Offensive line has first solid game of the season

In football, numbers can be deceiving.

Pitt exploded for 469 total yards and 37 points in… In football, numbers can be deceiving.

Pitt exploded for 469 total yards and 37 points in its victory over Toledo Saturday, posting its most impressive offensive statistics this season.

But Pitt didn’t defeat the Rockets on a Rod Rutherford scramble or even a Larry Fitzgerald passing route.

Pitt defeated the Rockets in the trenches.

The Panther offensive line had its most productive, physical game of the season against Toledo at Heinz Field and helped to open up both the passing and running games for Pitt. Following the game, Pitt head coach Walt Harris acknowledged his line’s performance as one of the main catalysts of the Panther victory.

“Our line did an excellent job of pass protection the whole afternoon,” Harris said. “A lot of the time those guys don’t get enough credit, but they’re the ones that make the difference.”

Entering the 2002 campaign, Pitt’s offensive line was its most experienced asset. All five of Pitt’s offensive linemen were returning starters, and the Panthers boasted two seniors: center Chad Reed and right guard Bryan Anderson. Many experts predicted that Pitt’s offensive line would be one of the most bruising fronts in the Big East and spark a dynamic running game behind tailbacks Brandon Miree, Marcus Furman and Raymond Kirkley.

Unfortunately for the Panthers, the Pitt offensive line did not live up to expectations though the first four games of the season, in either run or pass blocking. Heading into the game against Toledo, Pitt averaged 112.8 yards per game on the ground, ranking next to last in the Big East Conference in rushing offense. And in four games, Pitt’s offensive line had given up 13 sacks for a total loss of 98 yards.

But perhaps the biggest problem for the Pitt offensive line was its inability to finish off drives. Pitt converted only 23 of 63 third down opportunities, ranking sixth in the Big East, and two of seven fourth down tries.

Following Pitt’s victory, left guard Dan LaCarte talked about the offensive line’s preparation and need for improvement.

“The offense has been struggling for the last few weeks,” LaCarte said. “We practiced harder and better this week and we took it upon ourselves today to get focused, concentrate and know our assignments.”

“We started to click a little bit, and it started to feel kind of like last year,” LaCarte added. “We were having fun out there.”

Pitt’s offensive line pushed the overmatched Toledo defensive lineman off the ball all afternoon, and the sputtering running game responded with a 153-yard performance behind Miree, Kirkley, Furman, Rutherford and fullback Lousaka Polite.

Polite had nothing but good things to say about his front five’s performance against the Rockets.

“They did a great job in both pass and run blocking,” Polite said, who rushed for 36 yards on 10 carries. “They are a very experienced group and I think they are starting to gel really well.”

Pitt’s offensive line markedly improved on its pass blocking as well. Pitt took only two sacks on Rutherford, both of which were on plays that were designed for the quarterback to roll out of the pocket and run with the ball. Rutherford had plenty of time to find his receivers downfield, which resulted in his most productive game as a starter to date.

“Our offensive line is better than they played the first couple of games and they know that,” Rutherford said, who completed 27 of 18 passes for 316 yards and three touchdowns. “It is just about getting the right footwork and technique, and they took it upon themselves this week to get the job done.”

Pitt’s offensive line may be able to carry their momentum into next week’s match up, as it faces the worst rushing defense in the Big East when the Panthers visit Syracuse.