NEXT PANTHERS GAMEDAY:Signing DayFebruary 3rd 2010 Buy Pitt Tickets  
|
 Posted on January 20th, 2010 by David WhipkeyBy David Whipkey Pitt’s ascending football program will be well-represented in two college football all-star games that will take place later this month and serve as a showcase for prospective NFL talent. Three performers from the Panthers 10-3 squad will participate in the East-West Shrine Game and the Senior Bowl. Cornerback Aaron Berry and tight end Nate Byham will play in the East-West Shrine Game this Saturday in Orlando, Fla. Kickoff is slated for 3 p.m. and will be televised on ESPN2. All-American Tight End Dorin Dickerson will participate in the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala. Kickoff for the Senior Bowl is Saturday, January 30 at 4 p.m. The game will be televised by the NFL Network. Berry, Byham and Dickerson were integral parts to Pitt’s solid 2009 season. Berry notched 31 tackles, 10 pass break-ups and an interception during his 2009 campaign. He was selected to the all-Big East squad for the second time in his career following this season. Byham was also named all-Big East this year, also his second for his career. Although his 10 catches for 108 yards were not eye-popping statistically, he was a devastating blocker and helped provide the platform for Pitt’s conference-leading ground attack (180.3 yards rushing per game). Dickerson emerged as a big-play threat in 2009. His 10 touchdown receptions set a new school record for scoring grabs in a season. The senior from Imperial, Pa. finished the year with 49 catches for 528 yards. He was named to the 25-player All-American Team selected by the Football Writers Association of America. Dickerson is the first Pitt tight end to earn All-American status since Mike Ditka did so in 1960. He was also a finalist for the John Mackey Award and named all-Big East this season. The Panthers finished no. 15 in both the Associated Press and USA Today Coaches polls. Pitt ended their season with a dramatic 19-17 win over North Carolina in the Meineke Car Care Bowl. Posted on December 18th, 2009 by David WhipkeyBy David Whipkey The play of Pitt’s offense would not have reached their level of productivity if it was not for the play of the offensive line. It was the front five populating the Panthers offensive line that was responsible for paving the way for freshman All-American running back Dion Lewis this season. They also provided all Big East quarterback Bill Stull ample protection to throw to Jonathan Baldwin and Dorin Dickerson. As a result of their work, Pitt offensive line coach Tony Wise was selected as FootballlScoop.com Offensive Line Coach of the Year. Wise has coached for nearly for decades in both college and professional football. He was hired by head coach Dave Wannstedt two years ago and has made a world of difference in the play of Pitt’s offensive line. The Panthers averaged 33.2 yards per game on offense during the regular season, the fourth-highest in school history. Pitt’s offensive line permitted a mere 1.08 sacks per game and also paved the way for Lewis to rush for 1,640 yards. Under the tutelage of Wise, senior guard John Malecki and junior tackle Jason Pinkston garnered first-team all Big East selections. “It is an honor to be selected for this award,” said Wise. “As we know, line coaches are not used to this type of this recognition. We have a great group of guys here at Pitt who love to hit people, down after down.” Coach Wannstedt was quite pleased such an honor was bestowed upon Wise. “Coaching is teaching and there is no better teacher than Tony,” said Wannstedt. “The way he communicates with the players, they understand him. He is very effective. On the field and off the field, he cares about his players. The players know it and appreciate it.” Notes: More awards continue to come freshman running back Dion Lewis’ way. Lewis was named 2009 Eastern College Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year for his monster season. It is the fourth such honor for Lewis, who previously was named the Freshman of the Year by Sporting News and CBSSports.com, and the Offensive Freshman of the Year by CollegeFootballNews.com. As the Rookie of the Year, Lewis will be honored in February at the annual Eastern College Football Awards Banquet held at the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, N.J. Posted on December 15th, 2009 by David WhipkeyCourtesy www.pittsburghpanthers.com The Pitt football team continues to garner impressive individual honors during the postseason. Freshman tailback Dion Lewis’ status as the top newcomer in college football continues to be solidified with his growing list of honors. Lewis (Albany, N.Y./Blair Academy [N.J.]) was the only true freshman named to The Associated Press All-America Team that was announced today. He was a second-team All-America selection by the AP as well as by Sporting News, CBSSports.com, SI.com, Rivals.com and Scout.com. Lewis has also been named the National Freshman of the Year by CBSSports.com and the Offensive Freshman of the Year by CollegeFootballNews.com. The 5-foot-8, 195-pound Lewis enters the Meineke Car Care Bowl against North Carolina as the country’s third-leading rusher (136.67 yards/game). His 1,640 total rushing yards are the most ever for a Big East freshman. One of the players who helped open holes for Lewis, junior