Pitt
UAB
Panthers Headed To Tangerine Bowl After Defeating UAB, 24-6
12/1/2001 12:00:00 AM | Football
Dec 1, 2001
By ALAN ROBINSON
AP Sports Writer
PITTSBURGH - David Priestley kept Pittsburgh's second-half surge going, throwing three touchdown passes in the first half as the Panthers wrapped up a Tangerine Bowl bid by beating Alabama-Birmingham 24-6 Saturday.
Pittsburgh (6-5) was 1-5 following a 45-7 loss at Boston College, but has won five in a row behind Priestley and star receiver Antonio Bryant since scrapping its no-huddle spread offense and returning to a pro-style system.
Bryant caught a 6-yard scoring pass from Priestley on Pitt's first possession, but sprained his right ankle on a punt return later in the quarter and did not return.
Bryant's status for the Tangerine Bowl on Dec. 20 in Orlando against an Atlantic Coast Conference team was not immediately known. Bryant also sprained the ankle in Pitt's opener Sept. 1 and was hobbled for several weeks, but recovered to make seven touchdown catches in his final four games.
Priestley threw 13 touchdown passes and only one interception - a fourth-quarter throw Saturday that wasn't harmful - during Pitt's longest winning streak in 10 years. Pitt last won five in a row to start the 1991 season.
Pitt, which lost to Iowa State in the Insight.com Bowl last year, will play in a bowl game for the third time in five seasons under coach Walt Harris. The Panthers last played in consecutive bowl games during the 1982 and 1983 seasons, during a run of eight consecutive bowl trips in the 1976-83 seasons.
As the game ended, Pitt players were pelted by tangerines from fans as the game ended, with several tugging their helmets on to protect them from the citrus shower. Pitt was officially extended the bid after the game.
UAB (6-5) had also won five in a row and was hopeful of gaining one of Conference USA's four bowl spots, but apparently will miss out on a bid.
The Blazers were dominated along the line of scrimmage - the Panthers outgained them 111-20 in the first quarter - while falling behind 21-0, then settled for Nick Hayes' two field goals when they finally threatened.
Trailing 24-3 late in the third quarter, UAB coach Watson Brown disdained going for the touchdown on a fourth-and-goal from the Pitt 3. Hayes made the 20-yard field goal.
Priestley, 15-of-29 for 172 yards, was sharp again from the start, just as he been throughout Pitt's winning streak. Aided by a costly pass interference penalty, Priestley drove the Panthers 66 yards in 10 plays on their opening drive before hitting Bryant for the touchdown.
Two drives later, R.J. English hooked up with Priestley on a 43-yard scoring pass play, even as English was bumped and grabbed by defensive Chris Brown.
Pitt, which was shut out in the second half, made it 21-0 early in the second quarter with its second straight three-play scoring drive, this one ended by Priestley's 24-yard scoring pass to Lamar Slade, Bryant's backup.
Marcus Furman, a freshman making his first college start, ran 17 times for 71 yards as Pitt ran for 152 yards against the nation's No. 1-ranked rushing defense.
