2009 Las Vegas Bowl BYU vs. Oregon State Start Time, TV Guide & Odds
Las Vegas, NV – With his team in the Las Vegas Bowl for the fifth consecutive season, BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall is excited about the opportunity for a better performance this year.
Defeating the program he played for more than 20 years ago would make a win even more special.
Bet The 2009 MAACO Las Vegas Bowl
Looking for their third bowl victory in four seasons, the 15th-ranked Cougars face No. 16 Oregon State, which has won five straight bowl games but is disappointed to not be closing out its season at the Rose Bowl.
Oddsmakers from online sports book Sports Interaction have made Oregon State -2.5 point spread favorites (View College Football odds) for Tuesday’s game (Game Matchup). Current public betting information shows that 81% of bets for this game have been placed on Oregon State -2.5 (View College Football bet percentages).
BYU (10-2), making its fifth consecutive appearance in the same bowl for the first time since going to the Holiday Bowl from 1978-84, looks for its first postseason victory since beating UCLA 17-16 in 2007. Following a 48-24 loss at Utah in their 2008 regular-season finale, the Cougars fell to Arizona 31-21 in last season's Las Vegas Bowl.
"None of us felt like we played to our full potential a year ago, so I think that is a motivating factor to go back and maybe do it at a higher level," Mendenhall said.
BYU, winner of 10 or more games in a school-record four consecutive seasons, faces a Beavers team that finished second in the Pac-10 the last two seasons.
"When you scan through the list of bowl games, I think it could be one of the most compelling matchups of the bowl season," Mendenhall said of the Dec. 22 game that will mark the first time in the 18-year history of the Las Vegas Bowl that both teams are ranked.
BYU lost to Oregon State 10-7 in the teams' last meeting Nov. 15, 1986, in Provo. Mendenhall, a starting safety for the Beavers from 1986-87, made four tackles in that matchup.
Mendenhall was a graduate assistant at Oregon State in 1989 before serving as the program's defensive line coach in 1995 and defensive coordinator in '96. This will be the first time he coaches against his alma mater.
Mendenhall will look for another solid effort from senior Max Hall as BYU goes for its 10th bowl win. Hall, whose 31 victories are the most for a quarterback in BYU history, threw the winning 25-yard touchdown pass to Andrew George in overtime to lift the Cougars over Utah 26-23 on Nov. 28.
Hall's brother-in-law, senior tight end Dennis Pitta, is one of the Cougars' top downfield threats. A finalist for the Mackey Award given to the nation's top tight end, Pitta leads BYU with 57 receptions, 784 yards and seven touchdowns. He caught two passes against Utah to move past Austin Collie for most receptions in school history with 216.
Pitta also owns the NCAA record for tight ends with 2,856 career receiving yards.
Harvey Unga led BYU in rushing with 1,031 yards and 10 touchdowns this year. The Cougars' all-time leading rusher with 3,384 yards, he is the cousin of Oregon State freshman players Devin and Kevin Unga.
"There are many connections between Oregon State and BYU, of course Coach Mendenhall played and coached for the Beavers, but there are other ties to both programs as well,"said Beavers coach Mike Riley, whose team has won five straight bowls.
"This will be a great showcase for two of the best quarterbacks in the country on a national stage in Max Hall and Sean Canfield. I'm very excited about playing BYU and it will be a tremendous challenge for our team."
The Beavers (8-4), though, were hoping to head further west for their bowl game. With an opportunity to earn its first trip to the Rose Bowl since 1964, Oregon State had its four-game winning streak snapped with a 37-33 loss at No. 7 Oregon on Dec. 3.
"It's tough to swallow," Canfield said after completing 24 of 36 for 306 yards and two TDs.
Canfield, a first-team all-Pac-10 selection with 21 touchdowns and six interceptions, led the conference with 3,103 passing yards.
BYU's rush defense, ranked 23rd in the country, faces a major test in sophomore Jacquizz Rodgers. The first-team all-Pac-10 running back ran for 1,377 yards and a school-record 20 TDs, and he is tied for third in the Football Bowl Subdivision with 21 touchdowns.
Rodgers missed last season's 3-0 Sun Bowl victory over Pittsburgh with a cracked shoulder blade.
His older brother James, a junior, was also sidelined for that game due to a broken collarbone. He led Oregon State with 87 receptions, 1,007 yards and nine TDs this season, and needs three catches to tie Mike Hass for the school record of 90 set in 2005.
