2006 Pitt Panthers

2006 Pitt Panthers Season, Game Recaps, Scores and Reviews

Nov. 25
Louisville 48 ... Pitt 24
Louisville rolled with a steady stream of unstoppable offense with Brian Brohm throwing four touchdown passes with two to Gary Barnridge, a 42-yard play to Mario Urrutia and closing out with a 75-yard pass play to Harry Douglas. Pitt got up early on a trick play with WR Derek Kinder throwing a 21-yard touchdown pass to Oderick Turner and LaRod Stephens-Howling running for a six-yard score, but the Cardinals went on a 31-3 run to put the game away. Turner stopped the run in the fourth quarter with a 21-yard touchdown catch. Gavin Smart intercepted two passes.
Player of the game ... Louisville QB Brian Brohm completed 21 of 29 passes for 337 yards and four touchdowns
Stat Leaders: Louisville - Passing: Brian Brohm, 21-29, 337 yds, 4 TD
Rushing: Kolby Smith, 9-58, 1 TD  Receiving: Mario Urrutia, 7-144, 1 TD
Pitt - Passing: Tyler Palko, 31-50, 307 yds, 1 TD, 3 INT
Rushing: LaRod Stephens-Howling, 12-57, 1 TD  Receiving: Derek Kinder, 11-77
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... A five-game losing streak all against Big East teams might have killed any bowl hopes, and rightly so. The defense has gone from mediocre to non-existent with the secondary always a half-step off against Louisville, but the biggest problem was the lack of any sort of pass rush. Brian Brohm got all the time he wanted to throw and was unstoppable. With no help from the D, Tyler Palko had to press and threw three picks in his 50 throws. It's all in the recruiting; the team needs more athletes and playmakers on both sides of the ball.

2006 Schedule CFN Prediction: 8-4 2006 Record: 6-6 Preview 2006 predicted wins
9/2	Virginia  W 38-13
9/8	at Cincinnati W 33-15
9/16	Michigan State L 38-23
9/23	The Citadel W 51-6
9/30	Toledo W 45-3
10/7	at Syracuse W 21-11
10/13	at UCF W 52-7
10/21	Rutgers L 20-10
11/4	at South Florida L 22-12
11/11	at Conn. L 46-45 2OT
11/16	West Virginia L 45-27
11/25	Louisville L 48-24

2005 Schedule CFN Prediction: 9-2 2005 Record: 5-6 Preview 2005 predicted wins
9/3	Notre Dame L 42-21
9/10	at Ohio L 16-10 OT
9/17	at Nebraska L 7-6
9/24	Youngstown St W 41-0
9/30	at Rutgers L 37-29
10/8	Cincinnati W 38-20
10/15	South Florida W 31-17
10/22	Syracuse W 34-17
11/3	at Louisville L 42-20
11/12	Connecticut W 24-0
11/24	at West Virginia L 45-13

Nov. 16
West Virginia 45 ... Pitt 27
Pitt held a 27-24 halftime lead overcoming three Steve Slaton touchdowns, including two on passes from Pat White, thanks to a brilliant 43-yard punt return for a touchdown from Darrell Revis, two Tyler Palko touchdown passes and two Conor Lee field goals, and then everything changed. West Virginia dominated the second half outgaining the Panthers 373 yards to 30 with Slaton tearing off a 55-yard touchdown run and White scoring from 64 and 19 yards out. The Mountaineers finished with 641 yards of total offense.
Player of the game ... West Virginia RB Steve Slaton ran 23 times for 215 yards and two touchdowns and caught six passes for 130 yards and two scores, and Pat White ran 22 times for 220 yards two touchdowns and completed 11 of 16 passes for 204 yards and two touchdowns.
Stat Leaders: West Virginia - Passing: Pat White, 11-16, 204 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Steve Slaton, 23-215, 2 TD. Receiving: Steve Slaton, 6-130, 2 TD
Pitt - Passing: Tyler Palko, 28-37, 341 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: LaRod Stephens-Howling, 9-35. Receiving: Oderick Turner, 6-95, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... Pitt came out firing in the first half against West Virginia with a solid gameplan to simply try to outbomb the Mountaineer offense. What it didn't take into account was Pat White and Steve Slaton's ability to get the passing game going to loosen up the defensive backfield. Once that passing threat was established, the two Mountaineer stars had more room to rumble in the second half. The real problem was the Pitt offense that failed to get the passing game back on track once the second half fireworks started. The loss showed just how far the program has to go when it comes to all-around speed and athleticism, but there are few defenses in America with the wheels to hang with Slaton and White.

