2007 Brut Sun Bowl Preview

2007 Brut Sun Bowl

Date	December 31, 2007
Time	2:00 p.m.
Television Network	CBS
Location	El Paso, TX
Stadium	Sun Bowl Stadium

History of the Brut Sun Bowl

The Sun Bowl is the second oldest continuously played bowl game and only the Rose Bowl has been played longer. The game was chartered in 1934 and the first Sun Bowl was held January 1, 1935. The first game was to raise funds for the El Paso Kiwanis Club and featured high school players. The success of that first game resulted in the founding of the Sun Bowl Association to promote the area. The second game had collegiate teams and during the early years it became a tradition to match the Border Conference Champion against the best available opponent.

The first Sun Bowl was held at El Paso High School Stadium, then it was moved to the campus of the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). Kidd Field hosted the game until 1962, then it was moved to Sun Bowl Stadium in 1963. Sun Bowl Stadium has a capacity of 50,426 and holds the unusual distinction of being the closest major American stadium to a foreign country, sitting less than half a mile from the Rio Grande River.

In 1986, the game took on a title sponsor and the Sun Bowl has had eight official names. Called the John Hancock Sun Bowl from 1986 to 1989, then only the John Hancock Bowl from 1990 to 1993. After two years without a title sponsor, Wells Fargo came on board and the game was known as both the Norwest Sun Bowl (1996 to 1998) and Wells Fargo Sun Bowl (1999 to 2003). Helen of Troy Limited took over the sponsorship and labeled the game the Vitalis Sun Bowl (2004 & 2005) and finally the Brut Sun Bowl in 2006.

This year the 74th rendition of the game will broadcast on CBS. It is interesting to note that the contract with CBS Sports is the longest continuous relationship a bowl game has with one network, since 1968.

Past Sun Bowls

Season	Result
2006	Oregon State 39, Missouri 38
2005	UCLA 50, Northwestern 38
2004	Arizona State 27, Purdue 23
2003	Minnesota 31, Oregon 30
2002	Purdue 34, Washington 24
2001	Washington State 33, Purdue 27
2000	Wisconsin 21, UCLA 20
1999	Oregon 24, Minnesota 20
1998	TCU 28, USC 19
1997	Arizona State 14, Iowa 7
1996	Stanford 38, Michigan State 0
1995	Iowa 38, Washington 18
1994	Texas 35, North Carolina 31
1993	Oklahoma 41, Texas Tech 10
1992	Baylor 20, Arizona 15
1991	UCLA 6, Illinois 3
1990	Michigan State 17, USC 16
1989	Pittsburgh 31, Texas A&M 28
1988	Alabama 29, Army 28
1987	Oklahoma State 35, West Virginia 33
1986	Alabama 28, Washington 6
1985	Arizona 13, Georgia 13
1984	Maryland 28, Tennessee 27
1983	Alabama 28, SMU 7
1982	North Carolina 26, Texas 10
1981	Oklahoma 40, Houston 14
1980	Nebraska 31, Mississippi State 17
1979	Washington 14, Texas 7
1978	Texas 42, Maryland 0
1977	Stanford 24, LSU 14
1976	Texas A&M 37, Florida 14
1975	Pittsburgh 33, Kansas 19
1974	Mississippi State 26, North Carolina 24
1973	Missouri 34, Auburn 17
1972	North Carolina 32, Texas Tech 28
1971	LSU 33, Iowa State 15
1970	Georgia Tech 17, Texas Tech 9
1969	Nebraska 45, Georgia 6
1968	Auburn 34, Arizona 10
1967	UTEP 14, Mississippi 7
1966	Wyoming 28, Florida State 20
1965	UTEP 13, TCU 12
1964	Georgia 7, Texas Tech 0
1963	Oregon 21, SMU 14
1962	West Texas State 15, Ohio 14
1961	Villanova 17, Wichita State 9
1960	New Mexico State 20, Utah State 13
1959	New Mexico State 28, North Texas 8
1958	Wyoming 14, Hardin-Simmons 6
1957	Louisville 34, Drake 20
1956	George Washington 13, UTEP 0
1955	Wyoming 21, Texas Tech 14
1954	UTEP 47, Florida State 20
1953	UTEP 37, Southern Miss 14
1952	Pacific 26, Southern Miss 7
1951	Texas Tech 25, Pacific 14
1950	West Texas State 14, Cincinnati 13
1949	UTEP 33, Georgetown 30
1948	West Virginia 21, UTEP 12
1947	Miami (Ohio) 13, Texas Tech 12
1946	Cincinnati 18, Virginia Tech 6
1945	New Mexico 34, Denver 24
1944	Southwestern 35, UNAM 0
1943	Southwestern 7, New Mexico 0
1942	Second Air Force 13, Hardin-Simmons 7
1941	Tulsa 6, Texas Tech 0
1940	Western Reserve 26, Arizona State 13
1939	Arizona State 0, Catholic 0
1938	Utah 26, New Mexico 0
1937	West Virginia 7, Texas Tech 6
1936	Hardin-Simmons 34, UTEP 6
1935	Hardin-Simmons 14, New Mexico State 14
1934	El Paso All-Stars 25, Ranger (Texas) 21

University of South Florida

Location	Tampa
Founded	1956
Enrollment	34,038
Nickname	Bulls

After winning its first six games, the University of South Florida football program exploded onto the national stage with a number two national ranking. Three straight losses saw the Bulls drop out of the polls, but closing the season with three consecutive wins saw the team climb back to a number 23 ranking. USF's 9-3 record included going 4-3 in the Big East Conference.

