UCLA vs Pitt Tony The Tiger Sun Bowl Prediction Game Preview
UCLA vs Pitt prediction, game preview, odds, how to watch. Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl, Friday, December 30
UCLA vs Pitt Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl Prediction Game Preview
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UCLA vs Pitt How To Watch
Date: Friday, December 30
Game Time: 2:00 ET
Venue: Sun Bowl, El Paso, TX
How To Watch: CBS
Record: UCLA (9-3), Pitt (8-4)
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UCLA vs Pitt Sun Bowl 5 Things To Know
Sun Bowl Prediction, What’s Going To Happen, History
– UCLA had a great season right up until it whiffed its chance at something massive. It lost to Oregon, but had it not slipped up against Arizona it would’ve gone into the USC game with shot at the Pac-12 title and the College Football Playoff. Even so, it was a strong year under Chip Kelly that showed a whole lot of promise for the near future. Who’s going to be back from this season to play in this?
The skill guys are the question marks, but at the very least there aren’t going to be the massive losses suffered by …
– Pitt is going to be a shadow of its 2022 self. QB Kedon Slovis is off to BYU, but that’s not the big problem. The defense is totally gutted by opt-outs and missing parts – it’s going to be patched together with duct tape and a few prayers.
On the plus side, the team comes into this on a roll with four straight wins, a balanced offense, and a defensive system that starts aggressive and stays that way for a full four quarters.
– Last year’s Pitt team had to deal with some missing pieces, too. Kenny Pickett didn’t play in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl against Michigan State, and it didn’t matter until late in the 31-21 loss. That’s just part of the program’s bowl woes – it’s been miserable over the last decade in these things.
It only won two of the last nine bowls, both wins were against MAC teams in one-score games, and just four of the losses were against Power Five programs. To take this further, Pitt is a rough 4-10 since beating Oregon State in the 2002 Insight.
– After having to tap out of last year’s Holiday Bowl at the last possible moment, this becomes UCLA’s first bowl game since losing to Kansas State in the 2017 Cactus. It hasn’t won a bowl since taking down the Wildcats in the 2015 Alamo after the 2014 season.
– Around since 1935, the Sun has lately been known more for the Frosted Flakes bath for the winner than the great games – and the games have been great. There was the canceled COVID year of 2020, but including last year’s stunning Central Michigan 24-21 win over Washington State, the last three and six of the last seven have been decided by a touchdown or less.
CFN Experts CFP, NY6, Dec 28-Jan 2
Why UCLA Will Win The Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl
As of this moment, the UCLA star skill parts are playing. At the very least the passing game should be okay with QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson and WR Jake Bobo likely to give it a go. In this, that might be enough.
Even if both teams were at full roster, Pitt would have a problem against the physical style UCLA plays – to a point.
The Bruin pass protection is just okay, but the offense finished the year third in the nation with a fantastic balance and ability to adapt and adjust on the fly. The Pitt run defense was outstanding all year, but the team was 3-4 when allowing more than 65 yards and 5-0 when it didn’t. Those numbers partly came from all of the plays behind made in the backfield.
UCLA’s low-rushing output of the season was 144 yards and hit 200 or more all but three times – it should get to 65 rushing yards after a drive or two.
More than anything else, again, Pitt is missing way too many key pieces. This won’t be the Panther team that was so good at times throughout the season. However …
Top 100 Bowl Players | Ranking Bowl Games So Far
Why Pitt Will Win The Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl
Again, Pitt has a style that works.
Of course the players have to make it all happen, but the defensive system puts together waves of pass rushers in place to keep being disruptive. No matter who’s out there for the Pitt D, the production should be there to at least make UCLA rush.
Yes, the Panther offense has to be able to keep up, and it’s going to need to be creative, but more than anything else it has to avoid making huge mistakes and hope the defense can take care of the rest.
UCLA isn’t great at forcing takeaways, but it’s 9-1 when it comes up with at least one turnover and 0-2 when it doesn’t. Pitt is 2-0 when it doesn’t turn it over, 5-1 when it only gives it up once, and 3-3 when it turns it over multiple times.
And yes, the Pitt run defense really is that good. It’s the best in the ACC, no one in the conference did a better job at controlling the clock, and …
Sun Bowl Prediction, What’s Going To Happen, History
NEXT: What’s Going To Happen, UCLA vs Pitt Prediction, Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl History
UCLA vs Pitt Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl, What’s Going To Happen
Again, Pitt is missing way too much.
As long as the full focus is there, all should be okay for the Bruins. That’s not a given.
UCLA isn’t exactly flaky, but it couldn’t rise up with the world there for the taking against Arizona, struggled against Cal, and needed to battle way too hard to get by South Alabama and – at least for a while – Bowling Green.
Pitt will have the effort – that’s partly coming from all the players getting a shot to show what they can do. That’s not going to be enough in the second half when the Bruin lines take over.
