Posted on 2010-09-09 11:00:00
Pitt Home Opener Against New Hampshire On Saturday
After a disappointing loss last Thursday to the Utah Utes, the Pittsburgh Panthers (0-1, 0-0 Big East) will return home to Heinz Field to take on the New Hampshire Wildcats (1-0, 0-0 CAA).
The Wildcats could prove to be a tough opponent after averaging 313 rushing yards per game last season. With a kick return of 91 yards for a TD in their season opener, New Hampshire WR Terrance Fox looks to continue to showcase his offensive skills against Pitt this Saturday. Fox could be lethal in combination with Senior QB R.J. Toman if Pitt hasn’t fixed the holes in their secondary.
If the Panthers defense can prevent the Wildcats from getting on the board, QB Tino Sunseri will have a chance to go to work with his offense. Given time, Sunseri would have the opportunity to find WR Jon Baldwin deep in the end zone. Once Pitt’s offensive line steps up, RB Dion Lewis will have the openings to improve on his performance against Utah getting him back on track to have multiple hundred yard rushing games this season.
Kickoff is at 1:00 pm and the game will be broadcast on ESPN3. The first shuttle bus leaves from the William Pitt Union or Sutherland Hall at 9:30 am.
- Photo by: Corey Eisenberg
Posted on 2010-09-03 01:00:00
Pitt Falls to Utah in Overtime Debacle
The Pitt Panthers entered this football season with high hopes for their year. Ranked 15th in the country in the preseason AP Poll, many agreed that this could be the season for the Panthers to win the Big East. Unfortunately, the season started off on shaky ground as the Panthers fell Thursday night to the Utah Utes 27-24 in overtime.
The season opener for the Pitt Panthers was not a beautiful spectacle of Dion Lewis\’ talent, Jon Baldwin\‘s acrobatic catches, or new QB Tino Sunseri\‘s arm. The Thursday night fight between the Utah Utes and the Panthers was a display of what not to do in football and how to get penalized for it. Over the course of the four quarters, these two teams racked up 23 penalties between them, most coming at the worst times. The Panther\‘s secondary seemed unable to do anything against the passing game of Utah and the power of Pitt\‘s running back Dion Lewis was stifled by the Utes\’ D-line. This \“little guy,\” who had ten 100-yd games last year, finished with 75 yards on 25 carries, a career low. For a while it seemed like Pitt only knew how to make mistakes instead of plays.
However, there was a faint glimmer of hope late in the fourth quarter. With Pitt down 24-13 and 7:59 left on the clock, Sunseri and the Panthers were able to string together a series of plays reminiscent of last year\‘s squad, including a 44-yd pass to Jon Baldwin that resulted in a TD and a 2 point conversion. The final seconds of the fourth quarter had kicker, Dan Hutchins, poised to take the tying field goal…Three Times. Utah coach Kyle Whittingham called two time-outs, forcing Hutchins to repeat his kick making 2 out of the 3. As the Panthers were back in it with the chance to win in overtime, Sunseri threw an interception to Utah\‘s Brian Blechen on the first drive. This miscue allowed the Utes to get in position and kick the game winning field goal.
All in all, it was an ugly game of mistakes. Pitt Coach Dave Wannstedt now knows what to work on to improve the team before their rigorous Big East schedule begins. As long as the Panthers get their act together, they still have a chance at winning the Big East and getting that BCS Bowl Game. Now, they have a week to recover before returning to the gridiron at Heinz Field on September 11 to take on New Hampshire in their Home Opener. Kick-off is at 1:00 pm with coverage on ESPN3.com.
—Photos by : Nick Rutigliano
Posted on 2010-08-30 11:48:00
Let the Games Begin: Pitt Travels to Utah for Football Opener on Thursday
It’s that time of year again… Another football season gets underway on Thursday night in the highly anticipated season opener for the #15 ranked Pittsburgh Panthers as they travel to Salt Lake City to take on the Utah Utes (#24 USA Today).
The game will be nationally televised on Versus with kickoff scheduled for 8:30 pm. Pitt comes into the season predicted to win the Big East Conference for the second consecutive year. That’s a lot of pressure considering the fact that starting quarterback Tino Sunseri (sophomore) will be making his first career start on Thursday night. Pitt’s running game will have to excel this season led by Heisman hopeful Dion Lewis (sophomore). Last year, Lewis had a career year in his freshman campaign as his 1,799 rushing yards was the second highest total in school history behind Tony Dorsett’s 2,150 yards in 1976.
