NEXT PANTHERS GAMEDAY:Signing DayFebruary 3rd 2010 Buy Pitt Tickets  
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 Posted on August 28th, 2010 by David WhipkeyBy David Whipkey The most anticipated season in the Dave Wannstedt era of Pitt football is inching closer and closer by the day. Training camp is over and the two-deep roster is set as the nationally ranked Panthers are preparing for a trip to Salt Lake City, Utah for a battle with Mountain West Conference heavyweight Utah. The Utes hammered Pitt in the 2005 Fiesta Bowl by a 35-7 count. Utah sacked then Pitt quarterback Tyler Palko nine times as Utes coach Urban Meyer put the finishing touches on an undefeated season before heading east to lead the Florida Gators to prominence. Both squads are much different this year from New Year’s Night 2005. Wannstedt had accepted the Pitt job days before the game while Kyle Whittingham was getting ready to take over the reigns from Meyer. This year, Pitt appears to have the slightly better roster and higher expectations. But question marks at several key spots along with an ambitious schedule could put a damper on what is thought to be a breakthrough year for the Panthers. Pitt brings back many key performers from last year’s 10-3 squad that earned a tough victory over ACC heavyweight North Carolina in the Meineke Car Care Bowl. Sophomore running back Dion Lewis (1,799 yards rushing, 17 touchdowns) is believed to be a Heisman Trophy candidate while Jon Baldwin (57 receptions, 1,111 yards, eight scores) is the next great Pitt receiving threat. Bookend defensive ends Greg Romeus and Jabaal Sheard lead a unit that garnered 47 sacks last year, tops in the nation. Safeties Dom DeCicco and Jared Holley are also expected to help solidify the secondary. But personnel losses need to be addressed, spots such as right tackle, center and the all important quarterback position need to be filled on offense. Sophomore Tino Sunseri will start at quarterback. He has shown a strong arm and ability to escape, but has little experience. But if offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti can do with Sunseri as he did with last year’s starter; Bill Stull, the offense will move. Senior Alex Karabin and junior Greg Gaskins are expected to start at center and right guard respectively. Chris Jacobson started the bowl game last December at left guard and acquitted himself nicely. No drop-off is expected at that position. Replacing Gus Mustakas and Mick Williams at defensive tackle will be hard. But Myles Careagin and Chas Alecxih received valuable playing time as part of line coach Greg Gattuso’s rotation. They are expected to fill in nicely. Freshman Aaron Donald from Penn Hills could also be part of the rotation. Fellow Penn Hills Indian Dan Mason will start at middle linebacker and is seen as an athletic upgrade over the graduated Adam Gunn, though the former Kiski Area Cavalier was a keen leader in the middle for the Panthers last year. Rick Gary and Antwuan Reed will man the corners, taking over from the departed Aaron Berry and Jovanni Chappel. Both Gary and Reed had strong camps this summer. The Panthers also face one of the more daunting schedules this season. After beginning the season at Utah, Pitt will face Miami at home and travel to Notre Dame. Big East foes Rutgers and West Virginia visit Heinz Field, while road tests at Connecticut and South Florida await. A Big East title and BCS berth is there for the taking, whether or not these Panthers can cash in is yet to be seen. Posted on August 9th, 2010 by David WhipkeyBy David Whipkey • Decorated defensive end Greg Romeus tweaked an ankle in practice on Saturday afternoon while reserve safety Andrew Taglianetti is still battling stiffness in his surgically repaired left knee. Coach Dave Wannstedt said he believes both should be back on the field in the very near future. • Romeus along with running back Dion Lewis and receiver Jonathan Baldwin were all selected as preseason candidates for several prestigious awards. • Romeus was named a candidate for the Chuck Bednarik Award which is given annually to the nation’s top defensive player. Both Lewis and Baldwin were named candidates for the Maxwell Award which honors the most outstanding overall player in college football. • Safety Dom DeCicco also got into the act by being named to the Jim Thorpe Award preseason watch list. The award is given annually to the nation’s top defensive