Oregon State and Utah State will meet within the inaugural Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl Saturday at SoFi Stadium, with the Aggies looking for to finish considered one of school soccer’s greatest turnarounds beneath first-year coach Blake Anderson.
Anderson was employed as Utah State’s coach Dec. 12, 2020, changing Gary Andersen, who was fired Nov. 7, 2020, after the crew began 0-3. The Aggies’ nine-game enchancment from 2020, after they had been 1-5, matches Baylor and Northern Illinois because the second-best amongst Soccer Bowl Subdivision groups, behind Michigan, which has a 10-game enchancment.
Utah State (10-3) certified for the sport by defeating San Diego State, 46-13, within the Mountain West Soccer Championship Recreation on Dec. 4 at Dignity Well being Sports activities Park in Carson. Bowl organizers had the fifth selection amongst Pac-12 groups and chosen Oregon State (7-5) because the Aggies’ opponent.
Utah State simply missed reaching the ultimate pre-bowl Related Press High 25, receiving 109 voting factors, 20 behind Twenty fifth-ranked Kentucky. Oregon State didn’t obtain any votes.
The Aggies have gained seven of their final eight video games. The Beavers have misplaced three of their final 5.
The groups have two widespread opponents — Hawaii and Washington State. Utah State opened its season with a 26-23 victory over Washington State on Sept. 4 and defeated Hawaii, 51-31, on Oct. 30. Oregon State defeated Hawaii, 45-27, on Sept. 11, and misplaced to Washington State, 31-24, on Oct. 9.
Aggies quarterback Logan Bonner is 18th amongst Soccer Bowl Subdivision gamers in passing yards per recreation, averaging 273.8. His favourite goal is Deven Thompkins, third in receiving yards per recreation at 122.2.
Oregon State working again B.J. Baylor is 14th in speeding yards per recreation, averaging 104.83, together with a career-high 158 in a 45-27 victory over USC, the Beavers’ first win over the Trojans on the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum since 1960.
The Oregon State offensive line is amongst 4 finalists for the Joe Moore Award, given to varsity soccer’s prime offensive line. The opposite finalists are Michigan, Kentucky and Air Pressure.
Defensive again Alex Austin is amongst 10 Beavers to have performed highschool soccer in Los Angeles County. The Lengthy Seashore Poly alumnus was an All-Pac-12 honorable point out choice. He’s a son of Lengthy Seashore Councilman Al Austin II.
Oregon State coach Jonathan Smith is a 1997 graduate of Glendora Excessive.
Beginning defensive deal with Marcus Moore is among the many 9 Aggies to have performed highschool soccer in Los Angeles County. The graduate of Crespi Excessive College in Encino performed 17 video games for UCLA in 2017 and 2018, beginning three. He graduated from UCLA with a level in African American research within the fall of 2019 and is pursuing a grasp’s diploma in bodily and sport training.
Oregon State shall be taking part in in a bowl recreation for the primary time since 2013 when it defeated Boise State within the Hawaii Bowl. The Beavers are 11-6 in bowl play, together with profitable 5 consecutive bowl video games from 2003-08.
Utah State shall be taking part in in a bowl for the ninth time in 11 years after taking part in in six in its first 119 seasons. The Aggies are 5-9 in bowl play.
Oregon State leads the sequence 3-0 with victories in 1904, 1997 and 1998.
This would be the first school soccer recreation at SoFi Stadium, which opened in 2020 and is the house of the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers. The bowl recreation was alleged to make its debut final yr, however was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
It’s the first bowl recreation to be named for a residing particular person.
The Will Rogers Bowl was performed in Oklahoma Metropolis on New 12 months’s Day, 1947, named in honor of the Oklahoma-born humorist killed in a 1935 airplane crash. Pepperdine defeated Nebraska Wesleyan, 38-13, in a recreation attended by 800 individuals on a day a snowstorm hit Oklahoma Metropolis simply earlier than the sport. The sport was discontinued after its inaugural version.
What had been the John Hancock Solar Bowl from 1986-88 was often known as the John Hancock Bowl from 1989-93.
The El Paso, Texas-based recreation didn’t immediately honor the primary signer of the Declaration of Independence. Its title sponsor, John Hancock Monetary, negotiated renewal of its sponsorship settlement to incorporate a brand new identify that may get extra nationwide media mentions to justify the expense.
The naming of the Los Angeles recreation was the results of what organizers described as “an unprecedented multi-year partnership” between Kimmel and SoFi Stadium. Monetary phrases of the partnership weren’t disclosed.
The sport shall be televised by ABC, which additionally airs Kimmel’s late-night discuss present, “Jimmy Kimmel Reside!” Each groups attended tapings of this system this week.
Kimmel was additionally the inspiration of the sport’s costumed mascot, Jimmy Kamel.
As an alternative of trophies, the profitable crew and offensive and defensive MVPs will obtain what are described as “massive, daring belts.”
The “Jimmy Kimmel Sandwich” shall be out there to followers on the recreation. It consists of roast beef, provolone piccante, spicy peppers, pepperoni, shaved crimson onions, crimson wine French dressing, dried Sicilian oregano, olive oil, and salt and pepper between two slices of ciabatta bread.
The 4:30 p.m. recreation shall be preceded by a 2 p.m. Fan Fest subsequent to stadium that can function Secret Partitions, which showcases the artwork of competitors with a stay illustration battle between native artists curated to music by DJ Vick One. The fan fest additionally embody meals vehicles, each groups’ cheerleaders and bands.
Tickets for the sport are priced from $32 and could be bought at www.SoFiStadium.com/LABowl.
Oregon State, Utah State to Meet in First Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl at SoFi Stadium was final modified: December 18th, 2021 by
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