ESPN College Football

Despite losing 13 of his past 18 games, including Saturday's dispiriting home loss to Bowling Green, Pittsburgh coach Dave Wannstedt received a vote of confidence from his athletic director, Kevin Gorman reports in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Here's the quote from Steve Pederson.

"In these situations, nobody's more disappointed than Dave and our team at the results of the game," Pederson said. "But I also know there isn't any group that's going to work harder to get us back on track than Dave and his coaches and the team. For Dave, this isn't really a job, this is a passion. He's dedicated to building a winning program here and he has all of our support as he works at that."

Meanwhile, Paul Zeise writes in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that the Panthers could be without both starting outside linebackers because of injuries.

* Speaking of injuries, South Florida running back Mike Ford was in a boot and backup tight end Trent Pupello is questionable because of ankle problems, Greg Auman notes in the St. Petersburg Times. Both could be out this weekend.

"If they're not 100 percent, they won't play, because there's no way you're going to have a chance against Central Florida with a guy in there not going 100 miles an hour," he said. "It can't happen. We would wait."

* After the Rutgers offense laid an egg against Fresno State, Star-Ledger columnist Steve Politi says the Scarlet Knights lack an identity without Ray Rice.

* Could another hurricane disrupt college football? West Virginia officials are keeping an eye on Hurricane Hanna, which appears headed right toward Greenville, N.C., the site of this week's game at East Carolina, Dave Hickman says in the Charleston Gazette.

* Even if Ben Mauk is cleared to play again, he won't start right away, Bill Koch says in his Cincinnati Enquirer blog.