Pitt played its home games in 2000 at Three Rivers Stadium . Behind an increasing number of talented players , led by Biletnikoff Award winner Antonio Bryant , Pitt was back to a winning record in 2000 and played Iowa State in the 2000 Insight.com Bowl . In the second game of the 2000 season , Pitt defeated rival Penn State 12 – 0 which was the last game played between these two teams for 16 years . In 2001 , Pitt began playing its home games at Heinz Field . Additional bowl games and national rankings followed over the next four seasons . Overall Harris led the Panthers to a bowl game in six of his eight seasons , including five consecutive bowl games from 2000 through 2004 , with bowl victories in the 2001 Tangerine Bowl over North Carolina State in 2001 and , led by Biletnikoff and Walter Camp Award winner Larry Fitzgerald , over Oregon State in the 2002 Insight Bowl . Harris also led Pittsburgh to a share of the Big East Conference championship in 2004 and Pitt received the conference 's automatic Bowl Championship Series ( BCS ) bowl bid , playing Utah in the 2005 Fiesta Bowl . Harris was named the Big East Conference Coach of the Year in 1997 and 2004 , and he was the AFCA Region I Coach of the Year in 2002 . Over his eight years at Pitt , from 1997 – 2004 , Harris compiled an overall record of 52 – 44 . However , alumni and fans were growing restless with perceived recruiting deficiencies and an inability to return the program to the highest level . When disparaging remarks about the program were made by his agent , Harris ' contract negotiations with the school stalled . This led to an announcement prior to the Fiesta Bowl in 2004 that Harris was leaving Pitt to become head coach at Stanford
Big East Conference
Big East Conference (1979–2013)
Pittsburgh Panthers football