HATTIESBURG— The University of Southern Mississippi has accepted an invitation to play in the third annual Beef ’O’ Brady’s Bowl in St. Petersburg, Fla., on Dec. 21.

The Golden Eagles will face an opponent from the Big East conference game at Tropicana Field. The game will be broadcast by ESPN.

The game will be the ninth consecutive bowl appearance for the Golden Eagles and 13th in the past 14 years.

The Eagles last appeared in a bowl game in Florida in 1981, when they played Missouri in the Tangerine Bowl in Orlando.