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 Posted on December 17th, 2009 by David WhipkeyBy David Whipkey Talk of expanding one of the nation’s premiere collegiate athletic conferences may include the inclusion of the Pitt Panthers in their fold. Big Ten officials admitted to the media earlier this week that the conference is looking into adding a 12th member and in the process, creating a conference title game that could become an economic bonanza for all involved. Rutgers, Syracuse, Notre Dame, Missouri and Nebraska along with Pitt have been mentioned by speculators as possible candidates as the conference’s newest addition. Notre Dame was offered an invite in 1999 and would likely turn it down again due to having NBC as its medium for promoting the program for three-plus hours on fall Saturday afternoons from South Bend. Rutgers and Syracuse are attractive due to both school’s proximity to the coveted New York City television market. Rutgers becomes more of a tantalizing entre due to recent success in football, a large student population and the school’s reputation as a fine research institution. But for my money, Pitt is a more than attractive option for the Big Ten honchos. If Pitt is invited in the near future, they should not only listen, they should accept with the glee of a high-school aged girl being asked to the prom by the school’s star quarterback. The Panthers were one of the Big East’s charter members in both basketball and football. They are one of the burgeoning conference flagships in football while their basketball program is firmly entrenched as a conference power on the basis of their performance this decade. An additional upside is having two ready-made rivalries at hand should the Panthers be included at the Big Ten table. Add Michigan, Michigan State, Iowa and Wisconsin to the menu and you have quite an impressive schedule in the works each and every year in both football and basketball. Plus, Heinz Field could be used every so many years as a site for the conference title game. Even without Pitt as a title game participant, Ohio State and Penn State or even Michigan fans would fill the stadium and bring much needed tourism driven dollars to the region. Yes, Pitt could and probably would keep West Virginia on both the football and basketball schedules. I do not think the Backyard Brawl would be affected more than moving it on the schedule. However, this is all merely speculation. The Big Ten has admitted that the matter is merely under investigation and that action will not be taken any time soon. But if the Big Ten wants to talk, Pitt Chancellor Mark Nordenberg and his associates better listen and act accordingly. Posted on November 28th, 2009 by David WhipkeyBy David Whipkey No doubt this is a loss that stings, but a great opportunity is still within reach for the Pitt Panthers. Friday night’s 19-16 loss at the hands of West Virginia in the 102nd edition of the Backyard Brawl did not end Pitt’s Big East title hopes. Those are still very much in play when undefeated Cincinnati visits Heinz Field Saturday for a noon kickoff. With a win over the high-powered Bearcats, the Panthers can still earn a coveted BCS berth and a spot in the Orange, Sugar or Fiesta Bowl. Pitt could have won their third straight against their arch-rival Friday night. For all intents and purposes, the Panthers have the more physical outfit, better defense and more solid quarterback. But in a rivalry game on the enemy’s turf, all bets are off. Credit West Virginia’s defensive coaches for formulating a game plan that helped shut down a potent Panthers offense. The Mountaineers were able to pressure Bill Stull into his worst performance of the year. Stull tossed two costly interceptions and was sacked twice The fifth-year senior did lead the Panthers on a swift 75 yard scoring drive in the final stanza that was capped by his 50 yard touchdown bomb to Jonathan Baldwin. The connection tied the game at 16 a piece and appeared to shift the momentum to the Panthers. The Mountaineers also did a fine job in taking Stull’s primary weapon away from him most of the night. Tight end Dorin Dickerson was limited to two harmless receptions. He entered the contest with 10 scoring receptions but was held out of the end zone by a staunch Mountaineers defense. West Virginia’s defensive front of Julian Miller, Chris Neild and Scooter Berry along wth linebackers Reed Williams and J.T. Thomas were able to match the Pitt offensive line in the trenches most of the evening. They did keep Pitt’s Dion Lewis under wraps for much of the game, but Lewis still finished with 155 yards rushing on 26 carries. Pitt’s offensive line eventually found its groove and began to establish control of the game midway through the third quarter. This is when Lewis started breaking off solid runs and Stull was finding more time to hit his receivers. If Pitt’s line can establish control from the beginning against the Bearcats instead of waiting until the