University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Football Prepares For Miami
11/6/2000 12:00:00 AM | Football
Football Prepares For Miami
11/6/2000
The Series: This is the 28th meeting between Pittsburgh and Miami in a series that dates back to the 1950 season. Miami leads the series, 17-9-1, and has won 10 of the last 11 contests, including a 33-3 decision in Pittsburgh last year. The Panthers' lone victory during that stretch was a 21-17 decision in Pitt Stadium during their 1997 Liberty Bowl campaign. Prior to the '97 game, Pittsburgh's last win over the Hurricanes came during its 1976 national championship year a 36-19 victory at Pitt Stadium.
WALT HARRIS is in his fourth year as head coach at Pittsburgh, where he has compiled an 18-24 record. Harris is 29-48 overall in his seventh season as a head coach. He was named the 1997 Big East Coach of the Year after guiding Pittsburgh to a 6-5 regular-season mark and the AXA/Equitable Liberty Bowl, the Panthers' first postseason berth in eight years. Harris was named Pittsburgh's 33rd head football coach Dec. 16, 1996. His other head coaching post was at Pacific (his alma mater) from 1989-91. At Pacific, Harris compiled an 11-24 record in three seasons. Ironically, his head coaching debut occurred at Pitt Stadium against the Panthers on Sept. 2, 1989. Prior to Pittsburgh, he was the quarterbacks coach at Ohio State from 1995-96. Harris was instrumental in molding the Buckeyes into one of the nation's most prolific offensive teams. He also held assistant coaching positions with the New York Jets of the National Football League (1992-94) and at Tennessee (1983-88), Illinois (1980-82), Michigan State (1978-80), Air Force (spring 1978), California (1974-77) and Pacific (1971-73).
BUTCH DAVIS is 7-1 in his sixth season at Miami, where he has a 47-20 overall record. Davis was named Miami's 18th head coach on Jan. 24, 1995. Last year he led Miami to a 9-4 mark and a win over Georgia Tech in the Gator Bowl, 28-13. Prior to his Miami appointment, Davis was an assistant with the Dallas Cowboys (1989-94), serving under former Miami head coach and Pitt assistant Jimmy Johnson. Dallas won two Super Bowls (1993 and 1994) during his tenure. Davis additionally served as an assistant under Johnson on the collegiate level at Miami (1984-88) and Oklahoma State (1979-83).
Game Captains: Pittsburgh's captains for the Miami game are running back Kevan Barlow (offense), defensive back Mark Ponko (defense), defensive back Gary Urschler (defense) and linebacker Brian Beinecke (special teams).
Players of the Game: As selected by the Pittsburgh coaching staff, the Players of the Game for the North Carolina contest were defensive back Mark Ponko (defense), defensive back Gary Urschler (defense) and receiver R.J. English (special teams).
Bryant a Biletnikoff Semifinalist: Antonio Bryant, who leads the country with an average of 148.86 receiving yards per game, has been named one of 10 semifinalists for the Biletnikoff Award, annually presented to the nation's top collegiate receiver. The three finalists for this year's award will be selected Nov. 15 with the winner named Dec. 7 at the ESPN College Football Awards Show at Disney World in Orlando, Fla.
On the year, Bryant has 52 catches for 1,042 yards (20.0 avg.) and nine touchdowns, becoming just the fourth player in Big East history to have over 1,000 receiving yards in a season. He is only 90 yards from setting the league single-season record held by Syracuse's Marvin Harrison, who had 1,131 in 1995.
In addition to pacing the country in receiving yards, he also ranks sixth nationally in receptions (7.43 avg.). Bryant leads the Big East in both categories as well.
Sunshine State Natives: The University of Pittsburgh football team features three Florida natives South Florida natives in particular. Antonio Bryant and defensive back Torrie Cox both hail from Miami, while defensive end Claude Harriott is from nearby Belle Glade.
Bryant and Cox were teammates at Miami Northwestern High, where they helped their squad to the Florida 6A championship and a No. 4 national ranking. Bryant has emerged as one of the nation's best receivers, collecting 52 passes for 1,042 yards. Cox recently made the move to defensive back, where he saw quality time in the secondary versus North Carolina, and is one of two players in the Big East to return a kickoff for a touchdown this year (86 yards versus Rutgers). Harriott, who was the Palm Beach County Defensive Player of the Year in 1998 and led his team to the 4A state title, has 18 tackles this season, including his first career sack versus North Carolina.
Deuces are Wild: Pittsburgh's game with Miami features the number "two" several times. Firstly, the Hurricanes are the country's second-ranked team, after defeating the previous No. 2 team, Virginia Tech, this past weekend. Secondly, the game will be played on ESPN 2, marking the second consecutive game the Panthers have appeared on the network. Thirdly, this marks the second time in three weeks Pittsburgh has played the second-ranked team in the nation on the road. The Panthers lost to then second-ranked Virginia Tech, 37-34, in the closing seconds at Blacksburg on Oct. 21.
