Published: August 11, 2007 11:57 pm      

LaRod fighting for job

PITTSBURGH — Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt thinks that LaRod Stephens-Howling is one of the better running backs in the Big East, but the diminutive junior from Johnstown isn’t even guaranteed a starting job when the Panthers open the season on Sept. 1 against Eastern Michigan.

After rushing for 893 yards last year, Stephens-Howling will likely face competition from freshman LeSean McCoy as well as sophomore Kevin Collier. But that’s just fine with Stephens-Howling.

“It’s never anybody’s job until camp is over, but there’s a lot of competition, a lot of pushing each other,” he said at the team’s media day on Monday. “I think it’s just going to make for a better running back room as a group. We’ll all be ready for it.”

The running game, which Wannstedt has tried to emphasize since he took over at Pitt two years ago, could become even more important this season as the Panthers look to replace three-year starter Tyler Palko at quarterback. A strong ground game could take some of the pressure of Bill Stull, a junior who is the front-runner for the job despite having thrown only 10 passes in college.

The knock on Stephens-Howling has always been about whether or not he could be a feature back because of his size.

Pitt’s media guide lists Stephens-Howling as being 5-foot-7, 180 pounds, making him one of the smallest players on the team, but even that seems to be a stretch, considering he was listed at 175 pounds last season.

“I haven’t really put on any weight, but I feel a lot stronger in the weight room,” he said. “Weight’s something that I can’t ever keep on, but I do feel a lot stronger upper body and lower body.”

That hasn’t escaped Wannstedt.

“If LaRod stays healthy, he’s a 1,000-yard rusher, no doubt,” Wannstedt told reporters after the third day of training camp. “He’s bench pressing more than 300 pounds. The offseason he’s had has given him a chance to be more durable.”

Stephens-Howling carried 178 times last season, nearly twice as many as during his freshman season, and while he might not be a prototypical feature back, his best games came when he got the ball often. He rushed 27 times for 221 yards, including a 70-yard sprint, in a win at Syracuse. He also had a career-high 32 carries for 157 yards in an overtime loss at Connecticut.

He also had more of a nose for the end zone, rushing for nine touchdowns – including three in a nationally televised win over Central Florida – as a sophomore after not scoring any as a freshman. Stephens-Howling also became more of a factor in the passing game, hauling in 19 passes for 231 yards and a touchdown.

Despite showing the explosiveness to break a big play any time he touches the ball, Stephens-Howling has not gotten much national recognition, in part because of the other running backs in the Big East Conference, Wannstedt said at media day.

“LaRod is a better player than what anybody thinks about,” Wannstedt said.

The numbers bear him out.

Stephens-Howling ranked behind only All-Americans Ray Rice of Rutgers and Steve Slaton of West Virginia in yards per game among Big East running backs.

That success on the field has translated into some extra clout in the locker room.

“It’s a lot different because they look up to me as a leader now,” Stephens-Howling said of his teammates. “I never talk much, but I try to lead by example. I try to do everything right. I try to be accountable.”