ARLINGTON, TX – In just six days, the Penn State Nittany Lions (#10) will take on the Memphis Tigers (#17) at AT&T Stadium. Both teams have had solid seasons, especially Memphis, who clinched the AAC Championship title and defeated the Cincinnati Bearcats not just once, but twice.
Penn State finished 10-2 for the season, their only losses being to Minnesota and Ohio State. Head Coach James Franklin spoke during a press conference on December 21 upon their arrival to Texas. Coach Franklin stated that his guys have been prepping for the game for the last two weeks while also ensuring they prepare for final exams. Coach Franklin also discussed being excited to play in a dome for purposes of consistency.
Memphis ended their season 12-1 overall, their only loss being to Temple. This will be Memphis’ tenth bowl game appearance over the life of the program. While the Tigers have been to multiple bowl games, this will be the team’s first New Year’s Six bowl game. Memphis will be lead by an interim head coach, Ryan Silverfield, after previous head coach, Mike Norvell took the head coaching position at Florida State.
The Cotton Bowl Classic was established in 1937 and Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company has been the sponsor of the game since 2014. In 2018, Clemson and Notre Dame faced off and the Tigers defeated the Fighting Irish 30-3. Along with the game itself, there are plenty of Fan Fest activities along with a Battle of the Bands that will take place over Friday to Saturday before the game.
Written by Kiley Compton
