All of the adversity and negative energy that has worked against the Pitt Panthers the first few weeks of this season can be greatly alleviated by a big win Thursday night at home against a former conference rival.

The No. 19 Miami Hurricanes will blow into Heinz Field Thursday evening for a 7:30 kickoff before ESPN cameras against a perceived fragile Panthers outfit that has lost their All-American defensive end to injury and starting inside linebacker to off-field actions.

Pitt will face the Hurricanes without defensive Greg Romeus, who is recovering from back surgery and possibly sophomore linebacker Dan Mason. The Penn Hills native was demoted by coach Dave Wannstedt due to reports of poor classroom work and questionable actions off the field.

Adding to the load were the recent arrests of freshman running back Jason Douglas and offensive lineman Keith Coleman. Douglas faces charges of driving under the influence of alcohol while Coleman allegedly assaulted a male student on campus.

“It does bother me,” said coach Wannstedt during a recent press conference. “There is nobody that is affected more than me when it comes to involving this football program. I like to believe that because of playing here, coaching here and everything that we have invested in the program, you look at these kids as your own. You care about these kids. That is why you do what you do in this profession. Otherwise you get out.”

But there is a light at the end of the tunnel and it comes in the form of another opportunity of smacking pads with a highly-regarded opponent at home.

Pitt has not played Miami since the Hurricanes left the Big East in 2004 for the Atlantic Coast Conference. Miami handled Pitt in late November 2003 at a chilly Heinz Field with the conference title on the line.

This is not a revenge game for Pitt, it is simply a chance for the Panthers to get a boost into Big East play and elevate their profile nationally in the process.

One of Miami’s biggest weapons is quarterback Jacory Harris. Though he tossed four interceptions in a Sept. 21 loss at Ohio State, the junior has the full attention of the Pitt coaching staff.

“As we evaluate quarterbacks every week, there will be about four or five of them that can make the big time throws and he is one of those guys,” said Wannstedt.

Wannstedt added the Panthers will have to deal with Miami’s legendary team speed.

“We’re going to need to make tackles in the open field and that may be oversimplifying it,” said the coach. “They have good athletes and they’ve got good blocking schemes. I’m not making light of that.”

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.

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.
Among the country’s tight ends, Dickerson’s 10 scores rank second. He caught at least one touchdown in seven different games this year, including a career-high three at Buffalo.

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.

The Pitt Panthers today accepted an invitation to play in the 2009 Meineke Car Care Bowl in Charlotte, N.C., it was announced by the bowl’s officials. Pitt will face the North Carolina Tar Heels from the Atlantic Coast Conference on Saturday, Dec. 26, at Bank of America Stadium.

The game will be nationally televised by ESPN and kick off at 4:30 p.m.

The Panthers, ranked as high as No. 16, head into the postseason with a 9-3 record, their three losses coming by a combined 11 points (3.6 points per game).

“We are tremendously excited to have the University of Pittsburgh play in the 2009 Meineke Car Care Bowl,” said Will Webb, Executive Director. “The Panthers have had a tremendous season, and they have proven worthy of their national ranking. The anticipation of fans has been tremendous already. We have only a limited number of lower level seats left. We feel that this Pittsburgh team will make the Meineke Car Care Bowl a very exciting and competitive game.”

“Our program is excited to play another football game and have the opportunity to potentially earn a 10th victory,” Pitt head coach Dave Wannstedt said. “The Meineke Car Care Bowl organizers are outstanding people and professionals, and I know our team will have a first-class experience when we visit Charlotte later this month. Playing a national ESPN television game against a quality ACC opponent is a great opportunity and we are looking forward to the challenge.”

This will be Pitt’s 26th all-time bowl game, and its second visit to Charlotte for the postseason. The Panthers played in the 2003 Continental Tire Bowl, losing to Virginia, 23-16.

North Carolina went 8-4 under coach Butch Davis this past season. Wannstedt and Davis served together under Jimmy Johnson at three different stops, including with the Dallas Cowboys, University of Miami and Oklahoma State.
Pitt is 62-66-2 against current members of the ACC.

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.
On the year, Dickerson has 43 receptions for 496 yards (11.5 avg.) and 10 touchdowns. His 10 TDs established a new single-season Pitt record for a tight end, eclipsing the prior mark of nine set by Kris Wilson in 2003.
Wilson, now of the San Diego Chargers, was also a John Mackey Award finalist in 2003 and earned Associated Press All-America honors.

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.

