A closer look…

The Teams – Coming off their first win of the season, the Pitt Panthers (1-3 overall, 0-0… The Teams – Coming off their first win of the season, the Pitt Panthers (1-3 overall, 0-0 Big East) travel to New Jersey to take on the Rutgers Scarlet Knights (2-1, 0-0) in the Big East conference opener for both teams, which will be nationally televised on ESPN2.

The Coaches – It took him four weeks, but head coach Dave Wannstedt finally got in the win column as head man of the Panthers. Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano has been praised with his recruiting ability since taking the Rutgers job five years ago, but has produced just a 14-35 record in his first five seasons, including a 0-4 mark against the Panthers in his career.

Last Meeting – The Panthers and Scarlet Knights last met in October of last year when the Panthers rolled to a 38-3 lead en route to a 41-17 victory. Quarterback Tyler Palko threw for 318 yards and three touchdowns, two of them caught by Joe DelSardo.

Owning the Knights – The annual series between the two teams has proved to be quite a mismatch over the last couple decades. The Panthers have won the last six meetings between the two teams, and 19 of the last 22. However, two of the Panthers’ three losses during that span occurred at Rutgers Stadium.

Family Matters – Both head coaches, Wannstedt and Schiano, were once part of the same coaching staff in the NFL. Wannstedt, who was the head coach of the Chicago Bears from 1993 to 1998, employed Schiano as both a defensive backs coach and defensive assistant.

A Good Sign – The Panthers are 4-2 in their last six Big East conference openers, with three of the four victories coming against the Scarlet Knights.

No Century Mark – Part of the Panthers’ struggles can be pinned on the lack of a consistent running game through the first four weeks. Despite coming close in two different games, the Panthers are yet to have a 100-yard rusher. LaRod Stephens-Howling has come the closest, rushing for 98 yards against Ohio.

Pass Friendly – The Panthers defense ranks among the nation’s best in pass defense. The Panthers are allowing just over 119 yards per game, good enough for third in the country. In the last three games, the Panthers allowed just 83.3 yards per game.

Way Ahead – Panther linebacker H.B. Blades once again finds himself atop the Big East leaders in tackles with 46. He has 14 more than the closest defender, Courtney Greene of Rutgers.

Record Breaker – Rutgers quarterback Ryan Hart is among the top five quarterbacks in all major school passing records. He is second in yards with 7,066, and should become the school’s all-time leader Friday night. Hart is also first in completions with 636, second in attempts with 1,055 and fourth in touchdowns with 39. Barring injury, Hart should finish the career leader in all four categories at the end of the season.