With the temperature in the upper 30s and a light rain falling at gametime, playing conditions were anything but ideal when undefeated SMU met Pittsburgh in the 1983 Cotton Bowl. Accustomed to playing in inclement weather, Pittsburgh appeared to have the advantage in the early going, driving to the SMU 1-yard line on the game's opening series. Panther halfback Joe McCall fumbled away Pitt's best touchdown opportunity when Mustang safety Wes Hopkins fell on the loose ball at the 2- yard line. SMU was not able to capitalize and after two quarters neither team had scored, marking the first scoreless first half in the Cotton Bowl in 22 years.

On their first possession of the second quarter, the Panthers scored the game's first points when Eric Schubert booted a 43-yard field goal. SMU responded with an 80-yard drive which resulted in Lance McIlhenny's nine-yard touchdown scamper around right end on the third play of the fourth quarter. Following the ensuing kickoff, senior quarterback Dan Marino engineered a drive which put the Panthers in scoring position at the SMU 7-yard line. On third-andgoal, Marino threw a pass which was tipped by Hopkins and intercepted in the end zone by Blane Smith, thus ending Pittsburgh's chance of handing SMU its only loss of the season.