A bowl is expected for Pitt, but Bowling Green comes first

By Darrell Laurant  |   Thursday, August 28, 2008  |  Comments( 1 )

Pittsburgh Panthers
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What a difference one game can make.

For most of last season, the Pitt football team wallowed in mediocrity, cycling through quarterbacks like Madonna using up boyfriends -- three different starters by the end of a 5-7 season. The defense was inconsistent. The fans were grumpy.

And with good reason. After starting out 2-0, Dave Wannstedt's team lost four in a row to Michigan State, Connecticut, Virginia and Navy, not exactly a Murderer's Row. An upset of Cincinnati followed, canceled out by losses to underachieving Louisville and Rutgers. After that, the Panthers barely escaped hapless Syracuse, 20-17, before surrendering 48 points in a loss to South Florida.

Then, on Dec. 1, the unthinkable happened. Pitt upset No. 2 West Virginia, 13-9, in the Backyard Brawl, and everything changed. The team's supporters immediately forgot about the sub-.500 record, started raving about freshman running back LeSean McCoy and linebacker Scott McKillop (the nation's leading tackler), and took up the cry: Wait until next year!

Which arrives Saturday, when Bowling Green of the Mid-American Conference comes to Pittsburgh for a noon game at Heinz Field. Most teams crawling out from under off a 5-7 season would be hoping just to break even the next year, but the Panthers don't have that luxury. They're ranked (No. 25) by the AP, and expectations are sky high.

Fortunately, the Falcons of the Mid-American Conference appear to be the best of both worlds for an opening opponent -- good enough to put up a fight, but with weaknesses that play to Pitt's strengths.

For one thing, Gregg Brandon's Falcons were notably weak against the run last season, allowing nine of 13 opponents to wind up with a 100-yard rusher and surrendering over 200 overland yards a game. So McCoy, who danced and fought for 148 yards in the West Virginia upset, will be primed to start his year with, well, a rush.

Bowling Green quarterback Tyler Sheehan was prolific in 2007, throwing for 3,264 yards and 23 touchdowns and sparking a come-from-behind upset of Minnesota. Yet a smallish BG defensive line could be be outmanned by a young but physical Pitt forward wall, so look for the Panthers to keep the ball out of Sheehan's hands by grinding out long drives. The Panthers just have to avoid DE Diyral Briggs, who is on the Bronko Nagurski watch list.

This might also be a good time to try junior college transfer Greg Cross -- backup to starting quarterback Bill Stull -- in the "Wildcat" formation a la Darren McFadden or Tim Tebow. Or to use veteran LaRod Stephens-Howling as a change-of-pace back.

There is also a buzz surrounding freshman wide receiver Jonathan Baldwin, and McKillop has become a Western Pennsylvania folk hero on defense.

Making things even worse for Bowling Green was the suspension of three players after two were charged with use of a stolen credit card. Only one -- running back Willie Jeter -- was a starter, but the incident could be deflating for the Falcons.

Given the hype, no one will be overly excited if the Panthers post a convincing victory on Saturday. But they have to start somewhere.

Realfootball365.com prediction: Pitt 37, Bowling Green 17.
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