University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
Bruins Accept Invitation to Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl
December 04, 2022 | Football
UCLA (9-3), No. 18 in the final College Football Playoff rankings, has accepted an invitation to play in the 89th annual Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl against Pittsburgh (8-4, tied for second in the ACC Coastal) from the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). This will be UCLA's fifth overall appearance in the Sun Bowl and the Bruins have won three of the previous four games. This year's contest is set to take place on Friday, Dec. 30, 2022 at the Sun Bowl Stadium in El Paso, Texas and will be nationally televised by CBS at 11:00 a.m. PT.
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This is UCLA's second-straight season to earn a bowl game invitation and its 38th overall bowl invitation. UCLA finished the 2022 season with nine wins and has a chance to become the 10th Bruin team to record 10 wins for a season, the most in school history. The Bruins ended the regular season with the nation's No. 3-ranked offense which averages 507.8 yards per game. UCLA was rated fourth in the nation in rushing offense (246.3 yards per game) and rushed for at least 200 yards in nine games this season.
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UCLA has met Pitt 14 times on the gridiron, the most it has lined up against any current ACC opponent. The Bruins own a 9-5 edge in the all-time series with the Panthers, but the teams have not met since 1972. UCLA played Pitt each season from 1958 through 1964, took a break in 1965, before continuing the series from 1966-1972. The Bruins are 19-13 all-time against teams that currently make up the Atlantic Coast Conference and last played an ACC team in 2015 when it defeated Virginia in Pasadena.
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UCLA's History in the Sun Bowl
2022 --- UCLA vs. Pittsburgh
2013 --- UCLA d. Virginia Tech 42-12 (QB Brett Hundley, ran for 161 and threw for 226 yards, and LB Joran Zumwalt, who had 10 tackles, were Co-MVPs)
2005 --- UCLA d. Northwestern 50-38 (UCLA rallied from an early 22-point deficit which was then the biggest comeback in school history โ RBs Chris Markey and Kahlil Bell were Co-MVP)
2000 --- Wisconsin d. UCLA 21-20 (Freddie Mitchell set a Sun Bowl game record with 180 receiving yards)
1991 --- UCLA d. Illinois 6-3 (UCLA won its eighth straight bowl game โ LB Arnold Ale MVP)
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UCLA's Bowl Game History (16-19-1)
Dec. 30, 2022 --- Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl
Dec. 28, 2021 --- not played - N.C. State - San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl
Dec. 26, 2017 --- L UCLA 17, Kansas State 35 Cactus Bowl
Dec. 26, 2015 --- L UCLA 29, Nebraska 37 Foster Farms Bowl
Jan. 2, 2015 --- W UCLA 40, Kansas State 35 Valero Alamo Bowl
Dec. 31, 2013 --- W UCLA 42, Virginia Tech 12 Hyundai Sun Bowl
Dec. 27, 2012 --- L UCLA 26, Baylor 49 Bridgepointe Education Holiday Bowl
Dec. 31, 2011 --- L UCLA 14, Illinois 20 Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl
Dec. 29, 2009 --- W UCLA 30, Temple 21 EagleBank Bowl
Dec. 22, 2007 --- L UCLA 16, Brigham Young 17 Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl
Dec. 27, 2006 --- L UCLA 27, Florida State 44 Emerald Bowl
Dec. 30, 2005 --- W UCLA 50, Northwestern 38 Vitalis Sun Bowl
Dec. 23, 2004 --- L UCLA 21, Wyoming 24 Pioneer PureVision Las Vegas Bowl
Dec. 30, 2003 --- L UCLA 9, Fresno State 17 Silicon Valley Football Classic
Dec. 25, 2002 --- W UCLA 27, New Mexico 13 SEGA Sports Las Vegas Bowl
Dec. 29, 2000 --- L UCLA 20, Wisconsin 21 Wells Fargo Sun Bowl
Jan. 1, 1999 --- L UCLA 31, Wisconsin 38 Rose Bowl presented by AT&T
Jan. 1, 1998 --- W UCLA 29, Texas A&M 23 Southwestern Bell Cotton Bowl
Dec. 25, 1995 --- L UCLA 30, Kansas 51 Jeep Eagle Aloha Bowl
Jan. 1, 1994 --- L UCLA 16, Wisconsin 21 Rose Bowl
Dec. 31, 1991 --- W UCLA 6, Illinois 3 Hancock Bowl (Sun Bowl)
Jan. 2, 1989 --- W UCLA 17, Arkansas 3 Mobil Cotton Bowl
Dec. 25, 1987 --- W UCLA 20, Florida 16 Jeep Eagle Aloha Bowl
Dec. 30, 1986 --- W UCLA 31, Brigham Young 10 Freedom Bowl
Jan. 1, 1986 --- W UCLA 45, Iowa 28 Rose Bowl
Jan. 1, 1985 --- W UCLA 39, Miami 37 Fiesta Bowl
Jan. 2, 1984 --- W UCLA 45, Illinois 9 Rose Bowl
Jan. 1, 1983 --- W UCLA 24, Michigan 14 Rose Bowl
Dec. 31, 1981 --- L UCLA 14, Michigan 33 Bluebonnet Bowl
Dec. 25, 1978 --- T UCLA 10, Arkansas 10 Fiesta Bowl
Dec. 20, 1976 --- L UCLA 6, Alabama 36 Liberty Bowl
Jan. 1, 1976 --- W UCLA 23, Ohio State 10 Rose Bowl
Jan. 1, 1966 --- W UCLA 14, Michigan State 12 Rose Bowl
Jan. 1, 1962 --- L UCLA 3, Minnesota 21 Rose Bowl
Jan. 1, 1956 --- L UCLA 14, Michigan State 17 Rose Bowl
Jan. 1, 1954 --- L UCLA 20, Michigan State 28 Rose Bowl
Jan. 1, 1947 --- L UCLA 14, Illinois 45 Rose Bowl
Jan. 1, 1943 --- L UCLA 0, Georgia 9 Rose Bowl
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This is UCLA's second-straight season to earn a bowl game invitation and its 38th overall bowl invitation. UCLA finished the 2022 season with nine wins and has a chance to become the 10th Bruin team to record 10 wins for a season, the most in school history. The Bruins ended the regular season with the nation's No. 3-ranked offense which averages 507.8 yards per game. UCLA was rated fourth in the nation in rushing offense (246.3 yards per game) and rushed for at least 200 yards in nine games this season.
