Hattiesburg, MS (Sports Network) - Conference USA champion Southern Mississippi accepted a bid to face Mountain West champion Utah in the Liberty Bowl on New Year's Eve in Memphis, Tennessee.

The Golden Eagles concluded their regular season with a 9-3 record and a perfect 8-0 mark in conference play. The nine regular season victories were the most in the Jeff Bower era and the most wins for the Golden Eagles since 1999 when they defeated Colorado State in the Liberty Bowl.

The Utes concluded their season with a 9-2 mark and 6-1 record in the Mountain West. It was Utah's first outright conference title since 1957 when it won the Skyline Conference.

The game will mark the first time that both schools have played each other.