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.

Pitt freshman tailback Dion Lewis has been named one of 15 “Players to Watch” for the 2009 Walter Camp Player of the Year Award, it was announced today by the Walter Camp Football Foundation.

Lewis is the only freshman on the Walter Camp list and one of just four running backs. The list will be pared down to five finalists on December 2, with the 2009 winner announced on December 10 during the 6 p.m. edition of ESPN SportsCenter.

Pitt boasts three previous winners of the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award, including running back Tony Dorsett (1976), defensive end Hugh Green (1980) and receiver Larry Fitzgerald (2003).

This is the latest recognition for Lewis (Albany, N.Y./Blair Academy [N.J.]), who is also a semifinalist for the Doak Walker Award (nation’s top running back) and Maxwell College Football Player of the Year Award.

The 5-foot-8, 195-pound freshman is also poised to become the first player since Virginia Tech quarterback Michael Vick in 1999 to be selected the Big East’s Offensive Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year in the same season.

Lewis is first in the Big East and sixth nationally in rushing yards per game (129.1 avg.). Overall he has 1,291 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns on 224 carries (5.8 avg.). He has scored 14 total TDs on the year.

Lewis needed just eight games to reach 1,000 yards, matching Dorsett’s Pitt freshman record set in 1973. With three games remaining, he trails Dorsett’s Pitt freshman rushing record of 1,686 by only 395 yards.

“I love watching the kid,” said Dorsett. “It brings back a lot of memories for me. I’m really happy for him that he has been able to excel. What I like most is he has no ego. He just runs the ball.”

Lewis is also ready to become the most prolific freshman rusher in Big East history. He is just 37 yards away from matching former Pitt tailback LeSean McCoy’s Big East frosh mark of 1,328 yards set in 2007.

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 moved up to 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 have a bye this week before putting their undefeated Big East record (5-0) on the line at West Virginia (7-3, 3-2) on Nov. 27 at 7 p.m. on ESPN2. Pitt will conclude its regular season against Cincinnati (10-0, 6-0) at Heinz Field on Dec. 5. Kickoff for the de facto Big East title game will be at noon and be televised nationally on ABC.

Pitt fans should feel very good about themselves this week. In fact, they should feel almost 10-feet tall and bulletproof.

The Panthers made a large statement Saturday night at Heinz Field by virtue of their 27-22 win over Notre Dame in front of more than 65,000 patrons and a national television audience. Pitt controlled the flow of the game for three-plus quarters until the Fighting Irish made it interesting in the end.

Now, the squad heads into their second bye week before traveling south on Interstate 79 to take on rival West Virginia in what will most certainly be the most hostile environment they will see this season.

But that is nearly two weeks away. Panther Nation has plenty of time to bask in the glow of what has been a special season. Certainly, their reason for puffing their chests out can be understood.

Once again, the Panthers are showing that they are not the flashy but flimsy squads that were taking the field earlier this decade. Yes, then coach Walt Harris took a pass-happy team to five consecutive bowls, but they were never a serious contender for anything but a mid-level post-season game each year. They did win the Big East title in 2004. But that was mostly due to West Virginia and Boston College imploding down the stretch.

In many instances, when the Panthers were punched in the face, they tended to back down. Offensive lines from Notre Dame, West Virginia, Virginia Tech and Miami ran roughshod over Pitt’s defense while quarterbacks Tyler Palko and Rod Rutherford were seen running for their lives.

Those days appear to be over. Coach Dave Wannstedt has instilled a sense of toughness and physicality that was a Pitt trademark a generation and a half ago. That has been apparent all year long and was on full display Saturday against a talented Notre Dame squad.

Pitt ran the ball to the tune of 193 yards against the Fighting Irish. More impressively, they averaged six yards per rush. Dion Lewis did his best Tony Dorsett impression Saturday with his 152-yard, one touchdown performance. His running mate Ray Graham added an electrifying 53-yard dash in the third quarter which also set up his two-yard touchdown run late in the third period. Pitt fans are salivating at the fact both of these backs will be in the Panthers backfield for at least two more years following this season.

The offensive line along with fullback Henry Hynoski imposed their will all night long. Hynoski cleared the way on both scoring runs and was regularly seen clearing Notre Dame linebackers from the point of attack. Quarterback Bill Stull was not sacked and given the time to pass for 236 yards to go with his 36-yard touchdown toss to the superb Jonathan Baldwin.

