When Pitt opened its first series against Penn State, the Panthers found themselves 99 long yards away from the opposite end zone.
Perfect opportunity, really.
Pitt wanted to dictate the tone against its rivals, and there is no better way to dictate tone than to establish the run. The Panthers offensive linemen pushed around Penn State, opening one hole after another and asserting itself as the aggressors. On that first drive, Pitt ran the ball nine times and scored. Four different players had carries.
By the time the game ended, Pitt had rushed for 341 yards and averaged 6.