The Pittsburgh Panthers and SMU Mustangs will meet in the sixth 2012 BBVA Compass Bowl at Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama.
Kickoff for Saturday's game is scheduled for 1pm ET on ESPN, who have dispatched Mike Gleason, John Congemi and sideline reported Eamon McAananey to call the action.
The Panthers won last year's BBVA Compass Bowl, defeating the Kentucky Wildcats 27-10. Running back Dion Lewis, a 2011 fifth-round pick by the Philadelphia Eagles, earned Most Valuable Player honors after posting a game-high 105 yards and a touchdown in leading a Panthers' offensive attack that also got 95 yards from then-sophomore running back Ray Graham to set a Compass Bowl record with 261 rushing yards.
This year's Panthers team had the nation's 68th-ranked rushing attack, but lost leading rushing Graham to a season-ending knee injury. Graham had 958 yards and nine touchdowns in just eight games before his injury. Senior Zach Brown and freshman Isaac Bennett have replaced Graham, combining for 448 yards and four touchdowns over the last five games.
Southern Methodist comes into Saturday's game with a 7-5 record and will be appearing a third straight bowl game. Mustangs head coach June Jones will be looking for his 100th win as a college head coach without the services of leading rusher Zach Line, who is out with a foot injury.
Saturday's game will be a battle of future Big East rivals, as Southern Methodist accepted an invitation to leave Conference USA and join the Big East on December 7, 2011.
For more from the Panthers, visit Pitt blog Cardiac Hill and SB Nation Pittsburgh.
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