Pittsburgh Panthers beat Rutgers Scarlet Knights 42-32 Saturday, Oct. 18, 2003 Boxscore PISCATAWAY, New Jersey (Ticker) -- After dropping out of the rankings, Pittsburgh opened Big East Conference play with a swift start. Rod Rutherford threw three touchdown passes, including two to Larry Fitzgerald, as the Panthers posted a 42-32 victory over Rutgers. Pittsburgh (3-2, 1-0 Big East) built a 42-7 halftime advantage before taking its foot off the accelerator in the second half. Jawan Walker's six-yard TD run and Rutherford's 11-yard TD pass to tight end Kris Wilson made it 14-0 after one quarter. Fitzgerald had eight catches for a career-high 207 yards, his second 200-yard effort this season. He hauled in touchdown receptions of 43 and 26 yards on consecutive possessions in the second quarter. Fitzgerald has caught a touchdown pass in 12 straight games and has 22 TD receptions in that span. Walker, who carried 17 times for 81 yards, scampered for a 55-yard TD run for the 42-7 bulge with still almost five minutes left in the first half. Rutgers (3-3, 0-3) lost its 25th straight Big East game. The Scarlet Knights pulled within 42-32 on Brian Leonard's one-yard TD run with 4:27 left, but failed on a two-point conversion that would have cut the deficit to eight points. Ryan Hart, who threw for 384 yards, was intercepted on the final two possessions for Rutgers. Leonard rushed for 79 yards and two touchdowns and also caught a pair of TD receptions from Hart. Rutgers finished with a 516-494 edge in total offense.