Pitt crushes inept Kentucky squad

The Pittsburgh Panthers, playing for their former coach, scored touchdowns off mistakes by Kentucky's punting team Saturday to beat the Wildcats, 27-10, in the BBVA Compass Bowl.

Andrew Taglianetti blocked a punt to set up Pittsburgh's first touchdown late in the first half. An incomplete pass on Kentucky's fake punt early in the second half set up Tino Sunseri's 13-yard touchdown pass to Brock DeCicco.

The squad dedicated the game to former coach Dave Wannstedt, who was forced to resign after a disappointing regular season. Defensive coordinator Phil Bennett was Pittsburgh's acting head coach for the bowl game.

"We've got good kids," Bennett said. "They've been through a lot. I'm just proud of them and I know Dave Wannstedt is."

Craig McIntosh gave Kentucky a 3-0 lead with a 50-yard field goal in the first quarter. The kick was the longest in the five-year history of the bowl, which was played in Birmingham, Ala.

Pitt led 20-3 before the Wildcats' only touchdown, a 1-yard run by Moncell Allen late in the third quarter. The Panthers (8-5) answered with a long drive and 2-yard touchdown run by Dion Lewis, who ran for 105 yards.

It was the worst bowl loss in 15 postseason appearances for Kentucky (6-7). Kentucky coach Joker Phillips said the team that showed up Saturday was different from the one he saw in practice.

"We didn't play with a lot of confidence or poise," he said. "We weren't the most physical team out there."

LSU 41, Texas A&M 24 - Jordan Jefferson and the Louisiana State Tigers will be back at Cowboys Stadium in eight months for their 2011 season opener. They are now waiting to see whether coach Les Miles will be with them.

"We trust Les Miles," Jefferson said after the Tigers won the 75th Cotton Bowl, in Arlington, Texas, Friday night. "His word was he's not going anywhere."

Yet, the 11th-ranked Tigers' victory over No. 18 Texas A&M (9-4) still might have been Miles' farewell to the bayou.

While Miles said after the game that he hadn't yet been contacted about the coaching vacancy at Michigan, he is expected to be a leading candidate at the school where he played on two Big Ten championship teams for coach Bo Schembechler. He was later an assistant coach for 10 seasons over two stints there.

LSU (11-2) completed its fourth season with at least 11 wins in six years under Miles, who is 62-17 with a national championship. The Tigers had only two 11-win seasons in their history before that.

Seminoles extend Fisher. Florida State has extended Jimbo Fisher's contract for one year, taking the head football coach through the 2015 season.

Bills, Bengals staffs to coach Senior Bowl. Senior Bowl officials announced that Chan Gailey's Buffalo Bills staff would work with the South squad, while Marvin Lewis' Cincinnati Bengals staff will head the North team in the Jan. 29 game at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Ala.