2008 Pittsburgh Panthers Football Preview

2008 Pittsburgh Panthers season preview from Maddux Sports. Below you can find our official Pittsburgh Panthers football preview as well as the 2008 Pittsburgh Panthers Football Schedule. After reading this article check out our college football predictions against the current point spread.

Coach: Dave Wannstedt (4th year at Pittsburgh)
Team Name: Panthers
2007 Overall Record: 5-7
Returning Starters: 15

The Pittsburgh Panthers (5-7 overall, 3-4 Big East) tied for fifth in the Big East. It was an odd season, where Pitt beat conference champs West Virginia but lost to South Florida, Rutgers and Louisville. 2007 marked the third year straight that the Panthers missed the post-season.

Pittsburgh has two good quarterbacks—Junior Bill Stull and sophomore Pat Bostick. Last season, Bostick took over when Stull suffered a season-ending injury in the first game. The replacement garnered a lot of experience and overall performed well. Stull, who was impressive in spring training camp, looks to start in 2008. There are worries for the frontline as they return just one starter. As a freshman, RB LeSean McCoy (276 CAR, 1,328 YDS, 14 TDs) was ultra impressive. The pass catchers are excellent; led by senior Derek Kinder, who missed last season due to injury, they include junior WR T.J. Porter and junior TE Nate Byham.

Although the defense allowed 24.2 PPG, while the offense averaged merely 22.8 PPG, the “D” was tough on the pass, allowing just 167.2 YPG (third nationally). Redshirted sophomore DE Greg Romeus should help upgrade the frontline and stuff the run. He’s six-foot-six, athletic and shows a solid frame. ILB Scott McKillop led the nation in tackles, accumulating 151 with 98 of those being solo. The linebacking squad is deep and secondary athletic and skilled.

There are plenty of tossup contests on the Pitt schedule. Six wins look certain and two loses are penciled in. September 20 Iowa visits the Steel City in a tough to call game. On October 25, Rutgers ventures to Pittsburgh for another swing game. Three of the team’s final four contests are too close to call—Louisville (November 8), Cincinnati (November 22) and Connecticut (December 6).

This team has a good shot at a bowl bid. Coach Dave Wannstedt (16-19 in three years) managed to get a three-year extension on his contract despite the fact that the Panthers have not made a bowl appearance since they signed him. The fact is that Wannstedt’s recruiting efforts look like they are about to finally payoff. This Panther team looks poised to breakthrough.

Pittsburgh Panthers Football Schedule

Date	Opponent	Home/Away
Aug 30	Bowling Green	Home
Sep 6	Buffalo	Home
Sep 20	Iowa	Home
Sep 27	Syracuse	Away
Oct 2	South Florida	Away
Oct 18	Navy	Away
Oct 25	Rutgers	Home
Nov 1	Notre Dame	Away
Nov 8	Louisville	Home
Nov 22	Cincinnati	Away
Nov 28	West Virginia	Home
Dec 6	Connecticut	Away

 

For more info on the 2008 Pittsburgh Panthers football program, view the Panthers football site or you can read about other Big East teams below.