The Pitt News echoes other local media and highlights DelSardo and Lee’s performances.

Young DelSardo does a bit of “aw, shucks”-ing when recounting his highlight-reel catch:

“It seemed a little high,” DelSardo said. “And with me being as short as I am, I didn’t think I could get two hands on it, so I went up with one and pulled it in.”

Afterwards, Lee and DelSardo let the logrolling begin:

Both Palko and Harris acknowledged the growth in the receiving corps, improvement which both Lee and DelSardo attributed to pushing each other through competition in practice.
“Anytime you have somebody who is a very good receiver who pushes you to be a better receiver, it makes both of you better,” Lee said.

“Whenever there is competition, it always pushes you to be better,” DelSardo echoed. He went on to say that this group of receivers has a chance to be one of the best the school has ever seen, despite the alumni of Wide Receiver U.

Of course, they both make sure the program gets its due:

“When you have a lot of great names like Antonio Bryant, Larry Fitzgerald and Latef Grim, you feel like you always have big shoes to fill,” he (Delsardo) said. “It’s a tough task to fill shoes like that, but I think with each game we are progressing.”
Lee also described the pressures of continuing Pitt’s tradition of wide-receiver excellence as a daunting task.

“When you come to a school like this, you start to feel like you owe it to the program to be a very good wide receiver because of the legacy that has been here,” he said. “You sort of take it on your shoulders and do extra work to be the best and keep the legacy going.”

Say what you will about these lads, but they seem to already know how to roll out the cliches. Does ol’ Walt make these guys watch “Bull Durham” after every practice or do they just come by it naturally? Enquiring minds want to know…

A week of meaningless blather and speculation. No game to look towards this weekend, so the sportswriters have to find stories, do puff pieces and just pull stuff out of their ass to fill the column space.

Let’s face it the script has changed. We did not expect to be 5-2 after the first 4 games. Wins and losses. It’s amazing how that loss at UConn seemed to make everything so clear about how lost over this season was; then that win over BC tossed the script out the window. Now, no one knows what to do or think.

Now, Pitt is faced with an unexpected dilemma. The Panthers (5-2, 3-1) have climbed back into the Big East race with back-to-back wins over Boston College and Rutgers, and Harris – who had coached the Panthers to four straight bowl games – is suddenly in position to leave the school with egg on its face.

Pitt may be young, but sophomore quarterback Tyler Palko, who picked apart Rutgers for 318 yards and three touchdowns, has a bright future. This is a team headed in the right direction. The Panthers, who dusted off the Scarlet Knights, 41-17, Saturday at Heinz Field, have two conference games remaining – at Syracuse Nov. 6 and home for league favorite West Virginia Nov. 25. If Panthers win both, they would win the Big East title on tiebreakers and earn a spot in a BCS game, mostly likely the Fiesta Bowl.

It is hard to believe that Harris, who has two seasons remaining on his $600,000-a-year contract, wants to stay. But if he wins seven games, he may have a choice. And if he wins the Big East, he should ask for a raise.

If he wins the Big East he, would get a raise and an extension. I think the school and the fans could live with a little embarrassment in that case. Still this came from a NYC sportswriter and the last time guys in NYC actually cared about college football, Fordham was a power. I mean just look at his top-25 at the bottom of the column.

Tim Murphy finally returned in the Rutgers game. He ripped off a couple of nice runs, caught some passes, and did some good blocking as fullback. His return, though, really creates a logjam in the backfield. Especially when Marcus Furman returns from his concussion.

Well, we may not know what to think about all of this, but the players do. They believe.

“We’re taking it one game at a time, but you can’t help thinking about the Big East title and a trip to New Orleans for the Sugar Bowl hanging out there,” [Greg] Lee said. “That’s the goal we set at the beginning of the season and we’re on our way.”

Lee, however, conceded that he wasn’t always sure about this Panthers team.

He recalled early-season struggles in losses to Nebraska and Connecticut, and skin-of-their-teeth wins over Division I-AA Furman and Big East cellar-dweller Temple.
…
“People have a tendency of writing people off when things go bad, but I can also see good things happening,” said [Tyler] Palko, who went 27-of-43 for 318 yards with three scores and one interception in the blowout of Rutgers. “You have to get your feet wet and learn. We took that path at the beginning of the season. But we’re not going to make excuses anymore because we’re young.”

Palko believes a winning attitude is permeating the program.