Close Shaves: Pittsburgh's three losses this season have been by a combined total of 13 points, an average of 4.3 points per game. One of its losses came in overtime while the other was decided in the final seconds.
The Panthers suffered a 24-17 defeat at Syracuse in double overtime Oct. 7 and extended second-ranked Virginia Tech to the limit before the Hokies kicked a field goal with 16 seconds left for a 37-34 win. Last week against North Carolina, Pittsburgh suffered its second-consecutive three-point loss, 20-17.
Panthers Pile Up Awards: Pittsburgh boasts eight Big East Conference Player of the Week awards this season (through Oct. 23). Quarterback John Turman was Pittsburgh's most recent honoree, earning Offensive Player of the Week following his 311-yard passing performance versus Virginia Tech.
The Panthers' Big East award total is second only to Virginia Tech's 12 honorees.
In addition to Turman, Pittsburgh's other 2000 honorees include sophomore linebacker Gerald Hayes (Defensive Player of the Week, Sept. 25), redshirt freshman quarterback/kick returner Rod Rutherford (Special Teams, Sept. 25), junior defensive end Bryan Knight (Defense, Sept. 11 and 18), sophomore receiver Antonio Bryant (Offense, Sept. 11 and Oct. 23) and junior placekicker Nick Lotz (Special Teams, Sept. 4).
TV Land: The Pittsburgh-Miami game is a national telecast on ESPN 2, marking the Panthers' 175th all-time television appearance and seventh this year.
Pittsburgh is 3-3 before a television audience this season, defeating Bowling Green (34-16 on ESPN Regional), Penn State (12-0 on CBS) and Boston College (42-36 on ESPN Regional), while losing to Syracuse (24-17 in overtime on ESPN 2), Virginia Tech (37-34 on CBS) and North Carolina (20-17 on ESPN 2).
The Panthers will appear on CBS again Nov. 24 when they host West Virginia, giving them eight television games for the season.
The 2000 season marks the fifth straight year Pittsburgh will have at least seven games televised. Last year the Panthers tied a school regular-season record with nine television appearances. (Pittsburgh's upcoming game with Temple is a potential television date as well.)
Strike Force: Pittsburgh's offense has displayed big-play and quick-strike capability all season. The Panthers have had 16 plays covering 40 or more yards this year. Quarterback John Turman and receiver Antonio Bryant had a pair of big gainers versus North Carolina. Turman and Bryant hooked up on an 84-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter. In the third period the tandem hooked up on a 52-yard gain.
Pittsburgh went 80 yards in 1:22 for its first touchdown against North Carolina. Its second TD drive covered 80 yards in just 1:32.
The Panthers' quick-strike ability was evident at Virginia Tech with drives of 12 seconds, 31 seconds and six seconds. At the end of the third quarter, Pittsburgh scored 14 points in a span of 24 seconds to take a 34-27 lead.
On the year, Pittsburgh's offense has recorded a total of 11 scores covering 40 yards or more and has scored 20 TDs on drives lasting less than three minutes.
Efficiency Excellence: Walt Harris is renowned for being one of the nation's finest teachers of the passing game. Not surprisingly, Pittsburgh ranks as one of the most efficient passing teams in the nation.
The Panthers rank second nationally and first in the Big East with a team pass efficiency rating of 160.01. (Florida State leads the nation with a 167.75 rating.) The Panthers have completed 137-of-244 passes (.561) for 2,328 yards with 20 touchdowns and only four interceptions.
Starting quarterback John Turman, who has an individual rating of 164.49, ranks third nationally and first in the Big East. Turman has completed 102-of-183 passes for 1,812 yards with 16 touchdowns and only three interceptions. David Priestley, who came off the bench to throw a touchdown versus North Carolina, has a rating of 149.24, completing 58.3 percent of his passes for 516 yards with four TDs and one interception.
Air Raid: Pittsburgh has produced 300-yard passing games in each of its last three contests and leads the Big East with an average of 291.0 passing yards per game. The Panthers rank 14th nationally in passing yards. Pittsburgh threw for a season-high 344 yards versus North Carolina, which entered the game giving up 227 yards passing per contest. John Turman threw for 225 yards, including passes of 84 and 52 yards to Antonio Bryant, while David Priestley added 119 yards on eight completions, including a 19-yard score to Latef Grim to pull the Panthers within three late in the fourth quarter.
Pittsburgh threw for 332 yards versus Boston College, which entered the game allowing just 146.7 yards through the air to rank second in the nation. Pittsburgh passed for 311 yards versus No. 2 Virginia Tech, which was allowing only 292.57 of total offense prior to the contest.