Nov. 11
Connecticut 46 ... Pitt 45 2OT
Connecticut got a ten-yard Donald Brown touchdown run to pull within one in the second overtime, but instead of going for two, went for the win and got it with D.J. Hernandez running for the game-winning score. Down 31-17 in the fourth quarter, the Panthers Hernandez threw two touchdown passes including a three-yard pass to Dan Murray with three seconds to play to force overtime. Brandon Young gave the Huskies the lead with an 11-yard run in the first overtime, but Pitt answered with a Conredge Collins catch. The Panthers got a one-yard LaRod Stephens touchdown run in the second overtime before Brown and Hernandez ended it. Tyler Palko and Steve Buches hooked up for two scores for the Panthers. Pitt linebackers H.B. Blades and Clint Session combined for 32 tackles.
Player of the game ... Connecticut QB D.J. Hernandez completed 20 of 29 passes for 164 yards and four touchdowns and ran 17 times for 130 yards. Donald Brown ran 43 times for 205 yards and two touchdowns and caught four passes for 26 yards and a score.
Stat Leaders: Connecticut - Passing: D.J. Hernandez, 20-29, 164 yds, 4 TD
Rushing: Donald Brown, 43-205, 2 TD  Receiving: Larry Taylor, 5-47
Pitt - Passing: Tyler Palko, 20-25, 234 yds, 3 TD
Rushing: LaRod Stephens, 32-154, 2 TD  Receiving: Steve Buches, 5-73, 2 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... The loss to Connecticut is most painful because of all the chances the defense had to end the game. It couldn't come up with a stop in the fourth quarter, couldn't hold in the final few seconds in regulation, couldn't keep UConn out of the end zone in overtime, and didn't D up on the two-point conversion. The run defense got blown off the ball all game long. That's not a plus with West Virginia coming into town. Lost in the defeat was a fantastic, efficient performance from Tyler Palko. He didn't press and made good decision after good decision.

Nov. 4
South Florida 22 ... Pitt 12
In a sloppy game with seven turnovers and 21 penalties between the two teams, South Florida outgained Pitt 377 yards to 214 with Taurus Johnson running for a 22-yard touchdowns and Matt Grothe running for a score and throwing a 46-yard touchdown pass to Amarri Jackson before leaving with a foot injury. Pitt only managed two Conor Lee field goals before Darrell Strong caught a 19-yard touchdown pass late in the fourth quarter.
Player of the game ... South Florida QB Matt Grothe completed 19 of 25 passes for 180 yards and a touchdown with two interceptions and ran 12 times for 51 yards and a score
Stat Leaders: Pitt - Passing: Tyler Palko, 11-23, 159 yds, 1 TD, 3 INT
Rushing: LaRod Stephens-Howling, 11-29  Receiving: Oderick Turner, 4-48
South Florida - Passing: Matt Grothe, 19-25, 180 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Matt Grothe, 12-51, 1 TD  Receiving: Ean Randolph, 6-46
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... Pitt should be getting shaper at this point in the year, not worse. South Florida stuffed everything the Panther offense tried to do up until late, and with three Tyler Palko interceptions and 11 penalties, the Panthers were sloppy throughout. The big problem was hanging on to the ball converting only two of ten third down chances and having the ball a mere 3:15 in the fourth quarter. Even with the problems over the last two games, there's still time to make the season special with UConn, West Virginia, and Louisville to close things out.

