University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Previewing the 2003 Panthers: The Running Backs
8/26/2003 12:00:00 AM | Football
Previewing the 2003 Panthers: The Running Backs
8/26/2003
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Lousaka Polite enters his fourth season as a starter. |
At tailback, senior BRANDON MIREE finished last year in a flurry, compiling four 100-yard performances in the last five contests. The season marked Miree?s first active campaign at
The 6-0, 230-pound Miree climaxed the year with an MVP performance in the Insight Bowl after rushing for 113 yards versus Oregon State. Earlier in the season he had a spectacular 161-yard night against Virginia Tech?s heralded defensive unit.
Miree impressed new Panthers running backs coach Dino Babers this spring with both his running style and demeanor. ?
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Miree will be pushed by quality competition in junior RAYMOND KIRKLEY and sophomore JAWAN WALKER.
Kirkley was actually
?Raymond got better and better and better as the spring progressed,? Babers said. ?I?m looking forward to seeing him in the fall.?
After rushing for nearly 2,500 yards as a high school senior at Erie Cathedral Prep (
Also in the tailback mix is junior DARREN McCRAY. McCray is making the transition from free safety.
?You never have enough tailbacks,? Babers said. ?These guys get hit every single play. It is unusual to have one of them go through an entire season healthy. We?re excited that we have some depth there.
?At fullback we have an experienced starter in Lousaka Polite and then question marks behind him,? continued Babers on his other backfield position. ?We have a guy in Tim Murphy who has done some good things but did not practice during the spring. I will be excited to see what he looks like in the fall. In Tim?s absence, Justin Acierno and Kellen Campbell took every rep in the spring and both of them made progress.?
Polite, a fifth-year senior, has three years of starting experience behind him. Standing 6-0 and 245 pounds, he has been primarily utilized as a blocking back during his career but also is a capable runner when called upon to churn out the tough yards. Polite averaged a career-best 4.1 yards per carry (211 total yards) last season.
Murphy (5-10, 235) proved to be a serviceable backup for Polite last season. He played in seven contests, making one start in his first active collegiate season. Murphy showcased his quickness on a 52-yard burst in the Virginia Tech victory, a trait that could lead to increased playing time this year. He enters his junior season looking to bounce back from a shoulder injury that kept him out of spring drills. In Murphy?s absence, juniors Acierno (6-1, 240) and Campbell (6-0, 230) progressed well in their quest to provide quality depth.
Incoming freshmen MARK YEZOVICH (6-0, 220), an All-State honoree from nearby Woodland Hills High, and MIKE HULL (5-10, 240), an All-Virginia standout, will join the fullback mix for fall training camp.
