Pitt Football

The Pittsburgh Panthers have a chance to land 5-star wide receiver Robert Foster from Monaca, Pennsylvania. The only catch is, they're going to have to out-recruit Alabama to do it. Not a problem, right?

Wrong.

Foster's 247Sports interest list currently has Alabama on top as the favorite, followed by Pittsburgh.

Alabama is the current No. 1 team in the nation according to the BCS standings and they are the defending National Champions.

They are coached by one of the best in the nation in Nick Saban, and they are an elite draw in the college football recruiting world.

On paper, Foster shouldn't have a decision between Alabama and Pitt, but thankfully for Pitt, not all decisions are made on paper.

According to Foster via his Twitter, he will be taking an official visit to Pitt coming up soon:

My official visit to PITT on the 16th

— D-rob#4 (@DROBFoster_4) November 7, 2012

The importance of this visit cannot be understated for Pitt, as it may be one of their only shots to spend a significant amount of time recruiting Foster in an official capacity, and it may one of their only chances to try to get Foster to forget about Alabama.

The kicker is, that's going to be much easier said than done, so Paul Chryst and his staff will literally have to hammer home every single recruiting point that they can think of. Any advantage they have has to be brought to the table for Foster.

The first and most obvious point will have to be proximity. Monica is under an hour away from the University of Pittsburgh, and frankly, if distance from home didn't matter, I don't think Pitt would be in the picture right now. The Pitt recruiting staff will have to really play up the fact that Foster can play near home where his family and friends will be able to visit much easier.

The other real advantage Pitt has over Alabama is that they can him the ability to be the premier player in their program. He'd be the face of Pitt football as long as he lived up to his potential.

At Alabama he'd be one of many great players, and his chances of really standing out would be slim. It's not impossible, because he really is a talented player, but he'd just be one of the guys, instead of "the guy".

Also, consider that Pitt has a pretty good history of sending their elite receivers into the NFL. Jonathan Baldwin was the first round pick of the Kansas City Chiefs back in 2011, and Larry Fitzgerald was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2004 NFL draft.

Another 5-star player, Dorian Johnson, is considering the Pitt program as well, and Jared Shanker of ESPN.com is reporting that Johnson will be visiting that weekend as also. Pitt can sell Foster on the chance to play with Johnson, and vice versa.

If both Johnson and Foster committed, they could be the catalysts that show the college football recruiting world that Pitt is a program elite prospects should consider, and that's yet another thing the Panthers would be smart to bring up during the visit.

How about the fact that Pittsburgh will be soon moving to the ACC? That could be a huge pitch for the Panthers, as they can point to the momentum the conference change could possibly bring to their program. Just look at how it's impacted Texas A&M, right?

These are all great selling points for Pittsburgh.

They may not be elite, and they may not be nationally relevant (you could argue that they are barely relevant in the Big East), but they do have some things to offer the 5-star wide receiver.

It's going to be tough to out-recruit Alabama, but if there's a way to do it, this would be it.

The Pitt Panthers continue their last go-around through the Big East when they visit Hartford for some Friday night NCAA action against the UConn Huskies (8 pm ET, ESPN2).

Both teams are desperate for victories in their fading efforts to become bowl-eligible, but the situation is more dire for UConn, which has lost four straight.

Predictably, they were sitting as three-point home underdogs at most sportsbooks tracked by OddsShark.com as of Thursday.

Pitt has lurched to a 4-5 record in its first season under new head coach Paul Chryst. The Panthers opened this season with losses to Youngstown State (FCS) and Cincinnati, then won two straight, beating Virginia Tech and Gardner-Webb (FCS). Pitt then lost to Syracuse and Louisville, then won two in a row again, beating Buffalo and Temple.

Then, last Saturday, the Panthers outplayed undefeated Notre Dame in South Bend for three quarters, but allowed the Irish to score twice in the fourth to send the game to overtime tied at 20.

Pitt then missed a chance at the upset when kicker Kevin Harper missed a 33-yard field goal in the second OT, and the Panthers eventually lost 29-26.

So with three games to play Pitt is still two victories away from becoming bowl-eligible.

