Football: Sunseri named Big East Offensive Player of the Week

Tino Sunseri has been named the Big East Offensive Player of the Week after the Panthers’… Tino Sunseri has been named the Big East Offensive Player of the Week after the Panthers’ decisive 35-20 win over Connecticut last Wednesday.

The junior quarterback passed for 419 yards and two touchdowns against the Huskies on 29 of 42 passing, completing 69 percent of his passes and throwing no interceptions. He also ran for a touchdown in the first quarter.

His passing yardage was the highest of any Pitt quarterback since 2003, when Rod Rutherford threw an identical 419 yards against West Virginia. Sunseri and Rutherford are now tied for the fourth-most single-game passing yards in Pitt history.

Sunseri’s passing performance helped the Panthers amass 529 yards in total offense, which is the most the team has tallied since they went for 584 yards in a 42-26 victory over Boston College in 2000.

The junior quarterback’s yardage total also broke the Heinz Field collegiate record, previously held by Tyler Palko who threw for 380 yards against Furman in 2004. Currently, the only person to throw for more yards at Heinz Field is the Steelers’ Ben Roethlisberger, who passed for 503 yards against the Green Bay Packers in 2009.

Sunseri will try to replicate the performance this Saturday when the Panthers host the nationally ranked Cincinnati Bearcats. The Bearcats are currently 6-1 and first in the Big East Conference.

Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at Heinz Field and will be televised by ESPNU.