Hurricane postpones matchup

Pitt is still searching for a starting running game.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- The game between No. 20 West Virginia and South Florida postponed because of Hurricane Wilma has been rescheduled for Dec. 3.
"There were many fans that we considered," Big East commissioner Michael Tranghese said Thursday. "Obviously, the safety of everyone is paramount. Also, there were travel concerns and the potential for missed class time. Our conclusion is that Dec. 3 is the best date for this game to be played."
The game had been set for Saturday in Tampa, Fla., but the Big East announced on Wednesday that it had been postponed. Wilma is expected to arrive with potentially devastating force in Florida this weekend.
A start time for the rescheduled game has not been set.
Pitt looking for running game
PITTSBURGH -- With only four games remaining, Pitt is still trying to find that effective running game that coach Dave Wannstedt promised when training camp started.
A starting running back, too.
Seven games into a disjointed season, one featuring upset losses to Ohio U. and Rutgers and a confidence-deflating defeat to Notre Dame, the Panthers have had only one 100-yard rusher -- freshman Rashad Jennings with 102 yards on 11 carries against Cincinnati.
And, in a familiar twist, the Panthers (3-4, 2-1 in Big East) have become increasingly reliant on junior quarterback Tyler Palko's passing, just as they did a season ago when they ran a West Coast offense, rather than Wannstedt's more conventional run-based system. In 2004, Palko passed for 3,067 yards, or five times more yardage than any running back produced.
It wasn't a one-year trend, either. Pitt had only one 1,000-yard rusher during Walt Harris' eight seasons as coach from 1997-2004 and has had only one since 1994. Pitt hasn't had even a 600-yard runner since Brandon Miree ran for 943 yards in 2001.
Freshman emerging
Currently, Pitt's leading rusher is senior Raymond Kirkley, the No. 4 tailback when the season started, with 346 yards. Jennings had the 102-yard game but has only 99 yards in Pitt's other games. Freshman LaRod Stephens-Howling has 217 yards, including 98 yards against Nebraska and 91 yards against South Florida on Saturday.
"It's definitely encouraging," Stephens-Howling said of Saturday's performance. "It made us feel good running the ball."
Stephens-Howling is only 5-foot-7 and 160 pounds -- small by high school standards and tiny for a major college back -- so he was used earlier this season mostly on outside running plays or to catch screen passes. But he showed Wannstedt against South Florida that he can gain yardage between the tackles.
"I would say Rashad Jennings, Ray Kirkley and Tim Murphy, they are all somewhat similar from a size and speed standpoint," Wannstedt said. "LaRod brings a different dimension to our offense, and we've got to continue to play him."
Wannstedt doesn't list a starter for Saturday's Big East home game against Syracuse (1-5, 0-3), with Kirkley, Jennings and Stephens-Howling grouped together. But Stephens-Howling is emerging as more than just a situational running back.
"One thing he has is a knack for finishing plays," Wannstedt said. "He has a God-given ability to not get hit head-on very often. When he's in the game, you have to defend against anything."
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