Pittsburgh (3-1) at No. 10 South Florida (5-0), 7:30 p.m. EDT (ESPN)
Line: South Florida by 13 1/2.
Series Record: South Florida leads 3-2.
Last meeting: 2007, South Florida won 48-37.
What's at Stake
South Florida returns to the Top 10 for the first time since ranking as high as No. 2 a year ago, only to stumble with three consecutive losses. The Bulls' goal is to stay there longer this season and win the Big East, and defeating Pitt would be an important first step. Panthers could stamp themselves as conference contenders with an upset.
Key Matchup
Pitt running back LeSean McCoy against South Florida's rushing defense, which is fourth nationally at 58.8 yards per game and hasn't allowed a 100-yard game by an opponent. McCoy is coming off his first 100-yard game this season, 149 yards against Syracuse. McCoy ran for 1,328 yards as a freshman last year.
Players to Watch
South Florida: QB Matt Grothe, who threw for 159 yards and ran for a game-high 67 yards in a high-scoring game against Pitt last season. Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt calls him the Big East's best QB. But Grothe must stay away from mistakes; he threw 10 interceptions in his final six games last season.
Pitt: LB Scott McKillop might be the Big East's best big-play defender and is the key to shutting down South Florida's rushing offense, which averages 201.4 yards per game.
Facts & Figures
Thursday isn't Pitt's favorite day of the week; the Panthers have lost eight of their last nine Thursday night games, beating only West Virginia in 2004. The Panthers are strong on special teams; they have three blocked kicks in four games and kicker Conor Lee (8-of-9 on field goals) is nearly automatic. South Florida has a 59-20 scoring edge in the first quarter and a school record-tying three games of 500 yards.
