Oct 8, 2005 4 min read

PITTSBURGH (AP) – There was plenty of talk around Pitt’s football program six weeks ago about a season to remember under new coach Dave Wannstedt, one that would bring back memories of the 1970s. So far it’s been exactly that, only not in the way the Panthers were expecting. Instead of 1976, when they won the national title and went 12-0, this season has been more like the 1-10 season of 1972.

With the sixth game of the season coming up Saturday against Cincinnati, the Panthers (1-4) are still looking for their first victory against a major college program – a remarkable comedown for a program that played in the Fiesta Bowl in January.

There have been games to remember, too – a first-ever loss to Ohio U. and an embarrassing defeat last weekend at Rutgers, which had beaten only one Big East team other than Temple since 2000. The only victory was against Division I-AA’s Youngstown State.

Now, the Panthers are playing Cincinnati (2-2) in the Bearcats’ first Big East Conference game and the first between the schools in 24 years. As a football school, Cincinnati is, well, a good basketball school; the football team has won as many as eight games only twice since 1964. And ask most Pittsburgh fans to name a Cincinnati football player, the answer will most likely be Carson Palmer or Chad Johnson of the Bengals.

But, to Pitt, Cincinnati has become one of the biggest games on the schedule because it affords an opportunity to finally start winning in a season that couldn’t have gone much worse until now.

This is the second time in five seasons Pitt has gone five games without beating a Division I-A opponent. In 2001, the Panthers started 1-5, then won their final six after coach Walt Harris junked his experiment with the spread offense and went to a more traditional pro-style set.

Wannstedt is offering up no such radical in-season switch, though he did employ a no-huddle offense in the 37-29 loss at Rutgers. Instead, Pitt is counting on its schedule to provide the means for a reversal of fortune.

At this time of the season, the Panthers normally would be gearing up for Boston College, Miami or Virginia Tech, but those schools have left for the Atlantic Coast Conference. Instead, a soft schedule that offers up Cincinnati, South Florida (3-2) and Syracuse (1-3) the next three Saturdays at home could be the route to a modest turnaround.

To accomplish that, Wannstedt said the Panthers must eliminate the wild swings in emotion and preparedness they seem to experience from week to week and become more consistent. The Panthers were the same way even while going 8-4 last season, losing to Connecticut and almost losing to I-AA Furman but beating Notre Dame and West Virginia.

“This part is disturbing and something that I’ve got to get changed,” Wannstedt said. “We’ve got to change that mindset. We’ve got to change that mentality of the roller coaster ride.”

Cincinnati just needs to change the scoreboard more often. The Bearcats have averaged fewer than 300 yards in total offense and only 11.5 points over their last two games, and were beaten up 44-16 by rival Miami (Ohio) of the Mid-American Conference last week.

NOTES: Pitt K Josh Cummings will return after missing two games following knee surgery. … Dan Marino threw for five touchdowns, four to Julius Dawkins, in a 38-7 Pitt victory when the schools last played in 1981. … Pitt leads the series 4-0. … Cincinnati RB Bradley Glatthaar has scored a touchdown in every game. … Pitt may again use the no-huddle offense QB Tyler Palko employed while attempting to rally the Panthers from a 27-0 halftime deficit at Rutgers.