Sports Network | October 2, 2010
Pittsburgh, PA (Sports Network) – Ray Graham ran for 277 yards and three touchdowns as he led the Pittsburgh Panthers to a 44-17 win against the FIU Golden Panthers in non-conference action at Heinz Field.
Graham carried the ball 29 times for Pittsburgh (2-2) as the team rolled up 300 yards and four scores on 36 attempts on the day. Tino Sunseri converted 15-of-23 passes for 169 yards and a score as the team won for the second time in the last three outings.
The Golden Panthers (0-4) were paced by Darriet Perry who scored twice on nine carries. Wes Carroll hit 23-of-38 passes for 223 yards and was sacked twice as the team remained winless on the campaign.
Following a scoreless first quarter, the Panthers put the first points on the board thanks to a 30-yard field goal by Dan Hutchins.
The teams traded scores throughout the second period as Perry recorded a one- yard TD run with 8:35 left in the first half for the visitors.
On the following possession, Pittsburgh’s Graham raced 34 yards into the end zone to make the score 10-7 in favor of the home team.
FIU locked the score at 10-10 when Jack Griffin converted a 27-yard field goal with 1:01 left in the period.
Sunseri led his Panthers back down the field in the final minute and put Hutchins in position to knock through a 38-yard field goal, which he did to give Pittsburgh a slim 13-10 edge at the break.
Another 38-yard field goal by Hutchins accounted for the only points of the third quarter and a nine-yard scoring strike from Sunseri to Henry Hynoski barely a minute into the fourth provided the Panthers with a 23-10 advantage.
Perry’s three-yard TD run capped a four-play, 47-yard drive for FIU and made the score 23-17, but from there the game belonged to the hometown Panthers who closed out with three straight touchdowns.
Graham crossed the goal line from both 79 and 19 yards in the period and Chris Burns added a four-yard scoring run of his own late in the game to provide Pittsburgh with the convincing 27-point triumph.