All-Time Appearances of Pac-12 Teams in Sun Bowl

Posted on August 8, 2021


  By SuperWest Sports Staff

Current Pac-12 teams have made 34 appearances in the Sun Bowl since 1939, winning 20, losing 13, and tying 2, with 33 players being named either the offensive or defensive MVP.

The bowl has been played in El Paso, Texas, on the campus of UTEP since 1935. Along with the Sugar Bowl and Orange Bowl, it is the second-oldest bowl game in the country, behind the Rose Bowl.

Pac-12The Sun Bowl is currently the Pac-12’s fifth-choice bowl, behind the CFP and the Alamo, Holiday, and Redbox bowls. The bowl can take any ACC team ranked fourth through eighth.

Oregon State, Utah, and Washington State are undefeated in the Sun Bowl; Arizona and USC are winless in it, and California and Colorado have never played in it. Here is a list of each program’s record in the bowl:

OSU, 2-0
Utah, 2-0
WSU, 2-0
Stanford, 4-1
Oregon, 3-1
UCLA, 3-1
ASU, 4–2–1
Cal, 0-0
Colorado, 0-0
Washington, 1-3
Arizona, 0-2-1
USC, 0-3

Typically held near the end of December, games currently feature teams from the ACC and the Pac-12 Conference, and have done so since 2011. As was the case with many bowls, the 2020 edition of the bowl was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since 2019, the game has been sponsored by Kellogg’s and is officially known as the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl, after the mascot for the company’s Frosted Flakes cereal.

Previous sponsors include John Hancock Financial, Norwest Corporation, Wells Fargo, Helen of Troy Limited (using its Vitalis and Brut brands), and Hyundai Motor Company.

In the table below, you’ll find all the games involving current Conference teams with dates played, scores, winner, loser, and MVP.

[You may also be interested in: All-Time Pac-12 Conference Bowl Games and Results]

All-Time Appearances of Current Pac-12 Teams in Sun Bowl

DateWinnerPtsLoserPtsMVP
Dec 31 2019ASU20Florida State14ASU QB Jayden Daniels
Dec 31 2018Stanford14Pittsburgh13Stanford RB Cameron Scarlett
Dec 29 2017North Carolina State52ASU31NC State RB Nyheim Hines
Dec 30 2016Stanford25North Carolina23Stanford DE Soloman Thomas
Dec 26 2015WSU20Miami (FL)14Washington St. QB Luke Falk
Dec 27 2014ASU36Duke31RB Demario Richard (ASU)
Dec 31 2013UCLA42Virginia Tech12QB Brett Hundley (UCLA) LB Jordan Zumwalt (UCLA)
Dec 31 2012Georgia Tech21USC7DB Rod Sweeting (Georgia Tech)
Dec 31 2011Utah30Georgia Tech27DL Star Lotulelei (Utah)
Dec 31 2009Oklahoma31Stanford27WR Ryan Broyles (Oklahoma) DL Gerlad McCoy (Oklahoma)
Dec 31 2008OSU3Pittsburgh0DL Victor Strong-Butler (OSU)
Dec 31 2007Oregon56South Florida21OL Fenuki Tupou (Oregon) RB Jonathan Stewart (Oregon)
Dec 29 2006OSU39Missouri38DL Xzavie Jackson (Missouri) QB Matt Moore (OSU)
Dec 30 2005UCLA50Northwestern38DL Kevin Mims (Northwestern) RB Kahlil Bell (UCLA)
Dec 31 2004ASU27Purdue23DL Brandon Villareal (Purdue) QB Sam Keller (ASU)
Dec 31 2003Minnesota31Oregon30DL Junior Siavaii (Oregon) WR Samie Parker (Oregon)
Dec 31 2002Purdue34Washington24DL Shaun Phillips (Purdue) QB Kyle Orton (Purdue)
Dec 31 2001WSU33Purdue27DL Akin Ayodele (Purdue) DB Lamont Thompson (WSU)
Dec 29 2000Wisconsin21UCLA20OL Oscar Cabrera (UCLA) WR Freddie Mitchell (UCLA)
Dec 31 1999Oregon24Minnesota20DL Dyron Russ (Minnesota) QB Billy Cockerham (Minnesota)
Dec 31 1998Texas Christian28USC19DL London Dunlap (Texas Christian) RB Basil Mitchell (Texas Christian)
Dec 31 1997ASU17Iowa7DL Jeremy Staat (ASU) RB Mike Martin (ASU)
Dec 31 1996Stanford38Michigan State0DL Kailee Wong (Stanford) QB Chad Hutchinson (Stanford)
Dec 29 1995Iowa38Washington18DL Jared DeVries (Iowa) RB Sedrick Shaw (Iowa)
Dec 31 1992Baylor20Arizona15DL Rob Waldrop (Arizona) WR Melvin Bonner (Baylor)
Dec 31 1991UCLA6Illinois3DL Mike Ploskey (Illinois) LB Arnold Ale (UCLA)
Dec 31 1990Michigan State17USC16LB Craig Hartsuyker (USC) WR Courtney Hawkins (Michigan State)
Dec 25 1986Alabama28Washington6DL Steve Alvord (Washington) DL Cornelius Bennett (Alabama)
Dec 28 1985Georgia13Arizona13OL Peter Anderson (Georgia) K Max Zendejas (Arizona)
Dec 22 1979Washington14Texas7WR Paul Skansi (Washington) DL Doug Martin (Washington)
Dec 31 1977Stanford24Louisiana State14RB Charles Alexander (Louisiana State) LB Gordon Ceresino (Stanford)
Dec 28 1968Auburn34Arizona10QB Buddy McClinton (Auburn) OL David Campbell (Auburn)
Dec 31 1963Oregon21Southern Methodist14QB Bob Berry (Oregon) OL Dun Hughes (Southern Methodist)
Jan 1 1940Catholic0ASU0
Jan 2 1939Utah26New Mexico0




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