Pitt 27, Rutgers 6: Rutgers post-game reaction

Pitt 27, Rutgers 6: Scarlet Knights miss chance to clinch Big East title

The Rutgers Scarlet Knights had an opportunity to clinch the Big East title, but lost to Pitt Saturday, 27-6. Rutgers will face Louisville Thursday for the title.

Rutgers-Pittsburgh score update: Scarlet Knights trail, 21-0, after 1st half

Pitt dominated Rutgers in the first half to secure a 21-0 lead after 30 minutes at Heinz Field.

Rutgers at Pittsburgh Preview: Game time, TV Schedule, Streaming, Injuries And More

They may only have two games left to play in the Big East, but the No. 18 Rutgers football team still has a battle ahead of them if they hope to claim at least part of their first-ever league title this season.

The Scarlet Knights (5-0, 9-1) face off against Pittsburgh in their final road game of the season this afternoon, with kickoff scheduled for 12 p.m.

It's a game Rutgers not only needs to win, but wants to win, extending their historic season in what has become their final year in Big East competition.

"We have 11 days left in our season," coach Kyle Flood said in his weekly press conference on Monday. "We're going to control the things as a football program that we can control. And the only thing we can control this week is our performance against Pitt, so that's where we'll put our focus."

Perhaps the biggest news coming out of Rutgers practice this week is the seemingly eminent return of running back Jawan Jamison to the gridiron.

The sophomore, who currently leads the Scarlet Knights in rushing yards this season, was extremely limited in last week's victory over Cincinnati thanks a nagging ankle injury he had sustained in the Army game earlier this year.

Jamison pronounced himself 95% healthy after Wednesday's practice however, telling The Star-Ledger in New Jersey, "The treatment has gotten me back pretty fast. I'm getting my strength back. I was able to cut (yesterday) and get back to my old self."

If Jamison does return as the starter in the backfield this afternoon - sharing carries with Savon Huggins, who rushed for 179 yards on 41 attempts last week - he needs just 10 yards to become just the seventh player to rush for 1,000 yards in a single season for the Scarlet Knights.

Jamison's potential return today not only opens up Rutgers' rushing potential, but takes some of the offensive weight off the shoulders of quarterback Gary Nova, who has committed 11 turnovers in the last four games.

Nova, who still boasts a 33-1 record in the starting spot despite the mistakes, could find himself slightly more at ease with a balanced running attack to compliment his undeniably powerful arm; especially against a Pitt defense that allows, on average, just over 22 points per game.

"I think Gary has learned from every mistake he's made this year," Flood said. "I think he's gotten significantly better as the year has gone on at making good decisions."

The Scarlet Knights will still face some injuries when they line up for today's matchup. Kicker Kyle Federico will still be sidelined, replaced once again this week by Nick Borgese, who connected on a 42-yard field midway through the fourth quarter last week.

"Nick has become a major asset to this football team because he provided depth at a position where a lot of times it's overlooked," Flood said. "And it's a tremendous luxury for me as the head football coach."
On the Pitt side, the biggest injuries are the same that have been haunting the Panthers since late Ocotber, ending the collective seasons of Dan Mason, Manny Williams and Ryan Schlieper.

Today's matchup will be broadcast nationally on ESPNr2, as well as live-streams on WatchESPN.com and ESPN3.
As of Friday evening, Pit was the slim 1.5 point favorite on the spread.

Rutgers At Pittsburgh: Getting to know the Panthers

The Pittsburgh football team has not been doing well this season.

The Panthers have just four overall victories to their name, with just one coming in league competition, and are fresh off a bye after two straight disappointing losses to Big East opponents.

But, all of that aside, Pitt still has something to fight for; if they can find a way to secure wins in their final two games of the regular season, they will be bowl eligible for the fifth straight season.

And it all starts this Saturday afternoon when the Panthers take on Rutgers at Heinz field in the 30th meeting of the two squads. Although Pitt holds the 21-to-8 edge over the Scarlet Knights, Rutgers has won five of the last seven meetings, including a 34-10 victory last year.

"They've certainly gotten better and better as the season has gone on," Rutgers coach Kyle Flood said of his team's upcoming opponent. "And there is no doubt they're a very talented football team."

The core of Pitt's success this season - limited as it's been - has been on the arm of their senior quarterback Tino Sunseri who threw for 302 yards and two touchdowns in the loss against Connecticut two weeks ago.

Even more impressive is Sunseri's 67.3 completion percentage this season, all while throwing just two interceptions.

"I think there is always an advantage when you have a senior quarterback," Flood said. "He's improved and his decision making has gotten better and the great a job their offensive coaching staff at Pitt has done to get him to play that efficiently.

Sunseri has the luxury of two dominant wideout targets this season, thanks to Devin Street and Mike Shanahan who have combined for over 1500 receiving yards and eight touchdowns this year.

Pitt's potential air attack is a bit of a new beast for the Scarlet Knights who have butyl their defense around its ability to shut down the run. Rutgers has allowed just five rushing touchdowns all season; ranking them second in the nation, tied with BYU and Michigan State.

This weekend's matchup will force the Scarlet Knights into a slightly different approach with Khaseem Greene and his fellow linebackers more likely to drop back into coverage, rather than staying close to the line.

"We're certainly playing defense at a high level," Flood said. "But nothing we've done in the first ten games of this season will get us anything this week. So we can hopefully do a good job this week against a very talented Pitt offense."

Despite the lack of tallies in Pitt's win column this season, the Scarlet Knights know they can't take anything for granted - especially when it comes to their search for a Big East title.

"We've got to go back to work this week and focus on being 1-0, and make sure that all of the things that have allowed us to perform well in the past, we're continuing to do those in preparation," said Flood.

Rutgers at Pittsburgh: Scarlet Knights meet Panthers

With all the talk surrounding the seemingly inevitable Big 10 move, the Scarlet Knights still have two Big East games to focus on and it all starts this weekend when they face off against Pitt in their final road game of the season.