The Pittsburgh Panthers lost their best offensive weapon on Monday morning, with the news coming down that running back James Conner is out for the season with a torn MCL, according to Brett McMurphy of ESPN.
Horrible news: Pitt RB James Conner out for season w/MCL injury. Surgery this week
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) September 7, 2015
Pittsburgh has some other weapons, but this still remains a major blow. The Panthers were relying on Conner to be the workhorse of the unit, but now will have to go without him. Last year as a sophomore, Conner rushed for 1,765 yards and 26 touchdowns on 5.9 yards per carry, catching plenty of eyes across the nation. Conner has a message for all those following him:
Pitt RB James Conner on season-ending surgery: "This is a temporary setback & I’m going to work even harder to bounce back"
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) September 7, 2015
In the season-opener this year, Conner gained 77 yards and scored twice on only eight carries, showcasing his elite talents. At 6-foor-2 and 240 pounds, Conner is one of the toughest backs in the country to bring down. Unfortunately, we will not be seeing Conner until the 2016 college football campaign, unless he declares for the NFL Draft.
Last season, even with Conner’s heroics throughout, the Panthers went 6-6 before losing to the Houston Cougars in the Lockheed Martin Bowl, 35-34. Pittsburgh had a very uneven year, beating the likes of the Miami Hurricanes and Virginia Tech Hokies but losing to the Akron Zips and Virginia Cavaliers.
On Sept. 12, the Panthers will have a chance for revenge against Akron, this time playing it on the road.