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Panthers Need Big 2nd Half To Put Squeeze On Orange

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The Associated Press

The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 28, 2008

SYRACUSE, N.Y. - LaRod Stephens-Howling scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter, Conor Lee kicked four field goals, and Pittsburgh rallied past Syracuse 34-24 on Saturday in the Big East opener for both teams.

Pittsburgh (3-1), which lost its season opener after starting the season ranked No. 25, scored on all four of its possessions in the second half to hand Greg Robinson his 20th loss in 22 conference games since taking over three-plus years ago as head coach at Syracuse (1-4).

Cam Dantley was 9-for-17 for 137 yards passing and two TDs, and Curtis Brinkley had 119 yards rushing on 16 carries for Syracuse.
Bill Stull finished 17-for-29 for 166 yards and one score. LeSean McCoy finished with a season-high 149 yards rushing, his first 100-yard game of the season, and Stephens-Howling had 71 yards on 13 carries. Derek Kinder had eight catches for 92 yards to move into 10th place in Pitt history with 114 receptions.

Pitt trailed until the first minute of the fourth quarter, and the Panthers had to gamble to tie it.

Faced with a fourth-and-inches at their 33 and trailing 24-16, Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt elected to go for it and Stull got it on a quarterback sneak.

To that point, the much-maligned Orange defense had held Pitt's running tandem in check, allowing 103 yards on 27 carries. McCoy changed that in a hurry, bolting right for 34 yards on the penultimate play of the third and gaining another 20 on a nifty run up the middle that he broke outside to set up a 9-yard touchdown run by Stephens-Howling on the first play of the fourth. Stull hit Jonathan Baldwin for the 2-point conversion to tie it at 24-all.

BOSTON COLLEGE 42,

RHODE ISLAND 0

BOSTON - Montel Harris ran for 143 yards and three touchdowns to lead Boston College past Rhode Island (1-4) in the schools' first meeting since 1917.

Backup quarterback Dominique Davis added a 24-yard touchdown run for the Eagles (3-1).

WEST VIRGINIA 27,

MARSHALL 3

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - Pat White threw two touchdown passes before hurting the thumb on his throwing hand and Noel Devine rushed for 125 yards and a score in West Virginia's win over Marshall (3-2).

White went to the sideline after being tackled on a 5-yard run in the third quarter. He had an icepack wrapped on his left hand and didn't return.

West Virginia coach Bill Stewart said after the game that White "was fine" without elaborating. Jarrett Brown replaced White with West Virginia (2-2) ahead 21-3.

RUTGERS 38,

MORGAN STATE 0

PISCATAWAY, N.J. - Jourdan Brooks ran for three touchdowns and embattled quarterback Mike Teel led Rutgers' anemic offense to a big first half in a victory over Morgan State.

Brooks scored on runs of 1, 5 and 3 yards, Mason Robinson had a 4-yard TD run and Teel threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Tim Brown as Rutgers (1-3) scored all its points in the first half.

CINCINNATI 17, AKRON 15

AKRON, Ohio - Tony Pike connected with Mardy Gilyard on two touchdown passes and Jake Rogers made a go-ahead field goal with 7:45 left in Cincinnati's win over Akron (2-3).

The Bearcats (3-1) drove 42 yards in nine plays to set up Rogers' 48-yard field goal, and Brad Jones intercepted Chris Jacquemain's pass with 1:31 remaining to seal the win.

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