Paterno, Miles Visit Orlando For Capital One Bowl Contract Signing
Les Miles and Joe Paterno visited Orlando on Thursday, Dec. 10, along with athletics directors from LSU and Penn State to take part in the Capital One Bowl Contract Signing Luncheon. The two nationally-renowned coaches spoke very highly of each other’s team as they gave local fans a preview of Orlando’s premier bowl game, which will be played in the Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium at 1:00 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 1, 2010.
“I can tell you that our football team is looking forward very much to participating in the Capital One Bowl,” Miles told local media before the luncheon. “The matchup with the Big Ten and Joe Paterno and a quality Nittany Lion football team will be everything that we want.”
No. 12 LSU (9-3, 5-3 SEC) and No. 13 Penn State (10-2, 6-2 Big Ten) will meet for just the second time in the history of the two storied programs. Penn State defeated LSU, 16-9, in the 1974 Orange Bowl to cap the program’s first 12-0 campaign.
“We’re excited to be here and I think it’s a great place to bring a team,” said Paterno of Orlando. “To be able to play a team like LSU with its great tradition, it’s going to be exciting for all of us.”
Penn State will be playing in its fifth Capital One Bowl and has a 1-3 record in the game. The Nittany Lions lost to Auburn, 13-9, in the 2003 Capital One Bowl in their last trip to Orlando. Penn State lost to Clemson in the 1988 game, defeated Tennessee, 31-13, in the 1994 contest and lost to Florida, 21-6, in the 1998 game. All four of Penn State’s previous appearances in the Capital One Bowl were played on New Year’s Day.
LSU is playing in its third Capital One Bowl and has a 1-1 record overall. Their most recent appearance featured one of the most exciting finishes in bowl history, as they lost 30-25 to Iowa on a last-second Hail Mary pass. The Tigers won the 1979 game 34-10 over Wake Forest.
Tickets to the game are $45, $60 and $80 and available through www.Ticketmaster.com and all Ticketmaster outlets. Groups of 20 or more or those interested in membership may call the Florida Citrus Sports offices at 407.423.2476.
Bowl fans can get connected to the game on Twitter (twitter.com/fcsports), Facebook (facebook.com/capitalonebowl) or by texting “CAPITAL1” to 84444 on any mobile phone.