On the season, the Panthers have been outrushed by a 151-150 YPG margin, which is an unwelcome change after outrushing their foes each of the previous five seasons.

Connecticut, meanwhile, began its second season under HC Paul Pasqualoni by winning three of its first five games. But the Huskies have now lost their last four in a row, thanks in large part to an ineffective offense.

UConn scored three points in losing at Rutgers, 14 points in losing to Temple, 10 points in losing at Syracuse and, last Saturday, six points in falling at South Florida.

Defensively Connecticut has only allowed 290 YPG this season; offensively the Huskies are only averaging 318 YPG and less than 17 PPG.

With three games remaining on its schedule at 3-6, Connecticut needs to win out to become bowl-eligible.

The Panthers have won three of the last four games in this series. Last year, Pitt racked up over 500 yards of offense in beating the Huskies 35-20, covering the spread as 10-point favorites.

One word of caution on this game; three Pitt players, including RB Ray Graham, were supposedly involved in an off-field scuffle a couple of weeks ago, and while they played vs. Notre Dame, there's always a chance suspensions could be handed down.

Bettors might want to stay up-to-date on this situation before getting down on this game.

Free Pick: Neither of these teams has done much to impress anybody this season. But on the strength of their defense, we'll take the points and the Huskies as home dogs. (courtesy of PickShark.com)

All odds, stats and trends mentioned courtesy of OddsShark.com. Mike Pickett is a Contributor to Bleacher Report and contributes to the Twitter feed.

University of Pittsburgh running back Ray Graham has been charged with simple assault and conspiracy after an October 21 incident involving two of his Panther teammates and three other college students.

According to the Associated Press (h/t ESPN), Graham and teammates Devin Street and Lafayette Pitts are due to appear in Pittsburgh Municipal Court on January 9 for a preliminary hearing on the charges.

UPDATE: November 2, 12 PM ET by Sam Westmoreland

As of now, it would seem that Graham and his teammates have not been suspended for Saturday's clash with Notre Dame, which isn't surprising. USA Today's Dan Wolkien reported that the team hasn't punished the players as of yet. 

Pitt issues statement saying three players charged with simple assualt for Oct. 21 incident will remain active "while we gain more clarity."

— Dan Wolken (@DanWolken) November 2, 2012

Until the team gets more information on the incident, and what the players actually did, it doesn't make sense to suspend them. Given that the game is tomorrow, don't be surprised to see the three players take the field against the Irish. 

---------END UPDATE-------------

Pittsburgh student Karl Olsheski filed the original complaint that said that Graham and his teammates threatened him, Diane Olsheski and Samantha Mitchell on an Oakland neighborhood sidewalk.

The report describes what happened during the unpleasant encounter:

Karl Olsheski told police that Graham confronted him by saying, "What's up?" along with a racial slur. Olsheski said he tried to walk away but that Graham and Street blocked his way and Pitts kept him from retreating.

Olsheski told police that he was then struck in the head by Street.

The two women then described what happened more thoroughly at the city police station.

Graham leads the Panthers with 622 rushing yards and seven touchdowns, including a season-best 109 yards on 19 carries and two scores in Pitt's most recent contest against Temple.

The senior's yards per carry are down from his previous three collegiate years, but Graham has displayed an improved ability to catch the ball out of the backfield, snagging 22 receptions for an 11-yard average and two TDs.

His loss would be a huge blow to the Panther offense, which heavily relies on Graham as the catalyst.

It remains to be seen what kind of disciplinary action will be taken by the NCAA or Panthers head coach Paul Chryst. Saturday's matchup with Notre Dame will definitely require the services of two of the offense's marquee players for Pitt to have a chance at pulling the upset in South Bend.

The undefeated, third-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish host the Pittsburgh Panthers Saturday afternoon. The Fighting Irish, coming off what could be a season defining 30-13 victory over then-No. 8 Oklahoma, look to extend their undefeated streak to 9-0 for the first time in 19 years.

The Panthers pose a problem for the Fighting Irish, though.

