Oct. 19, 2009

       PITTSBURGH—Pitt freshman tailback Dion Lewis, who has the second highest rushing total in the country with 918 yards, was honored by the Big East Conference and Rivals.com for his performance in the Panthers’ 24-17 victory at Rutgers this past weekend.

       Lewis (Albany, N.Y./Blair Academy [N.J.]) was named the Big East Offensive Player of the Week and the Rivals.com National Freshman of the Week after he rushed for 180 yards and two touchdowns against the Scarlet Knights. He averaged 5.8 yards on 31 carries against a Rutgers team that was ranked No. 1 in the Big East and sixth nationally in rushing defense (65.2 yards/game and 2.3 yards/attempt).

        Lewis’ 58-yard scoring burst late in the third quarter gave Pitt a 24-10 lead and ultimately provided the winning points. He also had a one-yard touchdown, giving him 10 total TDs on the year.

       The Rutgers game marked Lewis’ fourth 100-yard rushing effort of the season. He ranks third nationally in rushing yards per game (131. 14 avg.) and is 25^th in scoring (tied, 8.57 points/game).

       With 60 total points, Lewis is well on pace to surpass Pitt’s freshman scoring record of 90 set in 2007 by tailback LeSean McCoy (now with the Philadelphia Eagles).

       Pitt (6-1, 3-0 Big East) surged into the national polls this week, ranking No. 19 in the USA Today coaches poll and No. 20 by The Associated Press. The Panthers are No. 20 in the newly released Bowl Championship Series rankings.  

       The Panthers will host Big East foe South Florida (5-1, 1-1) this Saturday at Heinz Field. Kickoff is set for noon.

       For ticket information, call (800) 643-PITT or log on to www.PittsburghPanthers.com.

—30—