BIG EAST Pressure on Rutherford may help Mountaineers

Adam Jones has pressure of his own -- covering Pitt receiver Larry Fitzgerald.
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) -- West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez figures one of the best ways to slow down Pittsburgh star Larry Fitzgerald is to make sure the ball is thrown to him less often.
Rodriguez stresses the need to put pressure on Panthers quarterback Rod Rutherford when No. 16 Pittsburgh (7-2, 4-0 Big East) comes to West Virginia (5-4, 3-1) today.
The task of getting to Rutherford was made more difficult after starting defensive end Fred Blueford was lost for the season last week with a torn knee ligament.
West Virginia ranks last in the Big East along with Boston College with 10 sacks apiece this season, one fewer than Pittsburgh.
"That's something we've had a hard time being able to do all year," Rodriguez said.
So has containing Fitzgerald, who looks to extend his NCAA record to 16 consecutive games with a scoring reception. He's averaging 142.4 yards receiving per game, has 17 touchdowns and 68 receptions for 1,282 yards.
West Virginia showed last year it can beat Pittsburgh despite Fitzgerald's heroics. He had 11 catches for 159 yards and two scores in a 24-17 loss.
One-man threat
"He'll find ways to make plays. But we've got to limit the big plays," said West Virginia linebacker Grant Wiley. "We can't just concentrate on him. He's just one player."
Maybe. But he commands a great deal of respect.
"Fitzgerald has great ball awareness," said West Virginia's Adam Jones, who will cover him. "You can see the catches that he makes. He just knows how to get to the ball."
Jones said he is looking forward to covering Fitzgerald and won't get into a war of words typical of the Backyard Brawl. Rodriguez discussed player behavior and avoiding personal foul penalties at a team meeting this week.
"I'm going to keep my mouth shut this game and play with a shut mouth," Jones promised.
A West Virginia win today along with a Miami win over Syracuse would forge a three-way tie for the conference lead. Pittsburgh will capture the title if it wins its remaining games. It also plays at Temple and at home against No. 14 Miami.
First comes a Mountaineer team that is second in the nation in turnover margin. A year ago, West Virginia forced four Pittsburgh turnovers while making none.
"It's a significant game to the success of our season and last year we didn't get the job done. That's why we want to remind our players of the importance of the game," said Pittsburgh coach Walt Harris, who held closed practices this week. "Our guys seem to focus better when there are not a lot of distractions."
West Virginia's Rasheed Marshall finally won one over Rutherford last year, throwing for one score, running for another and even catching a pass.
Both quarterbacks are from Pittsburgh's City League, where Rutherford's Perry Academy beat Marshall's Brashear High three straight years, all by shutout. In one game, Rutherford intercepted a Marshall pass and nearly returned it for a touchdown.
Showcase
"We're looked at as the doormat of western P.A. football. And for us to be in a situation like this at two big-time programs, and [have an] opportunity to showcase our talent, it's definitely a blessing," said Rutherford, who is averaging 296 yards passing per game.