Pittsburgh has led the Big East in passing in two of the last three years, including the 1997 and 1999 seasons. Last year, John Turman and David Priestley combined for 240.4 passing yards per game (2,644 total) to pace the conference and rank 33rd nationally. Pittsburgh also led the Big East in passing during its 1997 Liberty Bowl season, averaging 254.8 yards per game. Pete Gonzalez threw for 2,657 yards that year (regular-season total) on the way to All-Big East honors.
Wide Receiver U.?: Head Coach Walt Harris has stated he wants Pittsburgh to become "Wide Receiver U." Recent history suggests the Panthers are well on their way.
Antonio Bryant and Latef Grim are the most productive receiving tandem in the Big East, combining 1,504 yards on 81 receptions. (The next closest is Miami's Reggie Wayne and Santana Moss, who have combined for 1,105 yards on 62 receptions.)
Bryant, a Biletnikoff Award semifinalist, is the nation's most productive receiver. He leads the country in receiving yards (148.9 avg.) and ranks sixth in receptions (7.43). Bryant paces the Big East in both categories as well. Grim ranks seventh in receiving yards (57.8) and eighth in receptions (3.62) among Big East players.
Pittsburgh has produced the top receiver in the Big East each of the past three seasons. Grim led the conference each of the last two years, averaging 100.6 receiving yards in 1999 and 90.6 in 1998. In 1997, Terry Murphy led the Big East with an average of 79.4 receiving yards per game and set a conference record with 13 touchdown catches.
Historical First: The performances of receiver Antonio Bryant and running back Kevan Barlow versus Boston College marked the first time in Big East history a team had a 200-yard receiver and 200-yard rusher in the same game. Bryant had 222 receiving yards, while Barlow rushed for 209 yards in the 42-26 win.
Bryant's receiving yardage is the second-best effort in both Big East and Pittsburgh history, behind the Panthers' own Dietrich Jells, who had 225 yards versus West Virginia in 1994.
Barlow's 209 yards are the most ever by a Pittsburgh player in a Big East contest. The previous best was 206 yards, achieved by Curtis Martin against Syracuse in 1993.
In the Red Zone: Pittsburgh has scored on 16 of its 23 chances (.696) inside the 20-yard line or "red zone" in 2000. The following is a game-by-game breakdown of Pittsburgh in the red zone:
Sack Attack: One of Pittsburgh's biggest strengths this season has been a potent pass rush. Although three regular-season games remain, Pittsburgh has already surpassed its sack total from all of last season. The Panthers have produced a Big East-best 26 sacks in eight games. Last year, Pittsburgh had just 21 sacks in 11 games. Defensive end Bryan Knight has emerged as one of the Big East's top pass rushers and leads Pittsburgh with 9.5 sacks. He is fourth nationally with an average of 1.36 per game (as of Nov. 1). Linebacker Brian Beinecke is second for the Panthers with three sacks.
Rushing Roulette: Pittsburgh's rushing defense has been another area of strength this year. The Panthers' defense, under the direction of first-year coordinator Paul Rhoads, continues to rank among the nation's best at stopping the run.
The Panthers rank 28th nationally and second in the Big East, surrendering 110.1 yards per contest, including a mere 2.7 yards per attempt. Virginia Tech leads the Big East, surrendering 100.0 rushing yards per game. Miami is third in the conference with a 113.1 average.
Against Rutgers, Pittsburgh yielded a season-low minus 13 yards rushing, the lowest output by a Panther opponent since Pittsburgh held Brigham Young to a school-record minus 76 rushing yards in 1987.
In Pittsburgh's first three contests this season, it limited Kent State to 83 yards on 35 attempts (2.4 avg.), Bowling Green to 35 yards on 39 attempts (0.9 avg.) and Penn State to 64 yards on 33 attempts (1.9 avg.).
Only two players have rushed for over 100 yards against Pittsburgh this season, including Lee Suggs of Virginia Tech (164) and James Mungro of Syracuse (101).
Panther Improvement: During the Walt Harris era, Pittsburgh has continually improved in stopping the run. The following is a breakdown of the Panthers' run defense prior to Harris' arrival and the four years of his tenure.
Many Happy Returns: Pittsburgh's kick return unit has emerged as one of the best in the country. The Panthers rank third in the Big East and 20th nationally, averaging 22.52 yards per return.
Redshirt freshman Rod Rutherford averages 27.0 yards per kick return. He would rank ninth nationally but does not meet the NCAA minimum of 1.2 returns per game. Rutherford earned Big East Special Teams Player of the Week after he had four returns for 124 yards (31.0 avg.) against Rutgers, which stands as the second-best single-game effort in the Big East this season.
Torrie Cox has also contributed to the unit, returning a kickoff 86 yards for a touchdown versus Rutgers. It was Pittsburgh's first kickoff return for a TD since Curtis Anderson had a 91-yard return against Temple on Oct. 15, 1996.
