Pittsburgh And Penn State Knock Heads Saturday
9/11/2000 12:00:00 AM | Football
Pittsburgh And Penn State Knock Heads Saturday
9/11/2000
The Series: This is the 96th game between Pittsburgh and Penn State in a series that dates back to 1893. Penn State leads the all-time series 50-41-4 and has won the last seven consecutive meetings. Pittsburgh's last win over the Nittany Lions was a 14-7 decision at Beaver Stadium in 1988. Pittsburgh's longest winning streak in the series is 14 games, which occurred under Jock Sutherland from 1922-38. Penn State's longest winning streak versus the Panthers is 10 games, from 1966-75. The 2000 meeting marks the last regularly scheduled game between the two schools.
WALT HARRIS is in his fourth year as head coach at Pittsburgh, where he has compiled a 15-21 record. Harris is 26-45 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).
JOE PATERNO is in his 35th year as head coach at Penn State and 50th season overall on the Nittany Lions' coaching staff. Paterno, who owns a 318-85-3 career record, is second only to Amos Alonzo Stagg in years coached at one school. Two years ago he reached a milestone by recording his 300th win, a feat achieved by only three other NCAA I-A coaches -- Paul "Bear" Bryant (323), Glen Scobey "Pop" Warner (319) and Stagg (314). (Sixty of Warner's wins came during his tenure as Pitt's head coach from 1915-23). Paterno, who has only coached at Penn State, began his career as an assistant under Rip Engle, from 1950-65. He succeeded Engle as head coach in 1966. Paterno owns a 23-6-1 mark versus Pittsburgh.
INJURY REPORT
DL Joe Conlin (shoulder) and DL Darrell McMurray (knee) are questionable. DB Gary Urschler and RB Julius Wallace (knee) are out.
Weekly Press Conference: Coach Walt Harris' weekly press conferences will be held Mondays of game weeks at the UPMC Sports Performance Complex. Starting times will be at 11:45 a.m. In addition to Coach Harris, select players and assistant coaches will also be available for photo and interview opportunities. Please contact Media Relations Director E.J. Borghetti with any special requests.
Panthers on FOX Sports Pittsburgh: Every weekly Panther football press conference will be shown on FOX Sports Net Pittsburgh. The press conferences will air on Tuesdays of game weeks at 2 p.m.
Campus Insider with Walt Harris: For the third straight year, Walt Harris will give his college football insight on "Campus Insider," a weekly segment with WTAE-TV sportscaster Andrew Stockey. Campus Insider airs every Thursday during the season on WTAE's 11 p.m. news.
Game Captains: Pittsburgh's captains for the Penn State game are senior tailback Kevan Barlow (offense), senior receiver Latef Grim (offense), junior strong safety Mark Ponko (defense) and sophomore linebacker Gerald Hayes (special teams).
Players of the Game: As selected by the Pittsburgh coaching staff, the Players of the Game for the Bowling Green contest were sophomore receiver Antonio Bryant (offense), senior center Jeff McCurley (lineman), junior defensive end Bryan Knight (defense) and junior kicker Nick Lotz (special teams).
Homecoming Success: The Pittsburgh-Penn State game has some additional flavor this year as it marks Pitt's 2000 Homecoming. Since 1970, the Panthers have posted a 20-9-1 mark in Homecoming games. Of the Panthers' nine losses over that stretch, six have been by an average of only four points per game. Pittsburgh did not lose a single Homecoming game from 1976-1990, winning 14 and tying one (Navy, 28-28, in 1984).
Series History Lesson: Penn State ranks as Pittsburgh's oldest and most frequently played opponent. (Pittsburgh also ranks as Penn State's most frequently played foe.) The Keystone State schools have played 95 prior times, dating back to 1893, to rank 19th (tied) on the NCAA list of most-played rivalries. (The Tennessee-Kentucky and Oklahoma-Kansas series also have 95 prior meetings).
The Panthers and Lions met every year from 1935-92 until the series took a four-year hiatus. The series resumed in 1997 and the 2000 meeting marks the last regularly scheduled game between the two schools.
