2011 BBVA Compass Bowl, Pittsburgh Vs. Kentucky: Panthers Top Wildcats, 27-10

On Saturday afternoon in Birmingham, Pittsburgh ended a 7-5 season with a decisive 27-10 win over Kentucky. By winning the BBVA Compass Bowl, the Panthers now have their second consecutive bowl win.

Offensively, Pitt did not out-gain Kentucky by a large margin -- they managed 358 offensive yards to the Wildcats’ 315 -- but the Panthers manufactured good field position by making big defensive plays, and made the most of their good fortune. Quarterback Tino Sunseri rebounded from some early shakiness to throw a touchdown pass, and the running game, headlined by Dion Lewis’ 105 rushing yards and Ray Graham’s 90, dominated Kentucky’s defensive line.

In the third quarter of the BBVA Compass Bowl on Saturday afternoon, Pittsburgh managed to hold the 10-point lead it held at halftime. A touchdown from quarterback Tino Sunseri has the Panthers on top entering the fourth, 20-10.

Sunseri tossed the first passing touchdown of the game from either team with a strike to Brock DeCicco. In the first half, Sunseri had trotted into the end zone for Pitt’s other touchdown.

It’s halftime at the BBVA Compass Bowl in Birmingham. After some big plays, and some pushing and shoving, Pittsburgh leads Kentucky, 13-3.

In the second quarter, Pitt had possession, and the offensive lined was called for a false start. Several seconds after the play was whistled dead, however, Panthers quarterback Tito Sunseri received a very late hit and was knocked to the ground. This image, which shows most players standing flat-footed, helps to illustrate how late this hit was:

On Saturday afternoon in Birmingham, the first quarter of the BBVA Compass Bowl has seen two teams that have had trouble holding onto the ball. Kentucky kicker Craig McIntosh finally put some points on the scoreboard with an impressive 50-yard field goal, and the Wildcats lead Pittsburgh, 3-0.

When McIntosh booted the ball through the uprights, it looked as though the ball cleared the uprights by several yards. It was his second 50-yarder of the season.

2011 NFL Draft prospects are few and far between in the BBVA Compass Bowl. That doesn’t mean they’re completely absent, though, as Pittsburgh brings a likely first round draft pick to Birmingham. Wide receiver Jonathan Baldwin, currently listed as the No. 20 prospect in Mocking the Draft’s top-200, is the headliner on Saturday and a player to keep an eye on. In SB Nation’s first 2011 NFL Mock Draft, Baldwin is projected to be the 22nd pick in the draft, heading to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Here are a few of the other prospects playing in the BBVA Compass Bowl.

Missed opportunities, disappointment and seasons that should’ve been better are all words thrown around when poking through the SB Nation blogs for Kentucky and Pitt. The Panthers finished the season barely above .500, at 7-5, then had about the worst month a team could have to start the offseason. Their longtime coach -- Dave Wannstedt -- is gone, their new hire -- Mike Haywood -- was arrested then fired and the Panthers are back to the beginning of their coaching search.

Meanwhile the Kentucky Wildcats saw multiple opportunities go to waste as its porous defense hemorrhaged points throughout the season. In other words, the BBVA Compass Bowl should be fun.

The 7-5 Pitt Panthers took a more circumspect path to lowest-tier bowl relegation, losing a high-profile overtime road game to Utah on the opening day of the 2010 season. From there, they fell prey to then-No. 19 Miami, Notre Dame, eventual conference winners UConn, and West Virginia, leaving the unpalatable choices of Syracuse, Rutgers, Louisville, South Florida, or Cincinnati for a “signature win.” They’ll also be playing without the services of recently-ousted head coach Dave Wannstedt, so have fun with the “YOUR COACH DOESN’T EVEN LOVE YOU I BET YOU’RE ADOPTED” jokes on the sidelines, ‘Cats.

The 2011 BBVA Compass Bowl kicks off at noon EST on Saturday, January 8. The game will be televised on ESPN.

Stay tuned to this StoryStream right up through game time, as we review key unit matchups, odds, bowl history and more, and connect with Wildcats and Panthers fans at SB Nation’s A Sea Of Blue and Cardiac Hill. For a complete list of bowl games scores, and highlights, browse our 2010-2011 college football postseason schedule.