Notre Dame isn’t the only team that had an outstanding game last week. Pittsburgh reached a new high when it beat Temple by a score of 47-17.

Notre Dame is again faced with the threat of a team capable of putting up big numbers. The Panthers aren’t the first team to post over 40 points prior to playing the Irish, but they may be the squad to finally rise up to the challenge presented by Notre Dame’s defense.

The Irish defense, which is second only to No. 1 Alabama, has allowed an average of just 9.9 points per game over the course of the season. However, the Panthers’ passing game just might be able to stand up to Notre Dame's stingy D.

The Panthers are averaging 281.5 passing yards per game. Granted, the Irish have been giving up less than 200 passing yards per game. Even so, Tino Sunseri and the Panthers’ passing game has the potential to break through the Irish’s top-tier defense.

Sunseri, who has been recognized as one of the NCAA’s best quarterbacks, has a nearly 70-percent completion rate. He has thrown for 13 touchdowns and only two interceptions.

A game-changing factor could be the Pitt receivers’ ability to get open for Sunseri. If Mike Shanahan and Devin Street—Pittsburgh’s two best receivers—can get open downfield and Sunseri takes advantage of the opportunities they make, the resulting momentum could be invaluable.

He is, however, relatively prone to getting sacked. With a defensive line as big and experienced as Notre Dame’s, Sunseri might have trouble getting the ball to his receivers. If he can handle the pressure from the Irish defense and not turn the ball over, Sunseri should be able to do his part in keeping the game close.

If the Panthers’ running game, which hasn’t been very impressive, can carry over the momentum from the game against Temple, they would be in a much better position.

Running back Ray Graham was a standout player against Temple. He had his best game of the season against the Owls, rushing for 109 yards and two touchdowns. It’s worth the risk to let Graham challenge the Irish defense.

The Panthers need to play a sound all-around game. They can't give the Irish anything to exploit. Even a crucial turnover or two is enough to greatly tip the scale in Notre Dame's favor.

The Panthers are not to be counted out, though. The last time they played a Top-Five school was West Virginia in 2007. Despite being 28.5 point underdogs, the Panthers came out on top with a 13-9 victory.

The Panthers can definitely be problematic for the Irish and the warpath they’ve been on. Expect Pitt to take the field Saturday and play with plenty of fire and determination.

Michael Prunka is a Bleacher Report Featured Columnist and Sports Writing Intern. Stay up to date with him by liking his Facebook page and following him on Twitter.

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Heading into Friday night's matchup against Big East rival Syracuse, Paul Chryst's Pittsburgh Panthers ride a momentous two-game winning streak that will translate to continued dominance against their conference foe.

After a loss to FCS subdivision Youngstown State in the opener and a drubbing on the road in Cincinnati, the Panthers looked like a lost team. The short week for the Bearcats game resulted in extra time to prepare for a home showdown against No. 13 Virginia Tech, and Pitt took full advantage of it.

In one of the more shocking results of the season, the Panthers dismantled the Hokies 35-17, and blew out Gardner-Webb 55-10 thereafter.

Stud receiver Devin Street put it best after the first win (via ESPN):

Those two losses were big for us. I think it was an eye-opener for us.

Meanwhile, the Orange have been victims of a rather difficult slate of games in 2012, which explains their 1-3 record. The home advantage of the Carrier Dome may not hold up too well against Pitt, who has won in four of its past five trips to Syracuse.

Pitt has also won nine of the past 10 meetings overall.

According to oddshark.com, though, Syracuse is still slightly favored by 1.5, which is surprising considering the matchups the Panthers present.

The combination of 6'5" Mike Shanahan and the 6'4" NFL prospect, Street, will be too much for the Orange to overcome. This may have been considered an "easy" game in light of their difficult schedule, but the Panthers are scolding hot and rested coming off of a bye.

To be balanced, both teams are coming off of a bye, eager to notch their first conference victories. Speaking of balanced, both teams have great passing games, but the Panthers clearly have the edge on the ground, with the duo of Ray Graham and stellar freshman Rushel Shell in the backfield.

In spite of that, the quarterback duel is set to be very exciting.