back. • Pitt was rated no. 15 in the USA Today coaches’ poll, one spot behind former rival Penn State and nine spots ahead of conference arch-rival West Virginia. • According to Wannstedt, one of the early preseason surprises has been the play of freshman defensive tackle Aaron Donald. Though juniors Myles Caragein and Chas Alexcih are penciled in as the starters, Donald should help give the unit some depth in the middle while Brandon Lindsey is expected to do the same on the edge. Posted on August 6th, 2010 by David WhipkeyBy David Whipkey And now comes the hard part. Not since the early 1980s have the Pitt Panthers entered a college football season with this level of anticipation and expectation. Coach Dave Wannstedt greeted the media Thursday to kickoff fall practice for a squad that was overwhelmingly picked by the media to win the Big East conference for the first time since 2004. “I think it is great recognition for our team and players,” said the coach. “As a coach, you want people talking about this in December. The recognition is not going to win any games for us. Our focus is now on training camp and preparing ourselves to have the chance to receive such an accolade.” The Panthers won 10 games last season, including a 19-16 win over North Carolina in the Meineke Car Care Bowl. But it could have been so much more. Pitt saw the Big East title slip from their grasp last December when Cincinnati came from behind and took the championship with a 45-44 win before a packed Heinz Field. All off season, the Panthers stewed and prepared themselves for another run at the top spot in the conference and the prize it brings; a coveted BCS bowl berth and national recognition. Now, this star-studded lineup that includes 2009 Big East offensive player of the year running back Dion Lewis, wide receiver Jonathan Baldwin and conference defensive player of the year defensive end Greg Romeus, is primed to take what eluded them last year. “We have good guys that know what it takes to win and they don’t take anything for granted,” said Wannstedt. “It is a team game and we’re only as good as our team is.” One of Pitt’s other key performers, starting defensive end Jabaal Sheard, did find himself in hot water as the off-season wound to c lose. Sheard was charged with assault along with other charges after he allegedly threw a man through a glass door during a fight on Pittsburgh’s South Side in late July. He was suspended indefinitely but reinstated after he pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct. Coach Wannstedt said the matter will now be handled internally. “After gathering all the information and our legal system took its curse, we are very comfortable with the decision we have made concerning Jabaal,” said Wannstedt. “You all know that we have had players in the past, as every school does, whether they are reasons on or off the field where it has not worked out. However, my responsibility to this university and to these kids is to be consistent and fair with the facts and handle it accordingly.” With the Sheard issue resolved, the Panthers staff now can focus on getting the squad ready, especially quarterback Tino Sunseri, who will take over for the graduated Bill Stull. “This is Tino’s time,” said Wannstedt. “He has the arm to make all the throws that we need to make. He’s more athletic on his feet than what people give him credit for. He’s very intelligent. He understands the big picture of what we’re trying to do from an offensive standpoint and I think that is very important.” Pitt officially opens fall practice Saturday August 7 at the UPMC South Side Complex. Posted on July 23rd, 2010 by David WhipkeyBy David Whipkey Unfortunately for Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt, one key member of his defense squarely placed himself in the police blotter after he allegedly assaulted a man outside a Pittsburgh art gallery. Senior defensive end Jabaal Sheard was arrested earlier this week and faces a variety of criminal charges after he allegedly threw a 27-year –old man through a glass door. He faces a preliminary hearing July 28 on charges of felony aggravated assault, resisting arrest and criminal mischief. Authorities said several officers attempted to prevent the 6-foot-4 260 pound Florida native from continuing the Sunday morning assault, but their baton blows were rendered useless as he reportedly tossed the alleged victim through the door of La Fond Galleries