OREGON STATE BEAVERS NOTES:
Game Notes
• Oregon State participates in the Tony The Tiger Sun Bowl on Friday, Dec. 29. Kickoff against Notre Dame is scheduled for 11 a.m. PT (12 p.m. in El Paso). The game will be held at Sun Bowl Stadium. • The game will air live on CBS. Brad Nessler (play-byplay), Gary Danielson (analyst) and Jenny Dell (sideline) will call the action. • Every game this season can be heard live on the Varsity Network, a free application available via computer browsers, smartphones and tablets. After downloading the application, search for Oregon State. • The game will also air on Bowl Season Radio. Dave Hunziker (play-by-play), Justin Fuente (analyst) and Rachel Phillips (sideline) will be on the call. • Oregon State is making its 20th all-time bowl appearance, going 12-7 in its previous 19. • The Beavers are meeting the Fighting Irish for the third time, following victories in the 2001 Fiesta Bowl and 2004 Insight Bowl. • OSU is appearing on CBS for the second time this season, following the season opener Sept. 3 at San Jose State. Prior to this season, the Beavers had only appeared on CBS in the 2006 and 2008 Sun Bowls. • The Sun Bowl marks one of 10 bowl games to feature two teams ranked in the top 25 of the CFP. It’s one of three not played as a New Year’s 6 or CFP game. • Oregon State is the visiting team in the neutral-site matchup.
Oregon State By The Numbers
0 – Points allowed by the Beavers in the team’s 3-0 win over Pittsburgh in the 2008 Sun Bowl. That remains the last shutout at the bowl.
5 – Number of Beaver linemen graded in the top-15 overall for the Pac-12 by Pro Football Focus. No other team has more than three.
5.06 – Rush yards per attempt for OSU. The Beavers are one of two teams in the Pac-12 to average better than 5 yards a carry.
7 – Oregon State’s turnover margin this season, which ranks third in the Pac-12. OSU is at plus-2 in its six games away from Reser Stadium.
8 – Wins in nine games this season when the Beavers score first. Oregon State is also 8-0 when leading at halftime.
21.3 – Points allowed per game by OSU this season, the team’s fifth-fewest in a single season dating back to 1996.
30 – Points allowed by the Beavers in their two previous matchups with the Fighting Irish. OSU has scored 79 points in those two games.
36 – Oregon State sacks, second in the Pac-12 to UCLA’s 43.
61 – Passes defended by the Beavers, fourth-most in the Pac-12.
82 – Points off turnovers by the Beavers, compared to 26 by opponents.
237 – Career tackles for Kitan Oladapo, who will be playing in his 46th game. Oladapo also has three interceptions, 26 pass breakups, 14.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks.
718 – Receiving yards each by Silas Bolden and Anthony Gould to tie for the team lead. Gould, however, will not play in the bowl game after declaring for the NFL Draft.
2,024 – Career rushing yards for Deshaun Fenwick, who is set to play his last collegiate game at the Sun Bowl.
Bowl History
• Oregon State is playing in its 20th bowl game all-time, and third consecutive dating back to the 2021 season. • OSU is 12-7 all-time in bowl games. • It’s the first time the Beavers have played in three straight since OSU went to the postseason four consecutive times from 2006 to 2009. • Oregon State won five consecutive bowl games from 2003 to 2008. The Beavers are now looking to win back-to-back bowl games for the first time since that stretch. • Thirteen of the Beavers’ 19 bowl appearances have come since the 1999 season. Oregon State is 8-5 in bowl games since 1999. • Oregon State has scored first in each of its last six bowl games, going 3-3. • Derek Anderson holds the Oregon State single-game record with 358 pass yards against Notre Dame in 2004 Insight Bowl. • Yvenson Bernard holds the OSU record with 177 rush yards against Maryland in the 2007 Emerald Bowl, while James Newson’s 165 receiving yards against Pittsburgh in the 2002 Insight Bowl is the program’s standard. • Kyrei Fisher-Morris is the lone Oregon State defender to tally two double-digit tackle efforts in a bowl game. He finished with 10 against Utah State in the 2021 Los Angeles Bowl and followed that with 11 versus Florida in the 2022 Las Vegas Bowl.
NOTRE DAME FIGHTING IRISH NOTES:
NOTRE DAME – OREGON STATE SERIES HISTORY
• Notre Dame and Oregon State will be meeting for the third time overall and the third time as bowl opponents. The Beavers lead the series 2-0, earning victories in the 2001 Fiesta Bowl and 2004 Insight Bowl. • The Irish were coached in the 2004 Insight Bowl by interim head coach Kent Baer after Tyrone Willingham was let go at the end of the regular season. • Notre Dame is 102-57-6 all-time against teams from the Pac-12, which includes a 2-0 record this season (48-20 victory over No. 10 Southern Cal; 56-23 win at Stanford).
