Pittsburgh DE Aaron Donald (photo by Pete Madia/Pitt Athletics)
DE Aaron Donald (#97) and the Pittsburgh Panthers (6-6) head to Birmingham, Alabama’s Legion Field Saturday afternoon for a rematch with the SMU Mustangs (7-5), who beat the Panthers, 7-3, in the 1983 Cotton Bowl. Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m. on ESPN!
BBVA Compass Bowl
SMU Mustangs
vs. Pittsburgh Panthers
When: Saturday, January 7, 2012, 1 p.m.
Where: Birmingham, Ala.
TV: ESPN
Series: Tied at 2-2-1
Last Meeting: 1983, Mustangs won 7-3 in the Cotton Bowl
Line: Pittsburgh -5
Re-Pitt Performance
Pittsburgh returns to Birmingham hoping for an outcome similar to last year’s 17-point slap of perennial SEC bottom feeder, Kentucky. But it won’t be as easy because Offensive Coordinator Calvin Magee, and two other coaches, jumped the Pitt ship to join their friend Rich Rodriguez at Arizona. The Panthers, however, get a team in SMU they should beat. Because even though the Pony Express took down in-state rival TCU on the road, it was also rolled 110-24 in three of its biggest games against Texas A&M, Houston and Southern Miss.
PREDICTION: PITTSBURGH 26-21
MUST KNOW INFO
SMU Coach June Jones, who’s been heavily courted by Arizona State in recent weeks, will go for his 100th career college victory against Pittsburgh. Jones is the only coach to lead Hawaii to a BCS bowl (2007 Sugar Bowl).
Pittsburgh FS Jarred Holley (photo courtesy of Pitt Athletics)
BOWL BUSTER
Pittsburgh redshirt junior FS Jarred Holley was selected First Team All Big East this year after recording 64 tackles, five tackles for a loss and two sacks. He was also named Second Team All Big East as a sophomore.