The Pittsburgh-West Virginia rivalry also ranks among college football's oldest. The series ranks 32nd on the NCAA's most-played list with 92 previous meetings.
Keystone State Civil War: The Pittsburgh-Penn State series has been described by some participants as a "Gridiron Civil War," pitting many former high school teammates -- and sometimes family members -- against each other.
Former Pennsylvania high school teammates facing each other in this year's battle include: Mike White (Pittsburgh) and Ron Graham (Penn State) of Penn Hills, Tim Stein, Jay Junko (Pittsburgh) and Jason Bisson (Penn State) of Upper St. Clair, Steven Burke (Pittsburgh) and Dan Acri (Penn State) of Bishop McDevitt, and Mark Ponko (Pittsburgh) and B.J. Evangelista (Penn State) of Franklin Regional. Others being reunited from outside the Keystone State are Shawn Robinson (Pittsburgh) and Deryck Toles (Penn State) from Warren G. Harding (Warren, Ohio) as well as Dan Stephens (Pittsburgh) and Eddie Drummond (Penn State) from Linsly School (Wheeling, W.V.).
Close Calls Are Common: In five of the last eight meetings, the Pittsburgh-Penn State game was decided by a touchdown or less. The last two meetings have been decided by a total of 10 points as the Lions won 20-13 at Pitt Stadium in 1998 and edged the Panthers 20-17 at Beaver Stadium last season.
Cat Fight on the River: Pittsburgh and Penn State will play each other at Three Rivers Stadium for the first time in 24 seasons. The Panthers and Nittany Lions last met at Three Rivers in the 1976 regular-season finale for both teams. Pittsburgh, undefeated and ranked No. 1 in the country, routed Penn State, 24-7, behind 224 yards rushing by Heisman Trophy winner Tony Dorsett. The Panthers went on to the Sugar Bowl where it defeated Georgia, 27-3, to capture the national championship.
Interestingly, the Panthers were the "road team" in the 1976 affair. Pittsburgh hosted Penn State at Three Rivers in 1974 and 1975. The Nittany Lions won the '74 matchup, 31-10, and the '75 encounter, 7-6.
Strong Start: Pittsburgh's season is off to a strong start. The Panthers are 2-0 for the first time since 1995. Pittsburgh's last 3-0 start occurred during the 1991 season when it opened the year with five straight wins.
Pittsburgh opened the 2000 season with a 30-7 win over Kent State to improve to 22-5 (.815) in season-opening contests since 1974. The Panthers are 71-38-2 (.645) all-time in openers and 4-0 under Head Coach Walt Harris in season debuts.
Pittsburgh defeated Bowling Green, 34-16, in its first road contest of the season Sept. 9. The last time the Panthers won their first road game of the season was 1993 when Head Coach John Majors began his second tenure at Pittsburgh with a 14-10 upset at Southern Mississippi.
Attacking the MAC: Pittsburgh's victories over Kent State and Bowling Green moved its all-time record against Mid-American Conference schools to a flawless 16-0. The Panthers have defeated MAC teams by a combined margin of 595-166.
Panthers on the Tube: The final regularly scheduled game between Pittsburgh and Penn State will be a split national telecast on CBS. (Tennessee and Florida will also be a part of the split national telecast.) This is the second time in three years that CBS has carried the Pittsburgh-Penn State game and the fourth time overall.
The game will mark the Panthers' 170th all-time television appearance. Pittsburgh is 1-0 before a television audience this season, defeating Bowling Green, 34-16, in a game that was televised by ESPN Regional.
Pittsburgh will also play on CBS when it hosts West Virginia on Nov. 24. Additional television games are expected to be added as the season progresses.
Pittsburgh has had at least seven games televised each of the last four seasons. Last year the Panthers tied a school regular-season record with nine television appearances.
Air Raid: Regarded as one of the nation's top teachers of the passing game, Walt Harris has had a dramatic influence on Pittsburgh's air attack since taking over as head coach in 1997.
Pittsburgh has led the Big East in passing in two of the last three years, including the 1997 and 1999 seasons. Just two games into the 2000 season and the Panthers are pacing the Big East in passing again. Utilizing the quarterback duo of John Turman and David Priestley, Pittsburgh is averaging 307 passing yards per game to lead the Big East and rank 11th nationally.