NOTRE DAME BOWL HISTORY
• Notre Dame will be making its 42nd appearance in a bowl game. • Notre Dame’s bowl history dates to the 1924 season, when Knute Rockne and his legendary Four Horsemen backfield traveled to California for the first time in program history to face Stanford in the 1925 Rose Bowl. The Irish won the game 27-10. • It would take another 45 seasons for Notre Dame to make another bowl appearance. University of Notre Dame regulations did not allow the football team to participate in post season games again until the 1969 season when the Irish lost to Texas in the 1970 Cotton Bowl. • Notre Dame has made its most appearances in the Cotton Bowl (8), followed by the Fiesta Bowl (6), Orange Bowl (5) and Sugar and Gator Bowls (4 respectively). • Notre Dame is 20-21 all-time in bowl games. After winning 13 of their first 19 bowl appearances, the program had to work its way through a nine-game bowl losing streak from 1994 through 2006. Since that streak ended, the Irish are 7-6 in postseason games. • Dick Corbett Head Football Coach Marcus Freeman assumed his position before the 2022 Fiesta Bowl and has a 1-1 record in bowl games after last season’s come-from-behind victory over South Carolina. • Notre Dame is appearing in the Sun Bowl for the second time in program history. The Irish defeated Miami FL 33-17 in the 2010 edition of the game, with the defensive effort led by Harrison Smith’s three interceptions. Tommy Rees threw for 201 yards and two touchdowns to Michael Floyd, while the Irish rushed for 196 yards and a touchdown. • Notre Dame is 1-3 all-time on December 29. The Irish won the 1983 Liberty Bowl over Boston College 19-18. The three losses are the 1984 Aloha Bowl vs. SMU, the 2011 Champs Sports Bowl vs. Florida State and the 2018 Cotton Bowl CFB Semifinal vs. Clemson.
IRISH ITEMS – BY THE NUMBERS
2 – Joe Alt and Xavier Watts earned Unanimous First-Team All-America honors this season, which marks the first time since 1990 that Notre Dame has had multiple Unanimous All-Americans. College Football Hall of Fame inductees Raghib Ismail, Michael Stonebreaker and Chris Zorich were all unanimous selections in ‘90.
7 – Junior safety Xavier Watts leads the nation in interceptions this season with seven on his way to earning the 2023 Bronko Nagurski Award as the nation’s top defensive player. He is the first Notre Dame player to post multiple interceptions in consecutive games, the first FBS player to do it since 2020 and just the fifth FBS player to accomplish the feat since 2017. Watts seven interceptions set the Irish offense up in position to score 41 points. See page 7 for more on Watts.
8 – Notre Dame gave up just eight touchdowns at home this season (3 pass, 5 rush), which is the least amount opponents have scored in Notre Dame Stadium since 2012 (5 pass, 1 rush). Irish opponents have managed just six total passing touchdowns the past two seasons on Notre Dame’s turf, the lowest amount since 1996-97 (also six).
22 – Senior linebacker JD Bertrand, a Cambell Award Finalist and Wuerffel Trophy semifinalist, became the 22nd Notre Dame player to surpass 250 career tackles this season. See page 9 for more on Bertrand, including details of his Cambell Award Finalist accomplishment.
35.3 – In the first two full years under Marcus Freeman (2022-23) the Irish are averaging 35.3 points per gram, which is the most in the first two years under a head coach since Jesse Harper’s 1912-13 teams averaged 36.9 ppg. Since 1986, Freeman’s 19.9 points per game given up rank second behind Lou Holtz’s 19.0 from 1985-86.
64 – Senior defensive lineman Howard Cross III has piled up 64 stops this season, which matches UCF’s Lee Hunter for the FBS Power 5 lead for front-four defensive lineman. The 64 stops are the most for an Irish front-four DL since Trevor Laws had 112 stops in 2007. See page 7 for more on Cross III.
TWO-DEEP TIDBITS – OFFENSE
Jayden Thomas was the leading returing pass catcher for the Irish in 2023 and started the season with eight catches for 125 yards and one touchdown in the first two games of the season. Hampered by leg injuries since a four-catch, 63-yard performance against Central Michigan, Thomas only has two catches in the last four games but is expected to be back to full strength for the Oregon State game.
Deion Colzie caught three passes for 45 yards and a touchdown against Navy in the 2023 season opener. He suffered a knee injury that required surgery to repair in late September and has not appeared in a game since the Central Michigan contest. Colzie has recovered from his injury to the point where he hopes to play in the bowl game against Oregon State.
Jaden Greathouse started his rookie year strong with three catches for 68 yards and two touchdowns against Navy, becoming the first true freshman in Notre Dame history to start his career with two touchdown catches in a debut. Greathouse caught 12 passes for 166 yards and three touchdowns over the first five games of 2023, then suffered a hamstring injury that affected his play over the next four games – when he did not record a catch. A return to form was hinted by Greathouse in the final two games of the season, where he caught four passes for 86 yards and two touchdowns, which included a 48-yard scoring strike against Wake Forest.
Jordan Faison, who initially joined the football program as a walk-on and arrived on campus intending to be a scholarship lacrosse player, was ‘called up’ to full time football duties when the Irish wide receiving corps was bit by the injury bug. Now a full scholarship football student-athlete, Faison has 14 catches in the past six games with three touchdowns and averages 34.5 yards per reception.
