Notes and quotes from Pitt/Virginia Tech

So everyone saw that one coming, right?

Pitt dismantled Virginia Tech 35-17, piling up 254 rushing yards and holding the Hokies to just 59 yards on the ground. And when the Hokies wanted to get in their own way, Pitt happily obliged. The Panthers picked off future NFL Draft pick Logan Thomas three times, including two where it wasn't totally clear where he was going with the ball.

I'll have a full breakdown on the blog tomorrow, but for now let's take a look at just a couple of notes from today's game.

- Tino Sunseri answered a lot of critics today. After two weeks of being hounded by fans (unfairly, in my opinion) he responded with one of his best games in a Pitt uniform. The numbers were there (19-28, 283 yds, 3 TDs), but more important was the look he had on some of his throws. His touchdown pass to Devin Street had perfect touch and was put in just the right spot, and he let his receivers go make plays when they needed to. Also, he definitely showed some grit coming back from an injury in the fourth-quarter and leading a game-sealing touchdown drive. The one interception wasn't even totally his fault, as it appeared that Street missed a cut. There's still a question of whether or not Sunseri can string several games together like this, but it's definitely a positive sign.
"He threw the ball very, very well," Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer said. "He did a lot on his own, he put the ball on the money." 

- The offensive line also played like night and day from its last performance in Cincinnati. Sunseri had time to throw, and the running backs had monstrous holes to run through. They still struggled a bit with speed rushes off the edge, but by and large it was a giant leap forward for the unit.
"You have to give credit to the offensive line," Sunseri said. "Those guys battled their tails off all day, opened up holes, gave protection and time."

- You've got to feel good for Paul Chryst to finally get the "first win" monkey off his back, albeit two weeks later than anyone expected. Ray Graham said the players gave him the game ball in the locker room afterwards, and they got to finally sing the fight song.
"It felt pretty good," Chryst said. "I got to hear the fight song. It was pretty neat."

That's all for now. Like I said, back tomorrow with a Big East wrapup and a full breakdown of this game. Obviously lots more positive signs to take away. For now, though, I'm sure you all will be able to enjoy the late afternoon and night slate of games just a little bit more.