located along East Carson Street in the city’s South Side neighborhood. Pitt Sports Information Director E.J. Borghetti confirmed Sheard was suspended indefinitely from the team. Even if Sheard can avoid jail time, Wannstedt faces the difficult task of either allowing the talented all-Big East performer back on the squad with a multiple game suspension or removing him from the roster altogether. Wannstedt has shown a history of allowing bygones to be bygones. He kept then senior linebacker Adam Gunn on the squad after a run-in with city police last summer. The coach also gave safety Elijah Fields second and third chances to right his ship before giving the Duquesne native the boot this spring. Even if Sheard is allowed back, he will most likely miss the season’s first two-to-three games. This means the defense will be missing one of its key components against Utah in the season-opener along with the week three game at home against the Miami Hurricanes. If that is the case, talented back-ups such as Brandon Lindsey and Shayne Hale will need to contribute and do so early. Even if they perform well, Sheard’s presence will surely be missed and present a hefty challenge for the Panthers as they embark on what they hope will be a run to the Big East title and a BCS berth in 2010. Posted on March 30th, 2010 by David WhipkeyBy David Whipkey It has taken nearly five years, but Pitt Coach Dave Wannstedt has established a program that is more than capable of contending for Big East championships and berths in BCS bowl games. For that hard work that just two-plus years ago, was bearing no fruit; the Pitt administration bestowed a two-year contract extension to Wannstedt. The extension was announced during a Tuesday afternoon press conference. It will also ensure Wannstedt will roam the sidelines at Heinz Field through at least 2014. “I greatly appreciate the confidence that Chancellor Mark Nordenberg, (Athletic Director) Steve Peterson and the entire administration have in what we are building and accomplishing,” the coach said Tuesday. “While we are all proud of the strides we have made, we look forward to even greater accomplishments in the future.” Those strides include 19 wins in two years. Last season saw the Panthers achieve heights they have not reached since the early 1980s. The Panthers finished 10-3 and capped the season with a hard-fought 19-16 win over North Carolina in the Meineke Car Care Bowl in Charlotte. With several retuning starters such as running back Dion Lewis, fullback Henry Hynoski; receivers Jonathan Baldwin and Mike Shanahan; defensive ends Greg Romeus and Jabaal Sheard; and offensive tackles Lucas Nix and Jason Pinkston; the Panthers are expected to field a deep squad that should be favored to win the Big East. This is all heady stuff that seemed light-years away in mid-2007. The Panthers were foundering along and sputtering towards their third consecutive non-winning season under Wannstedt. Although plenty of young talented players populated the roster at the time, wins were hard to come by. Then came December 1, 2007. The seemingly undermanned Panthers marched into Morgantown, W.Va. and outhit West Virginia beat the Mountaineers and knocked them out of a spot in the National Championship Game. Since then, the Panthers have knocked off the likes of South Florida, Notre Dame, West Virginia and Iowa. Pitt now boasts a devastating ground game thanks to the likes of Lewis and the departed LeSean McCoy along with a defense that has feature the likes of Romeus, Sheard, and former players Scott McKillop, Mick Williams, Aaron Berry and Adam Gunn. Pitt appears poised to make the next step and earn that coveted BCS berth and a chance against a true college football heavyweight. The administration has done the right thing and will allow Wannstedt to have the security of an extended contract, giving him the opportunity to build the program even stronger. “We have always believed that when you have the right person, you should give them the time and support to accomplish all the goals they have for our program,” said Pederson. “Dave has done an outstanding job leading our football program.” Posted on January 19th, 2010 by David WhipkeyCourtesy University of Pittsburgh Scott Turner, an offensive assistant the past two seasons for the Pitt football program, has been promoted to wide receivers coach, it was announced Monday by Panthers head coach Dave Wannstedt. “It is always