second half to find their traction, a Big East title trophy will be in the Panthers locker room. West Virginia’s Noel Devine’s final numbers did look very impressive. Devine finished with 134 yards on 17 carries, 88 of those yards came on his long touchdown run in the third quarter. Take away that run and Devine finishes with 46 yards on 16 attempts. Pitt’s defense was solid. Defensive ends Jabaal Sheard and Greg Romeus each recorded sacks of WVU quarterback Jarrett Brown while tackles Gus Mustakas and Mick Williams spent a good deal of time in West Virginia’s backfield. Brown did make some key throws and was able to keep the game-winning drive alive with two big scrambles. Yes, this is a loss that will hurt for a bit. But in the big picture, there is still a large prize on the table to be won for the Panthers. Should coach Dave Wannstedt and his staff clean up a few issues, there is no reason to believe Pitt’s goal of a Big East title will be achieved. Posted on November 28th, 2009 by David WhipkeyBy David Whipkey There will be no three-game winning streak for the Pitt Panthers in the Backyard Brawl. West Virginia used a big-play by running back Noel Devine, stout defense and the clutch leg of kick Tyler Bitancurt to overtake Pitt 19-16 Friday night before a less-than-sellout crowd at Milan Puskar Stadium in Morgantown. Bitancurt’s 43-yard field goal with three seconds left in the fourth quarter gave the Mountaineers (8-3, 4-2) the hard-fought win. His kick capped a 10-play; 52-yard drive in the game’s waning moments. Devine led the Mountaineers with 134 yards rushing on 17 carries. His 88-yard touchdown run midway through the third quarter sent the Panthers normally staunch defense reeling. Quarterback Jarrett Brown completed 19 of 31 throws for 164 yards. Although he was sacked twice and pressured most of the evening, he did not throw an interception. The same could not be said for the Big East’s leading passer Bill Stull. Stull was under siege from the Mountaineers pass rush most of the night. West Virginia sacked him twice and hounded him into numerous misfires. The fifth-year senior completed 16 of 30 passes for 179 yards. Stull also threw two costly interceptions. Mountaineer safety Keith Tandy intercepted Stull right before the end of the first half, helping to set up Bitancurt’s game-tying 20-yard field goal. Cornerback Robert Sands pilfered a Stull pass in the fourth-quarter to snuff out another Pitt drive and create a scoring opportunity for the Mountaineers. The Panthers (9-2, 5-1)started out the contest in fine fashion. The defense forced a three-and-out series on West Virginia’s first possession. After a Mountaineer punt, Pitt marched down to the WVU 29-yard line. However, Dan Hutchins missed his 46-yard field goal attempt. Both squads were locked in a defensive battle for much of the first half. Pitt managed to cobble together a 54-yard scoring drive late in the half that was capped by Hutchins’ 37-yard field goal. West Virginia took a 6-3 lead early in the third period when Bitancurt climaxed a 48-yard drive with a 47-yard field goal. Pitt responded with an eight-play, 46-yard drive that was highlighted by Dion Lewis’ 30-yard run on fourth and 1 at midfield. Hutchins’ 30-yard field goal knotted the score at six apiece late in the third. But Devine struck back for the Mountaineers. The junior running back juked Pitt safety Dom DeCicco and out ran the rest of the Panthers for a tide-turning 88-yard touchdown run. The play effectively swung the momentum in favor of the Mountaineers and forced the Panthers to play catch-up the rest of the night. West Virginia took advantage of Sands’ interception near midfield in the fourth quarter and turned it into points. Bitancurt’s 39-yard boot gave West Virginia a seemingly insurmountable 10-point lead. But Pitt rose from the deck and decided not to go quietly. The Panthers moved 33 yards in seven plays, setting up Hutchins’ 36-yard field goal midway through the final quarter, slicing West Virginia’s lead to 16-9. After Pitt’s defense held, Stull and his mates went to work. The Panthers moved 75 yards in three-plays, all of which were pass completions. Stull ended the march with a gorgeous 50-yard touchdown strike to Jonathan Baldwin. The connection tied the game at 16 apiece late in the fourth-quarter. Both Baldwin and Lewis enjoyed productive evenings. Baldwin finished with eight catches for 127 yards while Lewis added 155 yards rushing on 26 attempts. But the Mountaineers had nearly three minutes to work with. Brown used this time to lead his offense on a methodical 52-yard drive that led to Bitancurt’s heroics. Notes: Pitt still has a chance to win the Big East title with a win over undefeated Cincinnati next Saturday at Heinz Field. Kickoff is at noon and will be televised nationally on ABC. Posted on November 25th, 2009 by David WhipkeyBy David Whipkey This is not your older brother’s West Virginia Mountaineers team. Under then coach Rich Rodriguez, the