Inside The Panthers

Pitt Opens as Underdogs to UCLA With Personnel Questions Swirling

Oddsmakers favor the Bruins over the Pitt Panthers in the Sun Bowl.

Stephen Thompson

Pitt Opens as Underdogs to UCLA With Personnel Questions Swirling
Pitt Opens as Underdogs to UCLA With Personnel Questions Swirling /
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PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers will be without at least two starters in the 89th Sun Bowl against the No. 18 UCLA Bruins and oddsmakers have noticed. 

The Panthers, who will travel to El Paso without recently transferred starting quarterback Kedon Slovis and injured star defensive tackle Calijah Kancey, are six-point underdogs to the Bruins according to Circa Sports. They set the line on the point total at 57.5. 

UCLA has some roster questions of their own to sort out. Senior quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson has not said publicly whether or not he will play. Neither has running back Zach Charbonnet or receiver Jake Bobo, two more Bruins with NFL futures. 

With final exams at UCLA ongoing this week, Bruins head coach Chip Kelly said he will not talk about who will play or not until those are over. They are scheduled to practice for the first time since their last week of the regular season this weekend. 

What's more, Kelly's defensive coordinator Bill McGovern didn't coach the final five games of the season while dealing with a health issue, according to the LA Times. He has been back at the facility and at practice recently, but whether or not he will coach the Sun Bowl remains to be seen. 

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Stephen Thompson
STEPHEN THOMPSON

Stephen Thompson graduated with a bachelor's degree in communications and political science from Pitt in April 2022 after spending four years as a sports writer and editor at The Pitt News, the University of Pittsburgh's independent, student-run newspaper.  He primarily worked the Pitt men's basketball beat, and filled in on coverage of football, volleyball, softball, gymnastics and lacrosse, in addition to other sports as needed. His work at The Pitt News has won awards from the Pennsylvania News Media Association and Associated College Press.  During the spring and summer of 2021, Stephen interned for Pittsburgh Sports Now, covering baseball in western Pennsylvania. Hailing from Washington D.C., family ties have cultivated a love of Boston's professional teams and Pitt athletics, and a fascination with sports in general.  You can reach Stephen by email at stephenethompson00@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter. Read his latest work:

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