Oregon State Meets Notre Dame in Sun Bowl
Sun Bowl Predictions Have Irish Winning
The No. 19 Oregon State Beavers are going to have to face No. 16 Notre Dame without starting quarterback DJ Uiagalelei. They’ll also be without backup QB Aidan Chiles. Instead, it will be Ben Gudbranson trying to lead the Beavers to victory. But Notre Dame will also be missing some key players.
So far, quarterback Ben Hartman isn’t one of them. But that can change. Notre Dame opened as 10.5-point favorites with a total of 46.5. But the line is now down to Irish -8.5, and the total is 44. Are the bettors correct in their Sun Bowl predictions?
Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl Information
Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs Oregon State Beavers 
Day/Time:
Location: Sun Bowl, El Paso, Texas
Stream: CBS
Beavers Being Hit Hard by Departures
The Beavers had a pretty solid season in the Pac-12 Conference, finishing with an 8-4 record. Unfortunately, the team taking the field against Notre Dame will have a different look. The top two quarterbacks, the leading tackler and top TD receiver, won’t be playing in the Sun Bowl.
Gudbranson threw only one pass this season. He did start a number of games last season as a freshman, so he’s no stranger to playing. But a lot is going to be asked of him here. Notre Dame’s defense is solid, and the pass defense is even better.
Leading rusher Damien Martinez is suspended for the game after a DUI arrest, leaving Deshaun Fenwick as the main man in the backfield. He did have 90 carries for 500 yards and five touchdowns.
The Beavers play solid defense but will be a bit shorthanded. Oregon State was especially tough against the run, allowing 3.5 yards per attempt. Teams can throw the ball at the Beavers a little bit, as they allowed 235.4 yards per game. But Oregon State also faced some pretty solid quarterbacks during the year.
Departures & Injuries
Oregon State’s first significant loss came in the form of head coach Jonathan Smith, who left to take the job at Michigan State. Smith, a former Oregon State quarterback, was at the helm for six seasons and is taking six of his assistant coaches with him.
The quarterback departures will get most of the attention for the Beavers. But three key defenders and a touchdown-grabbing tight end in Jack Velling will be missed.
Irish Settle For Sun Bowl
Notre Dame had high hopes entering this season. The Irish were anticipating one of the CFP bowl games, but a couple of tough losses to Ohio State and Clemson, along with a loss to Louisville, prevented them from getting there. But it was a solid season for the Fighting Irish, who have a chance for 10 wins and have gone 8-3-1 against the college football betting odds & lines.
Notre Dame averaged 39.1 points per game against teams that allowed 27.3 points per game. The Irish were solid running the ball and throwing, making it tough for opposing defenses. Notre Dame averaged 5.4 yards per rush against teams that allowed 4.3 yards. Notre Dame averaged 9.0 yards per pass attempt but will be missing several key wide receivers.
The Irish were nasty on defense, holding teams to 16.6 points per game. Notre Dame allowed 3.7 yards per rush and just 5.4 yards per pass attempt. Teams completed 51.7% of their passes against Notre Dame. The Irish allow just 4.4 yards per play, which ties them for No. 5 in the nation.
Departures & Injuries
The majority of Notre Dame’s losses so far have been at wide receiver. The team’s top three receivers in terms of yards gained will all miss the game, as will starting offensive lineman Zeke Correll. Linebacker Marist Liufau is opting out, giving more weight to his future NFL stats than this game. There are other players who could follow suit.
Irish Should Have Edge in Remaining Players
The Sun Bowl predictions aren’t easy this year due to the number of players missing the game. The Oregon State quarterback situation is enormous, although it’s going to be hard to overcome the loss of so many coaches. But sometimes, NCAAF teams will rally around each other and give their best effort. The Beavers are capable of doing that.
The Sun Bowl predictions can’t measure the mindset of the players. That’s where sometimes you have to discard the numbers and look at the make-up of the two teams.
For NCAA bowl scores, college football betting lines and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.
