It's been a long time since Pittsburgh played an important game in November.

By this point in the season, the Panthers are normally out of the conference race and playing only for a spot in some nameless, forgettable bowl game.

This year is different.

Thanks to last week's 19-16 overtime victory over Boston College, Pittsburgh is 3-0 in the conference for the first time since the Big East was formed in 1991.

Leftwich Living Up To Heisman Hype

Byron Leftwich's Heisman candidacy appeared to hit a wall after Marshall's nationally-televised 47-21 loss to Virginia Tech on Sept. 12. But slowly, Leftwich's bid for college football's most important individual honor has been revitalized. With a month to go in the season, Leftwich's chances seem as good as anybody's in a Heisman race that still includes, at least, a half-dozen legitimate candidates. As it stands now, the burly 6-foot-6, 240-pound senior is almost certain to be invited to New York for the presentation on Dec. 14. Leftwich has been outstanding this season, completing 197-of-296 passes for 2,688 yards, 19 touchdowns and only six interceptions in six games. He's first nationally in total offense (386.0 ypg) and passing yards (384.0), second in passing efficiency (159.96 rating) and fourth in touchdown passes (19). The numbers dwarf those put up by the other quarterbacks in the Heisman race. But, whether Leftwich's statistics are enough to overcome the bias toward candidates from non-BCS affiliated conferences is another question. Leftwich said he's not letting it concern him. "That Heisman thing is going to move around so much during the course of the season that you can't worry about that," Leftwich said. "All you can do is worry about your team. To have everybody talking about you doesn't change anything." It doesn't hurt, though, if you want to win the Heisman. Lucky for Leftwich, plenty of people are talking about him. Leftwich's name was in the news last weekend after he threw his 77th and 78th career touchdown passes, moving past John Elway and Donovan McNabb into 18th place in Division I-A history. "You're talking about some of the best quarterbacks in history," Leftwich said. "I don't come close to that. I mean, Elway ... golly. And McNabb ... man. It's great to be mentioned with them, but I'm not close to them." Leftwich will get one more shot on the national stage this season to push his Heisman hopes. Marshall will play Miami (Ohio) in a nationally-televised Tuesday night game on Nov. 12, with the MAC's East Division title likely at stake. For Leftwich, it may mean a final opportunity to sway voters. "I'm having fun with it, man," Leftwich said of the Heisman hoopla. "It's a once in a lifetime thing. I'll never be in this situation again. There's a lot of people that would want to be in this situation." -- Jorge Milian

On Saturday, the Panthers (6-2) play their biggest game in years when they face undefeated and third-ranked Virginia Tech in Blacksburg.

A victory would place the Panthers in a two-way tie with No. 1-ranked Miami atop the Big East standings and allow Pittsburgh to carve a spot in the polls for the first time since the 1991 season.

It would also continue a surprising season for the Panthers, who were picked to finish fifth in the conference. Their 6-2 start is the school's best since 1983.

Pittsburgh hopes to continue the momentum built up by last week's stirring win against Boston College.

The Panthers seemed certain to go down in defeat after failing to convert a fourth-and-7 situation from the 50 with 2:14 left.

After a defensive stop, Pittsburgh got the ball back at its own 23-yard line with 1:10 remaining and no timeouts left.

Quarterback Rod Rutherford, the target of early-season boos, completed three straight passes and ran 12 yards to set up David Abdul's 30-yard field goal with five seconds showing on the clock.

"That's a desperation situation," said Pittsburgh coach Walt Harris. "We had to go down and get a field goal or the game was over. Our players maintained a tremendous amount of confidence and poise. There's very few teams that can (do) that."

In overtime, Abdul kicked a 42-yard field goal to give the Panthers a 19-16 lead. Boston College kicker Sandro Sciortino had a chance to tie the game, but his 39-yard attempt sailed left after being tipped by Pittsburgh linebacker Brian Beinecke.

"When you are a kicker, you live for that stuff," said Abdul, who has kicked nine consecutive field goals. "You live for the game to be on the line like that."