offensive tackle Jason Pinkston, also has garnered national accolades. Pinkston (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin) was named a second-team selection on the SI.com and Rivals.com All-America teams. Senior tight end Dorin Dickerson (Imperial, Pa./West Allegheny) last week was named to the Football Writers’ 25-player All-America Team after catching 45 passes for 508 yards and 10 touchdowns. He additionally has been named a first-team All-America selection by CBSSports.com and is a second-team honoree by the Walter Camp Football Foundation and Sporting News. Sophomore Jonathan Baldwin gained recognition with his 1,000-yard receiving season (1,080 yards, 20.0 yards per catch) and was named a third team All-American by Rivals.com. On the other side of the ball, junior defensive end Greg Romeus was named a third team All-American by Sporting News and Rivals.com. Romeus has compiled 40 tackles, 10.5 TFLs and eight sacks. He additionally has an interception, a fumble recovery, a blocked PAT and two forced fumbles. Posted on December 14th, 2009 by David WhipkeyCourtesy www.pittsburghpanthers.com Pitt senior tight end Dorin Dickerson has been named to the 25-player All-America Team selected by the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA). Dickerson is the first Pitt tight end to earn this prestigious designation since the legendary Mike Ditka was honored in 1960. This is the third time in the past four years a Pitt player has been selected to the FWAA All-America Team. Current NFL linebackers H.B. Blades (2006) and Scott McKillop (2008) were previously honored by the organization. For more than six decades the FWAA has selected an All-America Team with the help of its members and an All-America Committee, which represents all the regions in the country. It is the second-longest continuously published All-America team in major college football, originating in 1944. Dickerson, a native of Imperial, Pa., and graduate of West Allegheny High, was named an All-American after catching 45 passes for 508 yards (11.3 avg.) and 10 touchdowns. His 10 TDs are a single-season record for a Pitt tight end. In addition to his All-America honor, Dickerson was a finalist for the 2009 John Mackey Award, annually presented to the country’s top tight end, and selected first-team All-Big East Conference. “Coming out of West Allegheny, Dorin Dickerson could’ve played college football anywhere in the country,” Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt said. “He chose to stay home and build something special at the University of Pittsburgh. When our future players walk past his plaque on the Pitt All-America Wall, we can point to him as being not only an outstanding football player, but also as a person who was tremendously committed to both Pitt and Pittsburgh.” “It is an incredible and humbling honor to be chosen an All-American by the Football Writers Association,” Dickerson said. “I am very fortunate to have great coaches and teammates who made this recognition possible. This is just as much their honor as it is mine.” Dickerson and the Panthers are preparing for the 2009 Meineke Car Care Bowl. Pitt (9-3, 5-2 Big East) will play North Carolina (8-4, 4-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) on December 26 in Charlotte, N.C. The game will be a national ESPN telecast at 4:30 p.m. Posted on December 9th, 2009 by David WhipkeyBy David Whipkey Three Panthers recently received top Big East player awards for their performance on the field this season. Freshman running back Dion Lewis was named Big East Offensive Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year while junior defensive end Greg Romeus and senior defensive tackle Mick Williams shared the Big East Defensive Player of the Year award. Lewis set the conference ablaze with 1,640 yards rushing to go with 17 touchdowns. He leads the Big East and is third nationally in rushing yards per game (136.67 avg.). The Albany, N.Y. native is the most prolific freshman ground gainer in conference history. He stands 46 yards shy of Tony Dorsett’s 1973 mark of 1,686 yards rushing. Lewis’ 102 points is the new record for points scored by a freshman, overtaking LeSean McCoy’s 90 points set just two years ago. Former Pitt receiver and current Arizona Cardinals star Larry Fitzgerald earned the conference’s offensive player of the year award in 2003. Romeus led Pitt’s fierce defensive line with 40 stops, including 10.5 tackles for loss and eight quarterback sacks. The Coral Springs, Fla. native also has two forced fumbles, an interception, a fumble recovery and one blocked kick. Williams was a dominant force in the middle. The senior from Monessen is second in the conference in tackles for loss with 15. He also has three sacks and three forced fumbles to with his 39 total tackles. Former Pitt linebackers H.B. Blades (2006) and Scott McKillop (2008) also garnered conference defensive player of the year awards. The Panthers also had 10 first-team all Big East selections overall. In addition to the unanimous selections of Lewis, Romeus and Williams, other Panthers included on the first team were sophomore receiver Jonathan Baldwin, senior cornerback Aaron Berry, senior tight end Dorin Dickerson, senior linebacker Adam Gunn, senior offensive guard John Malecki, junior offensive tackle Jason Pinkston and senior quarterback Bill