Rishaad Wimbley rushed for a pair of touchdowns and Southern Methodist broke out to a big early lead and coasted to a 28-6 victory over Pittsburgh at the BBVA Compass Bowl in Birmingham, Ala.

The Mustangs (8-5) put the game out of reach early, building a 21-0 cushion in the first quarter. Darius Johnson began the onslaught with a 50-yard touchdown pass from J.J. McDermott, and SMU tacked on short scoring rushes by McDermott and Wimbley later in the period, with the latter set up by a Pitt fumble. The Panthers (6-7), playing under interim head coach Keith Patterson after Todd Graham left for Arizona State, were outgained, 159 to minus-6, in the quarter.

SMU was able to make its lead hold up with a strong defensive effort. The Mustangs sacked Pitt quarterback Tino Sunseri eight times and held the Panthers without a touchdown in three trips to the red zone. Pittsburgh's longest drive of the day ended with a Stephon Sanders interception at the 4-yard line.

Johnson caught seven passes for 121 yards to lead the SMU offense, while Cole Beasley added 86 yards on his seven receptions. Neither team fared particularly well on the ground, with Pittsburgh rushing for 10 yards on 29 carries and the Mustangs gaining 75 yards on 30 rushes.