Blogs

• Pitt coach Todd Graham announced the 2011 team captains today and there were a couple surprises. First, here are the new captains, who will serve for the entire season. On offense – junior quarterback Tino Sunseri, junior wide receiver Mike Shanahan and senior guard Chris Jacobson. On defense – senior nose guard Myles Caragein, [...]

  Pitt hoops unveils 2011-12 schedule    Pitt will open its Big East schedule at Notre Dame on Dec. 27 and wrap up the regular-season with its first trip to Connecticut’s on-campus Gampel Pavilion since 2006. Pitt’s entire 2011-12 men’s basketball schedule was released today, highlighted by an 18-game Big East slate that includes home-and-home [...]

Here’s a debate to throw out at the SHAT (or any other) tailgate party Saturday before the Pitt/Buffalo game at Heinz Field: Let’s say Pitt doesn’t win the Big East championship this season. It’s not such an outrageous thought, given the challenging set of circumstances facing the Panthers: New coach. New system. Tough schedule that [...]

With Pitt, Penn State and West Virginia receiving most of the attention on this blog, it’s time to look at some of the other district schools hitting the gridiron.

Linebacker Scott McKillop, a fifth-round draft pick in 2009, was cut on Tuesday as part of the 49ers’  trim down to 80 players. Punter Sam Paulescu was also cut, meaning the job of another Pitt product, incumbent Andy Lee, appears to be safe.

I’m not sure what scenario is more far-fetched: Pitt joining the Big 12 and competing for a BCS bowl berth against Texas and Oklahoma. Or, a walkon freshman quarterback, who almost went to a junior college, sitting No. 2 on the Panthers’ depth chart five days before the start of the season. OK, the Big 12 story [...]

  *** St. Edwards (Ohio) defensive end Darryl Render committed to Pitt on Wednesday. He is the 13th verbal commitment from the Class of 2012. St. Edwards coach Rick Finotti said Render’s size, 6-foot-4, 250 pounds, sets him apart from most high school defensive ends. “He is really stout against the run, very physical and plays [...]

Seven months ago, Ronald Jones would have sooner seen himself exploring the surface of the Moon than returning punts for the Pitt football team. But that latter thing  just might happen after Jones found a strange area code on his cell phone in January, wondered whether or not he should return the call and now [...]

Most people who coach, play, follow, write about and talk about football for a living will tell you that teams are built from the inside out. Put those offensive and defensive lines in place with good players and much of the heavy lifting is behind you. That may be the case at Pitt where the defensive line [...]

  The Pitt men’s basketball team received a verbal commitment today from Hyattsville (Md.) DeMatha four-star point guard James Robinson, according to multiple sources. The 6-foot-3, 195-pound Robinson, ranked as the No. 8 point guard in the Class of 2012 according to Rivals, visited Pitt on Saturday and called the coaching staff today to inform [...]