University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Football Hosts Florida International this Saturday at Heinz Field
9/27/2010 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 27, 2010
GAME NOTES LINK:
Pitt (1-2, 0-0 Big East) vs.
FIU (0-3, 0-0 Sun Belt)
Oct. 2, 2010 • 3:30 p.m., ET
Heinz Field (65,050/Grass)
Pittsburgh, Pa.
GAME STORYLINES
Pitt plays its fourth non-conference opponent of the season when it hosts Florida International University (FIU) at Heinz Field. The game marks the first-ever meeting between the two programs.
FIU will be playing its third consecutive road game against a BCS league opponent. The Golden Panthers previously traveled to Texas A&M (Big 12) and Maryland (ACC). FIU opened its season at home against another BCS league foe, Rutgers of the Big East.
Despite its 0-3 record, FIU's margin of defeat is just 8.6 points per game. Two of its losses were by single digits (19-14 to Rutgers and 27-20 at Texas A&M).
Pitt has not started a season 1-3 since 2005. The Panthers are 21-9 over their last 30 games, the program's winningest stretch since the 2001-03 seasons.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
ESPN3: The Pitt-FIU game will be produced for ESPN3.com, a broadband network for live sports programming.
PITT RADIO: The new radio home for Pitt football is 50,000-watt flagship KDKA-FM, Sportsradio 93.7 The Fan. Games are also carried on the Pitt Sports Radio Network. Bill Hillgrove (play-by-play), three-time Pitt All-American Bill Fralic (color) and John Seibel (sideline) will call the action.
SIRIUS XM RADIO: The Pitt-FIU game will be aired on SIRIUS channel 125 (Pitt broadcast).
INTERNET: "Panthers All-Access" at PittsburghPanthers.com.
SERIES HISTORY
Pitt and Florida International University meet for the first time ever...Pitt last played a member of the Sun Belt Conference in 1997, when the Panthers opened their Liberty Bowl campaign with a 45-13 victory over Louisiana-Lafayette (then known as Southwest Louisiana)...FIU head coach Mario Cristobal played offensive line at Miami (Fla.) from 1988-92...he was a freshman on the '88 Hurricanes squad coached by Jimmy Johnson...Pitt head coach Dave Wannstedt and offensive line coach Tony Wise were also part of that coaching staff...Wannstedt was defensive coordinator, while Wise oversaw the offensive line...current Pitt linebackers coach Bernard Clark Jr. was a junior linebacker on that '88 Miami team.
