PORTLAND, Ore. — College football bowl game matchups were released Sunday. Oregon State will face Florida in the Las Vegas Bowl on Dec. 17 and Oregon will play North Carolina in the Holiday Bowl on Dec. 28 in San Diego.
Las Vegas Bowl: Oregon State vs. Florida
Florida and Oregon State are paired in the Las Vegas Bowl on Dec. 17 for a matchup between the Southeastern Conference and Pac-12. The teams will be meeting for the first time. The Gators managed to get bowl-eligible despite losing to Vanderbilt and Florida State to end the regular season. The Beavers have won three straight. That includes their 38-34 victory over archrival Oregon. Their nine wins are their most since 2012.
Florida (6-6, Southeastern) vs. Oregon State (9-3, Pac-12)
At Las Vegas, Saturday, Dec. 17, 4:30 p.m. Pacific
TOP PLAYERS
- Florida: QB Anthony Richardson, 2,549 yards passing, 17 TD passes.
- Oregon State: WR Tre'Shaun Harrison, 52 catches, 604 yards, 4 TDs.
NOTABLE
- Florida: The Gators managed to get bowl-eligible despite losing to Vanderbilt and Florida State to end the regular season.
- Oregon State: The Beavers finished the regular season with three straight wins, including 38-34 over archrival Oregon, and their nine victories are the most since 2012.
LAST TIME
- This is the first meeting between the two schools.
BOWL HISTORY
- Florida: Gators are in their fifth straight bowl, 24-23 all-time in bowls, first time in Las Vegas Bowl.
- Oregon State: Beavers are in second straight bowl, 11-7 all-time in bowls, third appearance in Las Vegas Bowl.
Holiday Bowl: Oregon vs. North Carolina
Oregon and North Carolina will meet in the Holiday Bowl on Dec. 28 at Petco Park, the first football game ever played at the downtown home of baseball's Padres. It will also be the first Holiday Bowl since 2019. The 2020 game was canceled due to the pandemic and UCLA pulled out of the 2021 matchup against North Carolina State just hours before kickoff due to what it said was a COVID-19 outbreak. North Carolina won the ACC Coastal Division before losing big to Clemson in the conference title game. Oregon lost two of its last three games.
Oregon (9-3, Pac-12) vs. North Carolina (9-4, ACC)
At San Diego, Wednesday, Dec. 28, 5 p.m. Pacific
TOP PLAYERS
- Oregon: QB Bo Nix, 3,388 yards, 27 touchdowns, six interceptions.
- North Carolina: QB Drake Maye, 4,115 yards, 35 TDs, seven interceptions.
NOTABLE
- Oregon: The No. 15 Ducks lost two of their last three games, including 38-34 to rival Oregon State. They did win 20-17 against Utah, which routed Southern California in the Pac-12 title game.
- North Carolina: The Tar Heels won the ACC Coastal Division title before being routed 39-10 by Clemson in the conference championship game. Mack Brown will be coaching in his 26th bowl game; he's 15-10 overall.
LAST TIME
- This will be the first meeting between the schools.
BOWL HISTORY
- Oregon: Fourth appearance in Holiday Bowl, 36th bowl game overall.
- North Carolina: First appearance in Holiday Bowl, 37th bowl appearance overall.
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AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://twitter.com/ap_top25
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