Anyone watching this game tonight except for me??
http://thequad.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/12/30/holiday-bowl-oklahoma-9-3-vs-oregon-9-3/This is one of the better non-B.C.S. bowl games of the season. Both the Cowboys and the Ducks can score points, as both average about 41 a game (41.6 for Oklahoma State, 41.9 for Oregon). And neither team concerns itself too much with defense. (Oklahoma State Coach Mike Gundy has been known to go over to his team’s bench and study the offensive game plan while his defense is on the field.) So, in keeping with the legacy of Holiday Bowl fireworks, expect an entertaining game with plenty of action on the scoreboard.
The Holiday Bowl: Tuesday, Dec. 30 at 8 p.m. in San Diego
Oklahoma State
Coach Mike Gundy is now the answer to a trivia question: Who is the only person to play and coach in the Holiday Bowl? If Gundy’s coaching experience is anything like his playing days, the Cowboys can expect a successful night. In 1988, Oklahoma State’s only other appearance in the Holiday Bowl, Gundy was 20 of 24 for 315 yards and 2 touchdowns in a 62-14 victory over Wyoming. We’ll see if Zac Robinson can follow in his coach’s footsteps. If Robinson has a big game, receiver Dez Bryant could put up big numbers, too. Bryant had 74 catches for 1,313 yards and 18 touchdowns this season. Kendall Hunter was the top rusher in the Big 12 with 1,518 yards.
Oregon
While Oklahoma State’s offense is spearheaded by Robinson and Bryant, the Ducks boast an impressive running game. Two backs split the carries, with Jeremiah Johnson coming in with 1,082 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns and LeGarrette Blount having run for 928 yards and an Oregon record 16 touchdowns. The Ducks have won three games in a row, including a 65-38 manhandling of archrival Oregon State in the Civil War, a defeat the knocked the Beavers out of the Rose Bowl. During the winning streak Jeremiah Masoli, who began fall practice as a third stringer, completed 67.2 percent of his passes for 716 yards and 6 touchdowns and no interceptions.