The Panthers enter Saturday's game against Virginia Tech as a big underdog, but that likely won't concern them much. Pittsburgh came into last year's game against the 12th-ranked Hokies with a 2-5 record and but handed Virginia Tech a 38-7 beating. The Hokies were held to only 15 yards rushing.

"That was a good game for us," Harris said. "We played probably as good as we can play."

After last year's game, Pittsburgh players publicly suggested that Virginia Tech gave up as the final result became apparent.

Harris tried to distance himself and his team from those comments.

"We don't appreciate that," Harris said. "That's not fair to the next team that has to play them. We know they'll be for sure ready."

There's little question that last year's statements have found themselves on to the Hokies' bulletin board this week. Virginia Tech cornerback DeAngelo Hall called Saturday's showdown "payback time" for the Panthers, who have never won in Blacksburg.

In order to win, Pittsburgh will have to rely on its defense to stop Virginia Tech's outstanding tailback tandem of Lee Suggs and Kevin Jones. The unit has played well all season and ranks eighth in total defense (276.38 ypg).

Pittsburgh's defense has played well enough to win every game this season. Special teams' breakdowns cost the Panthers a chance for victory against Texas A&M and a pair of fourth-quarter turnovers were decisive in the defeat to Notre Dame.

Asked this week if the Panthers' deserved to be ranked, Harris said, "The ranking is all in our court. We need to earn the respect. Obviously, we haven't done that yet. It's all about winning."

A victory Saturday would almost certainly bring Pittsburgh respect and a ranking.

Around the Big East

Boston College
Boston College hopes to ruin Notre Dame's undefeated season on Saturday. There is a precedent. In 1993, the Eagles upset undefeated and top-ranked Notre Dame, 41-39, on David Gordon's 41-yard field goal. The Eagles have won two of the last three matchups between the teams. "We know Notre Dame is a good team," said BC tailback Derrick Knight. "We're a 4-3 team, but everyone in that locker room, we know we're not a true 4-3 team. And if Notre Dame takes us lightly, they're going to be mistaken." ... With the 19-16 overtime loss to Pittsburgh, BC is 0-3 in the conference for the first time. ... Part of the Eagles' problem this year has been an inability to finish in the red zone. They've scored 17 touchdowns in 34 red-zone opportunities. ... With 136 yards against the Panthers, Knight now has 736 yards and is on a pace to become the fifth consecutive Eagles' runner to rush for 1,000 yards in a season. ... Backup tailback Brandon Brokaw didn't play against Pittsburgh because of a concussion and his availability for the Notre Dame game is in question.

Miami
Quarterback Ken Dorsey threw for a career-high 422 yards and broke three Miami school records in the 40-23 win against West Virginia. Dorsey set new UM standards for passing yards (8,024), completions (564) and total offense (7,981). Each of those records were previously held by Gino Torretta, the 1992 Heisman Trophy winner. Dorsey already owned the school record with 76 career touchdown passes. The senior is also close to breaking some Big East records. With 76 career TD passes, Dorsey is second to Syracuse's Donovan McNabb, who threw for 77 scores from 1995-98. McNabb also leads Dorsey in passing yards (8,389) while West Virginia's Mark Bulger (1998-99) is ahead of the UM quarterback with 571 completions. ... Tailback Willis McGahee gained 112 rushing yards against the Mountaineers, marking the fifth time the sophomore has gone over 100 yards this season. ... The Hurricanes tied the school record with their 29th consecutive win. UM looks to break the school mark on Saturday against Rutgers. ... Miami had trouble stopping the run for the second game in a row. The Mountaineers rushed for 363 yards after Florida State gained 296 yards two weeks ago.

Pittsburgh
Pitt offensive line coach Tom Freeman was hospitalized Saturday morning after experiencing chest pains after a pregame coaches' meeting. Freeman was released from the hospital on Saturday night and returned to work on Sunday. ... Brandon Miree started Saturday's game at tailback replacing Raymond Kirkley. Kirkley, Miree and Marcus Furman have each started at least once. Kirkley, who led the team in rushing, has started half of the Panthers' eight games while Miree has opened three time. ... Junior defensive end Claude Harriott was name co-Big East defensive player of the week for his performance against Boston College.

