No. 18 UCLA, Pitt meet again after 50 years in the Sun Bowl

Updated Dec. 4, 2022 7:07 p.m. ET

Associated Press

No. 18 UCLA (9-3, Pac-12; No. 18 CFP) vs. Pittsburgh (8-4, ACC), Dec. 30, 2 p.m. ET.

LOCATION: El Paso, Texas.

TOP PLAYERS

UCLA: QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson, 2,883 yards, 25 touchdowns passing, 631 yards, 11 touchdowns rushing.

Pittsburgh: RB Israel Abanikanda, led ACC with 1,431 yards and 20 touchdowns. Ran for 320 yards and six touchdowns in a win over Virginia Tech this season.

NOTABLE

UCLA: The Bruins are looking for their 10th win, which would match the program's all-time mark accomplished nine previous times. UCLA is 19-13 against teams in the current ACC, beating Virginia 34-16 to start the 2015 season.

Pittsburgh: The Panthers closed the season with four straight victories. A win over UCLA would give them 20 in a two-year span, something the team last accomplished in 1981 and 1982 with Dan Marino at quarterback.

LAST TIME

UCLA 38, Pittsburgh 28, September 16, 1972.

BOWL HISTORY

UCLA: The Bruins are playing in their fifth Sun Bowl, where they're 3-1 in past appearances. UCLA is 16-19-1 in bowl games.

Pittsburgh: The Panthers are 2-2 in their previous four trips to the Sun Bowl. Overall, they're 14-22 in their bowl history.

___

AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://twitter.com/ap_top25. Sign up for the AP’s college football newsletter: https://tinyurl.com/mrxhe6f2