PITTSBURGH – Pitt sophomore running back James Conner leads the nation in rushing.
The Panthers will lean on him heavily Saturday when they face Akron.
Pitt (3-1) is coming off a 24-20 loss to Iowa last weekend, a game in which the Panthers blew a 10-point lead. Conner ran for 155 yards and a touchdown but had just 23 yards over the final 29 minutes as the Hawkeyes rallied.
Conner says he misread a handful of plays trying to bounce it outside rather than run straight ahead. He called it part of the learning process.
The Zips (1-2) have lost two straight and have scored just two touchdowns in the last eight quarters. Coach Terry Bowden says his team needs to do a better job on the ground. Akron is 119th in the country in rushing, averaging 91 yards a game.