Baldwin also had a coming out party against the Irish. Not only did he snag five catches for 142 yards, he was simply the star of offensive stars. Baldwin’s 51-yard catch along the sideline over Notre Dame’s Darrin Walls could easily have been compared to Steelers legend Lynn Swann’s levitating leap against the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl X.

Pitt’s defensive front made life miserable for Irish quarterback Jimmy Clausen. The Panthers sacked him three times, forced one interception and harassed him throughout the night. Defensive end Greg Romeus made the play of the night when he strip-sacked Clausen on third down and 16 late in the fourth quarter.

This is all heady stuff for a fan base that has not seen such play by the Panthers since the early 1980s. They should be even more encouraged that the best may very well be yet to come.

Notes: Tight end Dorin Dickerson was named a semifinalist for the John Mackey Award. He leads the nation with 10 touchdown receptions on the season.

The Pitt-West Virginia game slated for Friday, November 27 will be televised nationally on ESPN2 at 7 p.m.

University of Pittsburgh freshman tailback Dion Lewis has been named one of 10 semifinalists for the prestigious Doak Walker Award, annually presented to the nation’s top running back, it was announced today by The Guaranty Bank SMU Athletic Forum Board of Directors.

Lewis (Albany, N.Y./Blair Academy [N.J.]) is the only true freshman on the list. Through nine games, he has rushed for 1,139 yards on 203 carries (5.6 avg.) and 12 touchdowns. Lewis has scored 13 total TDs on the year.

Lewis matched the legendary Tony Dorsett’s Pitt record by needing just eight games to reach 1,000 yards as a freshman. (The NCAA record is seven games, achieved by only five players.)

This is the latest accolade for Lewis, who last week was named a semifinalist for the Maxwell College Football Player of the Year Award. He was also honored as a “Midseason All-American” by CBSSports.com and SI.com.

Lewis could become the first player since Virginia Tech’s Michael Vick in 1999 to be selected the Big East’s Offensive Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year in the same season. He leads the Big East in rushing (126.56 yards/game), scoring (8.67 points/game), rushing touchdowns (tied) and total touchdowns.

Three finalists for the 2009 Doak Walker Award will be announced on November 23. The winner will be announced live on The Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards Show on December 10.

Joining Lewis as Doak Walker semifinalists are Donald Buckram (Jr., UTEP), Jonathan Dwyer (Jr., Georgia Tech), Toby Gerhart (Sr., Stanford), Mark Ingram (So., Alabama), Ryan Mathews (Jr., Fresno State), Jacquizz Rodgers (So., Oregon State), C.J. Spiller (Sr., Clemson), Ben Tate (Sr., Auburn) and Ryan Williams (Redshirt-Fr., Virginia Tech).

Ranked No. 8 by The Associated Press and No. 9 in the USA Today coaches poll, Pitt has its highest November ranking since 1982. The Panthers are 12th in this week’s Bowl Championship Series ratings, their highest BCS listing ever.

University of Pittsburgh senior tight end Dorin Dickerson has been named the “John Mackey Tight End of the Week” by the Nassau County Sports Commission for his performance in the Panthers’ 37-10 victory over Syracuse this past weekend.

Dickerson (Imperial, Pa./West Allegheny) compiled a career-high 118 receiving yards on seven receptions (16.9 avg.) and caught his 10th touchdown of the year in leading Pitt past Syracuse. His 14-yard scoring catch in the third quarter gave the Panthers a 24-point lead and essentially sealed the result.

With his 10th TD catch, Dickerson established a new single-season Pitt record for a tight end, eclipsing the prior mark of nine set by Kris Wilson in 2003. Dickerson also had the first 100-yard receiving game by a Pitt tight end since 2004 (Erik Gill, 126 yards at South Florida).

Dickerson ranks No. 1 among the nation’s tight ends in touchdown catches (10). The next closest tight end has only seven TDs. (Among all receivers, Dickerson ranks second in TD catches, only one behind the national leader).With three regular-season games remaining, he has 39 total receptions for 450 yards (11.5 avg.).

Dickerson is also a viable candidate for the John Mackey Award, annually presented to the nation’s top tight end. The 2009 recipient will be announced at the Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards Show on Dec. 10. 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 ranking since 1982. The Panthers are 12th in this week’s Bowl Championship Series ratings, their highest BCS listing ever.

Pitt achieved its lofty rankings after winning five consecutive games to improve to 8-1 on the year, its best start since the 1982 Panthers, led by quarterback Dan Marino, also started 8-1