Well, at this point, they are all must-wins.

This will be the Bearcats’ opening game in the Big East. Pitt has a 4-0 record against Cinci. Last time they played was in 1981. So naturally this game is ripe to be given a trophy and deemed a rivalry. Whatever.

Pitt has its game notes available (PDF). The depth chart shows nobody lost their starting job (or #2 position on the chart) despite hints of change. Brian Bennett is out with an injury suffered in the Rutgers game. J.J. Horne is the official starter with Adam Gunn as the back-up.

Tyler Palko needs 64 more yards to pass John Ryan and move to 6th on Pitt’s all time passing leaders.

Disturbing stat. Pitt has yet to recover a fumble in 5 games (3 chances).

Kicker David Abdul gets a puff piece detailing his comeback from a broken leg. The article skips the rehashing of his absolutely miserable 2003 year.

Plenty of personal achievements on the offensive side of the ball in that miserable loss.

Against Rutgers, quarterback Tyler Palko set career highs in completions (35) and pass attempts (58) and threw for a season-best 371 yards and four touchdowns. It was his sixth career 300-yard passing game.

Wideout Derek Kinder had the best game of his career, with 10 catches for 78 yards.

Wideout Greg Lee has strung together three games with 100-plus receiving yards. He made a career-best nine grabs for 130 yards and a touchdown.

Team-wise the stats are mixed. After a slow start, Lee is 20th in the country in receiving yards per game with 96.2. Pitt went up a bit in total offense to #75 and passing is up to #45. Rushing yards, though, Pitt is down at #82.

Adam Graessle is 10th in punting average — 44.85 yds/punt. Darrelle Revis has definitely improved Pitt on punt returns. He is 20th in the country with a 13.36 yard average.

The defense took a plunge in the stats, falling from #19 to #29 in total defense. Not exactly a shock. Pass defense is still #3 (somehow), but rushing defense is now down at #88 allowing a whopping 171 yards per game.

Well, Darrin Walls will make his announcement this morning. Walls is considered one of the 3 best recruits in the country, depending on which recruiting site you view.

Walls, who narrowed his choices to Florida, Michigan, Notre Dame and Pitt, did not tip his hand Sunday to which school will win his services. He will reveal it today at a 9 a.m. news conference at Woodland Hills High School.
…
“I had to really look everything over. I basically tried to keep everything consistent. I tried to base it on academics, head coaches and position coaches. I tried to pick the four that were best for me.”

Walls said the determining factor was academics.

“No matter where you go, you’re going to have to compete for a position,” Walls said. “I’m going to work hard. The most important thing is the academics because if I don’t make it to the NFL, I’m going to have to use my degree.”

Pitt and Notre Dame made strong pushes for Walls in the final weekend. Irish assistant head coach John Latina attended the Woodland Hills-Connellsville game Friday, the same day that 45 handwritten letters arrived at Walls’ home from the Panthers’ coaching staff.

“I took that into consideration,” Walls said of Pitt’s mass mailing. “It was from all the different coaches. I think it was a good move. They’re showing they’re really into me. They really want me to come to the school.”

Walls has been on visits to several schools — but not Notre Dame yet. 2 of his 3 visits, though, just happened to be when the hosting school was playing (and lost to) Notre Dame.

I think the conventional view is that he is heading to Notre Dame.

One of Pitt’s local recruits, Justin Hargrove not only has his season ended, but his entire football future is in question after suffering a brain contusion.

“They told me I had bleeding of the brain,” Hargrove said.

Doctors also told Hargrove his season was over. Hargrove (6 feet 3, 245 pounds) will go back to the doctors in 11 days.

“I’m scheduled for a re-evaluation Oct. 10,” Hargrove said. “They had told me there might be a little chance that I won’t be able to play next year, but I think I’ll be OK.”

I don’t know if I’d ever be able to put a helmet back on to smack heads on the field after an injury like that. That is just scary.

Lineman and Pitt recruit John Malecki did a Q&A with the P-G a couple days ago. He re-affirmed his commitment to Pitt.

Several top recruits have reaffirmed their commit to Pitt, despite continued (and not unexpected) sniffing around by other schools.

A handful of Western Pennsylvania prospects who chose the Panthers said that they remain solid in their commitments despite hearing regularly from other schools. And they view Pitt’s struggling start as an opportunity for them to make an impact early in their college careers.

“A lot of schools have been trying, but I usually just don’t pick up my phone,” said Franklin tight end Nate Byham, who is hearing from Iowa, Miami, Southern Cal and West Virginia. “When I committed, I called and told all the other schools, ‘Thank you, but no thank you. I’m going to Pitt.’

“Obviously, I’d like to see them win, but it’s not changing my mind at all. I’m still sold on Pitt.”

Ditto for Dorin Dickerson of West Allegheny, Jason Pinkston of Baldwin and John Malecki of Franklin Regional.

Dickerson, like Byham, was named to the U.S. Army All-American Bowl and also heard from Southern Cal. After a fast start, where he scored 12 touchdowns in three games, Dickerson has been recovering from an ankle injury.

“Schools were recruiting me,” Dickerson said, “but they’ve lightened up a lot.”

Malecki promised not to renege on his pledge the way Penn Hills quarterback Anthony Morelli and North Hills running back Andrew Johnson did to Harris in the Class of 2004, when Morelli picked Penn State and Johnson chose Miami.

“Recently, I’ve been worried that the big recruits would pull out like Johnson and Morelli did,” said Malecki, a defensive lineman who said he still receives mailings from Michigan State. “I’m not reconsidering anything. I’ve always wanted to be a Panther. Hopefully, they’ll make the right choice and stick with Pitt.”

Four months until signing day.

UPDATE: Walls made it official, he’s going to ND (hat tip to Bill).