USF has been playing football for only eleven seasons and is going to the school's third straight bowl game. Last year, the Bulls posted their first bowl game victory over East Carolina in the PapaJohns.com Bowl. This is USF's first game against a Pac 10 opponent.

Jim Leavitt, the only coach in USF history, said of going to El Paso, "We are so excited to come here. We're a young program, we haven't been around a lot of years, and for the opportunity to get invited here, you'll see great humility. To play in one of the traditional bowl games that's been around a long time, it's a great honor. It's buzzing all over Tampa, it really is. A chance to play Oregon, a Pac-10 team, there is a lot of excitement. I know they lost their quarterback, but you don't get to be No. 2 in the nation without having great players."

2007 USF Bulls (9-3)

Date	Opponent	Result
Sat Sep 1	Elon	Won 28-13
Sat Sep 8	at Auburn	Won 26-23
Sat Sep 22	North Carolina	Won 37-10
Fri Sep 28	West Virginia	Won 21-13
Sat Oct 6	at Florida Atlantic	Won 35-23
Sat Oct 13	Central Florida	Won 64-12
Thu Oct 18	at Rutgers	Lost 27-30
Sat Oct 27	at Connecticut	Lost 15-22
Sat Nov 3	Cincinnati	Lost 33-38
Sat Nov 10	at Syracuse	Won 41-10
Sat Nov 17	Louisville	Won 55-17
Sat Nov 24	at Pittsburgh	Won 48-37

Past USF Bowl Games (1-1)

Season	Bowl Game	Result
2006	PapaJohns.com	USF 24, East Carolina 7
2005	Meineke Car Care	NC State 14, USF 0

University of Oregon

Location	Eugene
Founded	1876
Enrollment	20,394
Nickname	Ducks

The University of Oregon also reached a number two national ranking this season. The Ducks started 8-1 with two victories over top ten teams. After quarterback Dennis Dixon went down to injury, the Ducks lost their last three games. The team went 5-4 in the Pac 10 and 8-4 overall.

This the 21st bowl bid for Oregon and the school is 7-13 in previous bowls. The Ducks have gone to bowl games the last two seasons and eleven of the past twelve years. They have also been to the Sun Bowl three times previously.

Mike Bellotti, head coach at Oregon since 1995, said, "We could not be more pleased for the opportunity to return to El Paso and welcome the chance to face an outstanding opponent in the University of South Florida. They've done a tremendous job building a program. They've got a couple of guys I'd like to borrow for a day or two. They have a tremendous quarterback in Matt Grothe and George Selvie may be the most dominating defensive end in college football. I'm not sure, but he might have more tackles for losses than our entire team."

2007 Oregon Ducks (8-4)

Date	Opponent	Result
Sat Sep 1	Houston	Won 48-27
Sat Sep 8	at Michigan	Won 39-7
Sat Sep 15	Fresno State	Won 52-21
Sat Sep 22	at Stanford	Won 55-31
Sat Sep 29	California	Lost 24-31
Sat Oct 13	Washington State	Won 53-7
Sat Oct 20	at Washington	Won 55-34
Sat Oct 27	USC	Won 24-17
Sat Nov 3	Arizona State	Won 35-23
Thu Nov 15	at Arizona	Lost 24-34
Sat Nov 24	at UCLA	Lost 0-16
Sat Dec 1	Oregon State	Lost 31-38

Past Oregon Bowl Games (7-13)

Season	Bowl Game	Result
2006	Las Vegas	Brigham Young 38, Oregon 8
2005	Holiday	Oklahoma 17, Oregon 14
2003	Sun	Minnesota 31, Oregon 30
2002	Seattle	Wake Forest 38, Oregon 17
2001	Fiesta	Oregon 38, Colorado 16
2000	Holiday	Oregon 35, Texas 30
1999	Sun	Oregon 24, Minnesota 20
1998	Aloha	Colorado 51, Oregon 43
1997	Las Vegas	Oregon 41, Air Force 13
1996	Cotton	Colorado 38, Oregon 6
1995	Rose	Penn State 38, Oregon 20
1992	Independence	Wake Forest 39, Oregon 35
1990	Freedom Bowl	Colorado State 32, Oregon 31
1989	Independence	Oregon 27, Tulsa 24
1963	Sun	Oregon 21, SMU 14
1960	Liberty	Penn State, 41 Oregon 12
1958	Rose	Ohio State, 10 Oregon 7
1949	Cotton	SMU 21, Oregon 13
1920	Rose	Harvard 7, Oregon 6
1917	Rose	Oregon 14, Pennsylvania 0

After Heisman hopeful Dennis Dixon went down to injury, a pair of redshirt freshman took over at QB for the Ducks. While Justin Roper seems to have the edge over Cody Kempt, head coach Mike Bellotti states, "I don't know who will start at quarterback. It could be a left-hander or it could be a right-hander." Whomever starts will be tested by a veteran USF secondary that is tied for first in country in interceptions.

If Oregon is going to win they will have to move the ball on the ground on the Bulls 19th ranked rushing defense. The Ducks tenth ranked rushing offensive is anchored by Jonathan Stewart, who is ninth in nation with 1,469 yards. On Stewart, Bellotti said, "We're going to saddle him up and ride him home." Jaison Williams has been the go-to receiver for Oregon. The defense is lead by DB Patrick Chung and DE Nick Reed.

South Florida has a tough defense lead by All-Americans George Selvie and Mike Jenkins, along with All Big East performers Ben Moffitt and Trae Williams. QB Matt Grothe, who has out rushed running backs Mike Ford and Ben Williams, is an exciting young player and the heart of the Bulls offense.

If USF can eliminate mistakes, they are third in the nation in penalties, the Bulls talent should prove the odds-makers correct. USF is a 6 1/2 point favorite.

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