Football Prepares For Regular Season Finale
11/20/2000 12:00:00 AM | Football
Football Prepares For Regular Season Finale
11/20/2000
The Series: This is the 93rd meeting between Pittsburgh and West Virginia in a series that dates back to 1895. Pittsburgh leads the series, 56-33-3. With the exception of Penn State, the West Virginia series is the Panthers' oldest and most played rivalry. The two teams last met in Pittsburgh in 1998, a contest that was also played at Three Rivers Stadium. The visiting team has won nine of the last 13 games. Pittsburgh and West Virginia have met every year since 1943. The 2000 game marks the 58th straight year the teams have played. The Panthers last defeated West Virginia in 1997, a 41-38 thriller in triple overtime.
WALT HARRIS is in his fourth year as head coach at Pittsburgh, where he has compiled a 19-25 record. Harris is 30-49 overall in his seventh season as a head coach. He was named the 1997 Big East Coach of the Year after guiding Pittsburgh to a 6-5 regular-season mark and the AXA/Equitable Liberty Bowl, the Panthers' first postseason berth in eight years. Harris was named Pittsburgh's 33rd head football coach Dec. 16, 1996. His other head coaching post was at Pacific (his alma mater) from 1989-91. At Pacific, Harris compiled an 11-24 record in three seasons. Ironically, his head coaching debut occurred at Pitt Stadium against the Panthers on Sept. 2, 1989. Prior to Pittsburgh, he was the quarterbacks coach at Ohio State from 1995-96. Harris was instrumental in molding the Buckeyes into one of the nation's most prolific offensive teams. He also held assistant coaching positions with the New York Jets of the National Football League (1992-94) and at Tennessee (1983-88), Illinois (1980-82), Michigan State (1978-80), Air Force (spring 1978), California (1974-77) and Pacific (1971-73).
DON NEHLEN is in his 21st season at West Virginia, where he has a record of 148-92-4. Nehlen's overall record is 201-127-8 in 30 years as a head coach. The all-time winningest coach in Mountaineer history, he announced Nov. 4 he will retire at the end of the 2000 season. Nehlen notched his 200th career win with a 31-24 overtime victory over Rutgers Nov. 11. Prior to WVU, he served as the head coach at Bowling Green (his alma mater), compiling a 53-35-4 mark in nine seasons (1968-76). He also served as an assistant coach at Bowling Green (1965-68) and Michigan (1977-79).
Game Captains: Pittsburgh's captains for the West Virginia game are center Jeff McCurley (offense), defensive tackle Mike White (defense) and defensive back Torrie Cox (special teams).
Players of the Game: As selected by the Pittsburgh coaching staff, the Players of the Game for the Temple contest were offensive tackle Khiawatha Downey (lineman), the entire defensive unit (defense) and defensive back Torrie Cox (special teams).
Senior Salute: Pittsburgh will honor 10 seniors who will be playing their final home game when the Panthers host West Virginia, Nov. 24.
The Panthers' 2000 seniors include running back Kevan Barlow (Pittsburgh, Pa.), offensive lineman Mark Browne (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.), running back Nick Goings (Dublin, Ohio), wide receiver Latef Grim (Stockton, Calif.), center Jeff McCurley (Enon Valley, Pa.), linebacker Kody Miller (Anaheim, Calif.), defensive tackle Nigel Neal (Cerritos, Calif.), wide receiver Tim Stein (Upper St. Clair, Pa.), quarterback John Turman (Walnut Creek, Calif.) and defensive tackle Mike White (Penn Hills, Pa.).
Additionally, the Panthers will honor senior Bryan Jacobs, an undergraduate assistant who was a two-year letterman at linebacker (1997-98) before a career-ending neck injury.
Old Rivals: West Virginia is Pittsburgh's second-oldest rival with 92 previous meetings. (Pittsburgh's most common opponent is Penn State with 96 meetings). The annual "Backyard Brawl" additionally ranks as the 32nd most-played rivalry in NCAA IA football. The upcoming meeting marks the 58th consecutive meeting, dating back to 1943. (Pittsburgh is 30-25-2 during the stretch.)
