Final: Pittsburgh 34, Grambling State 10

Photo: Grambling State cornerback DeMichael Dizer (29) breaks up a pass in the end zone.

PITTSBURGH-- LeSean McCoy ran for three touchdowns on his first four carries in the first quarter and Kevan Smith threw for 202 yards and a score in his first career start, helping Pittsburgh quickly open a 21-point lead during a 34-10 victory over Grambling State on Saturday.

Smith became the second Pitt quarterback to win his initial start in as many weeks, throwing a 50-yard touchdown pass to tight end Nate Byham in the second quarter and connecting with Oderick Turner on a 61-yard completion in the third quarter that led to a Conor Lee field goal.

Smith, a redshirt freshman, replaced Bill Stull, who was lost for at least a month with a torn ligament in his right thumb during a season-opening 27-3 victory over Eastern Michigan. Smith (15-of-22, 1 interception) had thrown only four passes in his career, all of them last week, before beating out freshman Pat Bostick in practice to make the start.

McCoy, one of Pitt's most promising running back recruits since Curtis Martin, ran for 107 yards on 19 carries and scored Pitt's first three touchdowns in his second college game.

McCoy, a freshman from Harrisburg, Pa., was one of the nation's most recruited running backs two years ago until breaking his right ankle and badly tearing a ligament in the fourth game of his high school senior season.

The extension rehabilitation required after that injury led McCoy to spend last season at a prep school before he signed with Pitt (2-0), after many schools that recruited him backed off because of the injury. He is off to a promising start at Pitt, with 175 yards in his first two games.

The last Pitt freshman to run for at least 100 yards was LaRod Stephens-Howling with 105 yards against Syracuse in 2005. Stephens-Howling was Pitt's starter last week and gained 67 yards but, with McCoy running so well, got the ball only three times against Grambling (1-1).

Grambling's speed was a worry to Pitt -- the Tigers were coming off a 31-10 victory over Alcorn State in coach Rod Broadway's debut -- but that didn't prove a factor. A blocked punt and an interception led to two of McCoy's touchdown runs and a 21-0 Pitt lead with 11 minutes gone.

The Tigers also hurt themselves with 108 yards of penalties. They also failed to score three times after moving the ball inside the Pitt 10 during the second half.

McCoy didn't have problems with Heinz Field's notoriously slippery grass or a steady rain that lasted until just before halftime. He ran for 25 yards on his first carry before gaining 17 yards on a swing pass from McCoy. McCoy later scored from the 5.

After Pitt's Brian Kaiser blocked Tim Manuel's punt, McCoy scored on Pitt's next play from the 7 with slightly less than six minutes left in the first quarter. McCoy scored again, on a 13-yard run, less than two minutes later after Eric Thatcher intercepted Brandon Landers' pass. Landers was 19-of-40 for 155 yards and three interceptions.


Photo: Grambling State quarterback Brandon Landers, left, tries to get away from Pittsburgh defensive lineman Greg Romeus.

Despite getting into the end zone whenever he got close in the first quarter, McCoy didn't get the ball on any of Pitt's three plays after a Mike Phillips interception at the Grambling 4 late in the second half. Pitt settled for Lee's 20-yard field goal.

Pittsburgh 34, Grambling St. 10
Team Stat Comparison
(Left-Pitt, Right-GSU)

1st Downs 17 14
Total Yards 239 321
Passing 155 202
Rushing 84 119
Penalties 14-108 10-91
3rd Down Conversions 0-0 0-0
4th Down Conversions 0-0 0-0
Turnovers 3 3
Possession 29:56 30:04

Individual Leaders
Grambling State Passing
C/ATT YDS TD INT
B. Landers 19/40 155 1 3
Pittsburgh Passing
C/ATT YDS TD INT
K. Smith 15/22 202 1 1

Grambling State Rushing
CAR YDS TD LG
C. Walker 12 54 0 --
Pittsburgh Rushing
CAR YDS TD LG
L. McCoy 19 107 3 --

