SMU To Face Pitt In BBVA Compass Bowl

The SMU Mustangs will face Pitt in the 2012 BBVA Compass Bowl on Saturday in Birmingham.

SMU Mustangs Football Helmet

DALLAS (SMU) - SMU will face Pitt in the 2012 BBVA Compass Bowl at noon Saturday, Jan. 7, in historic Legion Field in Birmingham, Ala. The game will be televised on ESPN.

BBVA Compass Bowl LogoThe game will mark the SMU football team's third bowl game in three years, tying the school record for consecutive bowls, and its 14th bowl appearance overall. More information at SMU Bowl Central.

"We're thrilled to be playing in our third straight bowl game and the BBVA Compass Bowl presents another opportunity to showcase our program on a national stage," said SMU Director of Athletics Steve Orsini. "Birmingham is a great city with easy access for SMU fans and we're happy to accept this bid."

SMU finished the 2011 regular season 7-5, winning at least seven games for the third straight season, the first time since doing so five straight seasons from 1980 to 1984.

SMU Head Coach June Jones will be seeking his 100th career coaching victory in the game, as his career record stands at 99-69. He has led SMU to the 2009 Sheraton Hawaii Bowl and the 2010 Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl. Prior to SMU, Jones coached nine seasons at Hawaii, leading the Warriors to a BCS berth in 2007 at the Allstate Sugar Bowl. Prior to heading to Hawaii, Jones had a 12-year coaching career in the NFL, including head coaching stops at Atlanta and San Diego.

"We are happy to be playing in the BBVA Compass Bowl and to get a chance for our eighth win," said Jones. "Our kids have worked hard this season and will be excited to take on a quality program like Pitt on national TV."

SMU Mustangs Football HelmetPittsburgh (6-6, 4-3 BIG EAST) defeated Kentucky in last year's BBVA Compass Bowl, 27-10.

SMU last faced Pitt in the 1983 Cotton Bowl, with the Mustangs claiming a 7-3 win en route to an NCAA-recognized National Championship as awarded by the Helms Athletic Foundation.

The SMU-Pitt series is now tied at 2-2-1 all-time, with the 1983 Cotton Bowl the lone meeting since 1948. The two schools faced off four times between 1938 and 1948.

"We are very pleased to host SMU and Pitt in the 2012 BBVA Compass Bowl," said Mark Meadows, Executive Director of the BBVA Compass Bowl. "We look forward to having their fans in Birmingham to experience our unique brand of Southern Hospitality which our game has become known for."

For tickets and full game info, click here.

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