Pitt’s offense looking for redemption

An injured and anxious Pitt football team will look to get back on its feet this weekend with… An injured and anxious Pitt football team will look to get back on its feet this weekend with a visit to perennial Big East doormat Temple — a team the Panthers have not lost to since 1998.

The game could be the last meeting between the schools, as Temple is being kicked out of the Big East after this season for financial reasons and consistently poor attendance marks.

The Panthers (2-2, 0-1 Big East) are coming off last Thursday night’s 29-17 loss to Connecticut. Quarterback Tyler Palko collected 316 yards of total offense but had a hard time directing a Panther offense consistently facing long-yardage situations.

“If you have long yardage to go on a repeated basis, it makes it real difficult to protect the passer,” head coach Walt Harris said after practice on Tuesday. “We have to do a better job on first down of staying away from penalties and running the ball way more effectively than we have.”

Palko’s fumble was one of many Panther mistakes on the night, with numerous errors coming from the offensive line. The Panthers were flagged eight times for 48 yards in the loss, with the majority of the penalties being false starts on first down. Palko was also sacked four times and flushed out of the pocket several times on the night, finding it hard to direct the offense in the noisy environment.

The health of the line is also a question for the Panthers, as tackle Rob Petitti was injured on a play in the third quarter. Harris did not comment on his status for the game.

“Health is one of our issues,” Harris said. “We have to try to get some of our starters back from injury.”

On Saturday, Pitt faces a Temple team that hasn’t been involved in a close game all season. The Owls (1-4, 0-0 Big East) have been blown out in each of their losses, being outscored 204-69 in their defeats. Even Temple’s sole win of the season was a blowout, a 38-7 triumph over I-AA Florida A’M.

Harris knows, however, that Temple usually plays the Panthers down to the wire. He recalled that, in last season’s matchup, Temple kept the game close, and the Panthers needed to convert a risky fourth-down conversion to put the game away.

“We get their best effort every year,” Harris said. “No matter how good a football team we may have, no matter what heir record is, it’s not over until it’s over.”

Last week, Temple was dominated, 70-16, by the Mid-Atlantic Conference’s Bowling Green. The Falcons posted a 300-yard passer, a 100-yard runner and two 100-yard receivers, and scored on nearly every possession. The 70 points were the most allowed by an Owl team since being shut out by the 1977 Pitt squad, 76-0.

The Owls, to their credit, have not shied from playing quality opponents thus far. Three of their opponents were involved in postseason play a year ago, and two of them, Virginia and Maryland, are nationally ranked, with the Cavaliers recently cracking the top 10.

Temple’s woes, as in previous years, have come on defense. On average, the Owls give up nearly 500 yards of offense and more than 40 points to the opposition per game. Harris said that the scores won’t keep the Owls from playing the Panthers tough, however.

“They do an outstanding job of keeping their attitude up and playing hard,” Harris said. “Their quarterback makes it hard on us, so we are going to have to tackle.”

After seeing two explosive offensive attacks in Furman and Connecticut, the Panther defense appears to have its hands full once again. Despite the Owls’ defensive struggles, the offense has been fairly steady in its first five games. Temple averages nearly 350 yards of offense per game, with more than 150 yards coming on the ground, and has scored more than 21 points a contest.

If the Panthers are to collect their first Big East victory of the season, Harris stressed that they must contain Owl quarterback Walter Washington. In a 30-16 loss to the Panthers last year, the junior piled up 350 yards of total offense and was responsible for two touchdowns.

Senior quarterback Mike McGann will likely take some snaps for the Owls as well. He threw for 165 yards and a score in last week’s loss. Harris said that McGann brings a different look to the Owl offense than the more mobile Washington.

“When [McGann] is in, we will be thinking more pass, but he has also had some nice runs,” Harris said. “And when [Washington] is in, we will be thinking more run, but he can throw the ball, too.”

Kickoff is set for noon at Lincoln Financial Field and will be on ESPN regional.