Pittsburgh pummels Rutgers in Big East

Panthers quarterback Tyler Palko passed for three touchdowns.
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Rutgers and Pitt took nearly four hours to complete a game that was essentially over at halftime on Saturday.
Tyler Palko threw for three touchdowns and Josh Lay returned an interception 82 yards for another score as Pitt won 41-17.
The Panthers built a 38-3 lead in the first half.
"Disappointing effort, disappointing result," Rutgers coach Greg Schiano said. "I thought we'd play better than we did, especially early. We didn't focus in the first half and as a result we had some little things turn into big things."
The Panthers (5-2, 3-1 Big East) have won three consecutive games. They have also won their last six games against Rutgers.
"You always take them one at a time but we can't help but think of having that Big East title and being out there in New Orleans for the Sugar Bowl," Pitt receiver Greg Lee said. "That's what we really want. That's a goal we set at the beginning of the season that we're hoping to accomplish and we're on our way now."
Conference hopes
The Panthers have a chance to compete for the conference title in what was supposed to be a rebuilding year.
"We've fought our way to be 5-2 with a lot of young players," Pitt coach Walt Harris said. "They're starting to understand things and starting to get better."
Pitt had a rocky start this season and Harris has been under fire but the team has shown steady improvement.
"Sometimes you need to learn and you need to learn the hard way," Palko said. "It just seems that we took that path at the beginning of the season. There's no excuses about a young team anymore. We're deep into our schedule and we're an experienced football team."
Rutgers (4-3, 1-2) was trying to win three straight for the first time since 1992.
Pitt scored on its first possession, which ended with Joe DelSardo making a one-handed, diving catch of Palko's 18-yard pass.
Rutgers came back with a field goal before Tyrone Gilliard's interception led to another Pitt touchdown drive.
Palko hit DelSardo with a 17-yard pass for a 14-3 lead.
Palko's 31-yard pass to Greg Lee set up Raymond Kirkley's 1-yard touchdown run on the first series of the second quarter.
Lay intercepted a fourth-down pass intended for Marcus Daniels and returned it for a score, running through four tackle attempts.
"I got to about the 30 and I thought I was running out of gas," Lay said. "I never had one like that. It was exhausting."
Josh Cummings kicked a 47-yard field goal and Eric Gill caught a 6-yard pass from Palko for a 38-3 lead at the half.
Rutgers quarterback Ryan Hart led a 92-yard touchdown drive in the third quarter and connected with Tres Moses on a 13-yard touchdown. Brian Leonard scored from 1 yard after a pass play to Clark Harris gained 59 yards.
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