Is the Panthers’ running game here to stay?

The Pitt football team proved a point last Saturday at Syracuse. It can run.

The question… The Pitt football team proved a point last Saturday at Syracuse. It can run.

The question is, though, where had that running game been previously? Will it be there next week or even the week after?

The Pitt passing game will most definitely be there — it’s been great all year. Tyler Palko looks about as good as he’s looked in his three years as starter and makes nearly every throw.

Pitt has shown significant improvement throughout the year and is beginning to look like a Big East contender. Without penalties and turnovers, Pitt could have easily scored 14 to 21 more points on Syracuse in the Carrier Dome.

The Panthers’ recent dominance makes Panther fans ask, “Just how good is Pitt?” After the Panthers travel to Orlando, Fla., on Friday to destroy Central Florida, Pitt comes back home to a very important game against Rutgers.

What the Panthers do against Rutgers is going to set the pace for the rest of the year. If Pitt can take down the Scarlet Knights, it could be poised to beat either West Virginia or Louisville.

Of course, all of this is speculation. But Pitt’s progress throughout the course of the season isn’t, which is what creates all the questions.

Q: Was LaRod Stephens-Howling’s phenomenal performance on Saturday something to expect for the rest of the year?

A: Will LaRod rush for 200-plus yards again this season? Probably not. But the incredible burst and vision that Stephens-Howling showed against Syracuse is not an anomaly — he’s really that good.

For several reasons, he hadn’t been able to really get it going at all this season. He had a few minor injuries and the push of the offensive line wasn’t stellar.

Against Syracuse, the offensive line played to its ability and created the holes you see in the NFL. But more importantly, Stephens-Howling carried the ball 27 times — nine more than his previous high of 18.

After the game, Palko said LaRod was Pitt’s tailback, plain and simple. While his performance Saturday firmly squashed my Conredge Collins theory, it did show what Stephens-Howling is capable of.

Look for an improved Pitt running attack during the second half of the year.

Q: What game is a “must-win” for Pitt down the stretch?

A: Rutgers. If Pitt wants to put itself amongst the talk of the conference elite, it has to beat Rutgers at home in two weeks. If the Panthers win, they will most likely be ranked for the first time in the top 25, and they will have proven that they can handle a top-tier running attack.

If Pitt beats Rutgers, it will be 7-1 going into a bye week, and playing games at South Florida and UConn the following weeks.

Pitt could conceivably return home 9-1 for the Backyard Brawl against West Virginia — the biggest game of the season. With that record and a prime-time game of that magnitude, Heinz Field should be sold out.

The Panthers will make it competitive — but they have to beat Rutgers first.

Q: What part of the Pitt defense has been the most improved this season?

A: The defensive line. Since struggling against Michigan State, the Pitt defensive line has really looked good, and it seems as if losing Doug Fulmer won’t be a major setback.

Defensive end Chris McKillop was just named Big East Player of the Week for his 2.5 sacks and two forced fumbles at Syracuse. Sophomore Gus Mustakas is coming into his own and Rashaad Duncan has been steady up the middle all year.

Put the improving defensive line with the already proven linebacker corps and Darrelle Revis in the secondary, and you have a Pitt D that’s surrendered only 20 points in the last three games.

Granted, they were against The Citadel, Toledo and Syracuse, but they could have easily surrendered in the waning quarters. If Pitt can hold Rutgers to those point totals, the Panthers have something.