Pitt gave up 181.3 yards rushing per game last season, ranking 107th in the NCAA in that category.

The year before, Dave Wannstedt's first as coach, the Panthers ranked 94th in rush defense at 185.2 yards per game.

This season, stopping the run is Wannstedt's top priority, or at least, near the top of the list of priorities along with running the football with power and efficiency.

	Matt Freed, Post-Gazette A healthy Eric Thatcher in the secondary helps Pitt defensive coordinator Paul Rhoads rest easy at night. Click photo for larger image.

His defense appears to be better equipped to stop the run, particularly along the line. But, defensive coordinator Paul Rhoads believes getting better players is only the first step in correcting the problem.

The second is tinkering with the defensive scheme and putting the Panthers' best players in the best position to make plays.

To that end, the Panthers are using more five-man fronts and also bringing a safety into the box to have eight men committed to stopping the run.

"You change schemes and you tweak schemes and do things like that to address needs, but the No. 1 priority is the ability of the players," Rhoads said.

"And the ability to stop the run starts with the front guys, and you can see that group looks like a Division I defensive line and we'll stop the run just because of that. But we're also trying to do some things to make sure we're shored up in order to stop the run."

Last year, the Panthers experimented with safety blitzes and bringing some safeties up into run support.

Too often, though, that led to big plays because Pitt's safeties were not consistent.

And there were more than a few times when the safeties failed to make plays they were in position to make.

With fifth-year senior Mike Phillips and redshirt junior Eric Thatcher healthy and manning the safety spots, Rhoads said the coaches feel much more comfortable pulling one into the box to use in run support or blitz.

"I think having two veteran safeties is invaluable because of the intelligence they give to everyone around them," Rhoads said.

"A big part of stopping the run is just a matter of everyone being in the right place at the right time.

"When you have two intelligent and experienced safeties, they are rarely out of position, and that gives you the luxury of doing some things that maybe you weren't able to in the past."

Although the coaches are looking at different schemes, another important variable to stopping the run is having better players -- and there is no doubt Pitt's defense at least passes the "look" test.

In addition to the two veteran safeties, Pitt has 17 scholarship defensive linemen.

That is a far cry from the days when the Panthers struggled to find four healthy and competent bodies to string across the defensive line. This year, there is heavy competition for all four spots and coaches believe they might have the luxury of playing at least ten defensive linemen.

The most impressive looking newcomers are defensive end Greg Romeus (6 feet 5, 255 pounds), defensive tackle Tommie Duhart (6-3, 290) and freshmen ends Jabaal Sheard (6-4, 245) and Tony Tucker (6-2, 225).

Still, those players will have to beat out the incumbents from last season as well as some highly recruited players, such as tackle John Malecki (6-3, 275).

"The depth on our defensive line at this point really shows up," Wannstedt said.

"I thought Gus [Mustakas] and Joe [Clermond] have picked up right where they left off in the spring.

"We had some pressure on the quarterback [today] and we had some guys turn loose because things are starting to move faster.

"And my thoughts when I see Greg Romeus running laterally to catch a receiver and take him down are that we want to recruit more guys like that."

NOTES -- Quarterback Bill Stull's, thumb on his throwing hand was cut when he hit the helmet of a lineman. Wannstedt said he expects Stull to be able to return, perhaps as soon as today. "We'll see how it feels in the morning," Wannstedt said. "He may be able to put a glove on it. Billy's a tough guy, and if he can put a glove on it [today] he'll practice, but it is nothing serious." ... Freshman LeSean McCoy, who injured his ankle Thursday, sat out yesterday for precautionary reasons. He is expected to return today.

Freshman receiver Maurice Williams worked out for most of practice with the quarterbacks and took some repetitions during the 11-on-11 periods. He has not officially switched from receiver to quarterback, but Wannstedt said it is definitely a possibility. "[Williams] was a [quarterback] at Erie Strong Vincent, and we recruited him as an athlete thinking he could play wide receiver or corner or possibly even play quarterback. We got him a little work today, and he did some good things."

One player who will not be switching positions is freshman running back Shariff Harris, who coaches regarded as a potential linebacker. "No," Wannstedt said, when asked about Harris moving to defense. "He's got more explosion than we thought and he is strong. He's a big back that can run."

Pitt picked up another quarterback -- Dan Gustine, a walk-on from Bishop Canevin High School.