Oct. 21
Rutgers 20 ... Pitt 10
Rutgers got a total team effort with five sacks from the defense helping to hold Pitt to 236 yards, while Ray Rice ripped off 225 yards and a one-yard touchdown to put the game away. The Scarlet Knights got up 6-0 in the first half on two Jeremy Ito field goals, and then was up 13-3 on a seven-yard Tiquan Underwood catch. Pitt got all the momentum on its side with a 1:55 drive finishing with an eight-yard Oderick Turner touchdown grab, but Rice took over with a 63-yard run finishing up the four-play drive with his one-yard score. Pitt couldn't get the offense going over the final 11 minutes with QB Tyler Palko under consistent pressure. Pitt LB H.B. Blades made 19 tackles.
Player of the game ... Rutgers RB Ray Rice ran 39 times for 225 yards and a touchdown.
Stat Leaders: Pitt - Passing: Tyler Palko, 16-26, 169 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: LaRod Stephens-Howling, 12-55  Receiving: Derek Kinder, 6-70
Rutgers - Passing: Mike Teel, 5-41, 1 TD
Rushing: Ray Rice, 39-225, 1 TD  Receiving: Tiquan Underwood, 5-41, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... To find the silver lining in the loss to Rutgers, it showed the maturity of Tyler Palko. He was getting popped all game long, but instead of forcing plays and making all sorts of mistakes, like he would've done in past years, he did the best with what he had to work with. Even his touchdown pass he had to make on the run and use a little magic. While the team will be looking ahead to West Virginia and Louisville, it had better gear it up for a nasty game at South Florida in two weeks. The run defense had better be tighter than it was against the Scarlet Knights.

Oct. 13
Pitt 52 ... UCF 7
Pitt had few problems getting up 45-0, starting off with a kickoff return for a score from Lowell Robinson, before a one-yard Kevin Smith touchdown run late in the third quarter. Four first half turnovers cost UCF, but the real problem was stopping LaRod Stephens, who tore off three touchdowns runs and 135 yards. Tyler Palko threw two touchdown passes including a 54-yard play to Oderick Turner.
Player of the game ... Pitt RB LaRod Stephens ran 19 times for 135 yards and three touchdowns
Stat Leaders: Pitt - Passing: Tyler Palko, 11-15, 172 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: LaRod Stephens, 19-135, 1 TD  Receiving: Oderick Turner, 3-69, 1 TD
UCF - Passing: Kyle Israel, 13-19, 158 yds
Rushing: Kevin Smith, 20-70, 1 TD  Receiving: Mike Walker, 8-73
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... How well is Pitt playing right now? UCF provided a little bit of help with turnovers, but the Panther running game, which tore off 261 yards, and yet another efficient game from QB Tyler Palko made it a laugher of a road game. Converting 10 of 12 third down conversions was a big plus, but dominating with LaRod Stephens and the ground game for over 11 minutes in the second quarter and for 10:49 in the fourth was the big reason for the blowout. On a strong four-game winning streak, now the Big East tests start with a battle with Rutgers next week followed up by road trips to South Florida and Connecticut. With the team playing better and better each week, it's deserving of more national recognition.

Oct. 7
Pitt 21 ... Syracuse 11
Pitt got a 20 of 24, 177 yard passing day from Tyler Palko and a 221-yard day from LaRod Stephens. The Panthers got up 21-3 on a 70-yard dash from Stephens, a four-yard Palko run, and a one-yard pass to Steve Buches, but couldn't put the game away. Syracuse got a Mike Williams 29-yard touchdown catch late in the fourth quarter to cap off the best drive of the game, but wasn't able to get any closer.
Player of the game ... Pitt RB LaRod Stephens ran 27 times for 221 yards and a touchdown
Stat Leaders: Pitt - Passing: Tyler Palko, 20-24, 177 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: LaRod Stephens, 27-221, 1 TD  Receiving: Oderick Turner, 6-37
Syracuse - Passing: Perry Patterson, 20-29, 225 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Delone Carter, 16-57  Receiving: Donte Davis, 5-53
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... It's time to start giving Tyler Palko some national love. The nation's most efficient passer pitched a near-perfect game against Syracuse hitting on his firth 13 passes and completing 20 of 24 for the game. He got almost nothing deep and struggled to come up with a few key third down plays to ice the game in the second half, but that's nitpicking a little bit. The defense did a fantastic job of keeping the SU running game in check and not allowing any game-changing big plays. Up next iw UCF followed by a home game against Rutgers and trips to South Florida and Connecticut; 8-1 isn’t out of the question.

