Harris prepares Panthers for first road game

As Walt Harris prepares his team to play at Toledo this weekend, he is looking at what has… As Walt Harris prepares his team to play at Toledo this weekend, he is looking at what has gone on in college football and is counting his blessings.

“We’re excited about being 2-0,” Harris said at his weekly press conference. “And after watching some other football games on Saturday night, we’re even more excited about being 2-0.”

This week, Pitt will travel to Toledo to take on the Rockets. The Rockets are coming off a huge win over Marshall on the road last Friday night.

“It’s going to be a tremendous challenge for our football team,” Harris continued. “We need to continue to do things correctly in every situation.”Toledo has an offensive threat in sophomore quarterback Bruce Gradkowski. Gradkowski, a Pittsburgh area native, has averaged 230 yards per game passing and has led the Rockets to a record of 2-1.

“He’s a good football player and athlete,” Harris said. “He’s like a lot of guys – when they commit themselves, they work hard, they’ve got talent, and [as] athletic as he is, you get better. That’s what happened to him [and] that’s what happened to [Pitt quarterback] Rod [Rutherford] and that’s what happens to a lot of guys who hang in there at that position.”

Rutherford has been the nation’s most efficient passer so far this season. His strong play earned him recognition as the Big East Conference’s Offensive Player of the Week.”I think he delivered the ball very well,” Harris said. “We’ve just got to get him some time to function,” Harris continued. “We’ve got to protect the passer better, we’ve got to pick up blitzes better, we’ve got to execute against the blitz a little bit better, we’ve got to block it better.”

Although Harris sees room for improvement, he felt that the team had addressed some of his concerns from a week ago.

“I thought our kickoff coverage got better. I thought Adam Graessle was outstanding. That is a weapon. He’s a factor,” Harris said. “When our defense has to defend 80 yards or 81 yards, they are tough.”

With a five-man front that averages 320 pounds per player, Toledo’s offensive line is one of its biggest strengths, and Harris acknowledges this.

“They’ve got some power,” Harris said. “That’s why they beat Marshall. Marshall is an outstanding football program. They brought it right at them in the fourth quarter, on the road, and got it done. It was a great victory for them and their program.”

Although road games are always difficult, coach Harris said that he is eager for the team to experience its first road trip.

“Our guys like to play. Our guys like challenges” Harris said. “The way we do a road trip affords our guys to be together and be tight.”

Cornerback Shawntae Spencer shares Harris’ feelings about road games.

“Personally, I love hostile environments. It energizes you. You want to quiet the crowd and make big plays,” Spencer said.

Spencer also took notice of the improved attendance Pitt has seen at its home games.

“I’ll tell you something, it’s beautiful. When I first got here, it was really tough. But now, students, the city and our fans are gathering, and it means a lot. It helps us out a lot,” Spencer said. “It really means a lot for us to see our fans there, and hopefully, they will travel up to Toledo.”