(AP) - UCLA and Illinois will bring interim coaches into their matchup at the Fight Hunger Bowl. The Bruins (6-7) and Illini (6-6) accepted their bids Sunday to the Dec. 31 game in San Francisco. UCLA fell below .500 Friday night when it lost 49-31 in the Pac-12 title game to Oregon in coach Rick Neuheisel's final game. The NCAA approved a waiver for the Bruins because they were bowl eligible before the conference championship game. Offensive coordinator Mike Johnson will coach the Bruins in the bowl game. Illinois opened the season 6-0 before losing its final six games of the season. That led to coach Ron Zook being fired and replaced by defensive coordinator Vic Koenning, who is the interim coach.
(AP) - Florida State will play Notre Dame in Champs Sports Bowl Dec. 29 at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando. The Seminoles (8-4), representing the Atlantic Coast Conference, are making their third appearance in the Champs. FSU beat Wisconsin 42-13 in the 2008 Champs and beat Penn State in 1990 when it was known as the Blockbuster Bowl and playing in Miami. FSU is looking for its fourth consecutive bowl victory. The Irish (8-4) are making their first trip to Orlando and is looking for its second consecutive bowl win after beating Miami in the Sun Bowl last season. The Champs is normally a matchup of ACC and Big East schools, but has the option of selecting the independent Irish (8-4) one time over the life of the current four year contract.
