College Football

Game Week: Pitt Travels to El Paso to Face No. 18 UCLA in Historic Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl

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Football




PITT (8-4, 5-3 ACC) vs. #18 UCLA (9-3, 6-3 Pac-12)

2022 TONY THE TIGER SUN BOWL • EL PASO, TEXAS

December 30, 2022 • 2 p.m., ET (Noon, MT)

Sun Bowl Stadium (46,375/FieldTurf)

CBS • Bowl Season Radio • Pitt Panthers Radio Network

Game Storylines

• The 2022 Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl marks Pitt’s 37th all-time postseason appearance and sixth under the direction of Coach Pat Narduzzi.

• Pitt and UCLA will meet for the first time in 50 years. The Panthers and Bruins last played on Sept. 16, 1972, a 38-28 UCLA win in Pitt Stadium.

• This will be Pitt’s fifth postseason trip to El Paso. The Panthers are 2-2 all-time in the “Sun City,” most recently dropping a 14-13 decision to Stanford in 2018.

• Pitt enters the postseason riding a four-game winning streak. A victory over UCLA would give Pitt nine wins on the season and an enhanced Top 25 résumé.

• Pitt last closed a year with at least five consecutive wins in 2001 (winning six straight, including the Tangerine Bowl).

• A victory in the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl would give Pitt a ninth win on the year and 20 over the past two seasons. The Panthers have not achieved 20 wins over a two-year span since 1981-82.

• Since 2015, Pat Narduzzi has directed Pitt to 41 victories in ACC play, the second-highest win total during that span. Pitt trails only Clemson (60).

• Pitt is 23-27 all-time against current members of the Pac-12, including 5-9 against UCLA.

• Pitt defensive coordinator Randy Bates and UCLA head coach Chip Kelly were on the same New Hampshire staffs during the 1992 and 1994-97 seasons.

• Pat Narduzzi was a defensive coach at Rhode Island from 1993-99, annually facing Kelly’s New Hampshire offensive units.

Series in Brief

Series Began: 1958

Series Overall: UCLA leads 9-5

At Pittsburgh: UCLA leads 4-2

At UCLA: UCLA leads 5-3

Bowl Series: 0-0 (First bowl meeting)

Last Meeting at Pitt: Sept. 16, 1972 (UCLA 38, Pitt 28)

Last Meeting at UCLA: Sept. 11, 1971 (Pitt 29, UCLA 25)

Current Series Win Streak: UCLA has won 1 (1972)

Longest Pitt Series Win Streak: 2 games…

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