Panthers look to get back on track

The Pitt football team (5-2, 2-0 Big East), who enjoyed a bye last week following a 14-6 loss… The Pitt football team (5-2, 2-0 Big East), who enjoyed a bye last week following a 14-6 loss to Notre Dame, will seek to take the overall series lead against Boston College this Saturday when the Eagles visit Heinz Field.

Boston College (4-2, 0-2 Big East), who won last year’s meeting between the conference rivals to even the series at 13 games apiece, fields an offense averaging 29.3 points and 391 yards per game.

Senior quarterback Brian St. Pierre, whose season resume includes a 61.7 completion percentage, 10 touchdowns and more than 1,400 yards passing, enters the game as the top rated quarterback in the Big East conference.

St. Pierre has a diverse array of targets in the offense. Seniors Jamal Burke and Keith Hemmings and sophomore Grant Adams have each showed potential as big play threats.

This season, Burke, Hemmings and Adams combined for 55 receptions and seven touchdowns.

Last year, senior running back William Green carried the Eagles’ ground attack, rushing for at least 100 yards in 10 of the 11 games he played.

This year, junior Derrick Knight has taken over where Green left off. Knight has six touchdowns and averages exactly 100 yards rushing per game.

Also used as a receiver out of the backfield, Knight has 16 catches for 161 yards in his first six games since taking over as BC’s starting running back this year.

For Pitt, senior linebacker Gerald Hayes, who already has 68 tackles this season, leads a defense that is ranked second in the conference behind Miami.

Pitt’s defense has yielded just 265 yards of total offense per game and has collected 11 interceptions in its first seven games this season.

The Panthers’ secondary, led by senior cornerback Torrie Cox, has a chance to do well against St. Pierre, who has been picked off nine times this season.

Quarterback Rod Rutherford leads a Pitt offense dependant on its passing game for success. This season, Rutherford has completed 101 passes for 237.7 yards per game and 11 touchdowns. He has also thrown eight interceptions.

Despite its inability to reach the end zone in its last game, the Pitt offense amassed 402 total yards, 313 of which came via the passing game.

Senior Lamar Slade and freshman Larry Fitzgerald lead the Panthers in receiving with a combined total of 62 catches for 922 yards and 7 touchdowns.

The Eagles’ pass defense has allowed only 149.7 yards per game average and will pose a significant challenge for the dangerous Pitt passing game.

If the Eagles are able to contain Slade and Fitzgerald, the Panthers will be forced to run the ball.

Though junior Brandon Miree and sophomore Raymond Kirkley have received a bulk of the carries, Pitt head coach Walt Harris has yet to declare a permanent starter at tailback.

The Eagles’ defense has given up more than 190 rushing yards per game this season, but, on the other side, the Pitt running game continues to be marred by inconsistency.

The outcome of this game could be decided by the performance of the Pitt offense, specifically the passing game.

If the Eagles have trouble keeping up with receivers Slade, Fitzgerald and Roosevelt Bynes, along with tight end Kris Wilson, and the defense’s dominating style of play, the Panthers have a solid chance to pull out the victory.

However, if Rutherford struggles and the Panthers are forced to run the ball, the Eagles could give the Panthers a very close game.

As evidenced by Pitt’s loss to Notre Dame, there is a limit to how far good defense can carry a team before an offense’s inability to put points on the board becomes a serious problem.