Sixth Win a Big One: With its 7-0 victory over Temple, Pittsburgh clinched a winning regular season and became bowl eligible. The Panthers last had a winning season in 1997 when they defeated West Virginia in the final game of the year (41-38 in triple overtime) to go 6-5 and earn a berth in the Liberty Bowl.
The last time Pittsburgh entered its season finale with six wins was in 1991. The Panthers defeated Rutgers, 22-17, in their 10th game of the year for their sixth win. Pittsburgh would lose its final game, 32-20 to Penn State, and finished the year at 6-5.
The Panthers have not had seven wins in a season since 1989 when they went 8-3-1, including a 31-28 victory over Texas A&M in the John Hancock Bowl.
Welcome Back, May Day: A familiar face returns to Pittsburgh with the CBS telecast of the Panthers' game with West Virginia. Mark May, a standout offensive tackle for the Panthers from 1977-80, will serve as color analyst for the broadcast. May was the 1980 Outland Trophy winner and a consensus All-American. He played on some of the greatest teams in Panther football history, including the celebrated '80 squad that finished 11-1 and No. 2 in the national polls.
May played in the NFL for 13 seasons and was a member of the Washington Redskins' famed "Hogs" offensive line. He helped Washington to three Super Bowls during his playing career, including XVII, XVIII and XXII.
May has since embarked on a successful broadcasting career and is a football game analyst for CBS Sports. He and broadcast partner Ian Eagle did many Steelers games this past year.
Pitching a Shutout: Pittsburgh's 7-0 win over Temple marked its second shutout this season. The Panthers also shut out Penn State, 12-0, on Sept. 16. The last time Pittsburgh recorded multiple shutouts in the same season was 1987 when it blanked three opponents, including North Carolina State (34-0) Rutgers (17-0) and Penn State (10-0).
The Temple victory also marked Pittsburgh's first shutout in Big East Conference play.
From 1988-99, the Panthers notched just one shutout, a 35-0 victory over Akron on Oct. 3, 1998. Prior to that game, Pittsburgh had not blanked an opponent since a 10-0 win over Penn State on Nov. 14, 1987 ? a span of 118 games.
Seven is Enough: Pittsburgh only needed a single touchdown ? David Priestley's 15-yard scoring pass to Antonio Bryant in the third quarter ? to defeat Temple last Saturday. The last time the Panthers notched a victory with just one score was Sept. 9, 1982, when they defeated North Carolina, 7-6, at Three Rivers Stadium. Pittsburgh's lone score in that game was a four-yard pass from Dan Marino to Bryan Thomas in the third period.
State Champs!: Pittsburgh went undefeated and unscored upon in games against Keystone State foes this season. The Panthers defeated Penn State, 12-0, Sept. 16 and then shut out Temple, 7-0, Nov. 18.
It is the first time since 1988 that the Panthers defeated both Pennsylvania schools in the same season. That year Pittsburgh routed the Owls, 42-7, before edging the Nittany Lions, 14-7.
Home Sweet (Temporary) Home: Today's contest will be the final college football game ever played in historic Three Rivers Stadium.
Three Rivers has served as the home of the Pittsburgh Panthers for the 2000 season. Next year the Panthers will move into the city's new North Shore football stadium, which is currently under construction.
From 1925-99, the Panthers played in Pitt Stadium. The building was razed following last season to make way for the Petersen Events Center, a state-of-the-art convocation center that will house Pittsburgh's men's and women's basketball teams.
Pittsburgh is 6-4 all-time at Three Rivers Stadium, including 4-1 this year.
Interesting Trend: During a three-year period, Pittsburgh will have the distinction of playing the final season in two different stadiums, while opening a third. The Panthers closed Pitt Stadium last year and will also do the same for Three Rivers Stadium, which will witness its final season in 2000. In 2001, the Panthers (along with the Steelers) will debut the city's new North Shore football stadium, which is being constructed just west of the current site of Three Rivers.
