Football travels to Miami eyeing a bowl berth

Nov. 24, 2014

PITT (5-6, 3-4 ACC) vs. MIAMI (6-5, 3-4 ACC)
Date	Saturday, November 29 at 7 p.m. (ET)
Location	Sun Life Stadium (74,916/Natural Grass) / Miami Gardens, Fla.
Television	ESPN2
Radio	93.7 The Fan and the Pitt IMG Sports Radio Network
Online	Live Stream on Panthers All-Access \|
Game Notes / Stats	Pitt Game Notes \| Pitt Stats
Promotions	N/A
Social Media	@GoPittFootball - Twitter / Instagram / #PITTvsMIAMI

GAME STORYLINES

• Pitt closes the regular season against ACC Coastal Division foe Miami in primetime on ESPN2. Fresh off a 30-7 rout of Syracuse, the Panthers look to earn a sixth victory on the season and achieve bowl eligibility.

• The game will showcase two of the best tailbacks in college football. Pitt sophomore James Conner is the nation's third-leading rusher with 1,600 yards. Miami junior Duke Johnson is seventh in the country with 1,431 yards. They rank 1-2 in the ACC in rushing.

• James Conner has a strong case for ACC Offensive Player of the Year. He leads the ACC in rushing yards (1,600), rushing yards per game (145.5), rushing touchdowns (an ACC-record 22) and scoring (12.0 ppg.).

• James Conner needs one rushing TD to break the legendary Tony Dorsett's 38-year-old Pitt season record of 22.

• Pitt and Miami are both ranked among the top 25 defensive units in the country. The Hurricanes are surrendering just 325.5 yards per game to rank 15th. The Panthers are yielding 342.7 to rank 25th.

• The Hurricanes have won the past eight games in the series, including a 41-31 victory at Heinz Field in 2013. The Panthers last defeated Miami in 1997, a 21-17 decision in Pitt Stadium.

• Pitt is also looking to snap a lengthy streak of futility against Miami on the road. The Panthers are 0-9-1 in their last 10 visits to play the Hurricanes. Pitt's last road victory in the series was in 1963.

• Pitt is fielding one of its youngest rosters in memory. The Panthers' roster is comprised of 81 underclassmen (53 freshmen and 28 sophomores), the highest total of any Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) team in the country.

PITT-MIAMI IN BRIEF

Series Began: 1950

Series Overall: Miami leads 23-9-1

ACC Series: Miami leads 1-0

At Pittsburgh: Miami leads 13-5

At Miami: Miami leads 10-4-1

At Neutral Sites: DNA

Last Meeting at Pitt: Nov. 29, 2013 (Miami 41, Pitt 31)

Last Meeting at Miami: Nov. 21, 2002 (Miami 28, Pitt 21)

Current Series Win Streak: Miami has won 8 (1998-2003; '10, '13)

Longest Pitt Series Win Streak: 2 games, twice (1960-61; 1970, '76)

Longest Miami Series Win Streak: 8 games (twice)

Largest Pitt Margin of Victory: 17 points (36-19, 1976)

Largest Miami Margin of Victory: 58 points (58-0, 1967)

SERIES NOTES

This is the 34th meeting between Pitt and Miami in a series that dates back to 1950...it is the second Atlantic Coast Conference game between the two schools...the Panthers and Hurricanes meet annually as members of the ACC's Coastal Division...Miami leads the all-time series, 23-9-1, and has won the last eight games, including 41-31 at Heinz Field in 2013...the Panthers' last victory in the series came in 1997, when Pitt defeated the No. 21 Hurricanes, 21-17, at Pitt Stadium in front of a Thursday night ESPN television audience...the victory launched Pitt to a 6-5 regular season and Liberty Bowl berth, the program's first postseason appearance in eight years...prior to the '97 encounter, the Panthers had not defeated Miami since a 36-19 win in Pitt Stadium in 1976, the year Pitt stormed to a 12-0 record and the national title...the Panthers are 5-13 against Miami in games played in Pittsburgh and 4-10-1 on the road....Pitt is 0-9-1 in its last 10 visits to Miami...the Panthers' last road victory against the Hurricanes was in 1963 (31-20)...Pitt's 1963 squad is considered one of the finest in school history, finishing with a 9-1 mark and No. 3 national ranking.

BROADCAST INFORMATION

Television • ESPN2

Joe Tessitore, play-by-play

Brock Huard, analyst

Shannon Spake, reporter

Pitt Radio • 93.7 The Fan & the Pitt IMG Sports Network

Bill Hillgrove, play-by-play

Pat Bostick, analyst

Larry Richert, reporter

SiriusXM Satellite Radio

Sirius Channel 138, XM Channel 194

WPTS Radio (Pitt Student Station) • 92.1 FM