Pitt
The Citadel
Pittsburgh Dominates The Citadel, 51-6
9/23/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 23, 2006
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PITTSBURGH (AP) -Tyler Palko threw touchdown passes to four receivers while overtaking Tony Dorsett on Pittsburgh's career offense list, and the Panthers scored touchdowns on five of their six possessions in the first half while routing The Citadel 51-6 on Saturday.
Derek Kinder, Conredge Collins, Marcel Pestano and Oderick Turner caught touchdown passes from Palko, who moved into fourth place at Pitt in both career passing and total offense while going 17-of-19 for 313 yards and four scores. His 88.2 percent completion rate was the sixth highest since the Big East Conference began playing football in 1991.
Wide receiver Darrell Strong didn't catch a touchdown pass but threw one on an end-around play covering 30 yards to running back LaRod Stephens-Howling. Stephens-Howling also ran 7 yards for a touchdown while gaining 66 yards on 13 carries.
Palko, a senior and three-year starter, piled up his yardage in not many plays as the Panthers (3-1) scored four times on drives of either three or four plays while running up 35-6 halftime lead. The Division I-AA Bulldogs had neither the size nor the speed to handle Pitt's offense, as the Panthers outgained them 506-152 overall and 361-99 in passing.
The Citadel is 0-3, with losses to Texas A&M (35-3) and Pittsburgh by a combined 77 points.
Kinder, who began the game No. 2 nationally in receiving yards per game with a 123.3 per game average, was pulled in the third quarter after making four catches for 75 yards. He ended Pitt's opening possession with a 20-yard touchdown catch on a drive that needed four plays to cover 60 yards. Turner led all receivers with 130 yards on five catches.
The Panthers went up 14-0 midway through the first quarter by covering 52 yards on three plays, a drive ended by a Palko-to-Collins scoring pass play of 36 yards. It was the first career touchdown for Collins, a sophomore fullback.
Pitt also had touchdown drives of four and three plays in the second quarter, with the only extended drive lasting 10 plays before Stephens-Howling ran it in from the 7 to make it 21-0 in the opening minute of the quarter.
Palko has 6,655 total yards in his career and moved past both Dorsett (6,526) and quarterback John Congemi (6,351) - though, of course, it is much easier for a quarterback to accumulate yardage than a running back such as Dorsett, the 1976 Heisman Trophy winner and a Hall of Famer.
Palko's 6,612 yards passing also advanced him past Congemi (6,467) on Pitt's career list. Palko likely will surpass No. 3 Rod Rutherford (6,724) next Saturday against Toledo.
The Panthers improved to 6-0 against Division I-AA opponents, including a 41-0 romp over Youngstown State last season. The Citadel hasn't beaten a 1-A team since a 15-14 decision over Army in 1992.
