Compass Bowl – Panthers vs SMU Mustangs

Birmingham, AL plays sponsor to the Compass Bowl on January 7th with the Pitt Panthers facing the Southern Methodist University Mustangs. The Pitt Panthers come in after the 1-year Todd Graham experiment at head coach. Graham quit his post on December 14th to take the head coaching job at Arizona State. Defensive Coordinator Keith Patterson will wear the headset for the Pitt Panthers in this clash of titans. SMU comes into competition with the threat of the “Death Penalty” handed down in the 1980′s still being referred to today. Former Nfl and Hawaii coach June Jones is now in his fourth year on the sidelines of Southern Methodist University. The gambling line has this set at Pittsburgh (-3) with an over-under of 47 points.

College football odds

Pittsburgh comes into competition with a 6-6 record plus a 4-3 record in the Big East. They have had one contest against a rated challenger winning against #16 South Florida 44-17 on September 29th. Pittsburgh’s defense gives up 22.4 points per game, whilst their offense puts up 25.8 points per game. Junior Qb Tino Sunseri comes into the game with 2,433 passing yards as well as a passer rating of 124.8. Junior Running back Ray Graham has totalled 958 rushing yards and 9 Tds to date this season. Sophomore WR Devin Street is Sunseri’s fave target catching 48 receptions with 2 Tds. Junior WR Mike Shanahan is an excellent 2nd target with 35 receptions and 4 Tds.

Football betting

SMU will come in the game with a 7-5 record as well as a 5-3 record in Conference USA. They have gone 1-2 against rated opponents this year, winning over #20 TCU and losing to #8 Texas A&M and #11 Houston. The Mustangs offer up 24.5 points per game on defense whilst their offense averages 25.7 points per game. Relying on the run-and-shoot offense to put up huge statistics in offense, June Jones has traditional had pass-heavy teams previously. This Mustangs team this season has a 1,000 yard rusher, a rarity in the Jones’ technique. Senior Qb J.J. McDermott with 3,182 passing yards and 16 TDs buoys the passing game. Junior Running back Zach Line has had an excellent season with 1,224 rushing yards and 17 Tds. Senior WR Cole Beasley with 79 catches and 954 receiving yards and Junior WR Darius Johnson with 72 catches and 998 receiving yards steady the Mustangs receivers.