Mountaineers were known as a team that would scorch defenses by employing the spread-option and running the ball through gaping holes created by both formation and speed. Rodriguez is now trying to implement that same system at Michigan. His successors, head coach Bill Stewart and offensive coordinator Jeff Mullen, use many of the same concepts utilized under Rodriguez. But do not expect West Virginia to simply run the ball 50-plus times as they did when Pat White was taking the snaps and pitching to Steve Slaton and Noel Devine or handing it to brutish fullback Owen Schmitt. The Mountaineers (7-3, 3-2) are now a more balanced offensive team and will present Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt and his staff many different looks as the Backyard Brawl approaches. “They’re different, from the standpoint that they are doing a little bit more conventional stuff,” said Wannstedt. “By that I mean that they are going to maybe jump into the I-formation and run the power and give you some play pass. Then they are going to jump into their quarterback spread, their read option and run their Pat White type of offense.” White has moved on and is now on the Miami Dolphins roster. Between 2005 and 2008, White was the maestro of an offense that was one of the best in the country. Fifth-year senior Jarrett Brown has taken over and has been productive. Brown has completed 65 percent of his passes for 1,849 yards and 11 touchdowns. He also has 366 yards rushing with five of his 87 carries going for touchdowns. “Early on, they came out and threw the ball,” said Wannstedt. “He’s had a couple of 250-300 yard passing games. So I think they’ve moved a little bit towards the more conventional offense, similar to what we do, and drifted a little bit away from the spread, quarterback-read game, even though that is a major part of what they do.” Brown has done a fine job spreading the ball to his receivers. Six different receivers have double-digit receptions on the season. Jock Sanders leads the way with 62 catches for 597 yards and three scores. West Virginia still can and will run the football. Noel Devine paces the ground attack with 1,098 yards and 10 touchdowns. He is a threat that can score from anywhere on the field. “If Noel Devine breaks a run, he is going to run away from anybody,” said Wannstedt. West Virginia’s 3-3-5 stack defensive alignment is also unique but not unfamiliar to the Panthers. Linebacker Pat Lazear leads the unit with 65 total tackles. Defensive end Julian Miller has enjoyed a stellar season. He leads the Mountaineers pass rush with eight and one-half sacks and 12 tackles for losses. Free safety Robert Sands leads West Virginia’s pass defense with four interceptions. “They’re really a 3-4 team,” said Wannstedt. “They’re a little bit different. They use that strong safety really as a linebacker-type guy. So their defensive scheme is different from anyone else that we have seen.” Although their defense gets overlooked, it is as tough a unit the Panthers will face this season. “They’re talented. They’re good up front,” said Wannstedt. “They have good, active linebackers. They’ve got good athletes across the board.” Posted on November 24th, 2009 by David WhipkeyBy David Whipkey For the better part of a quarter-century, the Backyard Brawl usually ended with West Virginia defeating Pitt with ease. Although Pitt leads the all-time series with 61 wins against 37 defeats and three ties, West Virginia enjoyed a run of success under former coaches Don Nehlen and Rich Rodriguez. From 1983-2006, WVU took 15 of 23 contests with two ties (1985 and 1989). It appeared West Virginia, with their speed-laden roster, would control the series for the foreseeable future. But then came December 1, 2007. Pitt kept West Virginia out of the 2007 National Championship Game by virtue of a stunning 13-9 win before a shocked sold out at Milan Puskar Stadium. The Panthers have won 18 of 23 games since that cold night in Morgantown while West Virginia has taken a couple of steps backwards since coach Bill Stewart took over for Rodriguez, who left for the Michigan job days after the loss. One of those wins also included a come-from-behind 19-15 Pitt win over West Virginia last year at Heinz Field. “I think that win, when you look at it, gave us life,” said Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt during his Monday press conference. “That would be the way I would classify it.” Wannstedt does not deny that game brought many prospective recruits that were sitting on the fence between Pitt and West Virginia over to his sideline. “We had so many recruits that were right on the bubble,” added Wannstedt. “It gave us an opportunity to get one more shot at these guys and to say to them that it would happen and to believe in us. I think that it was energizing for our players.” Then blue-chip prospects Cameron Saddler and Shayne Hale of Gateway High School in Monroeville were on the West Virginia sideline that night and