Oregon State has won five of eight matchups with BYU. The Cougars' last victory against the Beavers was 10-7 on Sept. 9, 1978, in Corvallis.
2009 MAACO Las Vegas Bowl
Teams: BYU vs. Oregon State
Kickoff: Dec. 22, 2009 at 8PM ET
Venue: Sam Boyd Stadium
TV: ESPN
Odds:
BYU +2 Over 60.5 (+120)
Oregon State -2 Under 60.5 (-140)
2009 Las Vegas Bowl BYU vs. Oregon State Miss Picks & Predictions
Two very strong teams meet Tuesday at 8PM ET in the Las Vegas Bowl from Sam Boyd Stadium as BYU collides with Oregon State.
Oregon State is 8-4 in 2009 and 7-4 against the point spread. The Beavers dropped their season finale to Oregon 37-33, where a win would have gotten them to the Rose Bowl. Oregon State has won four of its last five and covered in seven of its last eight games.
BYU is 10-2 this season and 5-7 against the spread. The Cougars have won four straight to end the season but failed to cover in two of their last three. Both of BYU’s two losses came on its home turf.
Oddsmakers from online sports book SBGGLOBAL have made Oregon State 2-point favorites over BYU on Tuesday night. The over/under total for this game has been established at 60.5.
Oregon State had one of the top offenses in the Pac-10, scoring 32.4 points per-game, thanks mostly to the arm of Sean Canfield. Canfield has thrown for 3,103 yards with 21 touchdowns and six interceptions. The BYU defense has struggled against the pass, giving up 2,629 yards on the season through the air.
BYU is scoring 34.8 points per-game behind a strong passing game. Max Hall has thrown for 3,368 yards and 30 touchdowns on the season. Hall also has 14 interceptions on the year. The Beavers are allowing 23.4 points per-game defensively, but had a strong rushing defense as they have given up just 1,371 yards on the ground this season.
The key in this game will come down to which quarterback makes fewer mistakes, as both will have opportunities to make big plays. Canfield seems to be the steadier quarterback and has played against stronger competition than Hall. Hall has some playmakers to work with, but Canfield has the tandem of Jacquizz and James Rodgers, who have combined for over 3,000 yards of offense. Oregon State should have the weapons to win this game, and with the spread so low, we suggest a pick of the Beavers and the over in a shootout.
Our Las Vegas Bowl Free Pick for this matchup is: OREGON STATE -2 and OVER 60.5.
College Football Bowl Season Betting Trends
BYU is 3-12 ATS (-10.2 Units) after playing a conference game over the last 2 seasons.
BYU is 2-10 ATS (-9.0 Units) off a win against a conference rival over the last 2 seasons.
OREGON ST is 24-12 ATS (+10.8 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
OREGON ST is 24-12 ATS (+10.8 Units) in all lined games over the last 3 seasons.
OREGON ST is 13-4 ATS (+8.6 Units) in road games when playing with 2 weeks or more of rest since 1992.
OREGON ST is 7-1 ATS (+5.9 Units) after playing a conference game this season.
OREGON ST is 20-8 ATS (+11.2 Units) after a bye week since 1992.
OREGON ST is 77-53 ATS (+18.7 Units) in games played on turf since 1992.
OREGON ST is 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record
BYU is 6-15 ATS in its last 21 games
BYU is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games
Oregon State is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games
Oregon State is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Bowl Season College Football Injury Report
BYU
[OG] 08/22/2009 - Houston Reynolds out for season ( Knee )
[CB] 09/06/2009 - Brian Logan out indefinitely ( Hand )
[OG] 08/27/2009 - Jason Speredon out for season ( Rotator Cuff )
- 09/30/2009 - Jesse Taufi out indefinitely ( Academics )
[CB] 09/11/2009 - Garrett Nicholson has left team ( Academics )
[CB] 10/07/2009 - Shiloah Te'o has been dismissed from the team ( Dismissed )
[LB] 12/06/2009 - Terrance Hooks out for season ( Knee )
OREGON ST
(S) 09/23/2009 - Keynan Parker out for season ( Shoulder )
[WR] 09/29/2009 - Darrell Catchings out indefinitely ( Ankle )
[2ndQB] 10/29/2009 - Lyle Moevao out for season ( Ankle )
[DL] 11/10/2009 - Mitchel Hunt out for season ( Knee )
[WR] 12/03/2009 - Tim Clark out indefinitely ( Ankle )
Las Vegas Bowl Odds
BYU Cougars +2 Over 50.5 (+110)
Oregon State Beavers -2 Under 50.5 (-130)