BBVA COMPASS BOWL
PITTSBURGH PANTHERS vs. SMU MUSTANGS
VISIT BOWL CENTRAL

VIDEO PREVIEW

Saturday, Jan. 7 ï 1 p.m.
Legion Field (71,594/FieldTurf)
Birmingham, Ala.

Television
ESPN - WATCH LIVE
Mike Gleason, John Congemi and Eamon McAnaney

National Radio
ESPN Radio
Clay Matvick, Charles Arbuckle and Jessica Mendoza
SiriusXM Channel 84

Pittsburgh Radio
KDKA-FM 93.7 (flagship)

Bowl Information Contact
Norm Reilly
(205) 934-0730, nreilly@uab.edu

THE GAME
Pittsburgh and SMU meet for the first time in 29 years in the fifth BBVA Compass Bowl. The bowl normally pairs a BIG EAST representative against an opponent from the Southeastern Conference, but the SEC did not have enough bowl-eligible teams to fill of its contracted slots. The BIG EAST is 5-0 in the BBVA Compass Bowl after Pittsburghís 27-10 win against Kentucky last year. The city of Birmingham has a longstanding tradition of hosting postseason college football games, the Dixie Bowl was played in Birmingham from 1947-48; the Hall of Fame Classic (since renamed the Outback Bowl) was housed there from 1977-85 before moving to Tampa, Fla.; and the All-American Bowl took place in the city from 1986-90. Pittsburgh and SMU have met five times previously, though the schools have not met since the Cotton Bowl on New Yearís Day in 1983, when the Mustangs took a 7-3 win. That game was a battle of top-10 teams with No. 6 Pitt quarterbacked by Dan Marino and No. 4 SMU led by its backfield tandem of Eric Dickerson and Craig James. The series is tied at 2-2-1.


BBVA COMPASS BOWL HISTORY
12-23-06 USF 24, East Carolina 7
12-22-07 CINCINNATI 31, Southern Mississippi 21
12-29-08 RUTGERS 29, North Carolina State 23
1-2-10 CONNECTICUT 20, South Carolina 7
1-8-11 PITTSBURGH 27, Kentucky 10

PITTSBURGH (6-6)
Interim Coach
Keith Patterson (East Central í86)
0-0

NOTES
Pittsburgh will make its 28th appearance in a bowl game and its ninth postseason appearance since 2000. The Panthers are 12-15 all-time in bowl games after defeating Kentucky in last yearís BBVA Compass Bowl. Pittsburgh head coach Todd Graham resigned from his position in December to become the head coach at Arizona State. Defensive coordinator Keith Patterson will step in as interim coach for the BBVA Compass Bowl. Patterson has coached in seven bowl games. The Panthers are 5-0 when scoring at least 33 points and 1-6 when they have been held to fewer than 35 points. Pitt has been plagued by injuries, including an Oct. 26 game against Connecticut that claimed three starters with season-ending injuries. Among the casualties from that game was RB Ray Graham, who was the nationís second-leading rusher at the time. Despite missing the last four games of the season, Graham was chosen to the All-BIG EAST First Team. QB Tino Sunseri has thrown for 2,433 yards and 10 touchdowns with 10 interceptions this season.  RB Zach Brown had taken over as the regular tailback following Grahamís injury, but was injured himself against West Virginia and is questionable for the postseason. WR Devin Street leads the team with 48 receptions for 692 yards and two touchdowns. S Jarred Holley was chosen to the All-BIG EAST First Team after he had 64 tackles and two sacks in the regular season. LB Max Gruder is second in the BIG EAST in tackles (107, 8.9 per game). DT Aaron Donald is second in the BIG EAST with 10 sacks. DT Chas Alecxih has 5.5 sacks and 13.5 tackles for loss. Gruder, Donald and Alecxih joined CB Antwuan Reed as All-BIG EAST Second Team picks.

2011 RESULTS
September
3 Buffalo W 35-16
10 Maine W 35-29
17 at Iowa L 27-31
24 Notre Dame L 12-15
29 USF W 44-17
October
8 at RUTGERS L 10-34
15 Utah L 14-26
26 CONNECTICUT W 35-20
November
5 CINCINNATI L 23-26
12 at LOUISVILLE W 21-14
25 at WEST VIRGINIA L 20-21
December
3 SYRACUSE W 33-20
January
7 vs. SMU 1 p.m.

BIG EAST games in CAPS
SMU (7-5)
Head Coach
June Jones (Portland State í77)
23-28, fourth season at SMU
99-69, 13th season as collegiate head coach

NOTES
SMU has tied a program record by playing in a bowl game for the third consecutive season. The Mustangs reeled off five consecutive wins in September and October and enter the postseason at 7-5. SMU is making its ninth appearance in a bowl game and is 5-3 in its previous eight trips. The Mustangs dropped a 16-14 decision to Army last year in the Armed Forces Bowl. SMU is 3-0 all-time in Birmingham. Head coach June Jones is one win shy of 100 for his career, which includes nine years as coach at Hawaii. SMU is 7-0 when it scores first. The Mustangsí ledger includes a 40-33 overtime win at TCU, which was ranked No. 20 at the time, giving SMU its first win in Fort Worth since 1993. SMU finished 5-3 in Conference USA and trailed Houston and Tulsa in the West Division. SMU has accepted an invitation to join the BIG EAST for the 2013 season Ö Like Pittsburgh, SMU will be without its featured man on offense as RB Zach Line is out for the year with a foot injury. Line was chosen to the All-Conference USA First Team and is ranked eighth nationally in rushing (122.4 ypg). SMU ranks 22nd nationally in passing offense, thanks in large part to QB J.J. McDermott, who has thrown for 3,182 yards and 16 touchdowns with 16 interceptions. Two players are flirting with 1,000-receving-yard seasons as WR Cole Beasley comes into the bowl game with 954 yards and two touchdowns on 79 catches and WR Darius Johnson has 998 yards and seven TDs on 72 catches. Beasley, Johnson, Line and OT Kelvin Beachum were All-Conference USA First Team choices on offense, while DE Taylor Thompson (7 sacks) and CB Richard Crawford (2 INT, 12 passes defended) earned the honor on defense.

2011 RESULTS
September
4 at Texas A&M L 14-46
10 UTEP W 28-17
17 Northwestern State W 40-7
24 at MEMPHIS W 42-0
October
1 at TCU W ot 40-33
15 UCF W 38-17
22 at SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI L 3-27
29 at TULSA L 7-38
November
5 TULANE W 45-24
12 Navy L 17-24
19 at HOUSTON L 7-37
26 RICE W 27-24
January
7 vs. Pittsburgh 1 p.m.
Conference USA games in CAPS