Rutherford honored for performance against Hokies

For the second time this season, Pitt Quarterback Rod Rutherford has been named Big East… For the second time this season, Pitt Quarterback Rod Rutherford has been named Big East Co-Offensive Player of the Week.

This time, Rutherford received the honor for his performance against Virginia Tech. Rutherford threw for 303 yards and two touchdowns, and also had a rushing touchdown to help the Panthers come back and beat the Hokies for the third straight year on Saturday night, 31-28.

With his team trailing 28-24, Rutherford led the Panthers down the field by completing three passes for 49 yards and added a 12-yard scramble to set up the game-winning touchdown with less than a minute to play.

For the season, Rutherford has thrown 27 touchdowns and is tied for fourth in the nation. Rutherford has thrown for more than 5,700 yards in his career, which makes him only the fourth quarterback in school history to throw for over 5,000 yards in his career.

An All-American candidate, Rutherford leads the Panthers into Morgantown, W.Va. this Saturday to take on the West Virginia Mountaineers in the 96th edition of the Backyard Brawl. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. and the game will be nationally televised on ESPN2.