Pitt still unsettled at running back

College

Related Photos

Pitt running back Dion Lewis (28) spins away from Notre Dame safety Zeke Motta (right) and linebacker Prince Shembo ON Saturday in South Bend, Ind. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Pitt running back Ray Graham (1) breaks away from FIU linebacker Kenneth Dillard (41) and defensive back Jose Cheeseborough (27) to go for a 79-yard touchdown on Oct. 2 in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)

Discussion

October 13, 2010

Pitt still unsettled at running back

ALAN ROBINSON Associated Press Wed Oct 13, 2010, 12:06 AM EDT

PITTSBURGH — Pitt’s offense is built around running the football, so the Panthers’ dilemma wouldn’t seem to be much of a problem at all.

They have two running backs capable of reeling off 100-yard games. Dion Lewis did it enough times last season that he was chosen as a second-team All-American. Ray Graham has done it three times in the Panthers’ past four games.

Still, Pitt is learning that having two effective runners doesn’t necessarily guarantee offensive continuity or success.

The Panthers (2-3) often spend the first half sorting out which running back is on that day, an issue that never got resolved during a 23-17 loss at Notre Dame on Saturday – a 14-point deficit forced them to throw more than usual during the second half.

Lewis ran for 63 yards on

13 carries, the most yards he’s had since gaining 75 in the opener against Utah. Graham had 44 yards on eight carries following three consecutive

100-yard games.

Coach Dave Wannstedt said the two-back system won’t be altered as the Panthers exit non-conference play to begin their Big East Conference schedule Saturday at Syracuse (4-1, 1-0) because neither back deserves to sit.

“Dion did some good things in the game,” Wannstedt said. “Ray Graham is playing really well; he’s probably made a few more plays than Dion. We’re going to need them both. The plan is to use them both.”

Graham and Lewis have

60 carries each, but Graham has a 536-206 edge in yardage. Graham also is averaging 8.9 yards per carry to Lewis’ 3.4.

Lewis is far below his pace of last season, when he had

580 yards through five games before ending the season with eight consecutive 100-yard games and 1,799 yards overall.

Only Tony Dorsett (2,150 yards in 1976) ran for more yards at Pitt in a single season.

Pitt’s No. 15 preseason ranking resulted in part from expectations Lewis would have a similarly big season.

“The way everything has evolved, I see us using them both,” Wannstedt said. “To sit here and say that we’re going to play one guy most of the game, I don’t see that happening.”

Graham’s yardage is inflated by his 277-yard game against Florida International, but he has been the more effective runner to date.

“It’s a little frustrating, but it’s not that big of a deal,” Graham said of sharing the job. “I would definitely say that double-digit (carries) is what you need to get going. ... Just one series, that’s tough. It could be a three-and-out, and then we make a change.”

No matter which running back gets more carries at Syracuse, Pitt is happy to be returning to conference play. The Big East is struggling from top to bottom – only No. 25 West Virginia is ranked – and that means a team that has been disappointing to date has time to salvage its season.

If the Panthers beat Syracuse for the sixth consecutive season and the eight time in nine seasons, they have a chance to build a modest winning streak with Rutgers (3-2, 1-0) and Louisville (3-2, 0-0) following at home the next two weeks. Pitt then plays Connecticut (3-3, 0-1) and South Florida (3-2, 0-1) on the road.

Text Only | Photo Reprints

College

Palmer to leave UPJ women’s position
Sasha Palmer will embark on a new chapter as a women’s basketball coach next month.

May 21, 2013 1 Photo
MIKE MASTOVICH | Roberts, Kent State up to old tricks
George Roberts and his Kent State University teammates reached a familiar destination on Saturday afternoon, but took a somewhat different route in winning their third consecutive Mid-American Conference (MAC) regular-season title.

May 18, 2013 1 Photo
Local sports in brief 5/19/2013
May 18, 2013
Local sports in brief 5/18/2013
May 17, 2013
Local sports in brief 5/17/2013
May 17, 2013
College players dominate Point nominations
Pitt-Johnstown junior Jake Warner was perfect and extremely productive at the plate while earning the first two monthly nominations for the 2013 Point Stadium Award in February and March.
Mount Aloysius sophomore Derrick Capiak nearly reached perfection to take the April nomination.

May 15, 2013
Penn State guard leaving for pro career
Penn State guard Jermaine Marshall, the team’s second-leading scorer, is foregoing his senior year of eligibility to pursue a professional career overseas.
The team announced the surprise move in a statement Wednesday. The 6-foot-4 Marshall, who is on schedule to graduate this summer, cited his family including a 1-year-old son, in making his decision.

May 15, 2013
Penn State coach blasts Sports Illustrated article
Penn State coach Bill O’Brien is fervently disputing suggestions raised in a report that player medical care has been compromised after the team doctor was replaced.
Speaking often in an angry tone that might be otherwise reserved for an argument with an official, O’Brien told reporters in a conference call that the health and safety of his players were his top priorities.

May 15, 2013 1 Photo
East Stroudsburg wins PSAC championship
Senior Brian Ernst threw eight innings without allowing an earned run on just two days rest and East Stroudsburg University used a five-run fifth inning to secure its first PSAC baseball championship since 1971 with a 7-1 win over defending champion West Chester on Saturday at Point Stadium.
The Warriors (33-16), who set a school record with their 33rd win, earned the PSAC’s automatic bid to the NCAA Division II Tournament thanks in large part to an outstanding effort by Ernst, who was named the PSAC Tournament MVP.

May 11, 2013 1 Photo
Millersville players help couple resuscitate ailing child
The Millersville University baseball team came up with a great save this week, but it had nothing to do with the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference tournament being played at Point Stadium.
A trip for an after-midnight snack on Wednesday morning ended with seven Marauders being hailed as heroes by a local family after they helped save a little boy who wasn’t breathing.

May 10, 2013 1 Photo
More College Headlines

College

Search Results

Related Photos

Discussion

Pitt still unsettled at running back

Should Pennsylvania privatize portions of the state prison system?

Contact Us