gratifying to be able to reward a member of our staff with a well-deserved promotion,” Wannstedt said. “Scott Turner was a major contributor in our offensive staff room this past season. He is a very bright football coach whose strong knowledge is matched by his equally strong energy and commitment. Our receivers are going to benefit tremendously from his influence. He is also going to be a great asset on the recruiting trail, especially in his assigned areas of Maryland, Virginia and Washington D.C.” “I am very grateful for this opportunity to coach the wide receivers here at Pitt,” Turner said. “I have had the honor of being a part of this football program under Coach Wannstedt for the past two years. Pitt has such a great tradition as well as a very bright future and I am excited to continue to be a part of it. As a member of Pitt’s offensive staff the past two seasons, Turner aided in the accomplishment of back-to-back 1,000-yard rushers in LeSean McCoy and Dion Lewis. He also contributed to a 2009 unit that produced a 1,700-yard rusher (Lewis) and 1,000-yard receiver (Jonathan Baldwin). Lewis was named the Big East Offensive Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year, compiling a Pitt freshman record 1,799 rush yards and 18 total touchdowns. Pitt averaged 32.1 points per game in 2009, the fourth highest scoring average in school history. A former quarterback at UNLV, Turner joined the Pitt staff in 2008 after working the prior two years on the prep level at South County Secondary School in Virginia. As South County’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, he helped the program to its first-ever playoff berth and also orchestrated an offense that produced two 1,000-yard rushers in the same season. In 2005, Turner was an administrative graduate assistant at Oregon State under Mike Riley. His responsibilities included assisting in all aspects of the Beavers’ program with a special focus on the offense’s weekly preparation. Turner was a three-year letterman at UNLV, earning his bachelor’s degree in psychology from the university in 2005. Scott is the son of Norv Turner, the current head coach of the San Diego Chargers. Norv and Dave Wannstedt served together on Jimmy Johnson’s Dallas Cowboys staffs of the early 1990s. Norv additionally was offensive coordinator with the Dolphins in 2002 and 2003 during Wannstedt’s head coaching tenure in Miami. Posted on January 8th, 2010 by David WhipkeyBy David Whipkey Pitt enjoyed their finest football season in nearly 30 years with a 10-win campaign that was capped by a 19-17 win over North Carolina in the Meineke Car Care Bowl last month. Their achievements were rewarded with a No. 15 ranking in both the Associated Press and USA Today polls that were released Friday morning after Alabama’s 37-21 win over Texas in the BCS National Championship Game. The Panthers final ranking is their highest since the end of the 1982 season, when Pitt finished in the Top 10 in both major polls. Their 10-win season was the most in a campaign since an 11-1 mark was achieved in 1981. Pitt’s 19 combined wins in 2008 and 2009 are the program’s most since the 1981-82 seasons. The Panthers three losses were by a combined 11 points, an average of just 3.6 points per game. Although coach Dave Wannstedt must replace multiple seniors, the Panthers will bring back several top-notch performers that should not only keep Pitt in contention in the improving Big East conference but for possible national honors as well. Freshman running back Dion Lewis will return to Pitt’s backfield. Lewis compiled 1,799 yards rushing and scored 18 touchdowns. The nation took notice by virtue of his conference offensive Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year awards along with his National Freshman of the Year Award from The Sporting News and CBSSports.com. Junior receiver Jonathan Baldwin will draw the attention of defensive backs in 2010. Baldwin had 57 catches for 1,111 yards and eight scores. The Aliquippa, Pa. native also garnered all conference awards this season. Defensive end Greg Romeus is expected to return and terrorize quarterbacks next season. Romeus was named Co-Big East Defensive Player of the Year with teammate Mick Williams. Romeus logged 11.5 tackles for loss, eight sacks, three forced fumbles, an interception and a blocked kick. His running mate at defensive end, Jabaal Sheard; will also return. Safety Dom DeCicco, offensive tackle