Aug 28, 2002 3 min read

PITTSBURGH (AP) – Pitt coach Walt Harris isn’t taking the Panthers season opener against Ohio University lightly, considering what happened to his team early last season. Last year, Pitt was supposed to have two easy games to start its season. But after rolling past East Tennessee State 31-0, the Panthers were stunned at home by South Florida, which upset Pitt 35-26. After that, it took Pitt several weeks to get their record righted.

The Panthers won their final six games and ended the season at 7-5, including a 34-19 victory over North Carolina State in the Tangerine Bowl.

“Good football teams do not look past anybody. That’s what happened to us last year,” Harris said Monday, as he prepared for Saturday’s opener against an Ohio University team that went 1-10 last year.

Harris said he hopes his players learned a lesson from the South Florida game.

Pitt goes into the season with untested receivers in sophomore Roosevelt Bynes and freshman Larry Fitzgerald, and Harris said the passing game remains a question mark.

“We’ve looked good (in practice) but we’ve just been playing games with each other. We won’t know until we get out there and play.”

Harris is confident that Rod Rutherford – who has been a backup quarterback the last two seasons and takes over as the starter this year – can get the job done but left the door open for one of the Panthers’ other three quarterbacks to take over if the offense stumbles.

Harris says he isn’t sure who Pitt’s No. 2 quarterback will be, with redshirt freshman Pat Hoderny and true freshmen Tyler Palko and Luke Getsy available. No one in that group has distinguished himself to the point where he has the backup job locked up, Harris said. The coach also said he would like to redshirt Palko and Getsy but hasn’t decided on that course of action.

Despite last year’s record, Ohio could present problems because it uses a 3-4 defensive alignment, something Pitt doesn’t see much. It could present an immediate challenge for new defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter.

“The thing we don’t want our players to be is confused, because a confused football player is not an aggressive player,” Harris said. “I don’t think we can be sure of anything they might do.”

Two of Pitt’s returning defensive starters will probably not start against Ohio. Cornerback Shawntae Spencer has been bothered by an eye virus, and nose guard Tyre Young has not been reinstated after being suspended by Harris for personal reasons.

Senior Shawn Robinson will start for Spencer and sophomore Vince Crochunis for Young.