Pitt's Dion Lewis vs. YSU Pitt Sports Info. Dept.
PITTSBURGH—The Panthers had little trouble in handling the division 1-AA Youngstown Penguins Saturday as they tore off a 38-3 win at Heinz Field. Even though Pitt has never lost to a division 1-AA team and was expected to win the game, head coach Dave Wannstedt appreciated how the players handled the situation.
“I told the team afterwards that what I really liked about this football game was how our players approached it,” Wannstedt said. “They took nothing for granted when they got prepared for this game.”
Pitt took an early 7-0 lead on freshman Dion Lewis’ 16-yard touchdown midway through the first quarter and never looked back. Lewis was the workhorse and gained 137 yards and scored 2 touchdowns on 20 carries. It was the most yardage by a freshman running back in a season-opener since Tony Dorsett ran for 100 yards against Georgia in 1973.
“I thought Dion Lewis made a lot of plays,” Wannstedt said. “I feel a little bit better now about our team at running back.”
The running back position was a big question entering this season after the departure of all-American LeSean McCoy, but Lewis’ performance and backup Ray Graham’s 23 yards on 6 carries should provide momentum for Pitt’s backfield entering next week’s game at Buffalo.
Lewis credited the offensive line for helping him by opening up holes throughout the afternoon.
“I’m proud of my linemen after the great job I thought they did today, so they deserve some of the credit,” Lewis said. “I just tried to keep my legs moving and imagined having a big day but not this big.”
YSU put together an eight and a half minute drive in the second quarter but it stalled on the Pitt 38-yard line. Stephen Blose booted a 48-yard field goal to pull within 7-3, but the Penguins would not score the rest of the afternoon.
“We’ve got some work to do and I think when we watch the game tape, we’ll see some things,” YSU head coach John Heacock said. “Pitt’s defense was tremendous and I told coach [Wannstedt] that his front-seven are awfully good.”
Lewis banged in from one yard early in the second quarter and also caught a three-yard touchdown pass from starting quarterback Bill Stull with a minute left in the half to give the Panthers a 21-3 lead at the break.
Stull completed 11 passes on 16 attempts for 123 yards and two touchdowns. Besides the scoring strike to Lewis, he also hit tight end Dorin Dickerson for a 13-yard score with 24 seconds left in the third quarter.
His backup, redshirt freshman Tino Sunseri also added a touchdown on a six-yard strike to Aundre Wright early in the fourth quarter to push Pitt’s lead to 38-3. He completed five passes on eight attempts for 80 yards. Wannstedt thought both quarterbacks played well.
“I thought overall they both made some plays and both did some things that are correctible,” Wannstedt said. “We have to do better come next week.”
The Panthers (1-0, 0-0 Big East) travel to Buffalo next week.
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