Jason Pinkston and place kicker Dan Hutchins were also all-Big East performers. All will be returning seniors in the fall. Burgeoning players such as receiver Mike Shanahan, linebackers Dan Mason and Elijah Fields, offensive guard Chris Jacobson, safety Andrew Taglianetti, safety/cornerback Jarred Holley and fullback Henry Hynoski are all expected to take on larger roles and help take the program to the next step. The Panthers will take on a daunting schedule in 2010. Non-conference games include trips to Utah and Notre Dame along with a home game against former Big East rival Miami (Fla.). Pitt will host conference foes Louisville, Rutgers and West Virginia and visit Cincinnati, Connecticut, South Florida and Syracuse. Posted on December 27th, 2009 by David WhipkeyBy David Whipkey No, it wasn’t a win in a BCS bowl game, but the Pitt Panthers did indeed have their finest season since 1981. Pitt’s hard-fought 19-17 win over North Carolina in the Meineke Car Care Bowl in Charlotte gave the Panthers a 10-3 record, their best since Ronald Regan was in the Oval Office. Although the elusive Big East championship slipped through their fingers in a heart-wrenching 45-44 loss at home against Cincinnati earlier this month, the season was saved but a gutsy effort against a game Tar Heels squad geared to play the same smash-mouth style of football Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt enjoys. “We really got down to business,” said Wannstedt. “I don’t think people really understand what 10-3 says about a program, even though nine wins is outstanding. Ten wins separates you and I don’t think that these guys know what they have accomplished here tonight and probably won’t for a few weeks or a month or however long.” The usual suspects were at work for the Panthers against the Tar Heels. Freshman Dion Lewis again showed the nation he will be a force to be reckoned with in the future. Lewis gashed the nation’s No. 6 defense for 159 yards on 28 carries and one score. Wannstedt said he was surprised his prized running back did not get the ball even more. “Compared to last time (a 47-carry, 194-yard performance against Cincinnati), he took the day off,” Wannstedt said jokingly. “He is clearly a difference maker.” Pitt’s final drive was vintage smash-mouth football. The Panthers took nearly nine minutes to travel 79 yards. Of the drive’s 17 plays, Lewis carried the ball on 12 of them for 62 yards. “That last series, there was no question that a lot of the yards he made were not easy,” said Wannstedt. “Every inch counts and that made the difference in the game today.” Lewis, the game’s Most Valuable Player, said he was quite pleased with the coaching staff’s faith in him, even with a lost fumble in the first quarter. “It’s great to know that the coaches trust me like that,” said Lewis. “They trust me in a tough situation to get me the ball. I just want to make them happy. My teammates trust me and everyone trusts me so I just have to go out there and go to work.” Pitt’s defense, somewhat maligned after the loss to Cincinnati, stepped up large Saturday night. The pass rush was consistent all night. Co-Defensive Big East Player of the Year Mick Williams notched two sacks. Defensive end Jabaal Sheard notched the team’s third of the night while his cohort Greg Romeus, the other half of the Big East Defensive Player of the Year tandem; was a disruptive force all night. With the three sacks, Pitt notched 47 sacks for the season, good for No. 1 in the nation. Freshman linebacker Dan Mason stopped one Tar Heels drive with an interception while Jarred Holley and Max Gruder teamed up for force another North Carolina turnover in the first quarter. The formula Pitt used to win games this season, ball-control offense and opportunistic defense; was on display on Saturday night. It is a formula that has brought the Panthers back to prominence and will surely be used as a springboard for greater things in 2010. Posted on December 27th, 2009 by David WhipkeyBy David Whipkey It may not have completely washed away the bad taste of the loss to Big East champion Cincinnati earlier this month, but it did help put a nice bow on the most successful Pitt football season in nearly 30 years. Dan Hutchins’ 33-yard field goal with 52 seconds remaining provided the No. 17 Panthers the winning margin in a thrilling 19-17 win over North Carolina in the Meineke Car Care Bowl Saturday evening in Charlotte. The victory