Sun Bowl 2022: UCLA vs Pitt

By Tres Valenzuela

This 2022 Bowl Season has brought many classics that fans will remember for years to come. And if you missed it, one of those games was undoubtedly the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl. In its 89th year, the Sun Bowl is actually the fourth oldest Bowl Game in college football’s illustrious history – and this might have been it’s biggest one to date.

With a new era of college football that ultimately delivers a series of ‘sub-bowls’ that maybe lack tradition, it is a breath of fresh air to still find a showpiece game that is embedded in a community that cares so much about it. Tres Valenzuela headed to El Paso, Texas to report on a dramatic contest between the UCLA Bruins and the Pitt Panthers:

DTR Dominates In First Half

From the start the game had a sense of uncertainty to it, with both starting running backs sitting out to due NFL preparation – along with a handful of other players on both teams that had entered the transfer portal – including Pitt QB Kedon Slovis. One would think the offenses would look shaky in the first half, but quite the contrary. With UCLA electing to receive, the test for Pitt’s senior backup quarterback Nick Patti began immediately. He answered the bell, helping his team get into field goal position – a drive that ended with kicker Ben Sauls netting 3 points for the Panthers after an impressive 41 yard run from the QB.

UCLA answered on their first drive. QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson, appearing in his final game as a Bruin, first delivered a 52 yard pass to Kam Brown, which set up a simple TD toss to Logan Loya. That play helped set the tone for the rest of the game which was proving to be quite the ill-tempered affair; ‘DTR’ raising the temperatures by throwing his helmet into a Panthers DB after the score.

Pitt answered with another field goal, before a DTR QB sneak helped stretch the Californian’s lead. At this point in the game both defenses found their footing. UCLA forced a punt and looked to matriculate down the field with ease for the third straight possession, but a Tyler Wilts pick inside the ten gave the Panthers new life. Pitt capitalized on this opportunity and marched 94 yards for a TD and a successful 2 point conversion – tying the game at 14. The Bruins were able to put up one more TD in the last minute, giving DTR (who up to this point looked hell bent on ending his UCLA career on a high) his 3rd score of the half, and his team boasted a 21-14 lead heading into the locker room.

Panthers D Steps Up

What felt like a wild first half was shortly outdone by a classic second stanza. Pitt’s defense picked up where it had left off, forcing another turnover from Thompson-Robinson, whose afternoon was about to fall off a cliff. Although Patti and the Panthers were not able to score,  the defense appeared to figure out the Bruin offense, making every yard from that point on a struggle for the Chip Kelly led squad.

UCLA’s offense was waning, and were thankful for a momentum changing moment from their defense; Jaylin Davies snagging a pick six that put the Bruins 2 scores up once again. Despite being in the ascendency, Pitt was running out of time. They needed to answer, and did so with an impressive 75 yd drive that ended with a Rodney Hammond rushing TD. After exchanging punts the Panthers defense reared their opportunistic head once more, intercepting DTR for a third time. On a short field, Rodney Hammond punched it in for his second rushing TD, tying the game at 28 early in the fourth.

If the Bruins were looking to turn the tide, nobody gave special teams the memo. DTR and the offense wasn’t given the chance after a fumbled kickoff return gave Pitt the ball back on UCLA’s 19. Somehow, the UCLA defense made its biggest stand of the game, forcing a 31 yard field goal.

An Epic Ending

Yahoo Sports

Trailing for the first time, Things went from bad to worse for the Bruins. Their star quarterback, suffering from an error-strewn second half, compounded his own misery, being knocked out of the game. After some attention from the physios and being helped momentarily to the locker room, DTR returned to the sidelines but watched helplessly as UCLA threw backup QB Ethan Garbers into the fire.

The moment initially appeared to be to big for Garbers. A quick three and out was followed by a turnover on downs as the offense toiled. Giving the ball back to the Panthers, Pitt found themselves needing just one yard to move the sticks and end the game. The Sun Bowl hadn’t finished delivering drama to El Paso though, and a fumble gave UCLA one more shot. From down and out to invigorated, everyone in the stadium could feel some magic brewing – it was just a matter of seeing it unfold. Garbers did not disappoint, leading his team on a 70 yard drive that was capped over by an 8 yard rushing TD from TJ Harden with 34 seconds remaining. 

If Tony the Tiger said anything other than his catchy slogan, he’d be the first to tell you that 34 seconds is an age in football. This game was far from over, and it was a different feline in the Panthers who were about to look Grrrrrreat! With no timeouts, a small miracle was needed. Looked at as an afterthought and a player that nobody expected much from, Nick Patti was about to silence all doubters as he led the Panthers down the field with two quick strikes and an 11 yard run. With 10 seconds left, redshirt sophomore Ben Sauls trotted out for a potential 5th field goal – a Sun Bowl record. The only thing preventing victory was 49 yards and a slight west Texas breeze. But the narrative was not to be denied. 

A disappointing end to what began as a promising season for Chip Kelly and UCLA. But against the picturesque backdrop of the Franklin Mountain and the Chihuahua Desert of West Texas, it was Pat Narduzzi and Pitt who rode off into the sunset.

Final: Pitt 37 – 35 UCLA

TRES VALENZUELA

NFL/CFB ANALYST

A former collegiate wide receiver and current Texan, Tres is a regular contributer to The Touchdown Review podcast. In addition to writing for The TD, Tres also works as an NCAA analyst for Pro Football Focus.

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