Grambling State Receiving
REC YDS TD LG
C. Edwards 5 59 1 --
Pittsburgh Receiving
REC YDS TD LG
O. Turner 4 74 0 --

Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTER Score
TD 08:18 Lesean Mccoy 5 Yd Run (Conor Lee Kick) 7-0
TD 05:47 Lesean Mccoy 7 Yd Run (Conor Lee Kick) 14-0
TD 03:59 Lesean Mccoy 13 Yd Run (Conor Lee Kick) 21-0
TD 01:15 Clyde Edwards 29 Yd Pass From Brandon Landers (Tim Manuel Kick) 21-7
SECOND QUARTER Score
FG 06:41 Tim Manuel 35 Yd 21-10
TD 03:38 Nate Byham 50 Yd Pass From Kevan Smith (Conor Lee Kick) 28-10
FG 00:58 Conor Lee 20 Yd 31-10
THIRD QUARTER Score
FG 00:34 Conor Lee 27 Yd 34-10

Wannstedt holds off naming starting QB

BY DALE GRDNIC, For The Patriot-News

PITTSBURGH - It's not called Division I-AA anymore, but Grambling State University --from the NCAA's Division I Football Championship Subdivision -- won't be taken lightly by Pitt in its game at noon today at Heinz Field.

The Panthers, 1-0 after beating Eastern Michigan last week, can't afford to look past Grambling because they'll have a freshman as the starting quarterback.

Either redshirt freshman Kevan Smith or freshman Pat Bostick will replace injured junior Bill Stull (thumb surgery).

"They've both done a good job," Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt said. "They really have. I think we've tried to make it as difficult on them as possible, but I think it's important not to try to fool them. But you want to try to pressure them and give them some different looks.

"If you're going to face a freshman, you want to try to force them into making some bad plays. So, that's been our approach as far as our preparation has gone this week. And we've gone through each situation with each kid, and both of them have done a good job."

Wannstedt has noted that he will not name a starter until game time.

"But I'd like to see both of them play, to be quite honest with you," Wannstedt said. "Whether that will happen or not, who knows? But they've both prepared well, and we've pretty much split it down the middle from a rep standpoint in practice.

"And that's not ideal. You'd really like the starter to get about 70 percent of the work, and your backup 30. But under these circumstances, I think this is the best thing for the kids and the best thing for our team. And I'm happy with how it's gone so far."

Wannstedt added that he was cautiously optimistic that either Smith or Bostick would perform up to their capability just because others on the Pitt team have done that this season.

Pitt's quarterback, Wannstedt said, will face a 4-3 defense that pressures an offense.

Junior linebacker John Carter is Grambling's defensive leader, while senior tackles Jason Banks and Donald Williams also provide a push from up front.

When the Tigers run the ball they primarily use just one back, as Frank Warren ran for 143 yards on 30 carries and added four catches.

Grambling quarterback Brandon Landers completed 19 of 36 passes for 303 yards and four touchdowns in a in a 31-10 win against Alcorn State last week.

Wideout Reginald Jackson had six catches for 198 yards and two scores with a 69-yarder for one of them.

Clyde Edwards had three catches and the other two touchdown receptions.

"Grambling's receivers are very fast and quick, and very athletic," fifth-year senior cornerback Kennard Cox said.

"In their division, they have a lot of good athletes and a great quarterback. I think they're a little better team than Eastern Michigan with better athletes, even for a Division I-AA team. [But] I respect everybody I play, and we won't look past them." NOTES: Wannstedt said that every player is healthy and ready to play except redshirt sophomore TE John Pelusi, who banged up his shoulder last week against EMU, and he is listed as "day-to-day." However, he did not practice all week and isn't likely to play. ... Sophomore CB Aaron Berry is healthy now, but he will not start. Redshirt freshman Ricky Gary will start his second straight game. Berry is likely to play, though, when extra DBs are used.