“I think winning solves a lot of problems in how you believe, mentally,” said Palko, who led West Allegheny High to three consecutive WPIAL Class AAA titles, in addition to a state crown. “Sometimes people don’t come from winning programs and they need to learn how to win. I think the guys are starting to do that. Once we realize that no one person is bigger than the whole program, that’s when it will come together. We’re almost there, but we’re not there yet. Hopefully, I’ll be able to let you know we’re there when we’re playing for the BCS (berth).”

I’ve said it before. The players should believe, they should have confidence, and they should be backing Coach Harris. Leave all the doubts, fears and questions about Harris to the fans and media. And let’s see some of this winning translated into some new gets in recruiting.

As pointed out by Lee, Joe DelSardo’s one handed catch was the ESPN Top Play.

This brings us to a place where the receivers can’t hold onto the ball. Penn State. I was warned not to talk to my dad about this game. I had spoken with my grandma Sunday morning and brought up the game. Ever hear a head shake over the phone? She just told me that dad was not in a mood to even hear the name Penn State and Joe Paterno. So sad, and his Paterno’s other son may become his Congressman, just to add to the misery. I feel I have to bring this up, because the fans are just not rallying behind Joe Paterno. The relentlessly upbeat PSU Weblog echoed a lot of their fans’ sentiment.

LET’S GO . . .oh, what’s the use.

This is sad. You have Penn State fans giving into conspiracy theories, demanding JoePA go, and apologizing to Chad Henne for going to Michigan all at once.

It is painful. It is embarrassing. And if no one on the Penn State campus or in the Paterno home has the guts to tell Joe, then let me be the man. GET OUT. NOW. Don’t wait for the end of the season, because it will be over anyway. If you think you are doing a good job preparing these kids to play, then you are wrong. You are hurting this program in ways I never thought imaginable. Don’t question me–I have been writing about PSU football for five years now so I know what the hell I’m talking about. I feel my pain.
…
Galen Hall is taking up space on the sidelines. I watched him on the sidelines, rather than the offense–it was more interesting. I don’t even see him communicating with anyone. He looks like he’d rather be someplace else. When we have the ball, I wish I were someplace else, so I can’t blame him. I have resisted the conspiracy theory from the outset, but it is becoming painfully clear that Hall is not running this offense. This is the same Jay Paterno inspired offense we have come to loathe for the past four years. And if Hall wasn’t brought in to change the offense, then the only logical premise is that he was brought in just to get rid of Fran. And extrapolating on that . . . Fran was removed to lay open the way for someone else to succeed Joe. Either that, or Galen has lost his touch. But, I digress.
…
I also want to apologize to Chad Henne, who I was harsh on for his decision to spurn PSU. You made a good choice, and you couldn’t help us–you would only be sitting on the bench here. I feel equally bad for Morelli, and I only hope that whatever promises were made to him are being kept. We have only our word and an education to offer recruits anymore.

I know Penn State fans are feeling down, but this is no time to quit. You have to rally behind Joe. Give him another extension. Show him some more love. Leave that negativity and callousness behind. It isn’t you. Rise above it.

At this point, I’ll keep it short. Pitt slayed them. Pitt with the early blow-out then cruise control.

Ron Cook appears to be willing to consider eating some crow while throwing laurels to Greg Lee and Joe DelSardo.

Josh Lay’s big game was a popular storyline. As was Joe DelSardo.

Mike Prisuta still sees room for improvement (it was only Rutgers, you know).

Goose Goslin gives much love to Tyler Palko — for both his game and his attitude.

Paul Zeise’s Q&A column seems to be a lot of arguments over bias. He does have solid defenses of Harris, Rhoads and even Dave Wannstedt.

Meanwhile in New Jersey…

Seems kind of weird to read this about another school this year.

Just when it seemed the Knights had something to play for over the second half of the season — which they had many fans believing heading into yesterday’s game against Pittsburgh — they no longer do. Not realistically anyway.

With four games left against opponents that are a combined 22-6, the only suspense now for Rutgers is whether there’s another victory left this fall.

It was hard to make a case for that after the erratic Panthers seemed to put it all together in a 41-17 laugher over Rutgers before a crowd of 41,232 at Heinz Field.

Truth be told, the Knights (4-3 overall, 1-2 Big East) were exactly what every homecoming opponent is supposed to be: Short work for the guys in the dark uniforms.

Even the disturbingly upbeat Rutgers weblog is feeling a darkened mood.

A QB throws 4 INT and fumbles, there are going to be questions about the wisdom of still playing him. Rutgers head coach is staying with Hart.

The overall “grades” for Rutgers are lousy for this game.