Big East Record Breakers: Pittsburgh has been one of the Big East's surprise teams in 2000. Key in the team's success has been the performances of sophomore receiver Antonio Bryant and junior defensive end Bryan Knight, who both broke Big East records at their respective positions this year.
With 81 receiving yards at Temple, Bryant has a Big East-record 1,154 on the year, surpassing the previous mark of 1,131 set by Marvin Harrison (Syracuse) in 1995.
On the defensive side of the ball, Knight has notched a conference-record 25 tackles for losses. The previous record was 21 set by Boston College's Chris Hovan in 1999.
Close Shaves: Three of Pittsburgh's four losses this season have been by a combined total of 13 points, an average of 4.3 points per game. One of its losses came in overtime while the other was decided in the final seconds.
The Panthers suffered a 24-17 defeat at Syracuse in double overtime and extended then-No. 2 Virginia Tech to the limit before the Hokies kicked a field goal with 16 seconds left for a 37-34 win. Against North Carolina Pittsburgh suffered its second-consecutive three-point loss, 20-17. The Panthers' 35-7 setback against second-ranked Miami was their largest margin of defeat of the year.
Recognizing Rhoads: Under the direction of first-year coordinator Paul Rhoads, Pittsburgh's defense has emerged as one of the best in the country. Head Coach Walt Harris has recognized Rhoads' impact and has twice honored him with game balls (following the Penn State and Temple games).
It is the only time in Harris' four seasons at Pittsburgh that he has honored a player or coach with a game ball.
Pittsburgh is nationally ranked in scoring defense (18th, 18.2 points per game), rushing defense (21st, 104.8 yard avg.), total defense (24th, 319.1) and pass efficiency defense (28th, 106.9 rating).
Panthers Pile Up Awards: Pittsburgh boasts nine Big East Conference Player of the Week awards this season (through Nov. 11). Sophomore receiver Antonio Bryant is Pittsburgh's most recent honoree, earning Co-Offensive Player of the Week (with Miami's Santana Moss) following his 212-yard receiving effort versus North Carolina Nov. 4. Bryant is a three-time honoree this year, also earning the offensive award Oct. 23 and Sept. 11.
The Panthers' Big East award total (tied with Miami) is second only to Virginia Tech's 13 honorees.
Pittsburgh's 2000 honorees also include senior quarterback John Turman (Offense, Oct. 30), sophomore linebacker Gerald Hayes (Defense, Sept. 25), redshirt freshman quarterback/kick returner Rod Rutherford (Special Teams, Sept. 25), junior defensive end Bryan Knight (Defense, Sept. 11 and 18) and junior placekicker Nick Lotz (Special Teams, Sept. 4).
TV Land: The Pittsburgh-West Virginia game is a CBS split national telecast, marking the Panthers' 177th all-time television appearance and ninth this year.
Pittsburgh is 4-4 in front of television audiences this season, defeating Bowling Green (34-16 on ESPN Regional), Penn State (12-0 on CBS), Boston College (42-26 on ESPN Regional) and Temple (7-0 on ESPN Regional), while losing to Syracuse (24-17 in overtime on ESPN 2), Virginia Tech (37-34 on CBS), North Carolina (20-17 on ESPN 2) and Miami (35-7 on ESPN 2).
With nine television appearances on the year, Pittsburgh ties its regular-season record. The Panthers also had nine regular-season games televised during the 1999 and 1989 seasons. The 2000 season marks the fifth straight year Pittsburgh has had at least seven television games.
Strike Force: Pittsburgh's offense has displayed big-play and quick-strike capability all season. The Panthers have had 16 plays covering 40 or more yards this year.
The Panthers' quick-strike ability was evident at Virginia Tech Oct. 28 with drives of 12 seconds, 31 seconds and six seconds. At the end of the third quarter, Pittsburgh scored 14 points in a span of 24 seconds to take a 34-27 lead.
