PHOENIX – It was predicted to be a close contest, a matchup of two teams with identical 8-4… PHOENIX – It was predicted to be a close contest, a matchup of two teams with identical 8-4 records from opposite sides of the country that had never played each other.

And while close would be an accurate description of the first half, it certainly wasn’t the end result.

The Panthers defeated Pac-10 opponent Oregon State 38-13 in the Insight Bowl Dec. 26 by utilizing a combination of special teams, an effective running game and a stifling defense that eliminated the Beavers’ ground game.

“I’m disappointed; there were some times particularly early in the game where we had a chance,” Oregon State head coach Dennis Erickson said. “They played very physical against us.”

Shawn Robinson returned a punt 66 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter to put Pitt up 24-10, marking the first time the Panthers have returned a punt to the end zone in bowl history.

“That [punt return] was the turning point of the football game,” Pitt head coach Walt Harris said. “It was something we’ve had done to us this season that we haven’t been able to do.”

Brandon Miree led the Panthers on the ground as he carried the ball 20 times for 113 yards and a touchdown to walk away with offensive MVP honors. Pitt improved to 9-4 on the year, marking the first time since 1982 that the team secured nine victories in a season.

The Panthers finished the season ranked No. 18 in the nation, the first time since 1989 that they ended a season in the top 25.

The defense suffocated Beaver running back Steven Jackson, who was limited to just 34 yards on 19 carries. Jackson entered the matchup as the Pac-10’s leading rusher and fifth in the nation. The Pitt defense held the Beavers to just eight yards on the ground.

“It was great to see our defense rise up and get the job done,” Harris said.

Pitt defensive end Claude Harriott agreed that stopping Jackson was key.

“Him being such a great running back and with the great line they had, we just came out and met the challenge,” Harriott said.

Harriott, who had two sacks and four tackles for a loss against the Beavers, earned defensive MVP honors.

Pitt opened the scoring on the first possession of the game with a 40-yard pass from quarterback Rod Rutherford to a diving Larry Fitzgerald to give the Panthers the early 7-0 lead. But Oregon State answered back with a controversial play when Derek Anderson, who was 21-of-45 for 319 yards, connected with James Newson for a 65-yard touchdown. But during the play, Newson’s elbow and forearm appeared to hit the ground, which would have rendered the play dead.

“I didn’t feel I was down,” said Newson, who finished with 165 yards on 10 catches. “I didn’t feel my knees touch the ground, the only thing that touched the ground was my forearm.”

But no call was made and Newson found the end zone to knot the game at 7. Panther kicker David Abdul connected on a 45-yard field goal as time expired in the first half.

Miree said that the team felt good going into halftime.

“We came in and knew it was going to be a dogfight, and at halftime it was 10 to 10,” he said. “But also at halftime we thought we could take it up another notch.”

Oregon State opened the third quarter on offense, but on the sixth play of the drive, Pitt’s Tez Morris intercepted Anderson’s pass and returned it 57 yards to the Beavers’ 23-yard line.

“It was a flea-flicker call,” Erickson said. “I think his arm got hit when he threw it.”

When the Panther offense took possession, Rutherford connected with Fitzgerald for a 22-yard gain before running the ball in for the touchdown, putting Pitt ahead 17-10. Rutherford finished the game 13-of-26 for 183 yards and a touchdown while Fitzgerald had five catches for 88 yards and a score.

Oregon State would put another three points on the board with a field goal late in the quarter, but the game was out of reach after the Panthers scored two more touchdowns in the fourth, one on a 7-yard run by Miree and the other on an 8-yard run by backup quarterback Tyler Palko. The 38 points put up by the Panthers are the most the team has ever scored in a bowl game.

The Panthers cruised to their second straight bowl victory before a crowd of 40,533 at Bank One Ballpark. Last year, Pitt defeated North Carolina State 34-19 in the Tangerine Bowl. This was Pitt’s second appearance in three years in the Insight Bowl, after falling to Iowa State 37-29 in 2000.

But the memories of two years ago were erased as the Panthers had their most successful season in 20 years.

“It’s a milestone for this program,” Miree said. “It’s a great feeling, especially having a cross-country game like this and being victorious, I think we opened a lot of eyes.”