Pittsburgh Panthers
Big East
Pittsburgh did not have the big season they had hoped for under first year coach Todd Graham. Coach Graham orchestrated some high octane offenses during his time at Tulsa, but it has taken time for the Panthers to adapt to the style of play. A variety of injuries have not helped either. The Panthers did do enough to reach a bowl game and that is a step in the right direction.
2011 Record: 6-6, 4-3
Last Bowl Appearance: 2010 Compass Bowl vs. Kentucky (W 27-10)
Big Wins: 11/29 South Florida (44-17), 11/12 at Louisville (21-14)
Bad Losses: 10/8 at Rutgers (10-34), 10/15 Utah (14-26)
Coach: Todd Graham (6-6 at Pittsburgh, 49-29 overall)
Bowl Record: 0-0 at Pittsburgh, 3-1 overall
Offensive Coordinator: Calvin Magee
Defensive Coordinator: Keith Patterson
Strengths:
While the offense struggled at times, the defense kept Pittsburgh in just about every game they played. The Panthers defense starts with the front line and this team ranks in the top ten in the nation in sacks and tackles-for-loss. Aaron Donald, Brandon Lindsey and Chas Alecxih can bust through any offensive line and at least one of them always seems to be in the backfield. Defensive coordinator Keith Patterson will blitz every once in a while as well and get some others into the backfield. Linebacker Max Gruder is the leader of the defense and easily led the team in tackles. Despite all the pressure on the opposing quarterback, Pittsburgh will not garner too many interceptions. The big hitters will force some fumbles, but the Panthers defense does not force as many turnovers as they could with all the pressure they get in the backfield.
Weaknesses:
The bad turnover margin is not the defenses fault however. Quarterback Tino Sunseri has thrown ten interceptions and just ten touchdowns. Sunseri has not had a bad year, but the offense has been inconsistent. Wide receivers Devin Street and Mike Shanahan are both capable of breaking big plays, but the big plays have not come as often as one would expect from a Coach Graham team. Yet, the issue for the offense has not been through the air, it has been on the ground. Ray Graham is a superb running back, but an injury sidelined him late in the year and that really stalled the Pitt offense. Making matters worse, a handful of backup running backs, most notably Zach Brown, have also missed games with injuries. The lack of a consistent rushing attack has made life difficult for Sunseri and the entire offense later in the season. That issue may not be fixed by the bowl game and Coach Graham will need to find a way to move the offense consistently though the air.
Statistical Leaders:
Rushing: Ray Graham, RB, 958 yards
Passing: Tino Sunseri, QB, 2,433 yards
Receiving: Devin Street, WR, 692 yards
Tackles: Max Gruder, LB, 107
Sacks: Aaron Donald, DT, 10.0
Interceptions: Eight tied with 1
2011 Team Stats:
Rushing Offense: 158.18 (61st in nation, 3rd in conference)
Passing Offense: 206.64 (78, 6)
Total Offense: 364.82 (83, 4)
Scoring Offense: 25.09 (75, 5)
Rushing Defense: 121.73 (22, 5)
Pass Defense: 234.00 (69, 4)
Total Defense: 355.73 (41, 5)
Scoring Defense: 22.64 (39, 5)
Turnover Margin: -.45 (96, 8)
Sacks: 3.27 (5, 3)
Sacks Allowed: 4.82 (120, 8)