Last year, Turman and 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.
Passing Grades: John Turman and David Priestley are a combined 35 of 58 (.603) for 614 yards with seven touchdowns and no interceptions. Those numbers equate to an impressive pass efficiency rating of 189.1, which tops the Big East and ranks third nationally.
Pittsburgh is one of just 23 Division I-A schools that have not thrown an interception during the young 2000 season.
Not in a Rush: Under the direction of first-year defensive coordinator Paul Rhoads, Pittsburgh ranks as one of the top rushing defenses in the nation. The Panthers only allowed Kent State to amass 83 yards on 35 attempts (2.4 avg.) and held Bowling Green to 35 yards on 39 attempts (0.9 avg.). Pittsburgh ranks 14th nationally and second in the Big East in rushing defense, surrendering 59 yards per contest.
Bringin' Heat: Complementing Pittsburgh's rushing defense has been an outstanding pass rush that has produced a Big East-best eight sacks in two contests. Defensive end Bryan Knight leads the Panthers with four sacks, which were all recorded in the Bowling Green victory. Knight's sack total tied the Big East single-game record. Linebacker Brian Beinecke is second on the team with two sacks.
Getting Defensive: Pittsburgh's pass defense has been steady as well, ranking 42nd nationally with a 100.51 pass efficiency rating. The Panthers have also intercepted three passes to rank 18th (tied) nationally. Overall, the Panther defense ranks 21st in the nation and third in the Big East, allowing 260 yards in total offense per contest.
In the Red Zone: Pittsburgh has scored on all six of its chances inside the 20-yard line or "red zone" in 2000.
A Great Player and Great Team: The University of Pittsburgh will celebrate the achievements of one of its greatest football players as well as one of its greatest football teams Nov. 4 when the Panthers host North Carolina at Three Rivers Stadium.
Pittsburgh will honor former quarterback Dan Marino, who recently retired from the Miami Dolphins after a spectacular 17-year career, and the Panthers' 1980 team, which is regarded as one of the greatest in college football history.
Marino, a product of Central Catholic High, starred for the Panthers from 1979-82. He finished his career holding every major passing record in Pittsburgh history, including career marks for passing yards (8,597) and completions (693). Eighteen years after his final collegiate season, Marino still holds Pittsburgh records for touchdown passes in a career (79) and season (37) as well as consecutive games with a TD pass (19).
The 2000 season marks the 20th anniversary of Pittsburgh's 1980 football squad, which finished 11-1 and ranked No. 2 in the country by the Associated Press and United Press International. The New York Times computer poll, however, ranked the Panthers as the best team in the country at season's end.
Featured on that team were some of the greatest players in Pittsburgh - and college football - history, including Marino, defensive end Hugh Green and offensive lineman Mark May.
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 Brentwood 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).
New (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.
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 hometown and alma mater this past February when he was named defensive ends coach at Pittsburgh. Bray was a four-year starter at linebacker for the Panthers from 1988-91. His impact has been immediately felt as Pittsburgh leads the Big East in sacks with eight. Versus Bowling Green, junior Bryan Knight, who led the Panthers with three sacks in 1999, tied a Big East record with four sacks and a caused fumble.
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). Additionally, the Walter Camp Football Foundation 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.
Panther Football -- 2001 and Beyond: The University of Pittsburgh is currently taking season-ticket orders for the 2001 season, the Panthers' first year in the new North Shore football stadium. For more information please call (800) 643-PITT or visit the new stadium internet site at www.newpittsburghstadium.com.
Oh, What a Knight: Defensive end Bryan Knight was a pass rushing menace versus Bowling Green, recording four quarterback sacks for losses totaling 32 yards. The four sacks tied a Big East record and were the most by a Panther player since Oct. 28, 1993, when Tom Barndt (now with the Cincinnati Bengals) had four sacks in a 21-10 victory over Rutgers.
Behind Knight's strong performance, Pittsburgh leads the Big East with eight quarterback sacks. Last year Knight recorded three sacks on the year to lead the team. The Panthers as a team had 21 sacks in 1999.
