Guzek sparks Panthers to bowl appearance

Pitt junior defensive end Brian Guzek picked a wonderful time to score the first defensive touchdown of his football career.

With Pitt needing a victory after four consecutive losses had dropped it to 1-5, Guzek stripped a Temple running back and returned the fumble 80 yards for a touchdown as the Panthers won, 33-7.

"It was a play late in the game, and every time I watch it, it feels like I get slower and slower," Guzek said. "It was a great play. Everything fit where it was supposed to, and I was able to reach in and get a strip, got a couple nice blocks, some guys fell over and I got there."

That victory marked the beginning of Pitt's resurrection and the best stretch of Guzek's college career. The South Park graduate went on to start the final four games of the regular season, all victories, as Pitt (6-5) earned an invitation to the Visit Florida Tangerine Bowl against North Carolina State (7-4) tonight in Orlando, Fla.

"Last year, I think we were a little star struck with the first time at a bowl in a while," Guzek said of last season's loss to Iowa State in the Insight.com Bowl. "This year, I think we have our heads together and we're ready to go."

Guzek (6-foot-2, 255 pounds) believes the early bowl game date might help the Panthers, who haven't won a bowl since the 1989 John Hancock.

"Having the bowl game a lot closer to the season plays a big part," Guzek said. "We can keep our momentum going. We can keep ourselves in tune to what's going on."

Guzek has been keeping it going after his breakout game against Temple. Guzek enters tonight's game as one of Pitt's starting defensive ends with 48 tackles, two sacks and 11 tackles for a loss.

"Once everything came together, I just kept working hard and keeping after it," Guzek said.

Guzek, who was an all-star fullback and linebacker in college, entered Pitt's program with large expectations after a stellar high school career. But a knee injury in his freshman season sidelined him.

That's why this season means even more to him.

"It's truly a blessing," Guzek said. "It makes you feel good inside that all the hard work I put in my freshman and sophomore year has paid off."

Part of that success has been comfortable at defensive end, a position he didn't play until his sophomore season.

"I feel really comfortable at defensive end now," Guzek said. "I feel 200 percent more comfortable with my technique now. When you first get in there, it's definitely a lot different, having your hand down. It's a lot more to do with leverage. You don't have as much visual keys, you have movement keys. Wrestling in high school played a great part."

The position change also made Guzek more comfortable on the field.

"I think understanding the defense the way I do helps out a lot," Guzek said. "I know a lot of positions on the defensive team. I know what everyone else is doing along with myself, so I can handle it a little better."

Guzek also felt he could handle playing major Division I football.

"I was always pretty confident," Guzek said. "That was always my goal. I just set in my mind I was going to keep working hard and keep my mind on the bullseye until something happens."

Things are happening for Guzek and Pitt after a horrid start to the season that included blowout losses to Miami, Syracuse and Boston College.

"I think everyone was playing hard, I just think the small, little things were getting away from us," Guzek said. "This game is a game of inches. It's just amazing how one person can be out of position a half an inch and a run can break for a touchdown.

"The one thing we did was start paying attention to the little things, which causes us to blow up in the games like that and run away with things."

Guzek doesn't see that trend stopping anytime soon.

"With our confidence and along with our preparation throughout the week, we just have to keep getting better and better," Guzek said.