BIG EAST Harris still concerned about Panthers' second-half efforts

For the second straight game Pitt was scoreless in the second half.
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Despite career performances from Rod Rutherford and Larry Fitzgerald and toughing out a conference win, Pittsburgh coach Walt Harris says he has little assurance that the Panthers are back on track.
Although Fitzgerald caught eight passes for a career-best 207 yards and two touchdowns and Rutherford threw for a career-high 382 yards on 20-of-28 passing, Harris focused on Pitt's scoreless second half against Rutgers -- their second in as many games.
"We still have a long ways to go to be the kind of team, and for players to be the kind of players, that we know they can be," Harris said Monday.
Held on to beat Rutgers
Pittsburgh (4-2, 1-0 Big East) had to hold on for a 42-32 win against Rutgers (3-4, 0-3) after building a 42-7 halftime lead.
While the offense has sputtered in the second half, Pitt's defense has allowed nearly 500 yards and 28 points per game. The Panthers racked up 427 yards only to give up 516 against Rutgers, the third time in the past four games they've allowed more than 500 yards.
"We all have done something wrong that messes up the whole defense," Pitt free safety Tez Morris said. "I would never say that we're overrated, but people just need to be accountable for what they're supposed to do."
When everyone does their job and works together, Morris said, "you saw what we could do in the first half" against Rutgers. Pitt scored touchdowns on six of nine first-half possessions. The Panthers could make up for their fall from the Top 25 by winning all of the Big East games, and players still say that's not out of the question.
"I think every week that we're getting better," Pitt tight end Kris Wilson said. "Like a lot of other teams, we still have some things to work on, but overall, and week by week, we're getting things corrected. And we're getting better and better every week."
Host Syracuse Saturday
Saturday, the Panthers play host to Syracuse (4-2, 1-1), which rebounded from a 51-7 loss at Virginia Tech two weeks ago to beat Boston College 39-14.
Harris said running back Brandon Miree, who has missed the past three games, has a stress fracture in his leg that went undetected, rather than a calf bruise.
Fitzgerald was named the Big East co-offensive player of the week. With a TD catch against Syracuse, Fitzgerald will match the NCAA record of 13 straight games with a score.