Rutgers
The Scarlet Knights appear headed for another finish in the conference cellar after a 45-14 loss to Syracuse in the Carrier Dome. It was Rutgers' 19th straight Big East loss and the 26th in its last 27 league games. ... Starting quarterback Ryan Cubit hyperextended his right elbow in the first quarter and his availability for Saturday's game against Miami is uncertain. ... Cubit was initially replaced by senior Ted Trump, but he was pulled after being sacked eight times and failing to generate any offense. Ryan Hart, a true freshman who had not played this season, replaced Trump and went 0-for-6. ... Against an Orangemen defense that was allowing 213 rushing yards per game, the Scarlet Knights managed only 16 yards on the ground and were held without an offensive touchdown. ... Nathan Jones was the lone bright spot for the Knights. Jones returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown, his second of the season, and blocked a field goal that Brandon Haw brought back 90 yards for a score. ... Rutgers' ground game has accounted for only 147 yards on 158 carries in its last five games.

Syracuse
Syracuse won its first game against a Division I-A team this season, defeating Rutgers, 45-14. Quarterback Troy Nunes, making his first start this season, threw for two touchdown passes. ... The Orangemen registered eight sacks against Rutgers after totaling only 11 in their previous seven games. ... Linebacker Rich Scanlon had 10 tackles and three sacks. Scanlon did not have a sack in his previous 27 games. ... Starting offensive tackle Adam Terry (concussion) and starting outside linebacker Jameel Dumas (ankle) did not play.

Temple
The Owls lost to Virginia Tech for the 10th time in the last 11 meetings, dropping a 20-10 decision in Blacksburg. ... All-Big East defensive lineman Dan Klecko did not play in the second half after taking a knee to the head in the closing moments of the second quarter. Klecko underwent an MRI on Monday. "I have a hunch he's going to be okay, but I don't know for sure," said coach Bobby Wallace of Klecko's availability for Saturday's game against West Virginia. ... Running back Tanardo Sharps, who was averaging 126 rushing yards per game, was held to a season-low 38 yards by the Hokies. ... The Owls' defense, which has played well against the run all season, came up with another strong showing on Saturday. Virginia Tech's heralded tailback tandem of Lee Suggs and Kevin Jones were held to 119 yards on 36 carries. The pair had been averaging nearly 100 yards more than that.

Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech is 8-0 for the third time in four years after its 20-10 victory over Temple. ... The Hokies committed a season-high four turnovers against the Owls. ... Tailback Lee Suggs was held to a season-low 47 yards on 19 carries, but scored for the 21st consecutive game. ... Linebacker Vegas Robinson, the team's second-leading tackler, missed the Temple game and will be sidelined against Pittsburgh with a left ankle injury. Coach Frank Beamer thinks Robinson could miss more than two games. James Anderson, a redshirt freshman, started in Robinson's place. ... Garnell Wilds and Vincent Fuller started at cornerback over DeAngelo Hall and Ronyell Whitaker. Whitaker was a first-team, all-Big East selection last season. Fuller made the switch work by intercepting two passes. The sophomore has four interceptions in the last three games. ... Junior kicker Carter Warley will likely miss at least two more games with back problems. ... Temple was held to 39 yards rushing. No opponent has run for more than 85 yards this season against the Hokies. ... Quarterback Bryan Randall threw two interceptions and fumbled once.

West Virginia
Tailback Avon Cobourne matched the school record with his sixth straight 100-yard game, rushing for 175 yards on 26 carries against the Hurricanes. Overall, the Mountaineers rushed for 363 yards against their top-ranked opponents. "It wasn't hard," Cobourne said. "We did what we wanted to do." ... Quarterback Rasheed Marshall ran for 85 yards but was ineffective again throwing the ball, completing only 6-of-17 passes for 60 yards. The sophomore has thrown for 385 yards in his last five games and completed only 42.6 percent of his passes. ... Starting safety Brian King missed the Miami game with a broken right thumb. He may play Saturday against Temple. ... The Mountaineers are a victory from becoming bowl eligible and their best chance to get that win may be on against the Owls. Following its game with Temple, West Virginia faces Boston College, Virginia Tech and Pittsburgh -- each of whom has a winning record. Word of caution: the Owls defeated the Mountaineers last season for the first time after 10 straight defeats to WVU.

