Oregon State won 3–0, the lowest scoring bowl game since a 0–0 tie between Air Force and TCU in the 1959 Cotton Bowl Classic and the lowest-scoring Sun Bowl since a 0–0 tie between Arizona State and Catholic University on January 1, 1940. It was the first shutout loss for the Panthers since 1996. This game, however, was special because the only points were scored on a field goal kicked off of a botched hold. The two teams combined for five turnovers and twenty punts while Victor Butler led the way with four sacks for the Beavers. Pittsburgh players would later refer to it as "the worst bowl game ever".[5]
Oregon State opted to wear orange uniforms (while Pittsburgh wore blue), even though as the nominal visiting team they were required to wear white. As a result, they were docked a time out in lieu of a penalty that was assessed on the opening kickoff.
This game marked the 41st consecutive telecast by CBS Sports. No other network and bowl game has been paired for a longer period of time.