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The 2010 college football season is upon us and how much better can it get for a Thursday night kickoff than a matchup of two top 25 teams as TBDPITL’s #14 ranked Pittsburgh Panthers go on the road against the #24 ranked Utah Utes in what should be a hard fought game between two perennially tough teams.
The last time these two teams met was in the 2005 Fiesta Bowl as the Utes won 35-7 in Urban Meyer’s farewell game before leaving for Florida. This game should be much closer and one well worth watching.
Pittsburgh, picked by many to win the Big East this season, is led by Heisman candidate and star running back Dion Lewis. Lewis, the ’09 Offensive Player of the Year in the Big East, ran for 1,799 yards last year which was #2 all-time in Pitt history for yards in a season. He is electric and can go through the middle and swing it outside. He is possibly the best running back in college football this season and the Utes face a tough task in finding ways to stop him.
Pitt is breaking in a new quarterback this season in Tino Sunseri, and if he can hold onto the ball and make some good decisions, he could make things a bit easier for Lewis in the running game. If he fares poorly, look for teams to key off Lewis and make things tough for the Panther offense. Sunseri will have some big help in the form of WR Jonathan Baldwin who had over 1,000 receiving yards last year and was named an All Big East performer.
The Pitt defense is led by ’09 Big East Co-Defensive Player of the Year Greg Romeus. He is a punishing D-lineman and where he leads, the defense will follow. He had 43 tackles, 11.5 for loss last season. He also had a team leading 8 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, 1 interception, 1 fumble recovery, and a blocked PAT. This guy is an absolute force along the line, and is looking for one last year before he takes his services to the NFL. With Romeus leading the way, Pitt’s defense led the NCAA last year with 47 sacks.
Pitt finished at 10-3, their first 10 win season since 1981, with a 19-17 win over North Carolina in the Meineke Car Care Bowl.
Utah, who also finished 10-3 last year, is looking to start the season off with a big win over a ranked opponent. They are coming off of a great bowl win in the Poinsettia Bowl beating Cal 37-27 for their 9th consecutive bowl victory, two shy of tying the longtime Florida State record of 11.
Utah will be led by an offense that should be in a much better place to start the season then they were a year ago as they return some very talented starters. They will be led by sophomore quarterback Jordan Wynn who became a hero for the Utes in the Poinsettia Bowl as he threw for 337 yards en route to earning the games MVP award. He is surrounded by three talented running backs in Eddie Wide, Matt Asiata, and Sousan Shakerin. Wide, who rushed for 1069 yards and 12 touchdowns last year will be joined by ’08 star Asiata, who was the starter in ’09 before a season ending ACL tear sidelined him until now. Shakerin, the local Alta High product has played well through the spring and in camp and should look to see more of the field this season. With this talented group of running backs, the Utes look to control the ground game and keep Pitt’s offense off the field. A strong returning offensive line should give them a great chance to do that.
Wynn has a few weapons returning in the receiving corps led by WR Jereme Brooks. He is the only returning wide receiver with any major playing time so expect to see him double teamed at times. Wynn also loves TE Kendrick Moeai, as he found him several times in the Poinsettia Bowl, and TE Brad Clifford should not be overlooked as he will play a critical role as well.
The Utah defense looks like a work in progress to start the year as they only return 4 starters. Losing middle linebacker Nai Fotu to an ACL tear in the spring left a hole in the middle, but look for J.J. Williams to step up and play well in his absence. The secondary will be led by CB Brandon Burton and SS Justin Taplin-Ross. They will be asked to anchor a secondary that will need to really step up and find ways to play well.
The defensive line will be the strength for Utah this year and top ’09 JC prospect James Aiono is now playing after getting his academics in order and should be a monster along the line. Sealver Siliga, recently named one of the team captains, should also play well this year along this powerful line.
Look for altitude to be a factor in this game as Pitt travels west across two time zones. Utah will do everything they can to run the ball and punish Pitt while keeping Lewis on the sidelines where he can’t do any damage. Also, expect the Utes to try and get to Sunseri as often as possible to make it tough on the first time starter.
Pitt is expecting Romeus and Co. to make life miserable for Wynn and his running backs and if they can keep them in check, look for Pewis to run wild against this young and unproven defense.
This could be a low scoring defensive battle as both teams look pretty even on both sides of the ball. This should be a great game to help kick off the year and as it is on national TV, it should be one worth watching.
Prediction: Utah 24, Pitt 17