Nov 5, 2002 By Alan Robinson Ap Sports Writer 3 min read

PITTSBURGH – When coach Walt Harris arrived in 1997, Pitt had 15 victories in five years and was virtually off the national recruiting map, scrapping for players with Kent State and Akron – not Penn State or Alabama. Now, three bowl games and four winning seasons later, the Panthers are 7-2 and gearing up to play in an upper-tier bowl game. They’ve just beaten a Top 3 team, something they hadn’t done in 20 years, and are ranked in the Top 25 for the first time since October 1991.

If they can beat Temple (3-6, 1-3 in Big East) at home on Saturday, the No. 22 Panthers (7-2, 4-0) will play No. 2 Miami (8-0) for the Big East championship on Nov. 21.

It’s heady stuff for a program that had slipped into college football’s lower echelon a decade ago. But the way Harris sees it, the Panthers still haven’t accomplished anything. Yet.

Even a come-from-behind 28-21 victory at then-No. 3 Virginia Tech on Saturday wasn’t enough to satisfy him.

“I think the ball’s in our court,” Harris said Monday. “We’re nationally ranked, great, but we’re not done.”

With Temple, Miami and rival West Virginia still to play, Harris understands how a season that has been remarkably satisfying could quickly turn into a big disappointment.

Maybe that’s why quarterback Rod Rutherford, who is on the brink of becoming a breakout player nationally, is echoing his coach’s remarks.

“We haven’t been in a situation like this since I’ve been here, and we definitely enjoy what’s happening, but we’re definitely looking forward to Temple and finishing out our season strong,” Rutherford said. “People are starting to recognize us, and we’ve opened some eyes. I think this game put us through the door, but there still are some things to come for us.”

The Virginia Tech game was significant for Pitt not just because the Panthers rallied from 14 points down, but because it marked the first time a Harris-coached team has beaten a Top 10 opponent, not just played it close.

Two years ago, the Panthers took then-No. 2 Virginia Tech down to the final minute before losing 37-34. Last month, they more than doubled Notre Dame’s total yardage, only to lose 14-6 at South Bend when they couldn’t get the ball in the end zone despite repeated scoring chances.

With the offensive stars from last year’s 7-5 team gone, the Panthers were a big question mark going into the season, yet are only two tight losses (to Notre Dam, plus a 14-12 defeat to Texas A&M) away from being in the Top 10 themselves.

“Since we started this in 1997, we’ve been trying to put this program back together,” Harris said. “Some people think we should have done it sooner, some people are thankful we’re doing it at all. All I can say is it takes a lot of people, a lot of luck and a lot of excellent players. It’s been a challenge for us because we’re in a lot better league than a lot of people think.”

Still, the Panthers have yet to excite the city in which they play; the average attendance for their first five home games was a reported 40,872, but the actual crowds have been only half that size.

Harris cited the difficulties of overcoming a large, hostile and enthusiastic crowd at Virginia Tech.

The Panthers will have arrived, he said, when they start filling Heinz Field nearly to capacity with such crowds.

“It’s a great atmosphere down there … and the next step is to get people from all over to watch us,” he said. “Honestly, it’s all on us to get that done.”