Senior Tino Sunseri has proven he can get the job done with his aforementioned big targets on the outside, but the arm talent of his Orange counterpart Ryan Nassib will also be showcased.

Pitt also has the edge on the back end, with underrated, two-time All-Big East free safety Jarred Holley. In the Virginia Tech game, Holley accounted for one of the three picks of Hokies QB Logan Thomas, as Holley is playing at a high level once again for the Panthers.

According to Nassib's scouting report on CBSSports.com, he tends to force throws and make poor decisions, and with a ball hawk in the secondary like Holley, Nassib is bound to make a few poor reads.

Both universities may be more widely known for their basketball prowess, but each are building respectable football programs nonetheless.

Big East pride is on the line, and Syracuse is ready to show it finally has a competitive football team after a rough go at it during Greg Robinson's infamous tenure.

It will be yet another learning experience for the Orange and a tough loss to swallow at home.

Sunseri's 8:2 touchdown-to-interception ratio will help PItt win the turnover battle and win its third-consecutive game in yet another triumph over the embattled Orange.

Final score prediction: Pittsburgh 24, Syracuse 21

Before they move on to the ACC next season, the Pitt Panthers and Syracuse Orange meet one last time as rival members of the Big East when they get together Friday night at the Carrier Dome (7 pm ET, ESPN).

Can the Panthers continue their recent offensive surge? Or can the Orange snap a seven-game losing streak in this series and bust up their recent trend of losing when they are favored?

Pitt opened as small two-point road favorites, but the betting in Vegas and online has swung the spread around to favor the Orange. Most books had Syracuse at -1.5 as of Thursday morning, according to OddsShark.com.

Pitt, which returned 14 starters from last year for its first season under new HC Paul Chryst, opened this year with a shocking 31-17 loss to Youngstown State of FCS, then looked bad in falling at Cincinnati 34-10.

But then the Panthers pulled a 35-17 upset of then-No. 13 Virginia Tech, and two weeks ago beat Gardner-Webb (also FCS) 55-10.

So, after a slow start, maybe Pitt is coming around. They had last weekend off to think about it and prepare.

Syracuse, meanwhile, with 12 starters back after going 5-7 last year, opened this season with a crazy 42-41 loss to Northwestern, then got beat by USC in New Jersey 42-29. The Orange then picked up a 28-17 victory over Stony Brook (FCS), but two weeks ago the 'Cuse lost at Minnesota 17-10, even though they outgained and outrushed the Gophers.

However, four turnovers spelled doom.

On the season, the Orange have turned the ball over 10 times and are averaging nine penalties per game. Syracuse also had last weekend off and should match Pitt in the rest and preparation areas.

Pitt has won the last seven games in the series with the 'Cuse. Last year, the Panthers beat the Orange 33-20 at Heinz Field. Syracuse actually outgained and outrushed Pitt, but committed six turnovers. The Panthers got the cover as eight-point favorites when their defense returned a fumble for the final score of the game with two minutes to go.

Also, the total on Friday's game opened at 56 or 57 at most online books, but has since been bumped to 58.

Free Pick: The early betting on this game pushed the line toward Syracuse, but they are just 2-8 ATS in their past 10 as chalk, but we go the other way and take Pitt Friday night.

“The Strike” was episode No. 166 of the hit NBC sitcom Seinfeld. On this particular episode, Jerry was dealing with a peculiar disturbing issue with his new girlfriend called the "two-face" where she would sometimes look attractive in one setting and bad in the next, depending on the lighting or environment she was in that day.

The aforementioned episode reminds me of the Pitt Panthers football team after a blunder in their home opener, losing to the Youngstown State Penguins, 31-17, then two weeks later, they shock the college football world with win over No. 13 Virginia Tech.

Pitt immediately set the tempo, scoring twice in first quarter, including a Ray Graham 12 yard touchdown run on the game's opening drive. Graham would finish with 94 yards rushing, six yards shy of having back-to-back 100 yard rushing games, which is a good sign for the Panthers offense.