were expected to sign with the Mountaineers on Signing Day in February. Both are now Panthers. Pittsburgh Central Catholic quarterback Tino Sunseri was on a visit to Louisville that night. He watched the game in the dorm room of several Cardinals players. Two months later, he signed with Pitt. “I remember going out there for pregame warm-ups and the recruits were all lined up on the sidelines and I looked over and could see all of these kids that we were recruiting and that they were recruiting,” said Wannstedt. “Within 10 to 14 days (after the game) we got eight commitments. Two or three of those kids were right there (at the game) and committed with us.” No doubt Wannstedt and his staff see Pitt’s 2007 win as a moment that shifted not only balance of power in the Backyard Brawl, but as one that kick-started the program in general. “Winning that game, I can remember the first day of the off-season program in January,” said Wannstedt. “We had as much enthusiasm, from a team standpoint, to get started and build on the following year. I’m sure just for our fans it was a shot in the arm, a little bit of hope. I think it helped our program in several areas that today we look back on and probably it was the turning point since I’ve been here, without a doubt.” Posted on November 23rd, 2009 by David WhipkeyBy David Whipkey They were five simple words. Five words that at the time made him look overly simple, but they were five words that were too true to be embellished. In Dave Wannstedt’s first year along the Pitt sidelines, he knew he had a football team that simply was not athletic enough to compete with the likes of West Virginia’s Pat White and Steve Slaton. Both White and Slaton ran past and around the Panthers on a cold Morgantown, W.Va. on Thanksgiving night in 2005. It was evident to Wannstedt that his Panthers were too slow. As he was walking towards the halftime locker room, he was interviewed by an ESPN sideline reporter before halftime and was asked how Pitt could stop WVU’s lightning-fast spread option attack. Wannstedt simply responded with the five words that mocked him for two-plus years: “We have to run faster.” West Virginia, led by Slaton and White, hung 90 total points on Pitt in 2005 and 2006. Pitt looked especially helpless in 2006 when both Slaton and White rushed for more than 200 yards in a 45-24 win at Heinz Field. Then came December 1, 2007. West Virginia entered the 100 edition of the Backyard Brawl with aspirations of a playing in the BCS National Championship game. The Mountaineers were 11-1 and were again led by an offense powered by quarterback Pat White and running back Steve Slaton. They also throttled Connecticut 66-21 the previous week, giving them the Big East title and a ticket to one of the prestigious bowl games in early January. Pitt was reeling at the time. They were sporting a 4-7 record and were assured of missing out on post-season play for the third straight year under Wannstedt. The Panthers were 28 point underdogs and apparently were simply invited guests to West Virginia’s coronation before a sold-out Milan Puskar Stadium. Then came kickoff. The Panthers showed how much they learned in two years and how faster they had become. Pitt’s defense held the high-powered Mountaineers to 183 total yards, nine first downs and in check all night long. Pitt churned out enough offense thanks to then freshman running back LeSean McCoy and shocked West Virginia in Morgantown with a 13-9 upset. It would be Rich Rodriguez’s last game as Mountaineers coach. Days later, West Virginia’s then favorite son announced he was bolting for the vacant coaching job at Michigan. West Virginia was also not going to play for a national title in 2007 and has not been close since that year. Pitt parlayed the upset into a banner-year recruiting wise. The Panthers gained steam and won nine games in 2008, one of which included a 19-15 win over WVU at Heinz Field in late November. It is the Panthers that appear to be the superior team that will take the field in Morgantown on Friday night. Pitt’s defensive line, led by ends Greg Romeus and Jabaal Sheard along with tackles Mick Williams and Gus Mustakas; appear to have a distinct advantage against WVU’s strong but young offensive line. Players such as safety/linebacker Elijah Fields, linebacker Adam Gunn, safety Jarred Holley and cornerback Aaron Berry are the athletic-types that can run with WVU’s speedy skill players. It is obvious the Panthers needed to become faster. Five years after watching the Mountaineers run past his players, Wannstedt has a team that can and should short-circuit West Virginia’s speed. Posted on September 1st, 2009 by Admin2008 Backyard Brawl Highlights | Pittsburgh Panthers vs West Virginia Mountaineers Football Pitt 19, WVU 15 | November 28, 2009 Posted on February 16th, 2009 by pantherPitt Panthers Videos:Darrelle Revis Amazing Punt Return vs WVU in the 2007 Backyard Brawl |
 
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