Football: Gunn earns conference honors

With an impressive performance in Buffalo, Pitt linebacker Adam Gunn was named the Big East… With an impressive performance in Buffalo, Pitt linebacker Adam Gunn was named the Big East defensive player of the week.

During the Panthers’ 54-27 win against the Bulls, Gunn tallied 11 tackles and three sacks.

Gunn was a presence throughout the game for the defense, and his three sacks resulted in pushing the Bulls back for 25 yards.

Late in the fourth quarter, Gunn came up with a huge sack as Buffalo closed in from the Panthers’ 14-yard line. The sack, with Pitt holding a 13-point lead, pushed the Bulls back to the 20-yard line, where the Panthers eventually took over on downs.

In two games, Gunn has recorded 19 tackles, five sacks and 5.5 tackles for loss — leading the team in all categories. He also sits tied for second in the nation with 2.50 sacks per game and fourth with 2.75 tackles for a loss per game.

He’s been a staple of the Panthers’ strong defensive play up front.

Gunn is playing in his first games since a season-ending neck injury in the Panthers’ first game of the season against Bowling Green. Gunn applied for and was granted a sixth year of eligibility.

Following his undergraduate studies in communication and rhetoric in 2008, he enrolled in the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs. Gunn said he plans to graduate after the fall semester.

His performance this year is good news for the Panthers after the departure of one of the best conference and national linebackers last season, Scott McKillop, who now plays with the San Francisco 49ers in the NFL

The Panthers (2-0) will host Navy (1-1) at Heinz Field on Saturday. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m.