Panthers ready for first road game

Pitt’s football team faces a major challenge this weekend as it travels to Toledo (2-1)… Pitt’s football team faces a major challenge this weekend as it travels to Toledo (2-1) Saturday for its first road game of the season.

The Panthers (2-0) must stop the brilliant air attack of the Rockets, led by quarterback Bruce Gradkowski, a sophomore sensation who has made an immediate impact on the Toledo offense in his first year as a starter.

Gradkowski, a Pittsburgh native from Seton LaSalle High School, poses a threat to the Panther defense. In his first three collegiate starts, he has thrown seven touchdown passes with no interceptions, averaging 173 passing yards per game.

“He’s a real good athlete,” Pitt head coach Walt Harris said. “He can make some things happen when there’s nothing there.”

The remarkable passing attack of Gradkowski may also be credited to his offensive line. Averaging just less than 316 lbs. per starter, the offensive line of Toledo is the fourth-heaviest in the country.

On the opposite side of the ball, the Rockets are just as intimidating. In last weeks’ 24-17 victory over Marshall, the Toledo defense created five turnovers, forcing three fumbles and two interceptions.

Senior cornerback Brandon Hefflin, a four-year starter, leads the Rockets defensively. Already with two interceptions this season, Hefflin is in fourth place on Toledo’s all-time interception list with 13.

As a unit, the Toledo defense has both depth and experience. It includes nine seniors, six of which are starters.

Neither the offense nor the defense of the Rockets appears to be something that the Panthers want to overlook. Both sides of the ball present great challenges that Pitt must overcome.

“We’re playing a football team that we think is a very good football team,” Harris said. “We know that it is going to be a tremendous challenge for our football team.”

In addition to playing perhaps its most worthy opponent thus far this season, Pitt faces the challenge of making its first road trip of the year. Harris, though, feels that his team is up for the test.

“We like to play on the road,” he said. “We welcome those challenges. Our guys like to play and they like challenges. We’re looking forward to playing.”

The Panthers face many challenges this week and will be expected to live up to the recent media attention they have received.

Over the past week, Pitt has moved up in the rankings to the ninth spot in the Associated Press poll. Additionally, senior quarterback Rod Rutherford was named the Big East Conference’s Offensive Player of the Week after his performance against Ball State.

Rutherford, an All-America candidate, has appeared to perform flawlessly thus far this season.

However, to get past the Toledo defense, Harris feels a need for improvement out of his quarterback.

“He’s got a long way to go yet,” Harris said. “The fortunate thing about him is he’s got enough talent to keep traveling that road.”

If Rutherford can produce the same statistics as he has done in the first two weeks, the Panthers will have no problem. To do so this week, however, he will need to step it up a notch and takeover with his offense.

As a team, the entire Panther squad must be well prepared and ready to go. Going away for the first time as a team is not an easy task to take on.

“It’s going to be a test for us,” Pitt senior cornerback Shawntae Spencer said. “But it’s something we have to get used to.”

The Panthers will need to get used to traveling, as they will not return to play at home again until Oct. 11. This is the first of six away games on this year’s regular season schedule.

Kickoff for Saturday’s game is scheduled for 7 p.m. and will take place at the Glass Bowl.