The Oregon State University football team is in El Paso, Texas to prepare for Friday’s Sun Bowl match-up against Notre Dame.
The Beavers are 8-4 and are 21st in the nation in the latest Associated Press rankings. Notre Dame is 9-3 and is ranked 15th.
The Beavers will play under interim head coach Kefense Hynson after their previous coach, Jonathan Smith, resigned last month to take a job at Michigan State. While the Beavers have named Trent Bray as Smith's replacement, Bray will not coach in the Sun Bowl, "instead choosing to focus on head coaching duties for the 2024 season," according to a media guide prepared by OSU in advance of the game.
A win in the Sun Bowl would make a statement that the team will overcome the recent changes, said Beavers wide receiver Jesiah Irish during a media availability this week.
“I feel like we’re the underdog in this game," said Irish. "It’d be big for our team, our coaches. We’re doing this for Beaver Nation. It’d be big for Beaver Nation.”
The Sun Bowl kicks off at 11 AM Pacific Time on Friday. The game will be broadcast nationally on CBS television.
This will be the third game ever between Oregon State and Notre Dame, and the first since 2004. The Beavers have won both previous match-ups.
