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Provo • A couple of the hottest college football teams in the country will clash in the inaugural Miami Beach Bowl at Marlins Park in Miami on Dec. 22, the bowl announced Sunday afternoon.
BYU (8-4), which has won four straight games, will take on the Memphis (9-3) of the American Athletic Conference, at noon. The Tigers, who tied with Central Florida and Cincinnati for the AAC title, have won six straight games.
"Our team is excited to be in the postseason for a 10th-straight season and [is] looking forward to the challenge of facing Memphis in the Miami Beach Bowl," BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall said in a school news release.
The AAC, which owns the bowl, made the choice to pit Memphis and BYU. It will be the first-ever meeting between the schools, and the game will be televised nationally on ESPN.
"We are thrilled to have two red-hot teams to showcase in our first bowl game," said executive director Carlos Padilla II.
With a Sagarin rating of 44 (BYU's is 49), Memphis will be a formidable opponent for the Cougars, who are 6-3 in bowl games under Mendenhall. The Tigers' only losses were at UCLA (42-35), at Ole Miss (24-3) and at home against Houston (28-24).
Memphis got votes in the final AP Top 25 poll released Sunday, and would be No. 29 if it extended that far. It hasn't won nine regular season games since 1963.
Memphis has one of the better defenses in the country. The Tigers are No. 22 in total defense, yielding just 343.3 yards per game. They allow just 17.1 points per game, No. 5 in the nation.
It will be the Tigers' first bowl game since 2008.
The teams played three common opponents; Each beat Middle Tennessee and UConn, while BYU beat Houston and the Tigers lost to the red-clad Cougars.
"Memphis had a great regular season, winning a share of the AAC title," Mendenhall said. "They are well-coached, with a strong defense and a balanced offense. It should be a great matchup in Miami."
Quarterback Paxton Lynch has thrown for 2,725 yards and 18 touchdowns, with just six interceptions. Memphis averages 422.7 yards and 34.7 points per game.
"We have a special group of kids who have worked extremely hard for what they have accomplished this year," said Memphis coach Justin Fuente. "We look forward to representing the American Athletic Conference in the inaugural Miami Beach Bowl and playing a quality, tradition-rich opponent in BYU."
Tickets for the game can be purchased at BYUtickets.com for those wanting to sit in the BYU sections, with prices starting at $33 per ticket.
Twitter: @drewjay —
Miami Beach Bowl
O BYU (8-4) vs. Memphis (9-3)
At Marlins Park, Miami
Monday, Dec. 22, noon TV • ESPN