PITT FOOTBALL RB Miree looking to jump start run game

The Panthers can still win a share of the Big East title.
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Brandon Miree hopes it isn't too late to save Pittsburgh's running game just as the Panthers hit the closing stretch of their season.
With No. 21 Pittsburgh (7-3, 4-1 in Big East) still in contention to win a share of the Big East title and play in a BCS bowl, Miree will start for the first time in eight games today at Temple.
Miree ran for more than 100 yards in four of his final five games last season and was off to a good start this season with 248 yards in three games.
But he was diagnosed with a stress fracture in his leg after a 35-31 upset loss at Toledo on Sept. 20 and hasn't played since.
Pitt's running game hasn't been the same, either, transforming from excellent at the start of the season to mediocre by midseason to terrible last week.
The Panthers didn't average even half a yard per carry in Saturday's 52-31 loss at No. 25 West Virginia, with only Lousaka Polite (five carries for 9 yards) having more yards than carries.
Pitt had so little running room that, by the second half, West Virginia realigned its defense to all but ignore the run so it could use extra defenders to take away Rod Rutherford's deep throwing. The strategy worked so well that, at one point, the Mountaineers scored 35 consecutive points to break open what had been a tight game.
"They played a lot more coverages in the second half because of the long down and distances we faced," coach Walt Harris said, pointing to an inability to get any running yardage on first and second downs.
Miree, a transfer for Alabama, was a big contributor after finally breaking into the lineup early last season as a junior, gaining 161 yards against Virginia Tech, 121 against West Virginia, 113 in an Insight Bowl rout of Oregon State and 118 against then-No. 1 Miami.
Solid performance
This season, Miree ran for 113 yards and a touchdown in a 43-3 rout of Kent State -- the only 100-yard game by a Pitt back this season -- before getting 73 yards and three touchdowns against Ball State and 62 yards against Toledo.
Without Miree, the Panthers' running game has struggled so much that their leading rusher hasn't gained even 60 yards in five of their last seven games. They have only four rushing touchdowns from their running backs since Miree was hurt.
The 6-foot, 230-pound Miree has been out for so long, Harris said it's taken time for him to regain the confidence he can absorb a hit. Miree tried scrimmaging last week, but looked so hesitant he never got into the game.
"We know he is physically ready to play, but the mental aspect had to be there before he can go back," Harris said. "He wants to play well."
Harris said Miree has looked better in practice this week and should be ready to go against Temple (1-9, 0-5), which always seems to give Pitt fits regardless of the Owls' record.
Pitt trailed Temple 16-7 last season at Heinz Field before rallying to win 29-22 on defensive end Claude Harriott's 11-yard fumble return touchdown early in the fourth quarter. Miree was held to 40 yards on 15 carries, the only time he didn't go over 100 in Pitt's final five games.