Stull. Second team all-Big East included senior tight end Nate Byham, junior safety Dom DeCicco, junior placekicker Dan Hutchins and senior defensive tackle Gus Mustakas. Notes: Three members of Pitt’s coaching staff were selected as finalists for the FootballScoop.com Coaches of the Year award. They are offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti, offensive line coach Tony Wise and Director of Football Operations Chris LaSala. Posted on December 6th, 2009 by David WhipkeyBy David Whipkey Contrary to what many esteemed football experts based in Western Pennsylvania may say, the Pitt Panthers still have much to play for this season. Yes, the Panthers are heading to the Meineke Car Care Bowl in Charlotte later this month against North Carolina on the heels of two painful losses by a combined four points against West Virginia and Cincinnati. Yes, a BCS berth in the Sugar Bowl was taken from them by Mardy Gilyard, Tony Pike and the rest of the Bearcats on Saturday. And yes, it is well known that Pitt’s fan base may very well not make itself known in Charlotte the day after Christmas this season. But this season still has some life and can still be deemed a success if the Panthers beat the Tar Heels in front of what will assuredly be a pro-North Carolina crowd in Charlotte. Pitt has won nine games for the second consecutive season for the first time since the early 1980s. Coach Dave Wannstedt has the program on its feet and running in the right direction. Critics will say they still have no signature win in the Wannstedt era. But this program has won 18 of its past 24 games and is established as a Big East contender for years to come. Recruiting is at an all-time high and as a result; an improved talent base is in place. BCS berths and big wins are closer to the program more so than they were in the dark ages of the 1990s and early 2000s. Pitt’s defensive line established itself as one of the premiere units in the nation. The Panthers racked up 45 sacks this season, 36 of which came from the defensive front. Seniors Mick Williams and Gus Mustakas will move on following the bowl game. But ends Greg Romeus and Jabaal Sheard are juniors and will probably return. Talented tackles Myles Caragein and Chas Alecxih along with ends Brandon Lindsey and Shayne Hale are also slated to return. Linebackers Greg Williams and Max Gruder made strides this season. Talented Dan Mason will take over for departing senior Adam Gunn. No drop off will be expected from the linebackers. The secondary will lose corners Aaron Berry and Jovani Chappel. Safety Jarred Holley may shift back over to corner to assist with man coverage. Safeties Dom DeCicco and Elijah Fields each notched three interceptions and both will return. Fellow safety Andrew Taglianetti is slated to return following his knee injury. Antwuan Reed, Buddy Jackson and Ricky Gary will fight over the open cornerback positions. Pitt will miss the services of quarterback Bill Stull. The fifth-year senior threw for 2,470 yards with 21 touchdowns. He had a marvelous season following an erratic 2008 performance. Now offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti has the chance to mold Pat Bostick or Tino Sunseri into a similar, if not better player in 2010. Who ever gets to start at quarterback will get to throw to the sensational Jonathan Baldwin. The sophomore nabbed 54 receptions for 1,080 yards and eight scores. Although seniors Cedric McGee, Oderick Turner, Nate Byham and Dorin Dickerson all move on, players such as Mike Shanahan, Cameron Saddler and Aundre Wright will have a chance to step up in 2010. Pitt does lose three starters along the offensive line in guards John Malecki, Joe Thomas and Robb Houser. Tackles Jason Pinkston and Lucas Nix will return. Reworking the offensive line will be a priority after the bowl game and in the spring. The Panthers do return their biggest weapon in running back Dion Lewis. As a freshman, Lewis shattered school records for rushing and scoring with 1,640 yards on the ground and 16 touchdowns. His 47 carry, 195 yard, three touchdown performance against Cincinnati was simply remarkable. The explosive Ray Graham will also return and spell Lewis. He could start for any other team in the conference or across the country. Fullback Henry Hynoski will also be back clearing the way. Not all is lost for Pitt this season. A win over the Tar Heels would give the Panthers 10 wins for the first time since 1981. Ask any Pitt fan in August if they would accept a 10-win season as a success, most likely they would say yes. With the returning roster in 2010, another similar season could be in the offing, making the future of Pitt football still very bright. Posted on December 3rd, 2009 by David WhipkeyBy David Whipkey The building blocks of a program can fulfill the promise of creating a championship-caliber football team with one more win. Eighteen seniors will play their final game as a Pitt Panther at Heinz Field Saturday when they take the field against the undefeated and fifth-ranked Cincinnati Bearcats in what amounts to a de facto Big East title game. These seniors came to Pitt four years ago with the goal of creating a championship contender. There were the lows of a five-game losing streak to end a once-promising 2006 season to the highs of a shocking upset of West Virginia in 2007 in between then and now. Players such as