Back on top: Pitt secures bowl bid

Whatever Pitt did, it couldn’t get tailback LeSean McCoy going. Apparently it didn’t need to. … Whatever Pitt did, it couldn’t get tailback LeSean McCoy going. Apparently it didn’t need to. The Pitt defense handled Louisville, allowing only seven points and scoring two defensive touchdowns in the fourth quarter that helped the Panthers blow past Louisville, 41-7, on Saturday afternoon at Heinz Field. Despite McCoy’s career-low 39 yards rushing, Pitt won its seventh game of the season, guaranteeing it a winning record for the first time since the arrival of Dave Wannstedt in 2005, while also securing a spot in a bowl game ‘- another first in the Wannstedt era. Pitt junior receiver Oderick Turner, who caught a touchdown pass from Bill Stull in the second quarter, said he and his team couldn’t be more excited about the success they’ve had this season, and is looking forward to his first bowl appearance. ‘It’s such a weight off our back,’ said Turner. ‘We wanted [a bowl bid] so bad and have been so close. But more importantly, we want the Big East [title].’ Pitt [7-2, 3-1 Big East] took a step toward that title on Saturday. Stull, who suffered a concussion two weeks ago in a loss to Rutgers and didn’t play last week against Notre Dame, returned to lead the offense. He finished the game 15-of-27 with 216 yards, a touchdown and no interceptions. Pitt went the entire game without a turnover, while Louisville turned it over five times. Pitt capitalized, scoring on four of the five turnovers. Pitt led, 17-0, at the half after Aundre Wright’s first career touchdown, Turner’s catch and a Conor Lee field goal. Pitt came out of the half with the longest drive of its season, resulting in another three points from Lee. But good field position for Louisville after the ensuing kickoff led to a 30-yard touchdown from Cardinals’ quarterback Hunter Cantwell to receiver Troy Pascley, cutting the lead to 13. Still, Louisville wasn’t celebrating for long. After a Pitt punt and a failed fourth-down conversion for Louisville, Stull and Pitt faced a third-and-18. Stull dropped back and connected with freshman receiver Jonathan Baldwin for 44 yards down the right side. McCoy, who gained more than 140 yards in each of Pitt’s previous five games, lined up in the Wildcat formation on the next play and took it 11 yards for his only score of the game. ‘They did a great job of stacking the box,’ said Wannstedt of the Louisville defense. ‘This was a game when we needed to force some turnovers. We did.’ The turnovers, which started when Louisville muffed three punts in the first half, continued throughout the second half. Two possessions after McCoy’s touchdown, Cantwell threw a misdirection pass to tailback Victor Anderson backwards that was dropped. Players from both teams stopped momentarily, thinking the play was over. But Pitt corner Ricky Gary picked up the loose ball and took it three yards for the score. McKillop intercepted a Cantwell pass on Louisville’s next possession, then took it 18 yards for another defensive touchdown, securing Pitt’s win. ‘Today was pretty clean,’ said Wannstedt. ‘The last few weeks, the last few games we’ve won, that has not been the case.’ Pitt has a week off before traveling to Cincinnati for another Big East matchup Nov. 22.