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UCLA has met Pitt 14 times on the gridiron, the most it has lined up against any current ACC opponent. The Bruins own a 9-5 edge in the all-time series with the Panthers, but the teams have not met since 1972. UCLA played Pitt each season from 1958 through 1964, took a break in 1965, before continuing the series from 1966-1972. The Bruins are 19-13 all-time against teams that currently make up the Atlantic Coast Conference and last played an ACC team in 2015 when it defeated Virginia in Pasadena.
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UCLA's History in the Sun Bowl
2022 --- UCLA vs. Pittsburgh
2013 --- UCLA d. Virginia Tech 42-12 (QB Brett Hundley, ran for 161 and threw for 226 yards, and LB Joran Zumwalt, who had 10 tackles, were Co-MVPs)
2005 --- UCLA d. Northwestern 50-38 (UCLA rallied from an early 22-point deficit which was then the biggest comeback in school history โ RBs Chris Markey and Kahlil Bell were Co-MVP)
2000 --- Wisconsin d. UCLA 21-20 (Freddie Mitchell set a Sun Bowl game record with 180 receiving yards)
1991 --- UCLA d. Illinois 6-3 (UCLA won its eighth straight bowl game โ LB Arnold Ale MVP)
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UCLA's Bowl Game History (16-19-1)
Dec. 30, 2022 --- Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl
Dec. 28, 2021 --- not played - N.C. State - San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl
Dec. 26, 2017 --- L UCLA 17, Kansas State 35 Cactus Bowl
Dec. 26, 2015 --- L UCLA 29, Nebraska 37 Foster Farms Bowl
Jan. 2, 2015 --- W UCLA 40, Kansas State 35 Valero Alamo Bowl
Dec. 31, 2013 --- W UCLA 42, Virginia Tech 12 Hyundai Sun Bowl
Dec. 27, 2012 --- L UCLA 26, Baylor 49 Bridgepointe Education Holiday Bowl
Dec. 31, 2011 --- L UCLA 14, Illinois 20 Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl
Dec. 29, 2009 --- W UCLA 30, Temple 21 EagleBank Bowl
Dec. 22, 2007 --- L UCLA 16, Brigham Young 17 Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl
Dec. 27, 2006 --- L UCLA 27, Florida State 44 Emerald Bowl
Dec. 30, 2005 --- W UCLA 50, Northwestern 38 Vitalis Sun Bowl
Dec. 23, 2004 --- L UCLA 21, Wyoming 24 Pioneer PureVision Las Vegas Bowl
Dec. 30, 2003 --- L UCLA 9, Fresno State 17 Silicon Valley Football Classic
Dec. 25, 2002 --- W UCLA 27, New Mexico 13 SEGA Sports Las Vegas Bowl
Dec. 29, 2000 --- L UCLA 20, Wisconsin 21 Wells Fargo Sun Bowl
Jan. 1, 1999 --- L UCLA 31, Wisconsin 38 Rose Bowl presented by AT&T
Jan. 1, 1998 --- W UCLA 29, Texas A&M 23 Southwestern Bell Cotton Bowl
Dec. 25, 1995 --- L UCLA 30, Kansas 51 Jeep Eagle Aloha Bowl
Jan. 1, 1994 --- L UCLA 16, Wisconsin 21 Rose Bowl
Dec. 31, 1991 --- W UCLA 6, Illinois 3 Hancock Bowl (Sun Bowl)
Jan. 2, 1989 --- W UCLA 17, Arkansas 3 Mobil Cotton Bowl
Dec. 25, 1987 --- W UCLA 20, Florida 16 Jeep Eagle Aloha Bowl
Dec. 30, 1986 --- W UCLA 31, Brigham Young 10 Freedom Bowl
Jan. 1, 1986 --- W UCLA 45, Iowa 28 Rose Bowl
Jan. 1, 1985 --- W UCLA 39, Miami 37 Fiesta Bowl
Jan. 2, 1984 --- W UCLA 45, Illinois 9 Rose Bowl
Jan. 1, 1983 --- W UCLA 24, Michigan 14 Rose Bowl
Dec. 31, 1981 --- L UCLA 14, Michigan 33 Bluebonnet Bowl
Dec. 25, 1978 --- T UCLA 10, Arkansas 10 Fiesta Bowl
Dec. 20, 1976 --- L UCLA 6, Alabama 36 Liberty Bowl
Jan. 1, 1976 --- W UCLA 23, Ohio State 10 Rose Bowl
Jan. 1, 1966 --- W UCLA 14, Michigan State 12 Rose Bowl
Jan. 1, 1962 --- L UCLA 3, Minnesota 21 Rose Bowl
Jan. 1, 1956 --- L UCLA 14, Michigan State 17 Rose Bowl
Jan. 1, 1954 --- L UCLA 20, Michigan State 28 Rose Bowl
Jan. 1, 1947 --- L UCLA 14, Illinois 45 Rose Bowl
Jan. 1, 1943 --- L UCLA 0, Georgia 9 Rose Bowl
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