Oct. 19, 2009

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Pitt-USF Game Notes

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#20/19 Pitt (6-1, 3-0 Big East)

vs. USF (5-1, 1-1 Big East)

Oct. 24, 2009  •  Noon, EDT  •  Heinz Field (65,050) • Pittsburgh, Pa.

GAME STORYLINES                    

Pitt looks to stay atop the Big East standings when it hosts USF. The Panthers are ranked No. 19 in this week's USA Today coaches poll and No. 20 by The Associated Press. Pitt is 20th in the initial BCS rankings.

A victory over USF would give Pitt a 7-1 record, which would be its best mark after eight games since the 1982 edition, led by quarterback Dan Marino, won seven of eight games to begin the year.

Dion Lewis is the nation's No. 3 rusher this week (131.14 yards/game), while Bill Stull ranks seventh nationally in pass efficiency (159.39 rating). Tight end Dorin Dickerson is tied for the national lead with eight touchdown catches.

Pitt has won 16 of its last 21 games dating back to the 2007 season. It is the Panthers' winningest stretch since the 2001-03 seasons when they went 17-4 over a 21-game period.

BROADCAST INFORMATION

TV: The Pitt-USF game will be an ESPN Regional "Big East Network Game of the Week" telecast. Mike Gleason (play-by-play), former Pitt quarterback John Congemi (color) and Quint Kessenich (sideline) will call the action. 

PITT RADIO: 3WS 94.5 (WWSW-FM), Fox Sports Radio 970 (WBGG-AM) and the Pittsburgh ISP Sports Network. Bill Hillgrove calls the action, while three-time Pitt All-American Bill Fralic and former Panther head coach Serafino "Foge" Fazio provide color analysis.

SATELLITE RADIO: The Pitt-USF game will be aired on SIRIUS satellite radio channel 123 and XM channel 144.

INTERNET: "Panthers All-Access" at PittsburghPanthers.com.

SERIES HISTORY

This is the seventh meeting between Pitt and South Florida in a series that dates back to 2001...the Panthers evened the series at three wins apiece following last year's 26-21 victory in Tampa in front of a national ESPN Thursday night television audience...in the last game played in Pittsburgh, the Bulls triumphed, 48-37, in 2007...USF holds a 2-1 advantage in games played at Heinz Field...the Panthers' lone home victory came in the 2005 encounter, 31-17...the '05 season marked USF's first as a Big East member...in 2004, the Panthers clinched an invite to the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl with a 43-14 victory in the regular-season finale for both teams at Raymond James Stadium...that game was played on Dec. 4, 2004, a switch from its original Labor Day date (Sept. 6) due to Hurricane Frances...in the initial meeting between the two teams, the Bulls defeated host Pitt, 35-26,  in 2001.