LeSean McCoy looked all year like he had the potential to place himself among Pitt’s elite… LeSean McCoy looked all year like he had the potential to place himself among Pitt’s elite historical running backs.

On Saturday, he did.

McCoy went over 1,000 yards rushing for the season, making him just the third freshman in Pitt history to do so and only the fifth Big East freshman to accomplish the feat.

McCoy becomes the first freshman to eclipse 1,000 yards in a season since Curvin Richards did it in 1988, and also is Pitt’s first 1,000-yard rusher since Kevan Barlow in 2000.

“Did I think he could be that type a player this quick? I did,” Wannstedt said, even if McCoy didn’t think that himself.

“I thought I would get it,” McCoy said, talking about his 1,000-yard season. “But I didn’t think I’d get it in my first season.”

He also scored one of Pitt’s touchdowns, giving him 11 on the year. That’s only one regular-season touchdown behind Hall-of-Famer Tony Dorsett’s freshman record of 12. That’s pretty good for a guy who didn’t seriously consider coming to Pitt his senior year at Bishop McDevitt High School in Harrisburg.

“Everybody knows the story,” Wannstedt said. “We weren’t involved [in his college decision]. You try to form relationships with kids, and we did that even though we were not in the picture.”

Then McCoy hurt his ankle and was done for the year. He officially signed with Miami his senior year but instead enrolled in prep school at Milford Academy in New York.

“The whole scenario changed,” Wannstedt said.

Pitt re-emerged in the McCoy sweepstakes, and while he was on an official visit to Pitt in mid-January last year, the coaching staff brought him to the Pitt-Georgetown basketball game at a rowdy Petersen Events Center. You know the rest.

“The more he came to our campus and was around our people and fans, the more comfortable he became here.”

Now McCoy has settled in as the focal point of the Pitt offense and has ripped off six straight 100-yard games, putting up freshman numbers that resemble those of Pitt’s all-time greatest running back – Hall-of-Famer Tony Dorsett.

Still, it’s all surreal to McCoy

“I thought I would play [this early],” McCoy said. “I didn’t think I would play this much.”

John Woodruff honored

Before the game Pitt honored with a moment of silence John Woodruff, former standout track student-athlete and Olympic gold medalist at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Woodruff died Tuesday of kidney failure and diabetes.

Woodruff’s comeback victory in the 800 meters in those Olympics, along with Jesse Owens’ four gold medals, helped disband Adolf Hitler’s notion that white athletes were superior to black athletes. Woodruff was 92.

Bachman starts

Pitt started John Bachman at right guard instead of Joe Thomas.

Thomas left Pitt’s win over Cincinnati two weeks ago in the first half after a hamstring pull and did not play against Louisville last week.

Sack attack

Led by Joe Clermond and Greg Romeus, the Pitt defense recorded six sacks against both Syracuse quarterbacks, Andrew Robinson and Cam Dantley. That’s more than the entire team recorded in its last four games. A rare miss for Lee

Pitt kicker Conor Lee, who holds the Pitt record for most consecutive extra points made, had a rare miss on a 25-yard field goal in the third quarter.

“It looked like he just pushed it right,” Wannstedt said, still very confident in his placekicker. “That’s the one position that I don’t have to worry about when I go to sleep at night. He’s money in the bank.”

Rust-Belt rivals

Pitt’s win evens the all-time series between the two schools at 30-30-3. Pitt and Syracuse started playing in 1916, making the Orange Pitt’s second-oldest rival, trailing only West Virginia.

Pitt has won five of the last six meetings between the two teams.

Hands McGee

Receiver Cedric McGee got time on three- and four-wide receiver sets, logging his first playing time in three weeks. McGee missed the last two games with an injury to his left elbow. McGee caught three balls for 15 yards.