Rod Rutherford’s recent brush with the law in Station Square has spawned many rumors and is… Rod Rutherford’s recent brush with the law in Station Square has spawned many rumors and is the talk of the town among sportswriters and fans heading into Pitt’s season opener against Kent State.

I’m not a priest, rabbi or district judge, so I won’t pass any moral judgment on Rutherford; there will be plenty of knee-jerk outrage among said sportswriters and fans over the next few weeks, whether justified or not.

But as a columnist, I am interested in how Rutherford’s off-the-field activities will affect the Panthers on the field and in the polls.

The details involving the Monday morning altercation between Rutherford and a 19-year-old woman are still sketchy, but if Rutherford faces criminal charges, it is likely that the Panthers will suspend him for two or three games. The scope of the effect that Rutherford’s potential absence will have on the team remains to be seen, as it is based largely on timing.

If Rutherford avoids charges stemming from the altercation, or if a suspension begins with this weekend’s game against Kent State, then the Panthers won’t be greatly affected by Rutherford’s absence – at least not in the short term.

Rutherford’s absence would likely give sophomore Tyler Palko the nod at starting quarterback. And although Palko hasn’t seen much playing time in his collegiate career, he shouldn’t have any problem leading Pitt to victories over the Panthers’ first two ragtag opponents, Kent State and Ball State.

How bad is Kent State’s defense?

It merely gave up 38 points and 447 total yards last week to Akron. Kent State’s Golden Flashes forced no turnovers against the Zips and Akron’s 407 passing yards made Zips quarterback Charlie Frye look more like Carson Palmer. Add to this equation the fact that the Panthers are 6-0 in season opening contests under Walt Harris, and that the Golden Flashes are 0-6 against Pitt all-time, and you get a Pitt blowout – even with Rerun from “What’s Happening” at quarterback.

Ball State provides even less of a roadblock for the Panthers. The Cardinals will meet Missouri, a team that rushed for 221 yards against them last year, this weekend. Look for that number to go down slightly this season. Ball State returns three starting defensive linemen from last season, but still doesn’t boast a formidable run-stopping defense.

With this lack of ability to stop the run, all Palko will have to do to secure a Pitt victory against Ball State is hand the ball off to tailback Brandon Miree 30 times.

Pitt’s third opponent, Toledo, may prove to be more of a problem. The Rockets’ dink-and-dunk offense proved to be effective against the Panthers last season at Heinz Field, particularly in the first half. That doesn’t bode well for Pitt’s defense on the road, as it returns only one starting linebacker from last season. Pitt may have to put a lot of points on the board against Toledo in a game featuring two athletic offenses. But that shouldn’t be a problem, as the Panthers scored 37 points and exploded for 469 yards against the Rockets last season. The presence of Miree will once again relieve Palko of some of the scoring burden, and Larry Fitzgerald’s ability to smoke Toledo’s cornerbacks downfield will resurface and give Palko an easy target to throw to.

This isn’t to say that a Rutherford suspension won’t cause major, long-term problems for the Panthers. Pitt’s coaching staff had hoped to redshirt Palko this season, allowing him three remaining seasons of NCAA eligibility. Starting Palko against Kent State will render him ineligible for redshirt status this season, barring injury.

Another potential problem for Rutherford is rhythm. Rutherford used some extremely shaky non-conference performances last year to establish a rapport with his receivers and emerge as one of the most productive passers in the Big East. If Rutherford has to come in and start cold against Texas A’M on Sept. 27, he will face a hostile Kyle Field crowd and a brutal linebacking corps that chased him all over the field last year. That could spell trouble for the Panthers, who aren’t used to facing Big 12 opponents on the road.

If Texas A’M comes into the picture for Palko, or if the Aggies face a cold Rutherford, then things could get ugly for the Panthers. But don’t expect Pitt’s 19-game winning streak against Mid-American Conference foes to come to an end against Kent State, Ball State or Toledo, regardless of who plays quarterback.

Michael Cunningham is a senior staff writer for The Pitt News. He enjoys the Rerun dance.