College Hall of Fame to Induct Schmidt: All-time great linebacker Joe Schmidt, who starred for Pittsburgh from 1950-52, will be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame this December. He is already a member of the Professional Football Hall of Fame, having received induction in 1973.
A Mt. Oliver native, Schmidt established himself as one of the finest players in collegiate and NFL history. An All-American in 1952, he personified the hard-nosed player of that era as his playing style was described by one writer as ?football at the boiling point.?
Schmidt went on to an outstanding 13-year professional career with the Detroit Lions, earning All-Pro eight times. He also served the Lions as head coach from 1967-72, leading Detroit to its only playoff appearance in the 1970s.
A Roll Call of Greatness: Joe Schmidt is the 20th Pittsburgh player or coach to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame and the fourth in the last six years. Schmidt also joins Tony Dorsett and Mike Ditka as one of three former Panther players to be elected to both the professional and college halls of fame.
In addition to Schmidt, the Panthers? other College Football Hall of Famers, with the years they participated at Pittsburgh in parentheses, are: Len Casanova (1950, coach), Averell Daniell (1934-36), Tom Davies (1918-21), Mike Ditka (1958-60), Joseph Donchess (1927-29), Tony Dorsett (1973-76), Bill Fralic (1981-84), Hugh Green (1977-80), Marshall Goldberg (1936-38), John Majors (1954-56, as a player at Tennessee), Herb McCracken (1918-20), George McLaren (1915-18), Robert Peck (1913-16), Joe Skladany (1931-33), Herb Stein (1918-21), Dr. John B. Sutherland (1914-17 [player], 1924-38 [coach]), Joseph Thompson (1904-06 [player], 1908-12 [coach]), Hube Wagner (1910-13), and Glenn ?Pop? Warner (1915-23, coach).
Home Sweet (Temporary) Home: Three Rivers Stadium will serve as the home of the Pittsburgh Panthers for the 2000 season. After this year, the Panthers will move into the city's new North Shore football stadium, which is currently under construction.
From 1925-99, the Panthers played in Pitt Stadium. The building was razed following last season to make way for the Petersen Events Center, a state-of-the-art convocation center that will house Pittsburgh's men's and women's basketball teams.
Pittsburgh is 6-4 all-time at Three Rivers Stadium, including 4-1 this year.
Interesting Trend: During a three-year period, Pittsburgh will have the distinction of playing the final season in two different stadiums, while opening a third. The Panthers closed Pitt Stadium last year and will also do the same for Three Rivers Stadium, which will witness its final season in 2000. In 2001, the Panthers (along with the Steelers) will debut the city's new North Shore football stadium, which is being constructed just west of the current site of Three Rivers.
Curtis Comes Home: Curtis Bray returned to his alma mater this past February when he was named defensive ends coach at Pittsburgh. Bray was a four-year starter at linebacker for Pittsburgh from 1988-91.
Bray has been instrumental this year in the development of defensive end Bryan Knight, who was recently named the nation's most improved player by ESPN.com.
Prior to rejoining the Panthers, Bray was a defensive ends coach at Villanova from 1997-99.
Bray finished his Pittsburgh career with 170 tackles despite an array of injuries his final two collegiate seasons. One of his most memorable performances occurred at Penn State in 1988 when he had a quarterback sack for a safety and a key interception to lift the Panthers to a 14-7 victory. In 1989, he helped Pittsburgh to a 31-28 victory over Texas A&M in the John Hancock Bowl and a No. 17 final national ranking.
A native of Monroeville, Pa., he is a 1988 graduate of Gateway High School. Bray enjoyed an exceptional athletic career at Gateway High. In 1987, he became the first defensive player ever selected as the Gatorade National High School Football Player of the Year and also was a first team USA Today All-American.
Bray graduated from Pittsburgh in 1992 with a bachelor's degree in economics.
Best of the Century: Pittsburgh's rich football tradition was well represented on various All-Century college football teams. Sports Illustrated's All-Century list had four former Panthers, including end Mike Ditka (1958-60), running back Tony Dorsett (1973-76), offensive lineman Bill Fralic (1981-84) and defensive end Hugh Green (1977-80). The Walter Camp Football Foundation also lauded Dorsett, Fralic and Green as All-Century performers.
Big East 10th Anniversary Team: Pittsburgh had three of its former players named to the Big East Football Conference 10th Anniversary Team, as selected by the conference's media members. Pittsburgh's honorees included Dietrich Jells (1991-95), who ranks as the Big East's all-time leading receiver with 3,003 career yards, offensive lineman Ruben Brown (1991-94), a 1994 All-American, and linebacker Tom Tumulty (1991, 93-95), the third all-time leading tackler in Panther history with 413 stops.
