By Cliff Kirkpatrick
| Posted: Friday, January 2, 2009 12:00 am
Gazette-Times Reporter
EL PASO, Texas - It may be the Luck of the Irish or the grand schemes of a wizard at work, but Oregon State football coach Mike Riley remains mystified over the reasons for his bowl-game success.
Riley continued his postseason mastery with the Beavers when they defeated Pittsburgh 3-0 on Wednesday in the 75th Sun Bowl.
The game was an offensive dud in a defensive slugfest, but it didn't matter. Victory was savored just as much.
"It's great to win these games," Riley said moments after the commotion of the latest win died down. "It's just a good finish to a season.
"It's a great kickoff to the next (game). Explain as to why we keep winning? I can't. If only I could I'd bottle that thing."
The Beavers are 5-0 with Riley guiding them with the other wins being in the 2003 Las Vegas Bowl, 2004 Insight Bowl, 2006 Sun Bowl and 2007 Emerald Bowl.
He's also 3-0 as an offensive coordinator with Southern California, making him 8-0 in bowl games.
"Winning this game means a lot," quarterback Lyle Moevao said. "We got a long bowl game streak going. And we want to continue that one."
Riley gets criticism for his team's slow starts, but he follows the mantra of it's not how you start but how you finish.
While early losses may cost the Beavers national title consideration the program has become regulars in the top 25 rankings.
The Beavers entered the game No. 24 and are sure to move up, especially after knocking off No. 18 Pittsburgh. They finished No. 21 in 2006 and No. 25 last season.
"We just try to play our best football each day through the year, and then be playing our best at the end," Riley said.
"I don't mean to overstate it, but that's how we are about development and our coaching, too. You have to do your best coaching and playing at the end."
The Beavers won at least nine games for the third straight year, the most success in terms of wins in a three-year stretch OSU in school history.
Each time it took a strong surge at the end. This year included a six-game winning streak.
"I think our record over the last couple months in football seasons is important to me," Riley said. "We do preach getting better, and that should culminate in a bowl win."
That trend was shaken with a loss to Oregon in the regular season final. It was a blowout at home.
Players admitted to being emotionally drained and tired after that one.
"We had that one big glitch against the Ducks, and it set us back," Riley said. "I'm proud of the recovery.
"That's the best way to put it."
Most people expected the Beavers to quit playing at a high level after that game because it's common to see a major letdown when in a bowl game lower than expected. A win there would have sent them to the Rose Bowl for the first time since 1965.
The Pacific-10 Conference's third-place bowl was little consolation. Even the Sun Bowl Association understood it couldn't compete against the glamour of Southern California.
That's where Riley worked his magic to motivate his players one more time. They were subdued, but focused during bowl practice in Corvallis and El Paso, and then found a way to win.
"The line about this game was how would our guys respond after being on the brink of going to the Rose Bowl and having the bubble burst," Riley said. "How they responded is what I'm most proud of. You don't win a game like that if you are not totally into it."