At Temple, Pittsburgh sustained a nine-play, 97-yard drive, which was a season-long for the Panthers. However, the drive only consumed 2:52 on the clock and Pittsburgh never faced a third or fourth down situation in the drive.
On the year, Pittsburgh's offense has recorded a total of 11 scores covering 40 yards or more and has scored 21 TDs on drives lasting less than three minutes.
Efficiency Excellence: Walt Harris is renowned for being one of the nation's finest teachers of the passing game. Not surprisingly, Pittsburgh ranks as one of the most efficient passing teams in the nation.
The Panthers rank seventh nationally and second in the Big East with a team pass efficiency rating of 148.2. (Boise State leads the nation with a 168.89 rating, while Miami has a 148.26 rating to lead the Big East.) The Panthers have completed 174-of-312 passes (.558) for 2,735 yards with 22 touchdowns and only seven interceptions.
Starting quarterback John Turman, who has an individual rating of 152.71, ranks sixth nationally and first in the Big East in pass efficiency. Turman has completed 124-of-223 passes (.556) for 2,053 yards with 17 touchdowns and six interceptions. David Priestley has a rating of 141.61, completing 50 of 86 (.581) for 682 yards with five TDs and one interception.
Air Raid: Pittsburgh has produced 300-yard passing games four times this season and leads the Big East with an average of 273.5 passing yards per game. The Panthers rank 19th nationally in passing yards.
Pittsburgh threw for a season-high 344 yards versus North Carolina, which entered the game giving up 227 yards passing per contest. John Turman threw for 225 yards, including passes of 84 and 52 yards to Antonio Bryant, while David Priestley added 119 yards on eight completions, including a 19-yard score to Latef Grim to pull the Panthers within three late in the fourth quarter.
Pittsburgh threw for 332 yards versus Boston College, which entered the game allowing just 146.7 yards through the air to rank second in the nation. Pittsburgh passed for 311 yards versus then-No. 2 Virginia Tech, which was allowing only 292.57 yards of total offense prior to the contest.
Pittsburgh has led the Big East in passing in two of the last three years, including the 1997 and 1999 seasons. Last year, John Turman and David Priestley combined for 240.4 passing yards per game (2,644 total) to pace the conference and rank 33rd nationally. Pittsburgh also led the Big East in passing during its 1997 Liberty Bowl season, averaging 254.8 yards per game. Pete Gonzalez threw for 2,657 yards that year (regular-season total) on the way to All-Big East honors.
Wide Receiver U.?: Head Coach Walt Harris has stated he wants Pittsburgh to become "Wide Receiver U." Recent history suggests the Panthers are well on their way.
Antonio Bryant and Latef Grim are the most productive receiving tandem in the Big East, combining 1,737 yards on 99 receptions. (The next closest is Miami's Reggie Wayne and Santana Moss, who have combined for 1,343 yards on 78 receptions.)
Bryant, a Biletnikoff Award semifinalist, is the nation's most productive receiver. He leads the country in receiving yards (128.22 avg.) and ranks seventh in receptions (6.89). Bryant paces the Big East in both categories as well. Grim ranks seventh in receiving yards (58.3) and sixth (tied) in receptions (3.70) among Big East players.
Pittsburgh has produced the top receiver in the Big East each of the past three seasons. Grim led the conference each of the last two years, averaging 100.6 receiving yards in 1999 and 90.6 in 1998. In 1997, Terry Murphy led the Big East with an average of 79.4 receiving yards per game and set a conference record with 13 touchdown catches.
Historical First: The performances of receiver Antonio Bryant and running back Kevan Barlow versus Boston College marked the first time in Big East history a team had a 200-yard receiver and 200-yard rusher in the same game. Bryant had 222 receiving yards, while Barlow rushed for 209 yards in the 42-26 win.
