun Bowl Burning Questions, filmed the morning of the game around the Sun Bowl:

And here is the video from the Sun Bowl Fan Fiesta on Tuesday night:

UPDATE: Here's the Y.M.C.A. halftime video:

Five minutes left and very little to no offense

OSU held the ball early in the fourth quarter, but eventually punted away to T.J. Porter and had him pinned deep inside Pitt territory, but a penalty forced OSU to re-punt, and this time Porter returned it 36-yards to the Beaver 42-yard-line.

On third down, OSU's Victor Butler recorded another sack on Bill Stull forcing the fumble. Butler jumped on it to give the ball back to the Beavers.

Pitt forced another OSU punt, but Johnny Hekker sent the ball 57-yard into the wind before it rolled out at the Pitt 3-yard-line.

The Panthers tried to battle out with their end zone at their backs, but was eventually forced to fumble from their own 5-yard-line.

After a pentalty OSU worked from their own 45-yard-line, but Lyle Moevao was hit as he threw and Pitt's Aaron Berry was there to catch the ball, and once again the Panthers were in business at their own 39.

However the end result would be Pitt's Dave Brytus' ninth punt of the day.

With five minutes left in the game OSU still leads 3-0

End of the third quarter. Still 3-0 OSU

Pitt punted the ball away early in the third quarter, OSU was took over around mid-field.

During the drive, the Beavers attempted a trick play when wide receiver Sammie Stroughter took the hand-off on a reverse and went deep to Darrell Catchings for a touchdown, but the pass was over thrown. OSU was able to get in scoring position, inside the Pitt 10-yard-line.

After a reverse lost the Beavers two yards, it forced a third and goal attempt, but Lyle Moevao was sacked by Pitt's Greg Romeus, his second of the day, and OSU's Justin Kahut came in to try a 37-yard field goal. The wobbly kick sailed wide-right and the score remained 3-0 in OSU's favor.

Pitt took over from their own 20-yard-line, but was once again forced to punt after a three-and-out. OSU could not take advantage and punted the ball back to Pitt.

It was almost a disastrous punt for Pitt, when punt returner T.J. Porter bobbled the ball and was hit by OSU players. The ball rolled out of bounds as OSU players tried to jump on it and Pitt retained possession.

Pitt once again was forced into a three-and-out and punted away to a chorus of "boo's" from the Panther fans.

On the Beavers possession, the Panther defensive line was able to put pressure on quarterback Moevao, sacking him and forcing an incomplete pass on third down. On the OSU punt, the Beavers were called for unsportsmanlike conduct, moving Pitt to the OSU 49-yard-line. 

Pitt was unable to take advantage and punted once again after a sack by Victor Butler.

OSU ended the third quarter with the ball and a 3-0 lead.

Halftime stats

Instead  of talking about the halftime show's YMCA, here are some halftime stats.

OSU

First downs 10

Rushes-yards 12-64

Passing yards 128

Pass-att-INT 15-30-1

Total offensive plays-yards 192

Interceptions-yards 1-0

Fumbles-lost 1-1

Punts-avg. yards 4-41.8

Penalties-yards 2-13

Possession time 15:27

Third down conversions 3-of-10

Fourth down conversions 1-of-1

Leading player:

Lyle Moevao, quarterback

15-30-1, 128 yards

Pitt

First downs 5

Rushes-yards 16-69

Passing yards 35

Pass-att-INT 5-14-1

Total offensive plays-yards 30-104

Interceptions-yards 1-0

Fumbles-lost 0-0

Punts-avg. yards 4-44.2

Penalties-yards 1-5

Possession time 14:33

Third down conversions 2-of-7

Fourth down conversions 0-of-1

Leading player:

LeSean McCoy, running back

9-48 yards, 5.3 yards per carry

-Aaron Bracamontes

OSU threatens to score in last minute of first half

After the Oregon State field goal, Pittsburgh was forced to punt away deep in their own territory.

OSU began to drive down the field and on a fourth and three, Lyle Moevao scrambled 10 yards for the first down to keep the drive alive.

Later in the drive, on a second and goal from the nine-yard-line, Moevao appeared to have John Reese in the back corner of the end zone for a touchdown, but it was ruled incomplete. OSU challenged the call on the field and the play was upheld.

On the next play Moevano tried to go down the middle for a score but it was picked off by Scott McKillop. Pitt knelled the ball to end the first half with the score OSU 3, Pitt-0

-Aaron Bracamontes

Offensive spurts results in first score of the day; OSU - 3 Pitt -0

Midway through the second quarter, Pittsburgh moved the ball into Oregon State territory for the first time in the game, with a 11-yard pass from Bill Stull to Cedric McGee to the OSU 44-yard-line. 

Three plays later, Pitt was faced with a fourth and three and decided to go for it, but Stull was pressure by a several Beavers defenders and his pass fell incomplete, turning it over to OSU on downs.

The Beavers returned the favor by completing a pass from Lyle Moevao to Shane Morales for 19-yards to the Panthers 26-yard-line. 

However the drive stalled and Justin Kahut was brought in to kick a 44-yard field goal to give OSU a 3-0 lead with just over two minutes left in the game.

-Aaron Bracamontes

Defensive start

Both teams turned the ball over in the first minute.

First Oregon State Ryan McCants fumbled the ball on the Beaver's 43-yard-line where Pittsburgh’s Dom DeCicco recovered it. 

The ball would not stay in the Panthers possession for long, as OSU's Keenan Lewis intercepted Bill Stull's pass to get the ball back in the Beaver's possession.

Both teams exchanged punts on their next drives, as the defense’s continue to dominate the early going of the game.

With over seven minutes to go in the first quarter, the score is tied 0-0.

-Aaron Bracamontes

(UPDATE: At the end of the first quarter the score is still 0-0. Making it the first scoreless first quarter since the 2003 match-up of Minnesota vs. Oregon.)

More than 49,000 expected to attend Sun Bowl

Paul Zeise, the Pitt Panthers beat writer for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, said a crowd of in excess of 49,000 is expected for the Brut Sun Bowl Wednesday between Pitt and Oregon State.

Zeise made the statement in an online chat with fans that is posted on the newspaper's Web site.

Zeise also said that Pitt has sold more tickets than Oregon State "and unless things have changed in the last 24 hours, by a lot."

Read the full transcript here.

Y.M.C.A, Juarez style

I think we have now found the perfect candidate to lead the Y.M.C.A. dance at halftime of the Sun Bowl.

The Village People group does include a cop, after all.

To find out what I'm talking about, and see the great video, click here.

Oregon State coach signs contract extension

Oregon State coach Mike Riley has agreed to a one-year contract extension that will take him through the 2015 season, according to the Associated Press.

Riley has taken Oregon State to three straight bowl games and five over a six-year span during his second tenure at the school, winning all four postseason contests.

The Beavers meet Pittsburgh on Wednesday in the Sun Bowl.

Riley said he has “a terrific job at a place that I truly love.” He is due to earn about $1 million this season with included incentives. He had been working with a six-year contract that rolled over for every bowl appearance. The new contract will be at seven years and is structured similarly in that it will add a year for each bowl appearance.