Lotz of Leg: Kicker Nick Lotz, who earned Big East Special Teams Player of the Week after accounting for 12 points in the Panthers' 30-7 rout of Kent State Sept. 2, continued his impressive play at Bowling Green.
Lotz scored 10 points in the 34-16 win over BGSU by hitting two 36-yard field goals and all four of his extra-point attempts. Against Kent State, Lotz was perfect on three field goal attempts, hitting from 30, 22 and 23 yards. He also converted each of his three extra-point tries.
On the year, Lotz is a perfect 5 of 5 in field goals and 7 of 7 in extra points. Dating back to last season, he has converted his last 23 placements, including nine field goals and 14 extra points. (His last miss was a 27-yard field goal with 5:05 remaining in the second quarter of the 1999 Virginia Tech game.)
Lotz led Pittsburgh in scoring last year with 69 points. He converted 13-of-17 field goals (76.5) and 30-of-33 extra points (90.9).
Lotz Ranks Among Best: Kicker Nick Lotz's strong start has placed him among the Big East's and the nation's statistical leaders. In the Big East, Lotz ranks first in overall and kick scoring (11 points per game), field goals made (2.5 avg.), field goal percentage (100 percent, 5 of 5) and extra-point percentage (tied, 100 percent, 7 of 7). Nationally, Lotz ranks second (tied) in field goals made and 16th (tied) in scoring.
No less than four preseason publications named Lotz to their 2000 All-Big East teams, including The Sporting News, Athlon, Street & Smith's and Collegefootballnews.com.
Awesome Antonio: Sophomore Antonio Bryant made his season debut in spectacular fashion versus Bowling Green with nine receptions for 180 yards (20.0 avg.) and a career-high three touchdown catches. It stands as the best day by a Big East receiver in 2000.
Bryant's TD receptions covered 56, 29 and 47 yards. His 180 receiving yards were the second-highest total in his career (behind his 215-yard effort last season versus Virginia Tech). The Bowling Green game marked the fourth triple-digit receiving yardage game of his brief career.
In just 12 games, Bryant has reached the 1,000 receiving-yard plateau with 1,024 to rank 22nd on Pittsburgh's all-time list.
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.
With the success of its passing game, Pittsburgh has produced the top receiver in the Big East each of the past three seasons. Latef Grim, a Biletnikoff Award (nation's top receiver) and All-America candidate, 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. Grim is a two-time first team All-Big East pick, while Murphy was a second-team selection in 1997.
Panther Pair on Biletnikoff Watch List: Pittsburgh wide receivers Latef Grim and Antonio Bryant have been named to the 2000 Biletnikoff Award "Watch List," it was announced by the Tallahassee Quarterback Club.
The Biletnikoff Award is annually presented to the nation's outstanding receiver. The award is named after Fred Biletnikoff, the Oakland Raiders' all-time leading receiver and a member of the college and professional football halls of fame. The preseason list was comprised of 35 receivers considered prime candidates for this year's award.
Grim and Bryant are considered one of the elite receiving tandems in the country. Lindy's 2000 College Football named them the best receiving unit in the nation, while The Sporting News ranked them fifth-best nationally.
A 6-0, 190-pound senior, Grim is coming off a record-breaking 1999 season. Last year he set Big East records for single-season receptions (75) and catches per game (6.8), while also setting Pittsburgh marks for single-season receptions, yards (1,106), yards per game (100.6) and catches per game. Through two games in 2000, Grim leads the Big East in receptions per game (5.5 avg.) and ranks third in receiving yards (75.5 avg.).
A 6-2, 185-pound sophomore, Bryant established himself as the most productive freshman receiver in Pittsburgh history last year with 51 receptions for 844 yards (16.5 avg.). In his 2000 season debut Sept. 9 versus Bowling Green, Bryant had a spectacular performance, catching nine passes for 180 yards and a career-high three touchdowns.
Lindy's No. 1 Receiving Unit: Describing them as "a pair of playmakers Dan Marino would have been proud to throw to," Lindy's 2000 College Football named Pittsburgh's Latef Grim and Antonio Bryant the best receiving unit in the nation.