Graham's fourth career hat-trick—scoring three touchdowns in one game—was slightly overshadowed the running back Rushel Shell, who finished with 157 yards rushing, chewing up the clock and Hokies defense; prior to the Pitt game, Virginia Tech ranked 17th in total defense.

“Whenever you have guys in the backfield that can make plays, it opens up the offense,” said Pitt quarterback Tino Sunseri, with his crutches leaning against the wall while fielding questions from the media.

Sunseri had one of his finest games—going 19-of-28 for 283 yards and three touchdowns. 

“I’m very proud of this team. I loved the way they competed,” Paul Chryst said after his first win as Panthers head coach. “I got to hear the fight song (in locker room). It was pretty neat.”

Witnessing it from the press box at Heinz Field, along with the 48,032 in paid attendances and the hundred some in the press box, episode 166 kept replaying over and over in my mind, and how eerily similar that show reflected the team wearing the blue and gold the Pitt Panthers.

Here is a team that thoroughly dominated the Hokies in nearly every aspect of the game; from time of possession—38:27 to 21:33—or going five-for-seven in red zone scoring opportunities, making those all seven point trips instead of three. The 35-17 win by Pitt marked the fourth straight win over the Hokies, averaging over 30 points in those games. Now your guess is as good as mine; will this team continue winning or will episode "166" glare it’s ugly ( or sometimes sexy) face again.

Credit the Pitt players and coaching staff for sticking together and beating a very talented Virginia Tech team. Quarterback Logan Thomas threw three interceptions in the loss and basically erased any hopes he had for having a run at college football’s most prestigious trophy, the Heisman. He had his moments, but he never gained enough steam to mount a serious challenge to the Panthers today.

Since Dave Wannstedt’s departure at the conclusion of 2010, the Panthers have had Phil Bennett, Todd Graham, Keith Patterson and Paul Chryst named as head coach in capacity or another. Oh, don’t forget the Mike Haywood, who was offered and accepted the head coaching job, but was arrested shortly after on felony domestic violence charges, resulting in the void of him being retained at Pitt.

Give this team of young men some credit for sticking to it and grinding while their collegiate career for most of them has seen a swinging door of new faces at the coaching helm.

Chryst seems to be the perfect fit for this team and the town of Pittsburgh, with his blue-collar mentality that meshes well with the atmosphere of the city.

“A season is a journey. You can’t get to one part of it without getting through others. This one day we did what we needed to do and came out with the victory. Everything you go through builds you,” said Coach Chryst.

This team can’t get back the first two weeks of the season, but they have the rest of the fall to right this ship and stay on the pretty side of episode "166", and stay away from the ugly. 

Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained first-hand.

Follow on Twitter @BoMarchionte of College2Pro.com

To say that the Pittsburgh Panthers had to play a near-perfect game Saturday to defeat No. 13 Virginia Tech at home was about as accurate as it gets

Pittsburgh lost its first two games to start the 2012 season. One of those games was to Cincinnati by 24 points and the other was to Youngstown State by 14 points.

But the perfect game took place. 

Pittsburgh forced four turnovers, rushed the ball for 254 yards and quarterback Tino Sunseri threw for 283 yards and three touchdowns in a 35-17 beatdown of Virginia Tech at Heinz Field. 

Saturday was the day when Pittsburgh put together the perfect performance, and it just so happened to come against a top-15 team.

Freshman standout Rushel Shell rushed for 157 yards on 23 carries; Ray Graham added 94 on 24 carries. Pittsburgh used that rushing attack early and often, dominating the line of scrimmage to set the tone of the entire contest. 

Pittsburgh's defense made plays against Hokies' quarterback Logan Thomas, forcing three interceptions from the talented quarterback. Thomas went 14-of-31 for 265 yards while receiving nothing from the rushing attack.

Virginia Tech ran the ball 26 times total but only earned 59 yards. If you take away Thomas' 28 yards, the Hokies would have only totaled 31 yards.

Sunseri has struggled throughout his career at Pittsburgh, and he's received some well-deserved criticism. However, his performance on Saturday is what you would expect from a three-year starting senior quarterback. 

The victory was Panthers' head coach Paul Chryst's first victory with the program. What a memorable victory it turned out to be.