gave Pitt a 10-3 record, their best season since an 11-1 campaign in 1981 that ended when Dan Marino’s touchdown pass to John Brown beat Georgia in the Sugar Bowl at the end of that year. “I think that people know that we are back as a program and you have to go out and prove it,” said Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt after the game. “You have to show up and you have to win games like this.” Plenty of Pitt players showed up and put on a stout performance in the Tar Heels’ backyard. Freshman sensation running back Dion Lewis gained 159 yards on 28 carries against the nation’s No. 6 defense. Quarterback Bill Stull had yet another efficient performance, completing 17 of 24 passes for 163 yards and no interceptions. Stull’s favorite target was freshman receiver Mike Shanahan, who hauled in five receptions for 83 yards. Pitt’s defense acquitted itself nicely after the fourth-quarter collapse against Cincinnati earlier this month. The Panthers sacked Tar Heel quarterback T.J. Yates three times, intercepted him once and recovered one fumble. The unit held on fourth-and-10 near midfield late in the contest to seal the win. “We knew we were going to be in a 15-round fight,” said Pitt linebacker and Charlotte native Max Gruder. “We didn’t expect anything other than that.” Gruder led Pitt’s defense with 11 tackles and recovered an Erik Highsmith fumble that helped set up Hutchins’ 31-yard field goal in the second quarter. The Tar Heels (8-5) got on the board first on their opening drive when Yates hooked up with Greg Little on a 15-yard touchdown pass. Little then inexplicably punted the ball in the Bank of America Stadium bleachers and forced the Tar Heels to kick off from their own 15 due to his unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. Pitt appeared poised to even the score on their next possession, but Lewis fumbled the ball through the end zone after North Carolina defensive end E.J. Wilson punched the ball free, giving the Heels the ball on their own 20. The Panthers got back into the contest when Hutchins booted a 31-yard field goal early in the second quarter. The kick was set up when safety Jarred Holley stripped Highsmith of the football and Gruder recovered near the North Carolina 40. Lewis made up for his earlier fumble (the first and only one he lost this year) by capping a 45-yard drive in the second quarter with an 11-yard scoring run. Hutchins’ kick was true and Pitt led 10-7 early in the second quarter. North Carolina then went on a 14-play, 58-yard drive that looked to either give the Tar Heels the lead or at least tie the score. But Pitt’s Dan Mason made a huge play when he intercepted Yates on the Pitt two-yard line. The Heels eventually tied the score with 1:05 left in the first half when Casey Barth drilled a 37-yard field goal. But Pitt responded when Stull engineered a 46-yard scoring drive that culminated with Hutchins’ 31-yard field goal which gave the Panthers a 13-10 halftime lead. Hutchins’ third field goal, a 42-yard boot ending Pitt’s opening drive of the second-half, extended Pitt’s lead to 16-10 early in the third quarter. But Yates and the Tar Heels snatched momentum for their own on their next possession. North Carolina marched 70 yards in 11 plays. Yates capped the drive with a 14-yard strike to Little midway through the third quarter. Barth’s kick was good and the Heels were up 17-16. Yates finished with 183 yards passing on 19 completions. Little grabbed seven passes for 87 yards. Ryan Houston paced North Carolina’s ground game with 83 yards on 24 carries. But Pitt was able to summon additional strength and finished the game in winning style. North Carolina was in position to put the Pitt away midway through the fourth quarter. The Tar Heels had the ball at the Pitt 29. But sacks by Jabaal Sheard and Mick Williams pushed North Carolina out of field goal range. With a little more than nine minutes remaining, Pitt took possession of the ball at their own five-yard line following a North Carolina punt. The Panthers were able to march deep into Tar Heels real estate thanks to Lewis’ 58 yards rushing on the drive and the conversion of a fourth and inches play on their own 30. Pitt reached the North Carolina 30 with 1:56 remaining. The Panthers were lined up for a 47-yard field goal on fourth and two, but the Tar Heels jumped offside and gave Pitt an important first down. “They were jumping the gun a little bit, so we told