By Brandon Davis
LeSean McCoy’s first game against the University of Louisville Cardinals was like the series finale of the “Soprano’s”: great until the last moment.
Last year McCoy, Pittsburgh’s sophomore running back, had an outstanding game as a true freshman against the Cards, rushing for 120 yards and scoring two touchdowns, but his fumble inside the one-yard line in the final minute of the game proved devastating. A score would have tied the game, but Pitt went on to lose a 24-17 decision in Louisville.
“I didn’t secure the ball well enough,” McCoy said after the game. “I was trying to read the defense, but you have to secure the ball first. Things like that happen.”
McCoy will try to make up for that with a big effort in a game Pitt needs to keep their conference title hopes alive.
The Panthers are gaining 164.4 yards per game on the ground and have rushed for 22 touchdowns.
“I think our running game has been the backbone of what we’ve done,” said Dave Wannstedt, Pittsburgh’s head coach.
The Cards defense will need to bring their A game if they hope to slow down one of the league’s premiere backs. McCoy is averaging 5.2 yards per carry and is one of the Big East leaders in touchdowns scored with 15.
The Cardinal defense has proven to be one of the strengths of this year’s team. U of L is holding teams under 80 yards a game on the ground and are ranked near the top 30 in total defense nationally.
Cards quarterback Hunter Cantwell, along with the rest of the Louisville offense, will need to stretch the field and take advantage of the Panthers questionable pass defense.
Thought to be a strength of the team coming into the season, the Pitt defense has been inconsistent throughout the year. The Panthers are giving up 27 points per game on average and are allowing 121.1 yards per game rushing to their opponents.
Though opponents have passed for 197.6 yards on average per game, in their last home game the Panthers allowed the Scarlet Knights to score 54 points. Rutgers quarterback Mike Teel, who had one of the worst touchdown/interception ratios in the league going into the game, threw for 361 yards and six touchdowns.
The season ending injury of junior wide out Scott Long could make it difficult to stretch the field against Pitt. Long, who tore his ACL last week in practice, had emerged as the Cards most viable deep threat. He led the Cards in receiving the last three games with 11 catches for more than 200 yards and two touchdowns.
“I’m very disappointed for Scott,” said Steve Kragthorpe, U of L’s head coach, who added that Long had worked hard this season to get into shape and that the injury occurred during a non-contact drill in practice. “We have to move on from this situation.”
With Long out, the Cards will rely on a group of relatively young wide outs and their ability to make plays down the field. Sophomore Doug Beaumont leads the team in receptions and receiving yards, but has seen a decline in production over the last few games.
In the win over South Florida, Cantwell completed only one pass over the line of scrimmage that Long was not on the receiving end of.
The Cards know what it takes to beat the Panthers. Since moving into the Big East Conference in 2005, the Cards are 3-0 against Pitt. That won’t make it any easier for them to win Saturday, as the Cards will travel to Heinz Field in a game that could have major implications in the Big East conference title race.
