5. Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl
Pitt 37, UCLA 35
Pre-Bowl Matchup Ranking: 26
Pre-Bowl Ranking: 2021: 39, 2020: NA, 2019: 19
Post-Bowl Ranking: 2021: 13, 2020: NA, 2019: 21
It was maddening, gripping, ugly, fun, and it was as wild an ending as you’ll find during a bowl season.
It was also one really, really weird game.
UCLA had this easily won three times. It had it in the first half up 14-6, and then the defense couldn’t come through.
It had it in the second half up 28-14, and then Pitt’s offense went on a run. It had it with less than a minute to go after backup QB Ethan Garbers led the offense on a thrilling 70-yard scoring drive to get in the end zone and take the lead with 34 seconds left.
But the UCLA defense failed to close once again.
An undermanned Pitt team should’ve been out of it. It should’ve been happy with the swag bag and a fine season, but it marched back in the final seconds under backup QB Nick Patti – who got knocked out of his chance to do something big in last year’s bowl loss to Michigan State – for the fifth field goal of the game by Ben Sauls. He made 15 in the first 12 games before this, but he nailed the game-winner.
What Happened, Player of the Game, Fun Stats, What it Means
Bowl Rankings 2022-2023
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