Around the MAC

Akron tailback Bob Hendry rushed for 105 yards and added 61 receiving yards in the Zips' 28-17 loss to Central Florida. "Bobby has come on pretty good for us," said coach Lee Owens. "When he's healthy, he's awfully productive." ... Akron faces a difficult task on Saturday against Marshall in the Rubber Bowl. The Zips have lost all three meetings against the Herd as members of the MAC. ... Turnovers continue to haunt Ball State. The Cardinals have given the ball up 18 times in their five defeats, including four turnovers in Saturday's 38-20 loss to Bowling Green. The Falcons converted three of BSU's miscues into three touchdowns. ... Sean Schembra caught a career-high nine passes for 91 yards. He had only 15 catches for 153 yards in Ball State's first seven games. ... Bowling Green won its 10th straight game, defeating Ball State, 38-20. ... Tailback Joe Alls returned to the lineup after missing two games with a separated shoulder and ran for 109 yards, including 83 in the first quarter. It was the seventh 100-yard game of All's career ... Quarterback Josh Harris was slowed by by a bruised knee he sustained against Western Michigan. Harris ran just three times for 24 yards, but threw for two touchdowns. ... Buffalo lost its seventh straight game. losing to Kent State, 16-12. Only 5,102 fans attended the game at UB Stadium. The Bulls and Akron are the only teams in the MAC not to have won a conference game. ... Receiver Andre Forde was forced to sit out his second straight game with turf toe. Fellow receivers Gabe McClover (concussion) and Matt Knueven (back) also did not play because of injuries. ... Since moving up to Division I-A in 1999, Buffalo has a record of 6-35. ... Aaron Leeper has rushed for 691 yards this season, the most by a freshman in Buffalo history. Leeper broke the mark of 670 yards held by Sunnil Motley in 1993. ... Central Michigan lost its fifth game in a row, dropping a 23-18 decision to Marshall. ... Tailback Terrence Jackson, who has missed most of the season with a knee injury, ran for 112 yards against the Thundering Herd. ... The Chippewas travel to face rival Eastern Michigan on Saturday. CMU has won three of the last four meetings. ... Eastern Michigan will play Central Michigan on Saturday for the 80th time. The Chippewas hold a 50-23-6 advantage in the series. ... Kevin Walter is aiming to join Ontario Pryor (1996) as the only players in EMU history to gain 1,000 yards receiving in a season. Walter has 923 yards this year. ... Tailback Ime Akpan is looking to become the seventh Eagle runner to rush for 1,000 yards in a season. The last player to do it was Stephen Whitfield in 1994. ... Coach Jeff Woodruff is unsure of Akpan's availability for Saturday's game against Central Michigan. Akpan was unable to play against Ball State on Oct. 19 because of a thigh bruise. ... Quarterback Joshua Cribbs missed Kent State's 16-12 victory against Buffalo after pulling a hamstring during the Golden Flashes' 50-0 loss to Ohio a week ago. "He'll be questionable, doubtful, all that kind of stuff," said coach Dean Pees of Cribbs' availability for Saturday's game against Bowling Green. "The thing about Josh, is that we have to make sure it's 100 percent because if he pulls it again, we're going to lose him. To say that I'm confident (of Cribbs' returning), not really." ... Sophomore Daryl Polk, who replaced Cribbs in the lineup, struggled. The sophomore completed only 4-of-12 passes for 44 yards and threw two interceptions ... The win was the Golden Flashes' first after four straight losses. "Very much a relief," Pees said of winning. "The way we got beat at Ohio University (50-0), anytime you get that, you're humiliated a little bit." ... Marshall is back in the Top 25 for the first time in six weeks after its victory Saturday against Central Michigan. Marshall is No. 25 in the USA Today/ESPN coaches poll, but remains unranked in the Associated Press poll. ... Coach Bob Pruett wasn't happy with the 23-18 win over the Chippewas. "We should have been able to do about whatever