Sept. 30
Pitt 45 ... Toledo 3
Pitt dominated from the start with 17 first quarter points on the way to a surprisingly easy win. Tyler Palko threw two touchdown passes including a nine-yard pass to Derek Kinder to start the scoring, and the defense kept the momentum going with an eight-yard interception return for a touchdown from Gus Mustakas on Toledo's next drive. Toledo's only points came on a 35-yard Alex Steigerwald field goal with two seconds to play in the first half. The Panthers kept rolling in the second half with 21 points on touchdown runs from Conredge Collins, Kevin Collier, and Dorin Dickerson.
Player of the game ... Pitt QB Tyler Palko completed 12 of 15 passes for 172 yards and two touchdowns
Stat Leaders: Toledo - Passing: Aaron Opelt, 15-30, 92 yds
Rushing: Aaron Opelt, 11-57,. Receiving: Chris Hopkins, 5-27
Pitt - Passing: Tyler Palko, 12-15, 172 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Shane Brooks, 9-66. Receiving: Derrick Strong, 4-52, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... The Panthers have done a great job of jumping all over bad teams over the last two weeks dominating The Citadel and then blowing past Toledo. The defense didn't allow the Rockets to do much of anything with four forced turnovers helping to put the game well out of reach. On offense, Tyler Palko has been excellent at limiting mistakes and playing efficiently. He's getting just enough help from the running game to not have to force anything.

Sept. 23
Pitt 51 ... Citadel 6
Pitt exploded with 35 first half points and got four touchdown passes from Tyler Palko on the way to a 44-6 lead after three quarters. Palko connected with four different receivers for scores, and LaRod Stephens-Howling ran for a touchdown and caught a scoring pass from WR Darrell Strong. The Citadel's only score came on a four-yard touchdown catch from Rontreal Tyler in the second quarter.
Player of the game ... Pitt QB Tyler Palko completed 15 of 17 passes for 313 yards and four touchdown and ran two times for 17 yards
Stat Leaders: Citadel - Passing: Duran Lawson, 15-23, 87 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Duran Lawson, 13-36,. Receiving: Aaron Kelly, 4-27
Pitt - Passing: Tyler Palko, 15-17, 313 yds, 4 TD
Rushing: LaRod Stephens-Howling, 13-65, 1 TD. Receiving: Oderick Turner, 5-131, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... Pitt didn't have any problems getting over the Michigan State game rolling up 506 yards of total offense against The Citadel and didn't allow a third down conversion. Everything clicked, and Tyler Palko passed Tony Dorsett on the Pitt career offense list. With Toledo, Syracuse, and UCF up next, there's no reason the offense can't keep up the production and stay on a big roll on the way to a 6-1 start before dealing with Rutgers.

Sept. 16
Michigan State 38 ... Pitt 23
Pitt got out to a 10-0 lead helped by an eight-yard touchdown run from LaRod Stephens, and then the roof caved in as Michigan State scored 38 straight points as Drew Stanton threw two touchdown passes and ran for a score and Jehuu Caulcrick ran for a two short touchdowns. Pitt got two garbage time touchdown passes from Tyler Palko in the final three minutes including a 49-yard scoring pass to Derek Kinder as time ran out.
Player of the game ... Michigan State QB Drew Stanton completed 16 of 25 passes for 198 yards and two touchdowns with an interception and ran 13 times for 105 yards and a score.
Stat Leaders: Michigan State - Passing: Drew Stanton, 16-25, 198 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Javon Ringer, 15-156,. Receiving: Kerry Reed, 7-103, 1 TD
Pitt - Passing: Tyler Palko, 28-47, 277 yds, 2 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Cornridge Collins, 5-33. Receiving: Derek Kinder, 9-121, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... You knew, eventually, Pitt would get its doors blown off. The win over Virginia doesn't appear to be anything to get excited over anymore, and Cincinnati can't do anything on offense. Michigan State exposed the Panther defensive team speed showing that things still need a little work before Dave Wannstedt's crew is where it probably should be. On the plus side, WR Derek Kinder continues to be fantastic. He's officially Pitt's next, great receiver.

