At Univ. Park, Nov. 24
Pitt: how long till
Major change?
Pitt's football fortunes hit the bottom last year
By RON SIEGEL
Sports Editor
The Pitt News
PITTSBURGH , Pitt fottball has
undergone a Major change in 1973; and
while nearly everyone agrees that Pitt soon
will be back on the winning track, the
question seems to be how long it's going to
take.
Following a dismal 1-10 season, the ninth
straight losing year, Pitt quit the Big Four
and signed the most sought after young
coach in collegiate football, Johnny Majors.
A 1956 All-America tailback at Tennessee,
Majors took over a quagmired lowa State
football team, and in his fourth spason
there, took the Cyclones to their first bowl
game ever. He made it two in a row last
year, and signed with Pitt at the conclusion
of the season. •
Upon his arrival here, Majors discovered
that he had a lot of catching up to do. He
quickly set out to beef up the Panthers with
the recruitment of several top-notch junior
college players: as well as a slew of
promising freshman.
Among his top recruits: Carson Long. a
placekicker who has kicked 54-yard field
goals in high school, - and who should
improve Pitt's field goal_production of last
season, when none were successful; Tony
Dorsett, perhaps the most sought after
running back in the country, who has earned
a starting spot as a freshman: and Gary
Burley, two-time junior college All-America
linebacker, who has also moved into a
starting slot.
Pitt lost la letterman last season, and has
:to returning. Heading the returnees is
defensive end Jim Buckmon, picked by
some magazines as a pre-season All-
America; defensive tackles Glenn Hyde
and Dave Jancisin, both starters; and
linebacker Mike Bulino, converted from
defensive back, where he starred last
season
The team's strength lies in the defense.
which has been bolstered with JC transfers
The offense lost only quarterback John
Penn State gridders
Two Penn State football players
tailback John Cappelletti and flanker
Jimmy Scott toured military bases on
trips sponsored by the National Collegiate
Athletic Association last summer.
Cappelletti was in Europe and Scott in the
Far East.
Charlie Getty. a 260-pound offensive
tackle on the Penn State football team, also
competes for the Nittany Lion wrestlers.
Getty was fifth in the heavyweight division
in the 197:3 NCAA wrestling championships
Hogan from the backfield, but the battle for
the other positions is fierce. Lineman Dave
Wannstedt, Dave Blandino, Reynold Stoner,
and Mike Carey all will be back, as will
receivers Todd Toerper and Les Block.
How well the Panthers do this season
apparently will depend on the
quarterbacking. Junior Bill Daniels
probably will start against Georgia this
Saturday; Bob Medwid is still recovering
from a spring drill injury. Majors has
recruited several top-notch freshman
signalcallers, who will be eager to step in if
the upperclassmen are unable to do the job.
"I'll sleep a lot easier if we win four
games this season," said Majors, but most
Pitt fans are expecting more. "We'll be
playing with pride and enthusiasm. We
won't have any fourth quarter quitters::
Panther followers can only wait until
September 15 to see how Major the change
in Pitt football will be, and how rapid.
but might offer something
to cheer about this year
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