Pitt plays for big win at Connecticut

Get out your mousetraps.

With two straight losses, and games against rival West Virginia… Get out your mousetraps.

With two straight losses, and games against rival West Virginia and third-ranked Louisville only a couple weeks away, it would be easy for Pitt to overlook Saturday’s game against Connecticut. A loss to the Huskies, however, could jeopardize any chances the Panthers (6-3, 1-2 Big East) have at a major bowl game.

At 3-5 (0-3 Big East), UConn is desperately clinging to its own bowl game aspirations and a win against Pitt would certainly turn a few heads.

While the Panthers suffered an upset at the hands of South Florida last week, the Huskies are coming off back-to-back losses to highly ranked teams in West Virginia and Rutgers.

Pitt can expect to see the UConn running game early and often.

Terry Caulley, the Huskies’ all-time leading rusher with 3,136 career yards, should be healthy and ready to play after missing the game against Rutgers. Caulley leads the team with 623 yards on 5.9 yards per carry this season.

In Caulley’s absence against the Scarlet Knights, redshirt freshman Donald Brown ran for 199 yards on 28 carries against one of the top-ranked defenses in the nation.

“They probably have the best one-two combination-their fullback with [Deon] Anderson, their two tailbacks with [Donald] Brown and [Terry] Caulley,” said Pitt head coach Dave Wannstedt. “Those guys are as good a group of [running] backs as we have in the conference.”

The Panthers, meanwhile, have been struggling to find their own ground game. In its loss last Saturday, the team combined for just 70 yards on 23 carries. Starting tailback LaRod Stephens-Howling ran for just 31 of those yards. Against Rutgers, the team did combine for 119 yards, but on a lowly 2.6 yards per carry.

“LaRod’s the best guy we have really, at this point,” said Wannstedt. “We’ve got to get more opportunities. Last week when you turn the ball over three times and they make two fourth-down conversions on the punts-that’s five possessions that you’re losing plays.”

On the bright side, Pitt seems to be head and shoulders above the Huskies in the passing game. Senior quarterback Tyler Palko was recently named one of 18 finalists for the Davey O’Brien Award, which is presented annually to the nation’s best quarterback.

Palko has completed 67.1 percent of his passes on the season for 19 touchdowns and only six interceptions. He will be looking to get back on track after a poor performance against the Bulls last week in which he threw three interceptions.

Palko will be without one of his favorite targets this week, however. The team suspended Darrell Strong indefinitely this week after he made an obscene gesture to the South Florida fans following his touchdown reception.

The suspension opens up a spot alongside senior Steve Buches for freshman tight end Nate Byham, the highly heralded prospect out of Franklin, Pa. Byham has seen only limited action thus far this season, but coaches and fans have immense hopes for his future.

Of course, the Panthers will still have wide receiver Derek Kinder. Despite cooling off a bit from his tremendous start to the season, Kinder is still third in the Big East in receptions per game (3.89) and receiving yards per game (68.4).

UConn will attempt to stifle the Pitt air attack with its fifth-ranked pass defense in the country. Sophomore cornerback Darius Butler is tied for second in the Big East with four interceptions on the season. Linebacker Danny Lansanah, who leads the Huskies with 64 tackles, has added two interceptions of his own.

The meeting between the two teams will mark only the third time they have ever played. The series is currently split 1-1, with UConn winning the previous game at home on national television.

“Playing up there, we all know it will be loud – a full house,” Wannstedt said. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. tomorrow and will be broadcast locally on WTAE-TV.