Panthers look to avenge last year’s Navy loss

There was a certain buzz around campus at the start of this school year, as the Pitt football… There was a certain buzz around campus at the start of this school year, as the Pitt football team was ranked 25th in the nation. The ‘Shady for Heisman’ shirts and talk of the best recruiting class in the Big East had fans eager to make their way to Heinz Field and witness the team that received so much preseason hype. On Aug. 30, the Panthers took the field to face Bowling Green and walked off with the loss. Most fans left Heinz Field that day with the mindset that they might not see their team ranked again this season. Six weeks later, Pitt is ranked 23rd in the nation. With four wins, including three fourth-quarter comebacks, and after the defeat of No. 10-ranked South Florida, the Panthers are looking better now than at any time in recent memory. The team standing in Pitt’s way of going 5-1 beat the Panthers last year: the Navy Midshipmen. The Panthers (4-1, 2-0 Big East) and the Midshipmen (4-2) squared off in an epic battle in 2007 at Heinz Field that saw Navy take the 48-45 win in double overtime. Tomorrow, Pitt takes on Navy in Annapolis, Md., at 3:30 p.m. Pitt will try to continue its improving defensive play when the team matches up against an extremely unconventional Midshipmen offense, in which the ball almost never leaves the ground. Navy boasts an outstanding 313.5 yards per game rushing the football. In last year’s matchup, Navy ran the ball 70 times, for a total of 331 yards on the ground. Even with Navy’s unparalleled running game, head coach Dave Wannstedt remembers what happened in last year’s contest and doesn’t want to forget about Navy’s ability to pass the ball, even though Navy is ranked second-to-last in the nation in passing offense in 2008. ‘They beat us by throwing the ball [last time],’ said Wannstedt. ‘That was the most disappointing thing coming out of that game a year ago.’ Wannstedt knows what Navy can do on the ground and admits Navy executes one of the most diverse running games in the nation. ‘I think it’s very difficult [to stop them on offense],’ said Wannstedt. ‘You have to be a lot more disciplined because they understand the option and they are highly disciplined and efficient at executing.’ ‘They’ve got it all. It’s triple option. It’s load option. They’ll run the lead play with the quarterback following them up. They’ll run the trap option that gets you going one way, come back the other. The toss is a big play for them.’ Pitt’s coaches will focus on how to stop Navy’s two leading rushers, running back Shun White and fullback Eric Kettani, who rank 13th and 47th in the nation in rushing, respectively. Wannstedt wants the defense to pay particular attention to Kettani. ‘The guy is a playmaker,’ said Wannstedt. ‘He’s a very good athlete. I think he’s the guy that really makes their offense go.’ The Panthers might have one fewer player to worry about, as Navy’s opening-day quarterback, Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada, is bothered by a hamstring injury. The injury makes his status for the game questionable. Kaheaku-Enhada ran for 122 yards and passed for 166 more against Pitt last year. While Pitt’s defense currently ranks 27th, the Panthers’ running defense ranking drops to 40th, giving up more than 115 yards per game on the ground. The good news for the Panthers is that Navy has been less than exceptional on the defensive side of the ball this year, ranking 85th in the nation (384.17 yards per game). After coming off an exceptional rookie campaign, halfback LeSean McCoy struggled through the first three games of this season before breaking out with two huge games against Syracuse and South Florida. Last year, McCoy scorched the Midshipmen defense in a monster effort, with 165 rushing yards on 32 carries and three touchdowns in the Panther loss. Wannstedt gave credit to his offensive line, in addition to McCoy, for the improvement in the running game. But the improvement of the offensive line might not be the only reason for McCoy’s success. Pitt running backs coach David Walker credits the whole team, especially the wide receivers. ‘I think it’s a combination of all 11, in all honesty,’ said Walker. ‘The guys that are going unnoticed are probably the wide receivers making blocks downfield.’ McCoy agrees with Walker and attributes his success to his wide receivers’ willingness to block. ‘It gives the running back an opportunity to get one-on-one situations with the corners or safeties, and any long run, or any successful run, has to do with the wide receiver coming in there and getting that block,’ said McCoy. Even though the Panthers fell to the Midshipmen last year, Pitt still holds a 20-13-3 advantage in the series between the two teams that began in 1912. The loss last year was a tough one for the Panthers, but the vibe among the players is that it would almost be unacceptable to come out of Saturday’s game with a loss. Defensive end Mick Williams relishes the opportunity of a rematch. ‘This is one we’ve been waiting for,’ said Williams. ‘Last year we played a little timid, but this year we’re just going to go out and do our thing.’