KK Smith suffered an injury during the 2023 off season and has yet to appear in a game for the Irish.
Pat Coogan made his first career start in just his second game played against Navy. He has started all 12 games for the Irish at left guard this season.
Billy Schrauth made his first career start against Wake Forest at right guard, replacing 10-game starter Rocco Spindler who will miss the rest of the season win an injury suffered at Clemson.
Due to bowl game opt outs on the Irish offensive line, Notre Dame will be starting two new offensive tackles against Oregon State. True freshman Charles Jagusah and freshman Aamil Wagner are battling to make their first career starts, while veteran junior Tosh Baker also is in the mix to start at one of the tackle positions. Baker has started once this season as an extra offensive lineman, while also starting two games at left tackle in 2021.
Mitchell Evans led the team in receptions this season before suffering an ACL injury in the victory over Pittsburgh and is out for the remainder of the season.
Audric Estimé opting out of the bowl game to begin his NFL Draft preparation opens the door for Notre Dame’s young and talented backfield to shine in the bowl game. Jadarian Price’s first career carry against Navy was a 19-yard touchdown. His second career catch was a 40-yard touchdown reception vs. Tennessee State. His fifth career kick off return was a 99-yard scoring effort against Southern Cal. Gi’Bran Payne is a third-down specialist (he is tied with Mitchell Evans for the team lead with 10 third-down conversion plays) who has rushed for two touchdowns this season and caught two touchdown passes. Jeremiyah Love is second on the team with 56 total carries and averages 6.2 yards per effort.
Steve Angeli will be making his first career start for the Irish against Oregon State in the Sun Bowl.
Spencer Shrader has quickly established himself as the best long-distance kicker in Notre Dame history. The USF transfer has kicked a school-record 54-yard field goal twice this season –at NC State and at Louisville. He shares the Notre Dame record for career kicks of 50 yards or more (four) with Kyle Brindza and Jonathan Doerer.
Bryce McFerson has a booming leg showed that off against NC State. He punted six times in the game, averaging 50.7 yards per attempt. He also posted a career-best 59- yard punt against the Wolfpack. He also uncorked a 57-yard effort at Duke.
Michael Vinson is in his sixth year at Notre Dame and is one of the top long snappers in the nation. He has developed into a clear leader not only for the Irish special teams, but the entire roster.
TWO-DEEP TIDBITS – DEFENSE
Jordan Botelho The starting ‘vyper’ end for the Irish this season, Botelho has three sacks and 27 tackles in 2023.
Joshua Burnham posted his first career start at Louisville and finished the game with two tackles. Overall, Burnham has been distruptive in limited snaps, with 2.5 tacklesfor-loss, a sack and two quarterback hurries.
Rylie Mills is No. 10 on The Athletic’s Freak List for his work in the weight room and has been distruptive on the defensive line so far in 2023. Mills posted a career-best seven tackles in the victory at No. 17 Duke and has piled up 45 tackles, 5.5 TFL and 2 fumble recoveries this season.
Howard Cross III is the only Power 5 defensive lineman with double-digit tackles in a game this season after his dominating 13-tackle, two-forced fumble performance at Duke. He also leads all Power 5 defensive linemen in tackles this season with 64.
Javontae Jean-Baptiste played perhaps the best game of his career against Ohio State, posting a career-high eight tackles. JJB has been consistent across the Irish defensive line all season and is fourth on the team in tackles (47) and leads the Irish with 10 quarterback hurries.
JD Bertrand missed the CMU game in concussion protocol and has retured to the line up in top form. He has 56 tackles in the last seven outings, which includes 11 at No. 17 Duke, nine tackles, one sack and a shared tackle-for-loss at No. 25 Louisville and 11 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and .5 sacks against No. 10 Southern Cal and a sack and forced fumble against Wake Forest.
Jack Kiser does a little bit of everything for the Irish defense and can appear on the line or even as a spot safety if necessary. He is third on the team with 59 tackles after piling up a career-best 10 while starting at Mike linebacker for JD Bertrand against Central Michigan and leading the team with nine stops at Clemson.
DJ Brown returned for a fifth year and is the ‘quarterback’ of the back seven for Notre Dame’s defense. Brown picked off his fourth career pass against NC State, missed the CMU game with a leg injury but returned against Ohio State to finish with three tackles and two PBUs. He also finished with a career-high matching nine tackles at No. 25 Louisville.
Xavier Watts has grown from a rookie wide receiver into one of Notre Dame’s starting safeties and is the first Notre Dame player to intercept multiple passes in back-to-back games AND the first Irish player to intercept a pass in three straight games.
Benjamin Morrison was a Freshman All-American last season and is focused on taking his game to an even higher level in 2023. He intercepted his first pass of the season at NC State and added an interception against No. 10 Southern Cal.
Clarence Lewis has played in 48 games at Notre Dame and scored his first career touchdown on a 33-yard interception return against Tennessee State.
