BIRMINGHAM, Ala. —
Pittsburgh is making its third straight trip to the BBVA Compass Bowl, facing a resurgent Mississippi team.
The Panthers and Rebels will meet on Jan. 5 in a matchup of 6-6 Big East and Southeastern Conference teams which are led by first-year coaches.
Pitt became bowl eligible for the fifth consecutive season with Saturday’s 27-3 rout of South Florida, rebounding after losing its first two games to Youngstown State and Cincinnati.
Paul Chryst’s Panthers also took No. 1 Notre Dame to triple overtime before losing.
“While it is unusual to play in the same bowl three years in a row, we are excited to be facing a traditional program like Ole Miss,” Pitt athletic director Steve Pederson said. “This game is held in a great football city and our hosts have already discussed giving our team some different experiences on this trip. We are proud of how our team finished the regular season and we’re excited they can play one more game together.”
The Panthers are joining the Atlantic Coast Conference next season.
Mississippi won its sixth game with a 41-24 upset of Mississippi State for the program’s first Egg Bowl win in four years. Rebels coach Hugh Freeze led a resurgence of a team with one Southeastern Conference win over the previous two seasons and coming off a 2-10 year.
Ole Miss athletics director Ross Bjork praised Freeze “for the fantastic turnaround.”
“I especially want to congratulate our seniors and the rest of the team for their hard work and for buying into the cultural change for our program,” Bjork said.
The Rebels are 8-1 in their last nine bowl games dating back to a 13-0 win over Air Force in the 1992 Liberty Bowl. Making it back to the postseason for the first time in three years is a boost, Freeze said.
“I think it accelerates our journey, our process,” he said. “Not just the extra practices, but the extra media coverage ... we’re one of the teams still playing.”
Freeze said he doesn’t know much about Pitt, beyond that the Panthers took Notre Dame down to the wire and got better as the season went along.
Running back Ray Graham and quarterback Tino Sunseri give Pitt a 3,000-yard passer and 1,000-yard rusher in the same season for the first time.
The Panthers came to Birmingham the last two trips with interim coaches after Dave Wannstedt was released from his contract and Todd Graham left for Arizona State.
They beat Kentucky 27-10 two years ago and lost to SMU 28-6 last season.
“We’ve been given a great opportunity to play a quality program like Ole Miss,” Chryst said. “I know they finished the season strong and looked impressive in winning the Egg Bowl against Mississippi State.”
College
Pitt's bowl trip an Alabama getaway for 3rd straight year
- College
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- Local sports in brief 5/18/2013
- Local sports in brief 5/17/2013
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College players dominate Point nominations
Pitt-Johnstown junior Jake Warner was perfect and extremely productive at the plate while earning the first two monthly nominations for the 2013 Point Stadium Award in February and March.
Mount Aloysius sophomore Derrick Capiak nearly reached perfection to take the April nomination. -
Penn State guard leaving for pro career
Penn State guard Jermaine Marshall, the team’s second-leading scorer, is foregoing his senior year of eligibility to pursue a professional career overseas.
The team announced the surprise move in a statement Wednesday. The 6-foot-4 Marshall, who is on schedule to graduate this summer, cited his family including a 1-year-old son, in making his decision. -
Penn State coach blasts Sports Illustrated article
Penn State coach Bill O’Brien is fervently disputing suggestions raised in a report that player medical care has been compromised after the team doctor was replaced.
Speaking often in an angry tone that might be otherwise reserved for an argument with an official, O’Brien told reporters in a conference call that the health and safety of his players were his top priorities. -
East Stroudsburg wins PSAC championship
Senior Brian Ernst threw eight innings without allowing an earned run on just two days rest and East Stroudsburg University used a five-run fifth inning to secure its first PSAC baseball championship since 1971 with a 7-1 win over defending champion West Chester on Saturday at Point Stadium.
The Warriors (33-16), who set a school record with their 33rd win, earned the PSAC’s automatic bid to the NCAA Division II Tournament thanks in large part to an outstanding effort by Ernst, who was named the PSAC Tournament MVP. -
Millersville players help couple resuscitate ailing child
The Millersville University baseball team came up with a great save this week, but it had nothing to do with the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference tournament being played at Point Stadium.
A trip for an after-midnight snack on Wednesday morning ended with seven Marauders being hailed as heroes by a local family after they helped save a little boy who wasn’t breathing. -
PSAC baseball prefers Point Stadium
The 2014 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference baseball tournament is slated for Pullman Park in Butler.
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Transfers no longer expected at PSU
Penn State has 67 scholarship players on its football roster and coach Bill O’Brien sees no reason why that will change significantly by the time the season starts Aug. 31.
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Seahawk’s Hill says his goodbyes to Penn State
Defensive tackle Jordan Hill had one last stand to make at Penn State before starting his NFL career with the Seattle Seahawks – posing for pictures in his graduation cap and gown.
But ever the smart player, the former Nittany Lion decided to skip the familiar snapshots at Saturday’s graduation ceremonies to hit the campus landmarks this week with the crowds thinned out. - More College Headlines
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