Bryant's receiving yardage is the second-best effort in both Big East and Pittsburgh history, behind the Panthers' own Dietrich Jells, who had 225 yards versus West Virginia in 1994.
Barlow's 209 yards are the most ever by a Pittsburgh player in a Big East contest. The previous best was 206 yards, achieved by Curtis Martin against Syracuse in 1993.
In the Red Zone: Pittsburgh has scored on 18 of its 27 chances (.667) inside the 20-yard line or "red zone" in 2000. The following is a game-by-game breakdown of Pittsburgh in the red zone:
Sack Attack: One of Pittsburgh's biggest strengths this season has been a potent pass rush. Although one regular-season game remains, Pittsburgh has already far surpassed its sack total from all of last season.
The Panthers have produced a Big East-best 32 sacks through 10 games. Last year, Pittsburgh had just 21 sacks in 11 games.
Defensive end Bryan Knight has emerged as one of the Big East's and the nation's ? top pass rushers and leads Pittsburgh with 10.5 sacks. He is fourth nationally with an average of 1.36 per game (as of Nov. 1). Defensive end Ryan Smith is second on the team with 3.5 sacks, while linebacker Brian Beinecke and defensive back William Ferguson each have three.
Rushing Roulette: Pittsburgh's rushing defense has been another area of strength this year. The Panthers' defense continues to rank among the nation's best at stopping the run.
The Panthers rank 21st nationally and second in the Big East, surrendering 104.8 yards per contest, including a mere 2.7 yards per attempt. Virginia Tech leads the Big East (12th nationally), surrendering 92.1 rushing yards per game.
Pittsburgh has held five of its 10 opponents this year to under 100 yards rushing. Most recently, the Panthers held Temple to just 12 yards rushing on 27 attempts (0.4 avg.).
Against Rutgers, Pittsburgh yielded a season-low minus 13 yards rushing, the lowest output by a Panther opponent since Pittsburgh held Brigham Young to a school-record minus 76 rushing yards in 1987.
In Pittsburgh's first three contests this season, it limited Kent State to 83 yards on 35 attempts (2.4 avg.), Bowling Green to 35 yards on 39 attempts (0.9 avg.) and Penn State to 64 yards on 33 attempts (1.9 avg.).
Only two players have rushed for over 100 yards against Pittsburgh this season, including Lee Suggs of Virginia Tech (164) and James Mungro of Syracuse (101). In the Temple contest, Pittsburgh held Tanardo Sharps, a 1,000-yard rusher, to just 35 yards.
Panther Improvement: During the Walt Harris era, Pittsburgh has continually improved in stopping the run. The following is a breakdown of the Panthers' run defense prior to Harris' arrival and the four years of his tenure.
Many Happy Returns: Pittsburgh's kick return unit has emerged as one of the best in the country. The Panthers are 21st nationally and third in the Big East, averaging 21.8 yards per return.
Redshirt freshman Rod Rutherford averages 24.6 yards per kick return to rank 16th nationally. Rutherford earned Big East Special Teams Player of the Week honors after he had four returns for 124 yards (31.0 avg.) against Rutgers, which stands as the second-best single-game effort in the Big East this season.
Torrie Cox has also contributed to the unit, returning a kickoff 86 yards for a touchdown versus Rutgers. It was Pittsburgh's first kickoff return for a TD since Curtis Anderson had a 91-yard return against Temple on Oct. 15, 1996. Including a 32-yard return at Miami, Cox has returned three kicks for 135 yards (45.0 average).
College Hall of Fame to Induct Schmidt: All-time great linebacker Joe Schmidt, who starred for Pittsburgh from 1950-52, will be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame this December. He is already a member of the Professional Football Hall of Fame, having received induction in 1973.
A Mt. Oliver native, Schmidt established himself as one of the finest players in collegiate and NFL history. An All-American in 1952, he personified the hard-nosed player of that era as his playing style was described by one writer as ?football at the boiling point.?
