Panthers QB's

Scouting the Panthers: Quarterbacks
By: David Collier
David is a junior broadcast journalism major, Meek School of Journalism and New Media
Email him at: dlcollie@go.olemiss.edu
As it is with basically everyone in college football, a team is only as good as its quarterback, and that’s certainly been the case for the Pittsburgh Panthers.
Ole Miss knows how vital the guy under center is to the success of the team. Last season, the Rebels rotated three different players at quarterback with no one having any consistency. That led Ole Miss to a 2-10 season and the firing of head coach Houston Nutt.
A year later, Ole Miss is sitting at 6-6 with a contest against the Panthers coming on Jan. 5 in the BBVA Compass Bowl in Birmingham, Ala., thanks to a good season from sophomore quarterback Bo Wallace.
So, the quarterback is important, and Panther starter Tino Sunseri has been very good this season for first-year head coach Paul Chryst.
Sunseri, a 6-foot-2, 215-pound senior, has completed 240-of-361 passes this season for 3,103 yards, 19 touchdowns and just two interceptions.
His two interceptions the whole season is an impressive mark, but what’s more impressive is that he holds the nation’s longest active streak with 270 pass attempts without a pick with is last interception coming in the third game of the season against Virginia Tech.
The Pittsburgh native’s impressive senior campaign has him in third place for the most passing yards in a single-season in Pittsburgh history. Sunseri, who has started in each game the past three seasons, also ranks third all-time in school history with 8,405 passing yards and 8,422 yards of total offense.
This season Pittsburgh is 3-0 when Sunseri throws for three touchdowns and 4-2 when he throws at least two touchdown passes.
A lot of Sunseri’s success this year has come because of the season his starting running back, senior Ray Graham, has had, but Sunseri has certainly been a steady force to keep defenses on their heels.
The bowl game this year will be Sunseri’s third contest in the BBVA Compass Bowl with the Panthers winning in 2011, 27-10, against Kentucky and losing in 2012, 28-6, against SMU.
In 2011’s game, Sunseri was just 9-for-19 through the air for 96 yards with a touchdown and an interception, while also adding 53 yards and a touchdown on the ground on just four carries. In 2012, Sunseri threw for 183 yards on 19-of-28 passing with an interception.
Is third time a charm for Sunseri and the Panthers? Time will tell.
Backing up Sunseri is sophomore Trey Anderson. He has played in just one game this season, going 2-for-2 for 53 yards against Gardner-Webb.
On Wednesday, we will take a look at the Pittsburgh running backs.
Past Scouting the Panthers
Defensive Line/Linebackers
Secondary  
Offensive Line