Game Is the Pits for Pittsburgh

No wonder Southern Mississippi wanted to play in the Liberty Bowl the past two seasons. The 22nd-ranked Golden Eagles made themselves at home Wednesday.

Lee Roberts threw three touchdown passes to Sherrod Gideon and the defense scored three more touchdowns in the second half as Southern Mississippi routed Pittsburgh, 41-7, to win in its first bowl since 1988.

The Eagles finished 9-3, their best record since going 10-2 in 1988, and ruined the first bowl game for Pittsburgh (6-6) since 1989. Coach Jeff Bower called it a fitting end for the Eagles’ season.

Southern Mississippi was Conference USA’s co-champion in 1996, but the Eagles missed the automatic bid by losing to Houston. They made sure that didn’t happen again this season by going undefeated in the league.

Southern Mississippi felt quite comfortable only 250 miles from Hattiesburg with more than half of the approximately 40,000 fans dressed in black and gold.

The Eagles’ victory margin was the largest in the Liberty Bowl’s 39-year history, topping Alabama’s 30-point win over UCLA in 1976 and Illinois’ 30-point rout of East Carolina in 1994.

Thanks to Roberts and Gideon, Southern Miss never trailed as the duo connected on a 31-yard touchdown toss on the team’s sixth play. Roberts also threw touchdown passes of eight and five yards to Gideon.

Roberts picked the Panthers’ defense apart, going 18 for 26 for 227 yards. Gideon finished with a bowl record seven catches for 111 yards.