SENIOR SALUTE
The names of some are heard every day. Others have toiled in anonymity for much of their careers. But all deserve applause and appreciation for their contributions to the Mountaineer football program. When they are introduced Friday evening, be sure to show your support.
This class has some remarkable achievements, including 38 wins, one Big East championship, two 11-win seasons, three straight bowl victories, two-straight New Year’s bowl wins and two Top 10 final national rankings.
ATTENDANCE RECORD
One big reason for Pitt's success? It's been able to keep the same players on the field for much of the season. Defensively, only the free safety position, with three different starters, has been unsettled for the Panthers this year. Of the 100 starting assignments available at the other ten defensive slots, (ten games x ten positions), ten players have filled 94 of them.
That's not an excuse – simply a fact. West Virginia's success from 2005-07 was largely fueled by the same thing. Building continuity through repetition, with the same (and the best) players on the field for games and practices goes a long way in building team success.
Offensively, the story is similar, although the use of different formations sometimes yields a different starter. Pitt has not had any regulars miss a start due to injury or other reason in 2009.
THE CASE FOR PROTECTION
Did Pitt quarterback Bill Stull improve that much over the off-season? The whipping boy for a sizeable contingent of know-nothing Panther fans during his career, Stull is efficiently directing the Panther attack this season, completing two-thirds of his pass attempts while suffering just four interceptions. Those numbers put him fourth in the NCAA's pass efficiency ratings with a mark of 159.37.
What's been the difference? Good play around him. This year, Stull has outstanding pass protection (Pitt has yielded just nine sacks this year) and playmakers in both the running and passing games. Certainly, Stull has improved on his own, but the contributions of the rest of the offensive unit have been a big key to his success.
COMPARING THE NUMBERS
A look at the offensive numbers of WVU and Pitt reveal some striking similarities. Both teams have 194 first downs this year. Pitt is averaging 410 yards per game, WVU is just behind at 393. Pitt has rushed for 1,876 yards this year, WVU 1,835. Pass completeion percentage for both teams is right at 66%. So why are the Panthers avraging a touchdown more per game this year?
Turnovers are the obvious answer. Pitt is at +1.0 in turnover margin per game this year, while the Mountaineers are an ugly -1.1. Fingerpointing at playcalling, personnel and coaching can be done ad infinitium, but the bottom line is that giving the ball away, and giving opponents more chances to score, is a sure path to defeat. Reverse those numbers, and it's quite likely that WVU is the team sitting at 9-1.
TOP OF THE CHARTS
Pitt running back Dion Lewis has a chance to break Pitt's all-time freshman rushing record, currently held by Tony Dorsett. Lewis, with 1,291 yards, trails Dorsett (1,686) by 395 yards. With three games left, Lewis needs to average 132 yards per contest to make the record his own. That's just three yards more per contest than his current average of 129.1.
ROAD SUCCESS
The Panthers have won nine of their last 11 games as the road team, starting, of course, with their 13-9 2007 win over the Mountaineers in Morgantown. That's Pitt's best stretch since it won 13 straight on the road from 1980-82.
QUICK STARTS
One other item that has allowed the Panthers to play conservative, power football has been its first half success. Pitt has outscored opponents by a 74-38 margin in the first quarter, and an even more impressive 100-42 in the second. That has let the Panthers run the ball and control the clock, and also to throw the ball when they want to, not when they have to.