Schmidt went on to an outstanding 13-year professional career with the Detroit Lions, earning All-Pro eight times. He also served the Lions as head coach from 1967-72, leading Detroit to its only playoff appearance in the 1970s.
A Roll Call of Greatness: Joe Schmidt is the 20th Pittsburgh player or coach to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame and the fourth in the last six years. Schmidt also joins Tony Dorsett and Mike Ditka as one of three former Panther players to be elected to both the professional and college halls of fame.
In addition to Schmidt, the Panthers' other College Football Hall of Famers, with the years they participated at Pittsburgh in parentheses, are: Len Casanova (1950, coach), Averell Daniell (1934-36), Tom Davies (1918-21), Mike Ditka (1958-60), Joseph Donchess (1927-29), Tony Dorsett (1973-76), Bill Fralic (1981-84), Hugh Green (1977-80), Marshall Goldberg (1936-38), John Majors (1954-56, as a player at Tennessee), Herb McCracken (1918-20), George McLaren (1915-18), Robert Peck (1913-16), Joe Skladany (1931-33), Herb Stein (1918-21), Dr. John B. Sutherland (1914-17 [player], 1924-38 [coach]), Joseph Thompson (1904-06 [player], 1908-12 [coach]), Hube Wagner (1910-13), and Glenn ?Pop? Warner (1915-23, coach).
Curtis Comes Home: Curtis Bray returned to his alma mater this past February when he was named defensive ends coach at Pittsburgh. Bray was a four-year starter at linebacker for Pittsburgh from 1988-91.
Bray has been instrumental this year in the development of defensive end Bryan Knight, who was recently named the nation's most improved player by ESPN.com.
Prior to rejoining the Panthers, Bray was a defensive ends coach at Villanova from 1997-99.
Bray finished his Pittsburgh career with 170 tackles despite an array of injuries his final two collegiate seasons. One of his most memorable performances occurred at Penn State in 1988 when he had a quarterback sack for a safety and a key interception to lift the Panthers to a 14-7 victory. In 1989, he helped Pittsburgh to a 31-28 victory over Texas A&M in the John Hancock Bowl and a No. 17 final national ranking.
A native of Monroeville, Pa., he is a 1988 graduate of Gateway High School. Bray enjoyed an exceptional athletic career at Gateway High. In 1987, he became the first defensive player ever selected as the Gatorade National High School Football Player of the Year and also was a first team USA Today All-American.
Bray graduated from Pittsburgh in 1992 with a bachelor's degree in economics.
Best of the Century: Pittsburgh's rich football tradition was well represented on various All-Century college football teams. Sports Illustrated's All-Century list had four former Panthers, including end Mike Ditka (1958-60), running back Tony Dorsett (1973-76), offensive lineman Bill Fralic (1981-84) and defensive end Hugh Green (1977-80). The Walter Camp Football Foundation also lauded Dorsett, Fralic and Green as All-Century performers.
Big East 10th Anniversary Team: Pittsburgh had three of its former players named to the Big East Football Conference 10th Anniversary Team, as selected by the conference's media members. Pittsburgh's honorees included Dietrich Jells (1991-95), who ranks as the Big East's all-time leading receiver with 3,003 career yards, offensive lineman Ruben Brown (1991-94), a 1994 All-American, and linebacker Tom Tumulty (1991, 93-95), the third all-time leading tackler in Panther history with 413 stops.
Bryant Breaks Records: All-America candidate Antonio Bryant, who had six receptions for 81 yards and a touchdown at Temple, set Big East and Pittsburgh records for receiving yards in a season with his performance.
Bryant has 1,154 yards on 62 receptions this season (18.6 avg.). Syracuse's Marvin Harrison previously held the Big East mark with 1,131 yards (on 56 receptions) in 1995.
The super sophomore also broke Pittsburgh's single-season receiving yardage record, surpassing Latef Grim's total of 1,106 set in 1999.