UCLA vs Pitt Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl, Prediction, Line
CFN Prediction: UCLA 34, Pitt 20
Line: UCLA -7.5, o/u: 53.5
ATS Confidence out of 5: 4
Sun Bowl Must See Rating (out of 5): 3.5
CFN Experts CFP NY6, Dec 28-Jan 2
Sun Bowl History
Dec, 31 2021 Central Michigan 24, Washington State 21
2020 Canceled
Dec. 31, 2019 Arizona State 20, Florida State 14
Dec. 31, 2018 Stanford 14, Pitt 13
Dec. 29, 2017 NC State 52, Arizona State 31
Dec. 30, 2016 Stanford 25, North Carolina 23
Dec. 26, 2015 Washington State 20 Miami 14
Dec. 27, 2014 Arizona State 36 Duke 31
Dec. 31, 2013 UCLA 42 Virginia Tech 12
Dec. 31, 2012 Georgia Tech 21 USC 7
Dec. 31, 2011 Utah 30 Georgia Tech 27 (OT)
Dec. 31, 2010 Notre Dame 33 Miami 17
Dec. 31, 2009 Oklahoma 31 Stanford 27
Dec. 31, 2008 Oregon State 3 Pittsburgh 0
Dec. 31, 2007 Oregon 56 USF 21
Dec. 29, 2006 Oregon State 39 Missouri 38
Dec. 30, 2005 UCLA 50 Northwestern 38
Dec. 31, 2004 Arizona State 27 Purdue 23
Dec. 31, 2003 Minnesota 31 Oregon 30
Dec. 31, 2002 Purdue 34 Washington 24
Dec. 31, 2001 Washington State 33 Purdue 27
Dec. 29, 2000 Wisconsin 21 UCLA 20
Dec. 31, 1999 Oregon 24 Minnesota 20
Dec. 31, 1998 TCU 28 USC 19
Dec. 31, 1997 Arizona State 17 Iowa 7
Dec. 31, 1996 Stanford 38 Michigan State 0
Dec. 29, 1995 Iowa 38 Washington 18
Dec. 30, 1994 Texas 35 North Carolina 31
Dec. 31, 1993 Oklahoma 41 Texas Tech 10
Dec. 31, 1992 Baylor 20 Arizona 15
Dec. 31, 1991 UCLA 6 Illinois 3
Dec. 31, 1990 Michigan State 17 USC 16
Dec. 30, 1989 Pittsburgh 31 Texas A&M 28
Dec. 24, 1988 Alabama 29 Army 28
Dec. 25, 1987 Oklahoma State 35 West Virginia 33
Dec. 25, 1986 Alabama 28 Washington 6
Dec. 28, 1985 Arizona 13 Georgia 13
Dec. 22, 1984 Maryland 28 Tennessee 27
Dec. 24, 1983 Alabama 28 SMU 7
Dec. 25, 1982 North Carolina 26 Texas 10
Dec. 26, 1981 Oklahoma 40 Houston 14
Dec. 27, 1980 Nebraska 31 Mississippi St. 17
Dec. 22, 1979 Washington 14 Texas 7
Dec. 23, 1978 Texas 42 Maryland 0
Dec. 31, 1977 Stanford 24 LSU 14
Jan. 2, 1977 Texas A&M 37 Florida 14
Dec. 26, 1975 Pittsburgh 33 Kansas 19
Dec. 28, 1974 Mississippi State 26 North Carolina 24
Dec. 29, 1973 Missouri 34 Auburn 17
Dec. 30, 1972 North Carolina 32 Texas Tech 28
Dec. 18, 1971 LSU 33 Iowa State 15
Dec. 19, 1970 Georgia Tech 17 Texas Tech 9
Dec. 20, 1969 Nebraska 45 Georgia 6
Dec. 30, 1968 Auburn 34 Arizona 10
Dec. 24, 1967 UTEP 14 Mississippi 7
Dec. 24, 1966 Wyoming 28 Florida State 20
Dec. 31, 1965 UTEP 13 TCU 12
Dec. 26, 1964 Georgia 7 Texas Tech 0
Dec. 31, 1963 Oregon 21 SMU 14
Dec. 31, 1962 West Texas State 15 Ohio 14
Dec. 30, 1961 Villanova 17 Wichita State 9
Dec. 31, 1960 New Mexico State 20 Utah State 13
Dec. 31, 1959 New Mexico State 28 North Texas 8
Dec. 31, 1958 Wyoming 14 Hardin-Simmons 6
Jan. 1, 1957 George Washington 13 UTEP 0
Jan. 2, 1956 Wyoming 21 Texas Tech 14
Jan. 1, 1955 UTEP 47 Florida State 20
Jan. 1, 1954 UTEP 37 Southern Miss 14
Jan. 1, 1953 Pacific 26 Southern Miss 7
Jan. 1, 1952 Texas Tech 25 Pacific 14
Jan. 1, 1951 West Texas State 14 Cincinnati 13
Jan. 2, 1950 UTEP 33 Georgetown 20
Jan. 1, 1949 West Virginia 21 UTEP 12
Jan. 1, 1948 Miami Univ. 13 Texas Tech 12
Jan. 1, 1947 Cincinnati 18 Virginia Tech 6
Jan. 1, 1946 New Mexico 34 Denver 24
Jan. 1, 1945 Southwestern 35 Mexico 0
Jan. 1, 1944 Southwestern 7 New Mexico 0
Jan. 1, 1943 Second Air Force 13 Hardin-Simmons 7
Jan. 1, 1942 Tulsa 6 Texas Tech 0
Jan. 1, 1941 Western Reserve 26 Arizona State 13
Jan. 1, 1940 Arizona State 0 Catholic 0
Jan. 2, 1939 Utah 26 New Mexico 0
Jan. 1, 1938 West Virginia 7 Texas Tech 6
Jan. 1, 1937 Hardin-Simmons 34 UTEP 6
Jan. 1, 1936 Hardin-Simmons 14 New Mexico St. 14
Jan. 1, 1935 El Paso H.S. All-Stars 25 Ranger H.S. 21
