Record, rankings, and standing in conference: Pittsburgh is
8-4, 5-2 in conference play, #24 in the AP poll, #23 in the coaches poll, finished
the regular season third in the Big East.
Key Players:
Offense:
QB Rod Rutherford (6-3, 220): threw 179 completions for 2,600 yards, 21 touchdowns,
and 12 interceptions, also ran for 412 net yards and five touchdowns. Has a
strong arm and can run. Very athletic. Made All-Big East Second Team and was
second in the league in total offense with 251 ypg.
WR Larry Fitzgerald (6-3, 210): true fresham who caught 64 passes for 917 yards
and 11 touchdowns. Made All-Big East First Team, was a unanimous selection,
first true freshman in conference history to do so. Also named Big East rookie
of the year
Defense:
LB Gerald Hayes (6-3, 245): ranks fourth all time in Pitt history with 391 career
tackles, leads the Panthers with 122 tackles, 16 for losses, two interceptions,
and two sacks, first Pitt defender in 14 years to have three consecutive 100-tackle
seasons, made All-Big East First Team and was a CNNSI.com all-american selection
and an AP third team all-american, Sporting News and CollegeFootballNews.com
selected Hayes as the conferences defensive Player of the Year.
DT Torrie Cox (5-10, 185): lead the team with 13 pass breakups, fourth on the
team with 77 tackles and second in interceptions with two, also returns kickoffs
where he was 32nd in the country in kick off returns with a 23.7 average, was
a unanimous All-Big East First Team selection.
Injuries:
Last Panther game result:
Avon Cobourne ran 25 times for 105 yards and one touchdown to lead
West Virginia to a 24-17 win over Pittsburgh in the 95th annual Backyard Brawl.
Cobourne now has 1,593 yards on the season which sets a new single-season school
record.
Rasheed Marshall completed 5-of-9 passes for 123 yards and one touchdown, while
he also caught a pass for 25 yards. The Mountaineers (9-3, 6-1 Big East) have
now won four straight and six of their last seven...Pitt
falls to West Virginia, 24-17
Prediction for game:
Series History and last meeting result: The Panthers and Beavers
have never met.
Miscellaneous Notes on Pitt:
- A victory over Oregon State would give the Panthers nine wins for the first
time since 1982.
- The Panthers have not allowed more than 28 points in any game this year.
- UP is looking for bowl wins in back-to-back seasons for the first time since
1979-80.
- Under head coach Walt Harris, the Panthers have thrown for 200 yards or
more 45 times in 70 games, including 14 outings with 300 yards or better.
- Pitt is 9-12 (.429) in bowl games.
- Pittsburgh is 22-22 all-time against Pac-10 foes. The Panthers have played
at least one game against every other Pac-10 school.
- Pittsburgh is 7-2 in its last nine games away from home.
- The Panthers defeated then No. 3 Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, VA during
the 2002 season.
- This is Pittsburgh's third consecutive bowl berth and its fourth in the
last six years.
- The Panthers head to the Insight Bowl with the most wins in a season since
1989 and their first national rankings since 1991.
- The Insight Bowl, which will be nationally televised by ESPN, marks the
Panthers’ 194th all-time television appearance and their ninth this
year.
- Pittsburgh is making its 41st appearance on ESPN.
- More statistical tidbits on Pitt can be found in a previous article by BeaverFootball.com.
Pitt by Numbers
PITTSBURGH vs. OREGON STATE
- By The Numbers
(courtesy of BigEast.org)
Additional statistical comparisions of the Beavers and Panthers
can be found at cbs.sportsline.com.
| UP (Nat'l Rank) |
|
OSU (Nat'l Rank) |
| 24.42 (77) |
Points Per Game |
33.42 (18) |
| 363.0 (74) |
Total Offense |
418.33 (18) |
| 145.25 (61) |
Rushing Yards |
160.42 (50) |
| 217.75 (58) |
Passing Yards |
257.92 (28) |
| 18.25 (17) |
Scoring Defense |
19.08 (23) |
| 293.42 (11) |
Total Defense |
293.0 (10) |
| 126.58 (32) |
Rushing Defense |
92.33 (9) |
| 166.83 (12) |
Pass Defense |
200.67 (41) |
TOP