Star Pitt running back Ray Graham was injured in the Panthers' 35-20 win against Connecticut on Wednesday night at Heinz Field, and the prognosis looks pretty bleak, at least for the moment.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Paul Zeise reported on his blog that Graham will be examined on Thursday.
He was accompanied on the sidelines initially by his parents - never a good sign - then he was carted out of the tunnel. He did return on crutches and he will have an MRI on Thursday but again, it doesn't look good right now.
How much will Pitt miss Graham if he is ruled out for significant time? Consider this: Last night, Graham had 19 yards on two carries, a 9.5 yard per carry average. His replacement, Zach Brown, accounted for just 30 yards on 12 carries, a 2.5 yards per carry average.
If not for quarterback Tino Sunseri's 40 rushing yards, it would have been a pretty rough night on the ground for the Panthers. The absence of Graham in their back field will probably do a number on what they'd like to do in the running game, and that, in turn, could more pressure on Sunseri and the passing game.
The good news for Pitt is that the Panthers don't play again until Nov. 5 against Cincinnati at Heinz Field. If Graham's injury turns out to be less severe than feared, he'll have a little extra time to get himself ready for the game against the Bearcats.