The unit rankings were listed in the magazine's 2000 preview issue. Pittsburgh's Grim and Bryant were listed ahead of such other notable receiving corps as Miami's (Fla.) Santana Moss and Reggie Wayne, UCLA's Brian Poli-Dixon and Freddie Mitchell and Tennessee's Cedrick Wilson, Eric Parker and Dont? Stallworth.
Grim and Bryant combined for 126 catches and 1,950 yards last year. Through two games in 2000, they have 20 catches for 331 yards.
Grim Reaps Success: Latef Grim is poised to become the most prolific receiver in Pittsburgh and Big East Conference history this season. Despite playing just 23 collegiate games, he already has career totals of 146 catches for 2,163 yards. (He has 11 catches for 155 yards in 2000.)
Johnny Gun: For the second time in as many seasons, quarterback John Turman came off the bench to lead Pittsburgh to a convincing victory over Bowling Green. The senior completed 70 percent of his passes (12 of 17) for 207 yards and three touchdowns in the 34-16 win Sept. 9.
Turman ranks as the Big East leader in passing efficiency (202.96 rating), but does not meet the NCAA minimum of 15 pass attempts per game to qualify for the national rankings.
With his performance at Bowling Green, Turman vaulted three spots on Pittsburgh's all-time passing yards list to 16th with 1,618 career yards.
Turman Turned It Up: Last season, after leading the Panthers to a 30-10 victory over Bowling Green, John Turman had perhaps the best outing of his career as he nearly led Pittsburgh to a stunning upset of Penn State. Entering as the starter and taking nearly every snap for the Panthers, Turman threw for a career-high 316 yards, including touchdown passes of 16 and 42 yards, on 19-of-35 passing.
In a vote by the covering media, Turman was selected the winner of the Coogan Award, which is presented to the Most Valuable Player of the Pittsburgh-Penn State game. His selection was the first time in 10 seasons that the game's MVP had been presented to a member of the losing team.
Positively Priestley: Quarterback David Priestley also had an impressive game statistically versus Bowling Green last week. The junior was 10 of 15 for 114 yards and threw a 47-yard touchdown pass to Antonio Bryant. He ranks eighth nationally in passing efficiency (176.2 rating) and fourth in the Big East.
In the 2000 season opener against Kent State, Priestley came off the bench to lead Pittsburgh on four scoring drives (two touchdowns and two field goals). For the day, the junior quarterback completed 8-of-15 passes for 183 yards and two touchdowns.
Priestley now has 1,602 career passing yards to rank 17th all-time in Pittsburgh annals.
Walker Named to Thorpe List: Pittsburgh free safety Ramon Walker, lauded as a preseason All-American by no less than four publications, has been named to the "Watch List" for the Jim Thorpe Award, which is annually presented to the nation's top collegiate defensive back. Walker is one of 40 players named to the list.
Last year, Walker emerged as the most decorated Pittsburgh freshman since defensive lineman Keith Hamilton (now of the New York Giants) starred for the Panthers in 1989.
Walker was selected first team All-Big East by conference coaches in 1999, marking the first time in the league's history a freshman defensive back had been so honored. He additionally was named a first team Freshman All-American by The Sporting News and Football News.
Perhaps his most spectacular play came in Pittsburgh's dramatic 37-27 upset of Notre Dame in the final game ever in Pitt Stadium last Nov. 13. In that contest, Walker forced two turnovers to set up Panther touchdowns. The most critical came with just over six minutes left when he put a devastating hit on an Irish receiver, popping the ball into the hands of teammate Scott McCurley. The turnover set up Pittsburgh's final touchdown drive, which clinched the victory.
On the year, Walker recorded a team-high 131 tackles (84 solo), the most by a Pittsburgh player since All-America linebacker Ezekial Gadson had 137 as a senior in 1987.
The Thorpe Award is presented by the Jim Thorpe Association in Oklahoma City, Okla. Finalists for the award are invited to ESPN's College Football Awards Show at Disney World in Orlando, Fla., where the winner will be announced on Dec. 7.