our center to take his time adjusting the ball,” said Wannstedt. “If they didn’t jump offside, we were going to kick the field goal. The extra 20 yards sure did help.” Pitt advanced to the North Carolina 16 and set the stage for Hutchins’ clutch kick. “I had a weird feeling with a strong defensive team that I would be kicking a lot today,” said Hutchins. “I am excited.” Pitt held on for the win when Yates fourth and 10 pass from midfield fell incomplete, giving the Panthers a much-needed bowl win and boost into next season. “They are a good football team,” said North Carolina coach Butch Davis. “There is a reason that they were 35 seconds away from going to a BCS bowl as Big East champions. We have a lot of respect for Pitt and their football team.” Notes: Lewis’ 159-yard day gave him 1,799 yards rushing this season, good for second all-time at Pitt behind Tony Dorsett’s 2,150-yard Heisman Trophy campaign in 1976. His second-quarter touchdown gave him 17 rushing scores on the year and 19 total, both freshman records. Lewis also has ten 100-yard rushing days this season, tying him with Dorsett’s 1973 campaign for first in school history. Hutchins’ four field goals in a bowl game is a school record. Posted on December 23rd, 2009 by David WhipkeyBy David Whipkey A chance to salvage a good season is still possible for the Pitt Panthers should they take care of business in the Meineke Car Care Bowl against a strong ACC squad playing in their home state. The North Carolina Tar Heels (8-4) will surely benefit from playing this game on the day after Christmas in front of a baby blue clad crowd in Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium. Pitt was relegated to this bowl game after falling to Cincinnati 45-44 in the Big East title tilt at Heinz Field earlier this month. Although it will not be a BCS venue, the Panthers are still playing for more than pride. Coach Dave Wannstedt has the Panthers (9-3) in a position to win 10 games in a season for the first time since 1981. Wannstedt and UNC head coach Butch Davis are more than familiar with one another. They both coached together under Jimmy Johnson at Oklahoma State and Miami in college and with the Dallas Cowboys in the NFL. “Dave Wannstedt is a guy I have known for many, many years since 1979 on Jimmy Johnson’s staff (at Oklahoma State),” said Davis earlier this week. “He is an outstanding coach. His teams are extraordinarily well coached and he has an excellent coaching staff – guys that have a lot of experience and some which have been with Dave for many years.” Davis said he is impressed with the physical nature the Panthers display on a weekly basis. “They are always a very physical football team. This year, they lead the nation in sacks. They have one of the nation’s premier running backs,” said Davis. “They are a very good football team. A nine-win team, like ourselves; smarting from the last game of the season and would certainly like to end the season on a positive note.” Like the Panthers, the Tar Heels like to establish the running game on offense. UNC averages nearly 138 yards on the ground per game. Their rushing attack is paced by tailbacks Ryan Houston and Shaun Draughn. The duo has combined for 1,226 yards rushing and 10 scores. Quarterback Tyler Yates has had an up and down season. He has completed 60 percent of his throws for 1,953 yards and 12 scores. But he has also tossed 14 interceptions on the season. This will be an opportunity for players such as Aaron Berry and Jarred Holley to make big plays in Pitt’s secondary. Greg Little is the Tar Heels leading receiver with 637 yards receiving on 55 receptions. Freshman Jheranie Boyd is UNC’s big play threat with 22 yards per catch and four touchdowns. But the Tar Heels calling card is a defense that can be destructive. Defensive ends Robert Quinn and E.J. Wilson are disruptive forces on the defensive line. Quinn has 11 sacks to go with a team leading 19 tackles for loss while Wilson checks in with 11 tackles for loss. Linebacker Quan Sturdivant leads the unit with 75 total tackles. He also has 12 tackles for loss. Safety Deunta Williams paces the pass defense with six interceptions. The Tar Heels defense has terrorized offenses to the tune of 31 sacks and 19 interceptions. They also allow only 92.8 yards rushing per game. No doubt the Tar Heels will serve as a mountainous challenge for Pitt in Charlotte. |
 
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