 |
| |
|
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
"Our goal has been, and will always be, to be the Big East Conference champion," seventh-year coach Walt Harris said. With 15 starters returning, including five all-conference players, and a schedule that brings Big East heavyweights Miami and Virginia Tech to Pittsburgh, perhaps this will be the year that Harris' hopes are realized. OFFENSIVE KEYS: Pittsburgh enters the season without a quarterback controversy. That's news, because Harris typically waits until the last possible minute to name a starter. Not this year. Not with second-team All-Big East pick Rod Rutherford looking to improve on a junior season that saw him connect on 52 percent of his passes for 2,783 yards and 22 touchdowns.Rutherford blossomed in his first season at the controls and ran the West Coast offense with efficiency. His blend of athleticism and arm strength gives the Panthers a weapon at quarterback that they haven't had in a decade. Rutherford's favorite target is 1,000-yard receiver Larry Fitzgerald, who flourished in Harris' offense and is a legitimate candidate for the Biletnikoff Award. He'll be assisted in his pass-catching pursuits by athletic tight end Kris Wilson. Three starters return on the offensive line. Junior left tackle Rob Petitti, a 2002 All-Big East pick, will provide a steadying influence, but with newcomers at right guard and center, things could be precarious up front. Should the line jell quickly, senior Brandon Miree, a transfer from Alabama, could build upon a season in which he ran for 943 yards, including 553 in his final five games. DEFENSIVE KEYS: Coordinator Paul Rhoads has established Pittsburgh as one of the top defensive teams in the nation. Last season's unit ranked in the top 15 in total defense and scoring defense.This group, which returns seven starters, is built around All-America candidate Claude Harriott at defensive end. Harriott forced seven fumbles -- the second-most in the nation -- and had 9.5 sacks in 2002. He is part of a defensive front that returns two other starters -- Vince Crochunis and Dan Stephens, a pair of run-stopping tackles. The linebacking corps must overcome the loss of four-year starter Gerald Hayes, whose spot in the middle will be manned by former strong-side backer Lewis Moore. A pair of first-year starters will flank Moore, who must display Hayes' leadership qualities as the unit attempts to mesh. All-Big East cornerback Torrie Cox must be replaced, but the Panthers should be solid in the secondary with three starters back. Tyrone Gilliard and Tez Morris form the hardest-hitting safety tandem in the league. SPECIAL TEAMS: Punter Andy Lee is back after being named Big East Special Teams co-Player of the Year. Powerful kicker David Abdul rebounded from a slow start to become an unexpected asset.Speedy Marcus Furman is a strong candidate to return kickoffs and punts. FINAL ANALYSIS: This is the season for Pittsburgh to make a run into the top 10 and push itself into the national title hunt. Harris has been building up to this point for seven years, and most of the pieces are in place. He has a solid quarterback, an All-America-caliber wide receiver, a blossoming tailback and a potentially solid offensive line. Couple that with a defense that ranks among the nation's best year-in and year-out, and Pittsburgh could be looking at a BCS berth.• Click here for complete index of 2003 team previews
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
