NEXT PANTHERS GAMEDAY:Signing DayFebruary 3rd 2010 Buy Pitt Tickets  
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 Posted on October 3rd, 2009 by David WhipkeyBy David Whipkey Working on a short week, Pitt was able to get up off the canvas and deliver a knockout blow to Louisville and earn a 35-10 road win over the overmatched Cardinals. Friday night’s performance was a welcome sight for those who believed the Panthers were exposed last week at N.C. State. The reasons why Pitt was able to get off to a good start in Big East play were numerous: • Stull continues to display a maturity he did not show much of last year. His numbers were solid (16 for 23, 242 yards and three scores) and his management skills were on point. The senior made big throws when they were needed such as the 71-yard strike to Jonathan Baldwin that gave Pitt a 21-10 lead. • Baldwin and tight end Dorin Dickerson give the Panthers two perimeter performers other defenses will have a difficult time containing. Baldwin gives and will continue to give the Panthers a downfield threat that has not been seen in Blue and Gold since Larry Fitzgerald was carrying the Pitt offense earlier this decade, while Dickerson adds a toughness and reliability to the passing game. Both were on full display Friday night and should give Pitt an advantage on the flanks against many of their future opponents this season. • This is clearly Pitt’s best offensive line since the 1980s. Right guard John Malecki is a true mauler while tackles Jason Pinkston and sophomore Lucas Nix are standing firm. Left guard Joe Thomas appears to have found a home at left guard. The unit has only allowed two sacks this season and gave Stull an uncluttered pass pocket all evening long against the Cards. • The backfield tandem of Dion Lewis and Ray Graham were a devastating one-two punch Friday, combining for 162 yards and a score. Either one can make a man miss and break a long run. • There may not be a better fullback in the Big East than Henry Hynoski. The junior from Southern Columbia High School in central Pennsylvania is a bulldozer that eliminates linebackers at the point of attack. • Defensively, it begins and ends with the line. End Greg Romeus racked up three and a half of the team’s six sacks. Bookend Jabaal Sheard’s fourth quarter takedown of Froman ended the Cards last threat to stay in the game while tackle Mick Williams commands double teams and disrupts the middle. Posted on October 3rd, 2009 by David WhipkeyBy David Whipkey And now, Panther Nation can take a deep breath and step back from the ledge. Pitt overcame several penalties and missed opportunities to subdue Louisville 35-10 Friday night at Papa Johns Stadium in the Big East opener for both squads. Panthers quarterback Bill Stull continues to impress this season. The senior finished with 16 completions in 23 attempts for 242 yards and three scoring passes. Stull’s main target was super sophomore receiver Jonathan Baldwin. The Beaver County product scorched Louisville’s secondary for 105 yards receiving on four catches. His 71 yard touchdown catch of a Stull pass midway through the third quarter helped put the Cardinals away. Tight end Dorin Dickerson finished with five catches for 50 yards. The senior gathered in Stull’s perfectly thrown rainbow for a 37-yard touchdown pass and a 14-10 lead early in the third quarter. Dickerson also started the scoring for Pitt in the first quarter when he pulled in a tipped pass in the end zone for a five-yard touchdown reception. Pitt’s running game also kicked it into high gear. The freshman duo of Dion Lewis and Ray Graham combined for 162 yards on 33 carries. Graham’s five yard scoring run with 8:47 remaining in the contest gave Pitt a 28-10 advantage. Fullback Henry Hynoski , who spent most of the evening plowing holes for Panther running backs or assisting in pass protection, finished the scoring for Pitt with a three-yard touchdown run late in the game. After permitting 500 plus total yards and 38 points in last week’s loss at North Carolina State, the Pitt defense clamped down and applied a vice to the Cardinals offense. The Panthers permitted only 101 yards rushing on 37 carries, a 2.2 yard per carry average. Pitt’s defense also got after quarterback Adam Froman, who was starting in place of an injured Justin Burke. Froman finished with 18 completions on 30 attempts for 166 yards. Defensive end Greg Romeus enjoyed a monster night in the trenches. The junior announced his presence by sacking Froman three times. Pitt finished with six sacks on the night, giving them 22 sacks in four games. Safety Dom DeCicco finished with eight total tackles and one pass break up. Defensive tackle Gus Mustakas recovered a Froman fumble on the Pitt 29 early in the third quarter, which set the stage for Stull’s 71-yard scoring strike to Baldwin on the next play. Louisville (1-3, 0-1) got off to a good start before a sellout home crowd. Fullback Joe Tronzo capped an eight-play 73 yard drive with a one-yard scoring plunge. The Cardinals took a 10-7 halftime lead when kicker Ryan Payne made a 32-yard field goal, which climaxed a 69-yard march. But the Panthers came out of the halftime locker room and took over the contest with 28 straight points. The Panthers return home next week for a Saturday date with Connecticut at Heinz Field. |
 
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