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 Posted on September 15th, 2009 by AdminPitt Panthers senior middle linebacker Adam Gunn has been named Big East Defensive Player of the Week:
 Adam Gunn Posted on September 12th, 2009 by AdminBy David Whipkey | Pitt Panther Gameday Correspondent Pitt overcame a career day by Buffalo quarterback Zach Maynard and defeated defending Mid American champion Buffalo Bulls 54-27 on a cloudy Saturday afternoon at UB Stadium in Amherst, NY. Maynard riddled the Panthers defense. He completed 24 of 35 throws for 422 yards and four scores. But the Pitt defense forced three turnovers; each one resulted in a Panthers touchdown. Panthers freshman running back Dion Lewis enjoyed a productive day in western New York, gashing the Bulls for 190 yards on 24 carries. Lewis’ 85-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter gave Pitt a 47-27 lead and essentially put the game away. The scoring run came after Pitt’s tired defense held the surging Bulls on fourth down and 10 deep in Panthers territory. Lewis’ first touchdown, an eight-yard scamper, gave Pitt a 20-7 lead late in the first quarter. Pitt began the contest in grand fashion with a well-conceived 10-play, 80-yard march. Quarterback Bill Stull capped the drive when he floated a 10-yard scoring toss to tight end Dorin Dickerson. The Panthers struck again when safety Andrew Taglianetti recovered a Domonic Cook fumble on the ensuing kickoff. Stull made Buffalo pay when he found Dickerson for a 23-yard touchdown toss, giving Pitt an early 14-0 lead. Buffalo struck back with a 71-yard scoring drive on their next possession. Maynard ended the march when he fired a 24-yard touchdown strike to tight end Jesse Rack, slicing Pitt’s lead to 14-7. Pitt responded with a 71-yard march of their own. Lewis climaxed the drive with an 8-yard touchdown run. Kicker Dan Hutchins missed the extra point, leaving the score at 20-7 late in the first quarter. The Panther defense made their presence felt after a Pitt punt early in the second. Safety Dom DeCicco forced a Buffalo running back Mario Henry fumble that was recovered by Panthers defensive end Greg Romeus. Three plays later, Stull threw his third touchdown pass to Dickerson; this one from 9-yards out, pushing Pitt’s lead to 27-7. Dickerson may have enjoyed his best day as a Panther with eight receptions for 71 yards and three scores. Maynard brought Buffalo back to within two scores when he found star receiver Naaman Roosevelt for a 54-yard touchdown pass midway through the second quarter. A.J. Principe’s extra-point was true and Pitt’s lead was cut to 27-14. The offensive fireworks continued when Stull (21 completions in 30 attempts for 198 yards and three scores) finished an 11-play,45-yard drive with a 3-yard scoring run, pushing Pitt’s lead to 34-14. Buffalo’s Maynard to Roosevelt connection ripped through Pitt’s defense again on the Bulls next possession with a 67-yard scoring strike, ending the first-half track meet at 34-20. Both defenses tightened up in the third quarter. The only score came when Panthers defensive tackle hit Maynard and forced a fumble at midfield. Pitt linebacker Greg Williams scooped up the ball and took it home for a 50-yard touchdown return and a 40-20 lead midway through the third quarter. The Bulls final scoring drive was capped with a Maynard to Brandon Thermilus 12-yard connection for a touchdown. Buffalo appeared to be driving for a score that would tighten the score, but Maynard’s fourth down pass to Terrell Jackson in the end zone was incomplete. Pitt ended the scoring with a Lewis 85-yard scamper and a 2-yard touchdown run that was set up by Elijah Fields interception late in the fourth quarter. The Panthers finished with 210 yards on the ground and held the Bulls to 69 yards rushing. Posted on September 11th, 2009 by AdminWhen Dave Wannstedt took over the reins of the Pitt program from Walt Harris, he made it a priority to make the Panthers a more physical football team on both sides of the line of scrimmage. Five years later, the Panthers calling card can now be described as being a tough, strong squad, not the aerial circus Harris constructed that at times could be construed as soft. It is obvious that the days of watching Rod Rutherford and Tyler Palko firing 40 plus passes a game is long gone. As entertaining as the 2000-06 Panthers were to their fans, they lacked a physicality that could close games out in the fourth quarter (see the 2006 Connecticut contest, a heartbreaking 46-45 loss in double overtime). The growing pains endured by the program have been evident as Wannstedt worked to transform the Panthers into a strong and physical outfit. Offenses such as Notre Dame, West Virginia, Louisville and Michigan State routinely rolled up 250 plus yards rushing against the Panthers defense in 2005 and 2006. But the talent Wannstedt recruited along the defensive and offensive fronts began to bear