Walking Tall: In just his first season, free safety Ramon Walker recorded 131 tackles, the most by a Pittsburgh player in 12 years and a freshman record. Set to make his 2000 debut versus Penn State, Walker has his sights set on the Pittsburgh record for career tackles. He also could become the NCAA's all-time leading tackler among defensive backs as well as the Big East's top career tackler (all positions) should he continue his 1999 pace.
Gonsales a Butkus Award Candidate: Pittsburgh linebacker Ryan Gonsales has been named to the preseason "Watch List" for the Butkus Award, which is annually presented to the nation's best collegiate linebacker. Gonsales is one of 70 players named to the list.
A 6-2, 245-pound junior, Gonsales is expected to be one of the anchors of Pittsburgh's defense this year. He was off to an all-star caliber season in 1999 before a knee injury forced him to miss three contests. Despite the injury, Gonsales still finished with a career-high 67 tackles to rank fourth on the team.
Gonsales' top performance last season came in the Panthers' near-upset at Penn State (20-17) when he collected 20 tackles (13 solo) to help limit the Nittany Lions to just 65 yards rushing, their lowest regular-season total in nine years. He was named the Big East Conference Defensive Player of the Week for his effort.
The Butkus Award is presented by the Downtown Athletic Club of Orlando, Inc. (DACO). This year's winner will be announced Dec. 8 during the Butkus Award Gala at Hard Rock Live at Universal Studios City Walk in Orlando, Fla.
Speaking English: After struggling during the 1999 season due to offseason knee surgery, R.J. English has become an outstanding complement to Latef Grim and Antonio Bryant. The junior receiver has five catches this season for an impressive 168 yards, including an 80-yard TD reception (from David Priestley in the Kent State game) and a 31-yard touchdown (from John Turman against Bowling Green). English ranks second in the Big East in receiving yards (84.0 avg.).
His 80-yard touchdown reception was the longest of his career and is tied for the fourth longest pass play in Pittsburgh history.
One of Pittsburgh's fastest players, English added kick return duties to his resume versus Bowling Green. He gained 31 yards in two returns, including a long of 24 yards.
Picking Their Spots: Three Pittsburgh cornerbacks -- sophomore Shawn Robinson, true freshman William Ferguson and true freshman Shawntae Spencer -- have logged their first career interceptions over first two games. The Panthers rank 18th (tied) nationally in passes intercepted (three) and played a key role in the Panthers ranking 42nd in the nation in pass efficiency defense (100.51 rating).
Rockin' Rod: Redshirt freshman quarterback Rod Rutherford made his highly anticipated collegiate debut in Pittsburgh's victory over Bowling Green. Rutherford entered the game in the second quarter and took a speed option play around left end for 13 yards and a first down. He finished the game with 21 yards on four carries (5.3 avg.).
Perhaps his most valuable contribution came as a member of the "hands team" when he jumped high in the air to grab an onside kick by Bowling Green in the fourth period.
Barlow Busts Out: Senior tailback Kevan Barlow had an exceptional season debut, rushing for 106 yards on 21 attempts (5.0 avg.) in Pittsburgh's 30-7 victory over Kent State. It marked the fourth time in his career Barlow had rushed for 100 or more yards in a game. He had a career-high 206 rushing yards versus the Golden Flashes last season in addition to 108 yards versus Syracuse (1999) and 117 yards at Miami (1998).
Super Slade: Sophomore receiver Lamar Slade scored the first two touchdowns of his collegiate career in helping Pittsburgh to its season-opening victory over Kent State Sept. 2. Slade caught a six-yard pass from John Turman in the first quarter to give the Panthers a 7-0 lead. In the third quarter he caught a 28-yard strike from David Priestley to boost the lead to 20-7. Slade finished the day with four receptions for 50 yards. As a true freshman last year, he totaled seven catches for 73 yards.
Center of Attention: Senior center Jeff McCurley enters the 2000 season regarded as one of the top offensive linemen in the Big East. He is Pittsburgh's most experienced player, appearing in every game since arriving on campus (36). McCurley has additionally logged 34 career starts. The Bowling Green game marked his 32nd straight career start. He was a starter at defensive tackle as a true freshman in 1997. He moved to offensive guard in 1998 before taking over the center duties last year.