the highly-recruited tight ends Dorin Dickerson and Nate Byham, along with quarterback Bill Stull, receivers Oderick Turner and Cedric McGee; offensive linemen Joe Thomas and John Malecki; defensive tackles Mick Williams and Gus Mustakas and cornerbacks Aaron Berry and Jovani Chappel all contributed to turning the Panthers into a tough-minded outfit that coach Dave Wannstedt envisioned the program becoming when he arrived in 2005. Now, this group has a chance to leave its mark in grand style and bring a conference title and a coveted BCS berth. “It’s probably the biggest group of seniors that we have had since I’ve been here,” said Wannstedt. “Most of these kids are guys that came in as freshmen during that first full recruiting season when I first came to the university. So it’s been really neat seeing these kids grow as young men and also become better football players and build this program back up.” This group of seniors is known for its leadership. That was evident in the waking moments following last week’s loss at West Virginia. The squad got together for meetings and practice the very next day, which was scheduled as an off-day for the team. “These kids were in here bouncing around this weekend getting ready to play in this game,” said Wannstedt. “They’re looking forward to playing this football game.” Wannstedt said having a large contingent of senior leaders on this team will allow for the Panthers to remain focused and keep their eyes on the prize: a Big East title and a spot in a BCS bowl game. “It’s an opportunity to play their last game in front of a home crowd, a sell-out crowd, on national TV and ultimately play for the Big East championship,” said Wannstedt. “It’s a great script for our football team. It’s a great script for our seniors. Now, we obviously have to take care of business to make sure we are prepared to go out and play the best game that we’ve played all season.” It is hard to imagine that these senior leaders will not make that happen. Posted on December 2nd, 2009 by David WhipkeyCourtesy www.pittsburghpanthers.com Junior Greg Romeus has been named a finalist for the prestigious Ted Hendricks Defensive End of the Year Award, it was announced today by the Ted Hendricks Foundation. Romeus (Coral Springs, Fla./Coral Glades) is one of seven finalists selected by a vote of the Hendricks Award selection committee. The winner will be announced on Dec. 9. For more information on the award and the Ted Hendricks Foundation, go to www.TedHendricks.com. Romeus is the second Pitt player to be named a finalist for a national award. Last week, senior tight end Dorin Dickerson was named one of three finalists for the John Mackey Award. The 6-foot-6, 270-pound Romeus is having an outstanding season for Pitt’s nationally ranked defensive unit, compiling 38 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss and eight sacks. One of the country’s most disruptive defensive linemen, Romeus also has two forced fumbles, an interception, a fumble recovery and a blocked PAT. His eight sacks pace a Pitt defensive unit that leads the entire country in that category. The Panthers have a national-best 42 sacks, their highest total since 1988. The Panthers (9-2, 5-1 Big East) are ranked as high as No. 14 this week heading into their regular-season finale at Heinz Field against the undefeated Cincinnati Bearcats (11-0, 6-0), ranked No. 5 nationally. The game, a noon national ABC telecast, will decide the 2009 Big East championship and the league’s BCS bowl entrant. 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 24th, 2009 by David WhipkeyCourtesy of www.pittsburghpanthers.com Pittsburgh senior Dorin Dickerson has been named a finalist for the prestigious John Mackey Award, annually presented to the nation’s top tight end by the Nassau County Sports Commission. Dickerson (Imperial, Pa./West Allegheny) was one of three finalists selected by a vote of the John Mackey Selection Committee. The other finalists include Florida junior Aaron Hernandez and Brigham Young senior Dennis Pitta. The winner will be announced on Dec. 10 during the Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards Show. For additional information on the John Mackey Award, please visit www.johnmackeyaward.org or www.nassausports.org. Ranked No. 8 by The Associated Press and No. 9 in the USA Today coaches’ poll, Pitt has its highest November rankings since 1982. The Panthers are ninth in this week’s Bowl Championship Series ratings, their highest BCS listing ever. Pitt achieved its lofty rankings after winning six consecutive games to improve to 9-1 on the year, its best start since the 1982 Panthers, led by quarterback Dan Marino, also started 9-1. The Panthers will put their undefeated Big East record (5-0) on the line at West Virginia (7-3, 3-2) this Friday, Nov. 27, at 7 p.m. The game will be a national ESPN2 telecast. Pitt will conclude its regular season against Cincinnati (10-0, 6-0) at Heinz Field on Dec. 5. The game will have a noon kickoff and decide the winner of the 2009 Big East championship and resultant Bowl Championship Series berth. Less than 5,000 seats remain for the Pitt-Cincinnati game. To purchase tickets, log on to www.PittsburghPanthers.com or call the Pitt Ticket Office at (800) 643-PITT. |
 
 |
|
PittPanthersGameday.com is NOT affiliated with the Pittsburgh Panthers, the Big East or the NCAA |
||
