Nov. 14. 1963 Mazurek rallies Panthers with his arms and legs

Editor’s note: This is a special Homecoming edition of the “Greatest Games” series, featuring… Editor’s note: This is a special Homecoming edition of the “Greatest Games” series, featuring the game story from a past Homecoming game as it appeared in The Pitt News. This story was written by Al Blumkin on Nov. 4, 1963.

“It was the best football we’ve played all year,” said coach John Michelosen. “They made a great comeback.”

Michelosen was referring to the Panthers’ second half play in the 35-27 victory over Syracuse Saturday at Pitt Stadium.

Led by the passing and rushing of Fred Mazurek, the Panthers rallied from a two-touchdown deficit, outscoring the Orange, 27-7, in the second half. The victory over Syracuse rekindled hopes for a postseason bowl bid as the Panthers upped their record to 5-1.

Mazurek shook off his personal disappointment over his performance against Navy by piling up 255 yards in total offense. He raced for 119 yards in 22 carries and completed 13 of 21 passes for 136 yards. He ran for two touchdowns, one a brilliant 41-yard gallop, passed for another and passed for a pair of two-point conversions.

“It was the best game Fred has played so far,” said Michelosen.

The coach also singled out Bill Bodle and Joe Kuzneski in the exciting victory. Bodle rushed for 32 yards and caught four passes for 34 yards. He picked up three key first downs on the third touchdown drive, which put the Panthers ahead 23-21 in the third quarter. He also picked up two first downs in the final drive which iced the game.

Kuzneski, who has played mostly defense during his career here, caught six passes for 70 yards and was Mazurek’s favorite receiver throughout the day. He constantly broke loose from his defenders to catch key passes.

“Joe has improved greatly,” said Michelosen. “His added maturity and experience has made him a better player.”

In the first half, however, the Panthers looked like the weather – lousy. It seemed like the Navy game all over again as the Panthers made offensive and defensive mistakes which allowed the Orange to pile up a 21-7 lead by the half.

The Panthers righted themselves and put on an awesome display of football in the second half. On defense, Ernie Borghetti, Al Grigaliunas and Ed Adamchik led the charges that bottled up Syracuse almost completely in the second half. Their constant harassment of the Syracuse backs was a key factor in the victory.

With this victory, the Panthers should move up in the national rankings. Among the top ten in the Associated Press’ football ratings poll, sixth-ranked Wisconsin was slaughtered by Michigan State, 30-13, while ninth-ranked Southern California was humbled by Washington, 22-7.