fruit. Pitt’s defensive line began to take control of games in 2007 and throughout 2008. Players such as Jabaal Sheard and Greg Romeus were pillaging pass pockets from their defensive end positions while tackles Rashaad Duncan, Mick Williams and Gus Mustakas stood firm against the run. Offensive linemen such as Jeff Otah, Jason Pinkston and John Malecki paved the way for a strong ground game and helped make running back LeSean McCoy a high draft pick with the Philadelphia Eagles. Playing solid defense and using a punishing ground game is now the Panthers recipe for success. That formula helped spring back-to-back wins over the rival Mountaineers and victories over South Florida, Connecticut and Notre Dame last season. Yes, many believe Pitt’s offense may be too vanilla and the defense does not blitz enough to the liking of some. But controlling the clock on offense and pressuring the passer with only your four down linemen is how Wannstedt wants to win. It worked last year to the tune of a 1,488 yards rushing, 21 touchdown season, 33 sacks by the defense and most importantly, nine wins. More is expected this season, even with the losses of McCoy and All-American Linebacker Scott McKillop to the NFL. The culture has been established with strong fronts on both sides of the ball. Freshman running back Dion Lewis ran for 129 yards, two scores in last week’s 38-3 win over Youngstown State; has the look of a performer who can carry the load on his muscular 5-foot 8, 195 pound frame. The defense garnered six sacks and appears ready to live up to preseason expectations.  Pitt RB Dion Lewis The formula that Wannstedt and his staff developed has a proven track record. His Miami Dolphins won 30 games between 2000 and 2003 using a Ricky Williams-led offense and punishing defense. Other college teams rode the running game/defense formula to national prominence. The 1986 Penn State Nittany Lions, 1992 Alabama Crimson Tide and more recently, 2002 Ohio State Buckeyes all had great running games and rock-hard defenses. Each won national titles using this recipe against the more flashy Miami Hurricanes. There is precedent for the Panthers to follow. The transformation appears close to completion and for coach Wannstedt, the table appears to be set. Posted on September 9th, 2009 by AdminBy Dave Whipkey | Pitt Panthers Gameday Corespondent Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt is fully convinced the Panthers will face a stiff road test this Saturday at Buffalo. The fifth-year head coach said he is both hopeful and confident his players are of the same belief. Pitt takes to the highway for their first away game Saturday when they visit the defending Mid American Conference Champion Bulls at a sure-to-be frenzied UB Stadium. The Panthers 26-3 record against MAC opponents could allow for a sense of complacency, but Pitt has dropped recent contests at Toledo in 2003 and Ohio in 2005 to go along with last year’s upset home defeat at the hands of Bowling Green last year. The host Panthers were given all they could handle last year in the second week of the season by the Bulls, but behind the strength of three LeSean McCoy touchdown runs, Pitt pulled away with a hard-fought 27-16 win. “When we looked at the game, in the fourth quarter with about 10 minutes left, we were only up by a point,” said Wannstedt. “We know that we are in for a 60 minute ball game.” Pitt‘s heralded defense will look to contain Buffalo receiver Naaman Roosevelt. The 6-foot senior wideout terrorized defenses last year to the tune of 13 receiving touchdowns and 1,402 receiving yards on 104 catches. Roosevelt’s presence was felt last week in Buffalo’s season opening win at UTEP with a 42-yard touchdown. He finished with five catches for 91 yards last week. In last year’s contest, the Panthers held Roosevelt to six receptions for 65 yards. “He’ll be one of the most talented receivers we’ll face this year,” said Wannstedt. “He’s on the Biletnikoff Watch list, for the nation’s top receiver. He’s not a secret. They’ve got good receivers despite their quarterback change.” Roosevelt has shown he performs well when the spotlight is on. In last year’s MAC Championship game against then undefeated Ball State, Roosevelt torched the Cardinals with a 10 -reception, 116-yard, three score performance. “It’s big for us to get in his face and disrupt his timing,” said Pitt cornerback Aaron Berry. “He can definitely be a home-run hitter for them.” Roosevelt along with a hostile environment figure to show how good Pitt can be in the early stages of the 2009 season. “Our guys need to be aware of the environment they’re going to be playing in,” said Wannstedt. “We went on the road last year and played in front of some hostile crowds and handled it very well. They know that they are going against a good team and that last year’s game was not won until the fourth quarter.” |
 
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