Dec 2, 2018 3 min read

Pitt will represent the Atlantic Coast Conference in the Sun Bowl, which will be played Dec. 31 in El Paso, Texas. The Panthers’ opponent will be Stanford of the Pac-12 Conference.

It will be Pitt’s fourth trip to the Sun Bowl. The Panthers are 2-1 in El Paso, with victories in 1975 (33-19 over Kansas) and 1989 (31-28 over Texas A&M). Pitt lost to Oregon State (3-0) in 2008.

The Bowl will be Pitt’s 34th bowl appearance and third under coach Pat Narduzzi.

The Panthers (7-6) were one of the big surprises in the ACC, winning the Coastal Division title and playing in the conference championship game. They lost to No. 2 Clemson 42-10 on Saturday night.

Stanford, under head coach David Shaw, went 8-4 including 6-3 in the Pac-12. The Cardinal played a nation-leading 11 bowl-eligible teams this year.

The Panthers are 2-1 all-time against Stanford but the schools haven’t met in 86 years.

“We are honored to represent the ACC in the 2018 Hyundai Sun Bowl,” Pitt athletic director Heather Lyke said. “The Sun Bowl Association has a well-deserved reputation for providing outstanding hospitality and a first-class bowl experience. I know our student-athletes and fans will be treated to an exceptional time in El Paso. We are greatly looking forward to making the trip to Texas.”

Penn State to Citrus

Penn State (9-3) will play Kentucky (9-3) in the Citrus Bowl at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Fla., Jan. 1 at 1 p.m.

The 12th-ranked Nittany Lions and 14th-ranked Wildcats were selected today for their sixth all-time meeting and second in a bowl game. The teams last met in the 1999 Outback Bowl, which Penn State won 26-14.

“Our program is excited and appreciative to play in the Citrus Bowl,” Penn State head coach James Franklin said. “This is a well-deserved opportunity for the hard work our guys have put in this season.”

It will be Penn State’s sixth appearance in the Citrus Bowl, which is the second-most of any bowl in program history. This is Penn State’s first appearance in the Citrus Bowl since the 2009 season when the Nittany Lions topped LSU, 19-17.

It will be Kentucky’s first trip to a New Year’s Day bowl since quarterback Tim Couch and the Wildcats lost to Penn State 26-14 in the Outback Bowl on jan. 1, 1999. It’s only the fourth New Year’s Day bowl in the program’s history.

WVU also

to Orlando

For the second time in six years West Virginia is facing Syracuse in a bowl game. The Mountaineers and Orange will meet in Orlando Dec. 28 in the Camping World Bowl.

It’s a matchup of two old Big East rivals with the all-time series 33-27 in favor of the Orange although the Mountaineers have won eight of the last 11 in the series.

Earning a bowl invitation is new territory for a Syracuse program that will be making its first bowl trip since 2013 when the Orange defeated Minnesota 21-17 in the Texas Bowl.

Syracuse, ranked 17th in the final regular season AP poll, got to Orlando this year by generating its most victories in 17 years, going 9-3 this season and finishing second to Clemson in the ACC’s Atlantic Division.

Despite being the higher ranked team at No. 16 in the College Football Playoff Poll, the Mountaineers were bypassed by the Alamo Bowl in favor of Iowa State.

West Virginia might be without offensive coordinator Jake Spavital. Texas State hired Spavital as its head coach late last week.