Beavers Headed To Texas To Face Notre Dame

The 2023-24 bowl slate was unveiled on Sunday, revealing that Oregon State is set to face Notre Dame in the Tony The Tiger Sun Bowl. The game is scheduled for Friday, Dec. 29, with an 11 a.m. PT (12 p.m. in El Paso) kickoff at Sun Bowl Stadium. The 90th annual Sun Bowl game will be broadcasted live on CBS.

This marks Oregon State’s 20th all-time appearance in a bowl game, carrying a 12-7 overall record into this year’s matchup. In the previous season, the Beavers secured a 30-3 victory over Florida in the SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl.

Oregon State has made two prior trips to the Texas-based Sun Bowl, boasting a 2-0 record in those visits. In 2006, the Beavers defeated Missouri 39-38, with Joe Newton’s 14-yard touchdown reception and a successful 2-point conversion by Yvenson Bernard in the final seconds. In 2008, Oregon State shut out Pittsburgh 3-0, with Justin Kahut’s 44-yard field goal as the sole score.

With an 8-4 record in 2023, Oregon State achieved its third consecutive winning season and finished with a 5-4 record in Pac-12 play, marking the team’s third straight winning record in league action. Notre Dame concluded the regular season with a 9-3 record.

Heading into the bowl game, Oregon State is ranked 21st by the Associated Press and 22nd in the US LBM Coaches Poll. This season is the first time in program history that the Beavers finished the regular season ranked in every AP Top 25 poll. The College Football Playoff Rankings, released on Sunday, place Oregon State at 19th.

The upcoming matchup between Oregon State and Notre Dame will be the third meeting between the two teams, with Oregon State securing victories in the 2001 Fiesta Bowl (41-9) and the 2004 Insight Bowl (38-21).