Harris not concerned about finding a backup for Rutherford right now

With All American defensive end Claude Harriott’s knee injury last Saturday, and several… With All American defensive end Claude Harriott’s knee injury last Saturday, and several other players out with injuries, it was a wise decision for Pitt’s football team to practice without full contact Tuesday.

The Panthers recently found out that Harriott’s injury is not as serious as expected and there will not need to be surgery. But without him, the defense looked a bit sloppy at times and the Panthers’ first-string offense took control of it.

Rod Rutherford, the pronounced starting quarterback for Pitt, showed signs of improvement in drills. He seemed to be comfortable behind the line of scrimmage and was able to find open receivers quickly.

Rutherford started last season at quarterback for the Panthers and clearly his experience showed in practice.

“Rod is a much better football player than he was last year,” Pitt head coach Walt Harris said.

With the exception of an interception by Josh Lay, Rutherford consistently hit his targets and completed his passes in seven-on-seven drills and a team scrimmage.

Among the many receivers thrown to during practice was senior tight end Kris Wilson. Wilson’s presence on the field seemed to spark the Panthers’ offense at times, making catches on short patterns and moving the ball downfield.

Raymond Kirkley moved the ball down the field as well. Kirkley seemed to make the right reads at running back and even got a little fancy as he broke loose on a spin move to go downfield on a play late into a team drill.

Many of the other returning starters for the Panthers have shown continuous signs of improvement and seem have their positions locked down for now. It is still unclear, however, who will backup Rutherford next season.

A quarterback controversy still exists for the No. 2 spot, but according to Harris there is no hurry to find out whether Luke Getsy or Tyler Palko will get the job.

“It’s still too early to tell. They’re both into preparation right now,” Harris said. “Both need to continue to improve but I don’t think we’ll have to make the decision for quite awhile.”

Whoever gets the job will need to be ready to carry an offense that is expected to do well this season. The Panthers have a total of eight returning starters with lots of experience at winning games.

Defensively, Pitt has several key players coming back as well. With a healthy Harriott in the near future on the line and, experience in the secondary, the defense looks to be as solid as last season.

Overall, the Panthers’ practice was not as firm as Harris would have liked it to be, although he and his staff sporadically pointed out many positive things. It is still spring, however, and the team has a way to go before the start of the season in early September.