Panthers headed to Arizona on New Year’s Day

All the Panther football players left the South Side practice facilities with brand new… All the Panther football players left the South Side practice facilities with brand new Tostitos Fiesta Bowl T-shirts last night, and it was a sweet feeling, especially when compared to last year.

“The ending of last season was just such a sour taste in my mouth,” senior defensive tackle Vince Crochunis said. “This year, it just tastes like chocolate-strawberry ice cream.”

It was announced last night that No. 19 Pitt (8-3) will face No. 5 Utah (11-0) in the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 1 in Phoenix. Kickoff is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. and will be televised nationally on ABC.

The Bowl Championship Series invitation is the first ever for Pitt.

It’ll also mark Pitt’s first major bowl appearance since 1984, when Pitt played Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl.

In that game, Pitt fell 28-23. This year’s matchup will feature an undefeated football team in the Utes. Utah, who won the Mountain West Conference, is likely to be favored heavily, and the Panther players are ready to face the media’s wrath.

“We’re going to take a lot of bashing,” Crochunis admitted. He added with a big smile, “You’ll have Trev Alberts [on ESPN] bashing us like he does every week, and Mark May backing us up.”

Despite what others will think, Crochunis believes Utah should watch out.

“We don’t care who we’re playing,” he said. “Undefeated Utah team, so what? Utah is going to have their hands filled.”

He also went on to talk about how when the Panthers are an underdog; they play extremely well — an example being when they defeated Notre Dame on Nov. 13.

The Panthers started the season 2-2, and the team looked to be in trouble, but head coach Walt Harris turned the team around like he turned around Pitt’s football program, placing it back in the national spotlight.

“I think some people have forgot that,” Harris said. “I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished. A lot of people were counting us out completely, but we got the right kind of kids here.”

Kids like Tyler Palko who finished the season with over 2,800 yards passing and 23 touchdowns. But don’t tell Palko his stats.

“The only stat I’m worried about is winning,” he said.

Harris pointed out the biggest win was probably the game against Temple. It was a game in which Pitt fought back, scoring three touchdowns in the fourth quarter to win. It moved Pitt to 3-2 on the season and began Pitt’s long march to Phoenix.

“That was a turning point game,” Harris said. “I think that was the point we all put it together.”

For the seniors on this team, the Fiesta Bowl will be the final chapter to their career. Crochunis has been at Pitt since 1999, and he’s extremely happy with the progress.

“It’s good to be on the other end of the spectrum,” he said.

Game Notes: This will be the first meeting between Pitt and Utah. This will be Pitt’s fourth appearance in the Fiesta Bowl. The Panthers have played in the bowl in 1973, 1979 and 1984. The only victory in those three games came in 1979 when Pitt defeated Arizona 16-10. Tickets for the game are $85, and information about travel packages is available on Pitt’s athletics Web site, www.pittsburghpanthers.com.