#12 PITT (11-2) vs. #10 MICHIGAN STATE (10-2)
CHICK-FIL-A PEACH BOWL • ATLANTA, GEORGIA
December 30, 2021 • 7 p.m. (ET)
Mercedes-Benz Stadium (73,272/FieldTurf)
ESPN • ESPN Radio • Pitt Panthers Radio Network
Game Storylines
• Champions of the Atlantic Coast Conference, Pitt will make its first appearance in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl and face Michigan State. The Panthers have played in 35 prior bowl games.
• Boasting an 11-2 record, the 2021 Panthers are trying to become just the second team in school history to win 12 games in a season. In 1976, Coach Johnny Majors led Pitt to the national championship with a 12-0 mark.
• Pitt was No. 12 in the final College Football Playoff rankings, the Panthers’ highest CFP listing ever. Pitt is also No. 12 in the latest USA Today AFCA Coaches Poll and ranked No. 13 by Associated Press.
• A victory over Michigan State in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl could help Pitt earn its first Top 10 finish in the national polls since 1982.
• Pitt and Michigan State last met in 2007—a 17-13 Spartans win in East Lansing. The Panthers are winless in seven all-time meetings (0-6-1) with Michigan State.
• Pat Narduzzi served as Michigan State’s defensive coordinator from 2007-14 under thenhead coach Mark Dantonio, helping the Spartans to a pair of Top 5 finishes during that span.
• Since 2015, Narduzzi has directed Pitt to 36 victories in ACC play, the third-highest win total during that span. Only Clemson (52) and Miami (37) have won more.
• Winner of the 2021 Biletnikoff Award, Jordan Addison enters the bowl season with a national-best 17 touchdown catches. The last Pitt player to lead the nation in TD catches was Larry Fitzgerald, who had a school-record 22 in 2003.
Series in Brief
Series Began: 1945
Series Overall: MSU leads 6-0-1
At Pittsburgh: MSU leads 3-0-1
At East Lansing: MSU leads 3-0
Last Meeting: Sept. 15, 2007 (Michigan State 17, Pitt 13)
Current Series Win Streak: MSU has won 2 (2006-07)
Longest Pitt Series Win Streak: DNA
Longest MSU Series Win Streak: 4 games (1945, ’50-51, ’58)
Broadcast Information
Television • ESPN
Mark Jones (play-by-play), Robert Griffin III (analyst), Quint Kessenich (reporter)
Pitt Radio • 93.7 The Fan & Pitt Panthers Radio Network
Bill Hillgrove (play-by-play), Pat Bostick (analyst), Larry Richert (reporter)
ESPN Radio
Roy Philpott (play-by-play), Kelly Stouffer (analyst), Lauren Sisler (reporter)
SiriusXM Satellite Radio
Sirius Channel 81, XM Channel 81, SXM App Channel 81
WPTS Radio (Pitt Student Station) • 92.1 FM
Online Audio
937thefan.radio.com
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