Pitt plays for Big East pride

Associated Press

PITTSBURGH

Seven years later, Pitt is still trying to catch Miami.

The Panthers (1-1) never reached the Hurricanes’ level when the two competed annually in a one-sided Big East Conference rivalry in which Miami won the final six games. Those games occasionally were close, but Miami (1-1) always seemed to have more speed, more depth, more big-time recruits, more pizazz, more of everything.

The gap has closed somewhat since Miami left the Big East to join the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2004, but not entirely. As usual, the Hurricanes are higher ranked — they’re No. 19, and Pitt is among the teams receiving votes in the AP poll — and they’re favored to win at Heinz Field tonight.

Pitt, already dealing with a tough road loss at No. 13 Utah and several off-field incidents that provided some unwanted early season distractions, hopes to change all that as a usually entertaining series is revived for the first time since 2003.

So far, it’s been a bad year for the Big East, as only No. 22 West Virginia is ranked, and five teams are .500 or below. Pitt doesn’t want to make it any worse.

“I don’t know how to say this, but I think the Big East has something to prove,” wide receiver Cam Saddler said.

A loss drops Pitt below .500 during a season in which it was a near unanimous pick to win the league. The Panthers’ offensive line isn’t meshing, the Utah loss exposed vulnerabilities in pass coverage and second-team All-American running back Dion Lewis is averaging only 2.9 yards per carry.

Beating Miami, something Pitt has done only once in 15 meetings since 1984, would give the Panthers a confidence jolt. But Miami has the kind of speed from the top of its roster to the bottom that can trouble a team like Pitt that prefers outpunching an opponent to outrunning it.