The football season may have just ended, but it's already time to start thinking about the 2017 NFL Draft. (No rest for the weary.) And the first step for many of those college players who hope to make their pro football dreams come true? The NFL Combine. Six Pitt Panthers and two Penn State Nittany Lions were invited to this year's NFL Combine, a group headlined by Panthers running back James Conner and quarterback Nate Peterman and Nittany Lions defensive end Garrett Sickles. Here all ... Read More
Pitt RB James Conner declares for 2017 NFL Draft
Pitt Panthers running back James Conner will declare for the 2017 NFL draft, the redshirt junior announced on Twitter on Saturday. Forever Grateful. pic.twitter.com/B8wXA9ABZz — James Conner (@JamesConner_) December 10, 2016 The text reads: “Blessed to have been given the opportunity to play at this great university. I have given it everything I got and will do it one more time in New York City for my brothers at Pitt. When they talk about someone who made a positive impact on the ... Read More
James Conner deserves the Heisman Trophy
“The Heisman Memorial Trophy annually recognizes the outstanding college football player whose performance best exhibits the pursuit of excellence with integrity. The winners of the trophy epitomize great ability combined with diligence, perseverance, and hard work.” If you were curious or confused, those two sentences are used to define the qualities and characteristics a player is expected to possess and display if he wants to win what is arguably the most famous trophy in sports: the ... Read More
James Conner awarded Disney Spirit Award
With the intensity of sports, it's often easy to forget that these athletes who we all look up to and consider to be almost untouchable are, in fact, human, too. One of the most inspirational stories in sports is Pitt Panthers running back James Conner, who was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma in late November 2015 before beating the cancer and leading his team back onto the field at the start of the 2016 season. Despite undergoing chemotherapy, the redshirt junior never let his diagnosis ... Read More
Pitt powers to 7-4 record behind 56-14 blowout of Duke
Possessing a dynamic offense has rarely — if ever — been a problem for the Pitt Panthers (7-4) this season. And Saturday, Pitt rang up 56 points in a thorough 56-14 waxing of the Duke Blue Devils (4-7) in a game that, for once, didn’t come down to the wire. A week after a huge upset of the then-No. 2 Clemson Tigers, the Panthers' defense came out the chute with decidedly more bite than usual. On the second play from scrimmage, linebacker Oluwaseun Idowu punched the ball out of running ... Read More
Panthers stun No. 2 Clemson, 43-42
When the kicker has the last name of “Blewitt,” you’d be forgiven for not having much faith in him to hit a long, game-winning field goal with time expiring, especially after he missed an extra point in Saturday’s game. But, Saturday, Pitt's Chris Blewitt didn't blow it when it mattered most, nailing a booming 48-yard field goal with six seconds left to give the Panthers (6-4, 3-3 ACC) the shocking 43-42 win over the No. 2 Clemson Tigers (9-1, 6-1) — perhaps the season’s biggest upset. “I ... Read More
Panthers’ early deficit vs. Hokies sinks Pitt
Murphy’s Law was in full effect for about the first quarter and a half of Thursday night's game at Heinz Field for the Pitt Panthers. You name it; it went wrong — turnovers, penalties and straight-up bad luck. In one instance, a well-defended pass ping-ponged off both the Virginia Tech receiver and the Pitt defender, staying alive and off the ground long enough to be hauled in for a big gain for the Hokies. But the efforts of Pitt's determined defense weren't enough, and the Panthers (5-3, ... Read More
Game vs. Hokies marks start of make-or-break stretch for Pitt
Following a bye week, the Panthers will be back in business Thursday night when Pitt hosts the No. 25 Virginia Tech Hokies, who are coming into the game fresh off their 37-16 manhandling of the Miami Hurricanes. When Pitt welcomes the Hokies to Heinz Field, it'll be the start of a make-or-break stretch for the Panthers. For a second straight season, Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi’s team has gotten off to a quick start. The Panthers opened last year at 6-1; this time around Pitt sits at 5-2 and ... Read More
Blewitt’s late field goal gives Panthers 37-34 win
It was another close game for the Pitt Panthers, another fourth-quarter lead blown, another opportunity potentially squandered. But thanks to a last-second 31-yard field goal from kicker Chris Blewitt, the Panthers held on to beat the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, 37-34, and gave Pitt faithful something to celebrate on homecoming weekend. Pitt started strong on its first drive, torching Georgia Tech. Wide receiver Quadree Henderson tagged the defense for 20 yards on two carries, and the ... Read More
Panthers’ dynamic offense leading the way
There's nothing like some home cooking to cure what ails you. Last Saturday, back at Heinz Field for the first time in three week, the Pitt Panthers (3-2) got back to their winning ways, defeating Marshall 43-27. Now, several weeks in to the season, Pitt's offense seems to have found itself in a serious groove. The Panthers boast a surprisingly potent offense thus far, averaging 37.4 points a contest through five games. Three times already, Pitt has eclipsed the 40-point barrier in a ... Read More