Miami-Pittsburgh Match Up
Sept. 20, 2010
Here are a few notes about Thursday’s game, including series history and a Pitt scouting report. We’ll have more notes and nuggets here the next few days leading up to Thursday night’s game.
THE MIAMI-PITTSBURGH SERIES
– Miami leads the all-time series with Pitt, 21-9-1.
– The teams regularly met when Miami was a member of the BIG EAST in football, with the last meeting coming in 2003 when the `Canes came away with a 28-14 win at Pitt.
– The last time the two teams met, Miami out-gained Pitt, 475-to-232. Jarrett Payton led the UM offense, rushing for 131 yards and a touchdown while Jonathan Vilma had a game-high 11 tackles to go along with nine from D.J. Williams.
– The series began in 1950 with a 28-0 win for Miami in Pittsburgh.
A `CANES WIN OVER THE PANTHERS WOULD…
– Give Miami its seventh straight win over Pittsburgh going back to 1998.
– Give Miami its 33rd straight win against a unranked non-conference opponent in regular season play.
– Give Miami a 2-1 record after three games for the third straight year having opened with two-of-three on the road.
THE COACHES
Randy Shannon is in his fourth season as Miami’s head coach and owns an overall record of 22-18. Dave Wannstedt is 36-27 in six years as Pittsburgh’s head coach.
Shannon and Wannstedt have a unique bond, as Shannon served as a linebacker under Wannstedt when he was the Hurricanes’ defensive coordinator from 1986-88 when Jimmy Johnson was UM’s head coach. Shannon also played under Wannstedt while he was with the Dallas Cowboys and coached with him at the Miami Dolphins. Since his time in Coral Gables, Wannstedt has served as the Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator, the Chicago Bears head coach, an assistant with Miami Dolphins and head coach of the Dolphins before returning to his alma mater.
SCOUTING THE PANTHERS
Pittsburgh opened the season with a tough loss at Utah before cruising past New Hampshire in its home opener on Sept. 11.
Quarterback Tino Sunseri has completed 64.5 percent of his passes for 459 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions. Dion Lewis – the BIG EAST’s 2010 Offensive Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year – has carried the ball 35 times for 102 yards (2.9 ypc) and two touchdowns this year, while Ray Graham has nine carries for 115 yards (12.8 ypc) and two touchdowns, all against New Hampshire.
Jon Baldwin is Sunseri’s go-to guy in the passing game, having hauled in 10 catches for 171 yards and two touchdowns in two games. Mike Shanahan (7 catches, 89 yards) is a secondary threat.
Dan Mason, Greg Williams and Jason Hendricks have all recorded double-digit tackles through two games. Mason has a team-best 13, while Williams and Hendricks have 11 apiece. Chas Alecxih has eight tackles and three of the team’s six sacks. Brandon Lindsey had five tackles and two sacks, while Jarred Holley has six tackles and both of the Panthers interceptions thus far. Jabaal Sheard is another guy that gets pressure on the quarterback, recording eight tackles, three for a loss, one sack and a team-high five quarterback hurries.
Cameron Saddler is the Panthers’ return threat on both punts and kickoffs. He is averaging 8.7 yards per punt return and 23.5 on kick returns. Punter Dan Hutchins is averaging an impressive 48.0 yards per punt while Pittsburgh ranks sixth nationally in net punting (45.29). Hutchins, who also handles kicking duties, is 4-for-6 in field goal attempts.