Bryant set these marks despite missing the 2000 season opener versus Kent State. He is also within striking distance of the school and Big East mark for single-season receptions (held by Latef Grim, who had 75 catches in 1999).
TD Terrific: Antonio Bryant's 15-yard touchdown catch at Temple was his 10th of the season, the most by a Big East receiver this year. Bryant's TD total is the second-highest (tied) in Big East history and is just three less than the record set by former Panther Terry Murphy, who had 13 in 1997.
Interestingly, Murphy's 13th TD that year was a 12-yard catch against West Virginia that gave Pittsburgh a 41-38 triple-overtime victory in Morgantown.
Bryant's Best: Antonio Bryant's performances this year have emphatically conveyed that he ranks among the nation's elite offensive talents.
The Biletnikoff Award semifinalist leads the nation in receiving yards per game (128.22 avg.) and ranks seventh in receptions (6.89 avg.). He paces the Big East in both categories as well.
Bryant ranks fifth nationally in total receiving yards (1,154) despite playing in just nine games. (Florida State's Marvin Minnis leads with 1,340 yards, playing 12 games.)
Bryant has five games with at least 100 receiving yards this year and two games with over 200 yards. He amassed a career-high 222 yards on eight receptions (27.8 avg.) and a pair of TD catches versus Boston College Oct. 21. His receiving yardage total versus the Eagles was just three yards shy of the Big East and Pittsburgh record held by Dietrich Jells, who had 225 yards against West Virginia in 1994.
Against North Carolina Nov. 4, he piled up 212 yards on eight receptions (26.5 avg.), including an 84-yard touchdown from John Turman. The 84-yarder ranks as the longest pass play in the Big East this season and is the third-longest pass in Pittsburgh history.
Overall, Bryant has 62 catches for a Big East and Pittsburgh single-season record 1,154 yards (18.6 avg.). His 10 touchdown receptions pace the Big East.
Triple-Digit Performances: Antonio Bryant's 212-yard receiving performance versus North Carolina was the eighth triple-digit receiving effort of his brief career (20 games) and his fifth this season.
Only four times in Pittsburgh history has a player recorded 200 receiving yards in a single game. Incredibly, Bryant has three of those performances. Dietrich Jells (1991-95) has the other with a school and Big East-record 225 yards versus West Virginia in 1994.
Rocketing up the Charts: Although he has played in just 20 collegiate games, Antonio Bryant amazingly ranks fifth on Pittsburgh's all-time receiving yardage list and 12th on the Big East's all-time charts. Bryant has 1,998 receiving yards in his career and needs just 51 more yards to pass West Virginia's Shawn Foreman (2,048 from 1991-94) for 10th place on the Big East charts.
Bryant's 113 career receptions rank seventh (tied) in Pittsburgh history. He has a chance to crack the top five on that list as well.
Bryant in the Big East: A leading candidate for the Big East's Offensive Player of the Year award, Antonio Bryant is prominently listed among the conference's individual statistical leaders. Not only does Bryant pace the conference in receiving yards (128.22 avg.) and receptions (6.89), but the sophomore also ranks second in all-purpose yards (137.9).
Bryant also owns all but one of the Big East's single-game superlatives concerning wide receivers this season. He has the longest pass play (84 yards versus North Carolina), the top two single-game receiving performances (222 yards versus Boston College and 212 versus North Carolina), the second-most receptions in a game (nine catches versus Virginia Tech and Bowling Green) and has twice grabbed the most touchdowns (three, versus Virginia Tech and Bowling Green).
Grim Reaps Record: With four catches versus North Carolina, senior receiver Latef Grim became Pittsburgh's all-time leader in receptions. He surpassed Dietrich Jells, who had 160 catches from 1991-95, for the school record. Grim now has 172 catches during his career.
Grim figures prominently on the Pittsburgh and Big East all-time receiving lists, an amazing feat considering he has played in just 31 career games.
Grim boasts career totals of 172 catches for 2,595 yards. He has 37 receptions for 583 yards this season.