Sep 7, 2008 2 min read

McCoy, limited to 71 yards in a loss to Bowling Green last week, scored on runs of 3, 1 and 2 yards while rushing for 93 yards – still off his pace of last season, when he ran for 1,328 yards as a freshman. Bill Stull was 22-of-33 for 241 yards and his throwing set up all three McCoy scores as Pitt (1-1) won despite trailing 6-0 at the end of the first quarter, leading 10-9 at halftime and 17-16 at the end of the third quarter.

The three-touchdown game was the fourth for McCoy in 14 college games. His third TD run came with 10:21 remaining and came after Stull hit T.J. Porter for 20 yards and Cedric McGee for 10 ahead of McCoy runs of 18 and 12 yards on a 74-yard drive.

Despite winning, Pitt is making what is supposed to be the easiest part of its schedule look difficult.

Buffalo (1-1) has beaten only one school from a BCS conference, a 34-11 decision over Rutgers in 2002, yet trailed 10-9 after A.J. Principe kicked a 35-yard field goal to end the first half.

The Bulls had taken a 6-0 lead on Brandon Thermilus’ 1-yard TD run – Principe missed the extra point – but McCoy answered early in the second quarter by scoring his first touchdown after Stull hit Derek Kinder and Nate Byham for 15-yard gains on consecutive plays.

Pitt needed to put a lot more effort into winning this one than the Panthers would have expected.

James Starks, who ran for 179 yards against UTEP, ended with 20 carries for 97 yards.

Copyright Associated Press 2008