Sept. 8
Pitt 33 ... Cincinnati 15
Pitt WR Derek Kinder took a two passes for touchdowns from 80 and 55 yards out to help the Panthers out to a big early lead UC couldn't overcome. Tyler Palko threw three touchdowns and Darrelle Revis returned an interception 57 for a score with four seconds left to seal the win. The Bearcats got a one-yard touchdown run from Bradley Glatthaar and a 15-yard touchdown catch from Bill Poland, but only managed 35 rushing yards and couldn't get any consistent passing game going. Pitt LB H.B. Blades made 14 tackles.
Player of the game ... Pitt WR Derek Kinder caught three passes for 172 yards and three touchdowns.
Stat Leaders: Cincinnati - Passing: Dustin Grutza, 21-35, 189 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Bradley Glatthaar, 6-31, 1 TD. Receiving: Dominick Goodman, 8-70
Pitt - Passing: Tyler Palko, 11-21, 267 yds, 3 TD
Rushing: Shane Brooks, 22-67  Receiving: Derek Kinder, 3-172, 3 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... Pitt got a decent road win against Cincinnati and the defense looked night-and-day stronger, for the second week in a row, than last year, but there has to be come concern over the running game that continues to have problems. Pitt averaged only 2.6 yards per carry rushing for 90 yards on the Bearcats, while the passing attack way bailed out by two big plays from Derek Kinder. LB H.B. Blades is starting out hot with 27 tackles in two games.

Sept. 2
Pitt 38 ... Virginia 13
Pitt's defense held Virginia to 211 yards of total offense while Tyler Palko was nearly flawless for the Pitt attack throwing three touchdown passes. The Panthers were in a 10-3 battle when Palko connected with Oderick Turner for a 72-yard score to take control of the game in the second quarter. Virginia came back with a two-yard Jason Snelling touchdown run at the end of the first half, but Pitt all but put the game away on a 19-yard Darrelle Revis interception return for a touchdown. Derek Kingder caught a 78-yard touchdown pass, and Clint Session closed out the scoring with a 78-yard interception return for a score.
Player of the game ... Pitt QB Tyler Paklo completed 17 of 22 passes for 283 yards and three touchdowns with an interception.
Stat Leaders: Virginia - Passing: Christian Olsen, 17-34, 133 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Jason Snelling, 9-28, 1 TD. Receiving: Tom Santi, 7-31
Pitt - Passing: Tyler Palko, 17-22, 283 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: LaRod Stephens, 17-58  Receiving: Derek Kinder, 4-77, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... After last year's disappointment, starting out with a blowout dismantling of Virginia should be just what the Panthers need to get off to a big start. Tyler Palko was fantastic showing poise and maturity he rarely showed over the last few years. He made everyone around him better. To nitpick, it would've been nice if there was more of a ground game, but Palko was so sharp it worked out well that the game was in his hands. H.B. Blades played like an All-American with 13 tackles.

2006 Pitt Preview

Pitt Preview | Offense | Defense | Depth Chart | Further Analysis

Pittsburgh is a pro town that has a Super Bowl champion football team again. The city isn't going to look too kindly on another losing season from its main college team.

Head coach Dave Wannstedt is a pro coach who realizes when a talent level isn't quite where it's supposed to be. He knows his team has to be faster on defense, stronger against the run, more efficient in the passing game, and far more effective running the ball. In other words, the Panthers have to become the Steelers.

While winning a world championship isn't likely to happen any time soon, being more of a player in the Big East race would do for now. While all the attention will be paid to Louisville and West Virginia and their national title hopes, the road to the Big East championship and the BCS will literally go through Heinz Field.

