Insight Bowl

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INSIGHT BOWL
OREGON ST. vs. NOTRE DAME
Dec-28 9:45/ESPN

SO WHAT’S THE STORY WITH THIS ONE?
It’s the re-match of the infamous 2001 Fiesta Bowl when the Beavers spanked the Irish 41-9 and several seniors on both teams remember it well. It’s also drama-a-go-go for the Irish. The administration took a team vote to see if they wanted to play in the Insight Bowl due to all the their emotional anguish and they said YES! And no, Charlie Weis won’t be coaching the team. The game will be coached under defensive coordinator Kent Baer.

WHO THE HELL ARE THESE TEAMS?
Oregon St. are just thrilled to make it here after a 1-4 start. They don’t have a victory over any team with a winning record so no one’s quite sure how they will match up against a talented if not underachieving Notre Dame. Their best quality is the pass defense led by DE Bill Swancutt and SS Mitch Neeuwsen. They only allowed a 43% completion from opposing quarterbacks and their cornerbacks have made wide receivers inept. QB Derek Anderson has turned heads by throwing for 3,257 yards and 25 touchdowns. But he also has thrown a whopping 17 interceptions. WR Mike Hass has become a cult hero by being a walk-on and we’ll let’s face it, it’s because he’s a white guy. He has recorded 81 receptions for 1,274 yards and seven touchdowns. Their rushing game is almost non-existent and they are poor against it as well.

It’s hard to get a read on the Irish. Let’s face it, one can toss the numbers out the door for this one. It’ll all depend on their mindset. Athletically, Notre Dame is much better then the Beavers but if you must the know numbers, they’re kind of wacky too. They rank 114 in pass defense yet ninth in rushing defense. Team MVP DE Justin Tuck broke the Notre Dame record for sacks with 24.5 and the offense led by Brady Quinn has been both brilliant and horrible depending on what game you want to focus on. The Irish have been waiting all year for anyone on offense to take over and become the star, but so far no has come forward. This could also be a product of the non-pro system they run which angered many alumni and the marketing department.

WHAT THE HELL IS THE INSIGHT BOWL?
Originally called the Copper Bowl in 1989. It started as a non-profit foundation by the good people of Tuscon, AZ. Then the good people couldn’t afford to keep it anymore with all the rotating sponsors. So they gave it to the Fiesta Bowl People. The Fiesta Bowl people moved the game to Phoenix (looks like the good people at Tucson got suckered) allowed Insight.com to sponsor and yes, call it the insight.com bowl. What insight.com is and does is beyond me but go to the website and feel free to figure it out because Lord knows I couldn’t. Thankfully, they got rid of the .com in 2002 and now it’s simply the insight bowl. Kind of post-modern, ain’t it? Anyway, they were quite proud of themselves: In yet another attempt to keep the game fresh continuing to evolve, Insight Enterprises announced in 2002 the name would be changed from Insight.com Bowl to the Insight Bowl. The name change is a reflection of the company’s broad ranging capabilities, and a distinction that it is not just a web-based company.
Relax guys…..


OREGON ST.-38
NOTRE DAME-21
MVP-DEREK ANDERSON

WHAT HAPPENED?
Oooo…this one was tough to watch. If Oregon St. was a better team, the score could have been even more embarrassing. I just felt bad for Notre Dame. I know about instant karma and come-uppins, but these kids had nothing to do with it and they deserved better. I taped the game (Tuesday is drinking night, even old slayer needs a rest) and the next morning, I found myself fast-forwarding through half of it. It was just not a joy to watch. After a blocked punt, runback, and interception, the Beavers were up 21-0 with offensive drives of 26, 4, and 45 yards respectively. It also didn’t help, Derek Anderson threw for 358 yards and 4 TDs. It also didn’t help the Irish only ran for 59 yards (Oregon St. only ran for 20 but like I said, their rushing game is non-existent). It also didn’t help that Brady Quin was poked in the eye and half-blind through most of the game.

WHAT DID WE LEARN?
The effect it has on young kids when they get emotionally raped by corrupt adults.