LOOKING AHEAD
Temple vs. Pitt, TBA Saturday, Heinz Field. TV: TBA; Radio: WRRK-FM (96.9) and the Pittsburgh Panther Football Radio Network; Internet: http://www.pittsburghpanthers.com. The Panthers have won the past three meetings in this series, including 33-7 last year.
NOTEBOOK
The Panthers lost FB Lousaka Polite midway through the first quarter with an unspecified right leg injury. He had missed most of the previous game, against Boston College, with a right ankle problem. Redshirt freshman Tim Murphy replaced Polite. Pitt entered the game without any significant recent injuries.
The Hokies also lost a top player in the first half when TB Kevin Jones left with a pulled left hamstring after a 1-yard run. Starting CB Ronyell Whitaker also left in the third quarter with an apparent left shoulder injury. Virginia Tech already was playing without starting ILB Vegas Robinson, who was fourth on the team with 42 tackles and had two interceptions and two fumble recoveries. He missed his second game in a row because of an ankle injury. Hokies starting TE Keith Willis was replaced in the starting lineup by redshirt freshman Jeff King. Willis was taken to the hospital Tuesday because of abdominal pain and was found to have a slightly torn abdominal muscle but was cleared to play.
Pitt has three Virginia natives on its roster -- starting WR Lamar Slade, TB Raymond Kirkley and WR Princell Brockenbrough, who is being redshirted. The Hokies have two players from Western Pennsylvania, backup C Robert Ramsey of Montour High School and reserve DE Bob Ruff of Peters Township.
One of the reasons Virginia Tech's undefeated start and high ranking have been a bit of a surprise is that this was supposed to be a rebuilding year. The Hokies lost 10 starters from the team last year and have used 12 freshmen this season. In comparison, Pitt lost eight starters and has used eight freshmen -- K David Abdul, DL Andy Alleman, WRs Larry Fitzgerald and Billy Gaines, DB Josh Lay, QB Tyler Palko, FB A.J. Schneider and TB Jawan Walker.
Virginia Tech came into the game ranked first in NCAA Division I-A in rushing defense, giving up an average of 40.8 yards a game. The Panthers topped that before the first quarter was over. When the Hokies took a 14-0 lead with 4:38 left in the first quarter, Pitt had 77 total yards and 40 rushing to Virginia Tech's 13 total yards, all rushing. At the end of the first quarter, the Panthers trailed, 14-7, but had the advantage in total yards, 173-21, including 73 yards rushing.
Pitt DE Claude Harriott forced a fumble in the first quarter, his sixth this season. He leads the Big East Conference. ... Pitt freshman David Abdul had made nine field goals in a row before he missed a 28-yarder in the first quarter. ... Pitt CB Torrie Cox got his second interception of the season in the second quarter and returned it 38 yards. ... On the third play of the second quarter, Pitt had a third-and-13 at its 36. Freshman Tyler Palko replaced starting QB Rod Rutherford and got off a wobbly quick-kick punt that went 19 yards.
The Hokies' block of Andy Lee's punt in the first quarter was the 95th blocked kick in 183 games under Coach Frank Beamer. That breaks down to 49 blocked punts, 25 blocked field goals and 21 blocked extra points. ... Virginia Tech's second touchdown came on a 1-yard run by senior Lee Suggs. He has scored at least one touchdown in the past 22 games which he has started.
Virginia Tech had been having some problems with its field at Lane Stadium, but the turf seemed to be in pretty good shape, other than resembling threadbare carpet. The Hokies were having trouble with a thick layer of thatch that interfered with drainage and made the field slick. The grounds crew worked all week to correct the problem, aerating the field and mowing it to a lower height.
The weather during the game helped. Rain and snow were forecast early in the week, but conditions ended up being chilly but dry. The temperature at game time was 39 degrees with a wind chill of 32 degrees.
For those wondering, the Virginia Tech nickname, Hokie, dates to 1896. That's when Virginia Agricultural Mechanical College became Virginia Polytechnic Institute. There was a contest for a new cheer. Winner O.M. Stull, a senior at the time, won for his "Old Hokie" yell, which is still used. "Hokie" is one of several made-up words in the cheer. Stull said the words have no special meaning and were intended to get attention. Hokies was soon adopted as the nickname for all of the school's teams and fans.
Pitt and Virginia Tech never met before Big East round-robin play began in 1993. The Hokies lead the series, 7-3, including a 4-1 mark at home. They are 143-60-6 all time at Lane Stadium, 29-7 in Big East games at home. ... This is the ninth season in a row Virginia Tech has won seven or more games.
E-mail this story 