Pitt might not be as talented as the Mountaineers or Cardinals, but it has some great pieces in place to work around and should be better overall by the end of the season. That means the timing is perfect; the final two games are at home against ... take a guess.

First, take a step back to last year. What went wrong in the 5-6 campaign? Getting blasted by Notre Dame, Louisville and West Virginia didn't turn out to be anything to be ashamed of. There was the nationally televised embarrassment against Ohio losing to an awful Bobcat team 16-10 in overtime because QB Tyler Palko's favorite receiver turned out to be Ohio CB Dion Byrum. A little better execution on special teams would've meant a win at Nebraska. In other words, Pitt was two plays away from being 7-4 with Wannstedt's first season being seen as a success.

The concern, of course, is how the Panthers lost to Rutgers and got pummeled 87-33 by West Virginia and Louisville. Pitt has to be better against the league's top teams considering it was the Big East champion in 2004, and it has to put a stop to the annual dog game, like the one to Ohio last season, that brings the season to a screeching halt.

Palko, LB H.B. Blades, CB Darrelle Revis and P Adam Graessle are among the best players in the conference at their respective positions. Young talent has to emerge at defensive tackle, wide receiver and running back, but the positive is the athleticism; it's better than what was there before. Now if Wannstedt could just find a way to successfully recruit Troy Polamalu, Joey Porter, Ben Roethlisberger ...

The Schedule: It all leads up to November 16th and the Backyard Brawl against West Virginia followed up by a home date against Louisville a week later. The road games aren't all that bad with only two of the five games against 2005 bowl teams (UCF and South Florida). Virginia, Michigan State, Toledo, and Rutgers all have to come to Pitt. In other words, the schedule works out as well as could possibly be expected.

Best Offensive Player: Senior QB Tyler Palko. He has everything you'd want in a quarterback except the ability to let a bad play go and not press when things get rough. He has the arm, the experience and talent. Now he has to become the type of player who can put a team on his shoulders and carry it to big things. He did it in 2004 and could be in for the same type of season if all the other parts come together.

Best Defensive Player: Senior LB H.B. Blades. One of the nation's best all-around linebackers will try to become the first Pitt player to earn three first-team All-Big East honors. He's big, quick, and is always around the ball with 286 career tackles and 18.5 tackles for loss. He moved from the outside to the middle last season and showed he could also be strong in pass coverage.

Key player to a successful season: Junior CB Kennard Cox, sophomore CB Kelvin Chandler and senior CB Reggie Carter. Junior corner Darrelle Revis is one of the nation's most talented all-around defenders. Teams know this and aren't going to throw at him. That means Pitt needs someone else to quickly step up in place of all-star Bernard "Josh" Lay on the other side if the pass defense is going to come close to finishing second in the nation like it did last season.

The season will be a success if ... Pitt wins the Big East title. Crank the expectations up a notch. The team should be an experienced, hardened squad by mid-November. It's not often you get ten games to prepare for your two biggest home games.

Key game: November 16th vs. West Virginia. The Mountaineers have won three of the last four in the series and might be in the mix for the national title when it makes the trip to Pittsburgh. The Panthers' game against Louisville the following week won't mean much if they can't win the Backyard Brawl.

2005 Fun Stats: 
- Punt return average: Opponents 17.1 yards per return - Pitt 11.3 yards per return
- Penalties: Opponents 89 for 771 yards - Pitt 69 for 593 yards
- Fumbles: Pitt 26 (lost 15) - Opponents 12 (lost 6)

The Last Time Pittsburgh…
…played in a bowl game…2004 (Fiesta Bowl v. Utah)
…missed a bowl game…2005
…pitched a shutout…2005 (UConn)
…was shutout…1996 (Miami)
…scored 50 points…1999 (Temple)
…went undefeated…1976
…won a conference title…2004 (share, Big East)
…had a 3,000-yard passer…2004 (Tyler Palko)
…had a 1,000-yard rusher…2000 (Kevan Barlow)
…had a 1,000-yard receiver…2004 (Greg Lee)
…had a first-round draft choice…2004 (WR Larry Fitzgerald)