A road game to open the season is a rare occurrence for the Panthers. The last time Pittsburgh opened up on the road was in 1993. Utah will be a tough test though. The Utes are coming off a 10-3 season and are always among the top teams in the Mountain West Conference. Can the Panthers live up to all the hype and finally make it to that BCS Bowl Game? It all starts on Thursday night. Let the games begin!
Posted on 2010-04-13 11:48:00
Pitt Briefly Takes Home 1st in the Greeks for a Cause Bowl-A-Thon
The Pitt Briefly Sports team won first place in Kappa Kappa Gamma\'s 7th Annual Bowl-A-Thon benefiting the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. The event took place on April 10 at Arsenal Lanes.
On Saturday, April 10, Pitt Greek Life and student organizations met at Arsenal Lanes for Kappa Kappa Gamma’s 7th Annual Bowl-A-Thon benefiting the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. This is a disease that is very close to the sisters of Kappa Kappa Gamma as one of the girl’s has a cousin named Jude who is battling cystic fibrosis and is only two years old. The event was a tremendous success, with 20 teams competing and around $700 raised for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
In the end, the only team without Greek affiliation was the one that took home first place. With six players, Pitt Briefly Sports won the event with a cumulative total of 725 pins. Its members included staff reporters Robert Krebner, Jon Kanelstein, Jake Meyer, and Jeremy Ponn, WPTS Sports Director and Pitt Briefly contributor Matthew Carulli, and Sports Editor Corey Eisenberg. “We would like to thank all the Pitt organizations that participated and helped us make the event a huge success,” event coordinator Rachel Kasab said. It was a very fun day at the lanes for a great cause. Look for Kappa Kappa Gamma to continue this tradition in the years to come.
Posted on 2010-04-10 11:52:00
Pitt\'s Panthers Basketball Season, an Unexpected Success
During the 2009-2010 season, Pitt\'s men\'s basketball team went 13-5 in the Big East and 25-9 overall. Led by Ashton Gibbs during his breakout year, the Panthers had a much better season than expected by the media and fan base. The Panthers provided tons of excitement at the Petersen Events Center with three memorable comeback victories.
After a year in which Pitt earned a 31-5 record and the school’s first ever Elite Eight berth, the Panthers men’s basketball team came into the 2009-2010 season predicted to finish 9th in the Big East. After all, they lost four out of five starters, including All-Americans DeJuan Blair and Sam Young. It was supposed to be a rebuilding year. Jamie Dixon and the rest of the Pitt Panthers, however, had other plans.
The season began on a tough note for Pitt. Jermaine Dixon, the lone returning starter, missed the first eight games, and sixth man Gilbert Brown missed eleven games. While Sophomore Ashton Gibbs clearly showed significant improvement, the rest of the team struggled to score points against weaker out of conference opponents. The low point of the season came in a 74-64 loss to an inferior Indiana team. It took time, but the Panthers finally reached midseason form once Big East Play came around. Pitt shocked #5 Syracuse with an 82-72 victory at the Carrier Dome. That win started a three game road trip during which Pitt also took down promising Cincinnati and UConn. Suddenly Pitt was on the map.
During Big East play, Pitt had many miraculous wins, especially at home. The Panthers twice overcame five point deficits with under forty seconds. One of these included a 98-95 triple overtime victory over rival #5 West Virginia at the Petersen Events Center. When Pitt trailed by one to Providence with 3.5 seconds left, Ashton Gibbs drained a 3-point buzzer-beater from just inside midcourt. In the end, a 17-1 home record helped the Panthers finish tied for 2nd in the Big East and earn a #3 seed in the NCAA tournament. After easily beating Oakland 89-66 in the first round of the tournament, the Panthers fell one miracle short in the second round in a 71-68 loss to Xavier, which ended Pitt’s season.
Overall, Pitt finished the very successful season with a 25-9 record. Ashton Gibbs proved to be a consistent perimeter shooter averaging 15.7 points per game. Gilbert Brown also provided a huge spark with frequent acrobatic dunks. The program is heading in the right direction, only losing Jermaine Dixon and Chase Adams as seniors. With promising recruits and one more year of experience for players like Gibbs, Gary McGhee and Brad Wanamaker, the 2010-2011 season should be very exciting.