we wanted to do, and we didn't," Pruett said. ... The Herd have committed 36 penalties in its last three games. ... Darius Watts caught a touchdown pass and is now tied for second place all-time in the MAC with 29 career receiving TDs. ... Starting tailback Butchie Wallace didn't play because of a sprained left ankle. ... Miami QB Ben Roethlisberger was held without a touchdown pass for only the second time in 21 career games, but was outstanding otherwise in directing Miami to a 27-13 win against Toledo. The RedHawks snapped the Rockets' 17-game win streak at home. "This is a great, great win for Miami football," said Roethlisberger, who completed 22-of-31 passes for 299 yards. ... Roethlisberger also contributed with his leg, punting three times for a 43-yard average. Eight of his nine punts have been downed inside the 20 this season. ... Tailback Luke Clemens scored two touchdowns and now has 13 rushing TDs. ... Kicker Jared Parseghian, the great nephew of former Notre Dame coach Ara Parseghian, has made all 10 of his field goals and is 33-for-35 on extra points. Parseghian has made 13 straight field goals dating back to last season. ... Northern Illinois leads the West Division after its 24-20 victory over Western Michigan. "It wasn't real pretty, but it was a win and they get tougher at this point in the season, especially on the road," said coach Joe Novak. ... Tailback Michael Turner, the MAC's leading rusher sprained his right ankle in the first quarter and was forced out of the game. He was replaced by true freshman A.J. Harris, who ran for 99 yards on 27 carries. ... The Huskies have a week off before facing Bowling Green on Nov. 9 in a game that could determine the division champion. Novak said he hopes to have Turner back for that game, but "you never know about those things." ... Ohio, off to its best conference start since 1997, faces Miami on Saturday with the loser all but eliminated from a chance to win the East Division. ... The Bobcats have scored 50 points in back-to-back games for the first time since the 1920 season. They've never scored 50 or more in three straight games. ... Chad Brinker has 2,450 career rushing yards, good for sixth place in the school's record book. Brinker is 75 yards behind Arnold Welcher (1974-77), who is in fifth place. ... Toledo had its 17-game home win streak snapped by Miami, 27-13. The defeat was the first in the Glass Bowl in nearly three years and denied the Rockets a chance for a school record 18th consecutive victory at home. ... The news got worse for Toledo, which may have lost starting tailback William Bratton for the season with a fractured left ankle. Bratton has rushed for a team-high 639 yards on 114 carries, a 5.6 average, while scoring a team-best 10 touchdowns. ... Receiver Donta Green moved into second place in the school's pass-catching chart with 155 career receptions. Green caught seven passes for a season-high 110 yards against the RedHawks. ... UCF QB Quarterback Ryan Schneider may have played his best game of the season in the 28-17 win against Akron, completing 22-of-28 passes for 287 yards and three touchdowns. At one point, Schneider completed 11 straight passes, the third-longest string of completions in Knights' history. ... UCF defensive end Elton Patterson registered three sacks on Saturday, increasing his career total to 28.5. Patterson is tied for third place all-time on the school sack chart, three sacks behind leader Darrell Rudd (1981-84). ... Western Michigan lost its third straight at home, falling to Northern Illinois, 24-20. Four of the Broncos' losses this season have been by a combined 15 points. ... Bronco tailback Philip Reed had a career day rushing for 226 yards on 22 carries. The 226 yards were the most by a Bronco tailback since 1980. ... If WMU loses another game, it will mean back-to-back losing seasons for the first time since 1986 and 1987. ... The Broncos face Ball State on Saturday. "Right now is a turning point," said quarterback Chad Munson.

Jorge Milian covers college football for the Palm Beach Post.