A closer look

The Teams –The Pitt Panthers (4-4 overall, 3-1 Big East) head to the bluegrass state in… The Teams –The Pitt Panthers (4-4 overall, 3-1 Big East) head to the bluegrass state in search of their fourth-straight Big East conference win when they take on the No. 24 Louisville Cardinals (5-2, 1-2) at Papa John’s Stadium in a nationally televised contest.

The Coaches –After opening the season 1-4, Dave Wannstedt has the Panthers at .500 for the first time in his tenure at Pitt. Cardinals head coach Bobby Petrino is in his third year, with a 25-7 record.

Last Meeting –The two teams have only met eight times in their history, with each team taking four games. The last time the two got together was in 1994 when Louisville pulled out the narrow 33-29 win.

Forget the Hype –When the Big East conference schedules were released, this game was highlighted as a possible game of the year, determining the Big East champion. However, both teams haven’t lived up to expectations, with Louisville being under .500 in the Big East after being predicted to win the conference.

Thursday Favorites –Tonight’s game will mark the 12th time the Panthers have appeared on ESPN’s Thursday night football broadcast. The Panthers have appeared on the Thursday night program more than any other Big East team and are 5-6 in the previous 11 games. The Panthers will also face West Virginia later this year on a Thursday night.

Rude Hosts –Louisville marks the third and final new member of the Big East conference to take on the Panthers. Pitt is 2-0 so far against the conference’s new members with home wins against both Cincinnati and South Florida.

Road Woes –It has been almost seven years since the last time the Panthers failed to manage a win on the road, but in 2005, the Panthers are threatening that streak. Pitt is 0-3 on the road this year and after tonight’s game, only West Virginia remains on the road schedule.

Touchdown Tyler –Quarterback Tyler Palko has once again shaken off a slow start and come on strong as the year progresses. Palko has thrown for five touchdowns, and run for four more, during the Panthers’ three-game winning streak. Over the last five games, he has thrown 12 touchdowns and just three interceptions, in contrast to his one touchdown and four interceptions through the first three games.

Famous Firsts –When the Panthers and Cardinals meet tonight, it will be the first home game for the Cardinals as members of the Big East conference. As expected, it has been sold out.

High Octane –The Cardinals feature one of the nation’s most deadly offenses, with Big East Offensive Player of the Week quarterback Brian Brohm and running back Michael Bush. Brohm has thrown for more than 2,000 yards already this season with 14 touchdowns while Bush has found the end zone 18 times in just seven games.