PITTSBURGH -- The signs of progress at Pittsburgh are unmistakable. From the remodeled offices to the return of the popular script logo on the helmets to the arrival of living, breathing adrenaline rush Pat Narduzzi as head coach in December 2014, the vibe today is in stark contrast to the one tackle Adam Bisnowaty felt when he arrived in the summer of 2012.And while all those things are great, what Bisnowaty will miss the most isnt the place so much as the people, including the fellow seniors who will storm out onto the Heinz Field tunnel one final time on Saturday when the Panthers (7-4, 4-3 ACC) host Syracuse (4-7, 2-5). The program was in the middle of a bumpy patch when Bisnowaty signed in February 2012. Paul Chryst had been on the job less than two months after Todd Graham abruptly left after one season for Arizona State. Then Chryst walked out the door, too, given a chance to return home to Wisconsin.All that adversity, however, only deepened the bonds forged in the locker room and on the practice field.We all came here to play football for Pitt no matter who was our coach, Bisnowaty said. Thats what we decided we were going to do. Thats what were going for every day.Just dont expect Bisnowaty or his teammates to get too sentimental. That will come later. Theres too much at stake against the Orange. A loss would blunt the momentum of a regular season that already includes wins over rival Penn State and ACC powerhouse Clemson. A win would also better their already promising bowl prospects and give the Panthers consecutive seasons of at least eight victories for the first time since 2008-09.The stakes arent quite so high for the Orange, who have dropped three straight by an average of 33.3 points.We need to go out there and we need to play a good football game -- a competitive football game down to the fourth quarter when we have a chance to win, first-year coach Dino Babers said. I think thats the key to bouncing back from all this stuff and trying to send the seniors out on a positive note.Some things to look for as Pitt goes for its 13th win in its last 15 meetings in a series that dates back to 1916.GOODBYE JAMES?: A year ago, Pitt running back James Conner was diagnosed with cancer. Last Saturday, he scored his 53rd career touchdown to set a new ACC record. The 2014 ACC Player of the Year is keeping quiet about whether hell return for his senior season, saying this week he wont make any decision until after the bowl game.POROUS LINE: Syracuse QB Zack Mahoney was sacked eight times last week by Florida State and never could develop any kind of rhythm on offense. That means Pitts Ejuan Price is more than likely salivating just a little bit. The senior defensive end has compiled 19 TFLs and 11 sacks on the year.Its a different game when a quarterback is getting hit a lot, Babers said. Theyre not supposed to get hit a lot. Weve got to find a way to help him.BLAME CANADA: Pitt has already set a school record with 432 points despite entering the season with serious questions at wide receiver. Much of the credit goes to offensive coordinator Matt Canada, whose creative approach has created plenty of open space for Conner and do-everything wide receiver Quadree Henderson. Canada could become a candidate to land his first head coaching job in the offseason though he insisted hes happy getting in the lab with the rest of the Panthers staff and finding ways to exploit mismatches.DRIVE FOR FIVE: A Syracuse victory would place the Orange in the mix for a possible bowl invitation if enough teams dont reach six wins to fill all 80 bowl slots. Last year, three 5-7 teams played in bowl games. Babers, however, is more focused on his team simply playing better.When you look at our 12-game schedule, weve only been favored to win one game, Babers said. For us to have (four) wins out of that situation with one game left to play, I think is a testament to the seniors and the staff and also that were trending up.---AP Sports Writer John Kekis in Syracuse, New York, contributed to this report.---More AP college football: www.collegefootball.ap.org and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25P. J. Brown Jersey . Now tied for second in the league in shootout goals, the 24-year-old likes to see what the opposing goaltender has in store before he ultimately lands on a move. ETwaun Moore Jersey . Badenhop was 2-3 with a 3.47 ERA in 63 relief appearances for Milwaukee this season. He is 18-20 in his career with three saves and a 3. https://www.cheappelicans.com/ . -- The proud fathers huddled near the Dallas Stars dressing room, smiling, laughing and telling stories while wearing replica green sweaters of their sons team. Emeka Okafor Jersey .Y. -- Vancouver Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo had little trouble picking up his first shutout of the season against a Buffalo Sabres team thats having trouble scoring goals. JJ Redick Jersey . PAUL, Minn. RIO DE JANEIRO -- Ten first-time Olympians. Six players who had never played a game for the senior national team before they got here. The shock to the system of three single-digit games in one single Olympics wasnt all that surprising to USA Basketball officials once you did the roster math.So thats why USAB chairman Jerry Colangelo didnt need a lot of time Sunday night, after the medals were handed out here in Rio, to make an immediate declaration about the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.We cant go back again with 10 new players, Colangelo said. Thats not going to happen.For me, he added with unmistakable relief, Im glad we got past this.Colangelo was grateful, mostly, for the presence of the few wise old heads who did make the trip to these Olympics. There they sat in front of the worlds media at the postgame podium from left to right: Mike Krzyzewski, Kevin Durant and Carmelo Anthony.The three men most responsible for Team USAs surviving the absence of all the starry names that, because of injury or a mere desire for extra rest, didnt make themselves available this summer: LeBron James,?Steph Curry, Russell Westbrook, James Harden, Anthony Davis, Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, Damian Lillard, Kawhi Leonard, LaMarcus Aldridge, et al.Its not just how they played but how they acted and how unselfish they were, Krzyzewski said of vets Durant and Anthony. Im amazed at these guys.Melos for sure the leader, Team USA sixth man Paul George offered. Hes the voice of this team.We dont have enough time, Colangelo said of the outgoing coach, to talk about how much he has meant to our program.Hard as it was to keep track of all the understandable praise flying around, Sundays gold-medal dismantling of Serbia was ultimately Durants day. He managed to trump the retiring Coach K (who leaves his post with a record of 88-1) and the record-setting Anthony (who became the first mens basketball player in Olympic history to win three golds) with a performance on par with the 30 points he uncorked in the 2012 gold-medal game in London.At least it was until Krzyzewski pointed out that the better parallel was mentally rewinding to the 2010 FIBA World Championship in Turkey, Durants maiden stint with the national team as part of a super-untested roster.To me, what he did in Istanbul is what he did today, Krzyzewski said, recalling the long-range treys Durant made such a habit of sinking at the 2010 Worlds. The coaching staff was saying that. In fact he took two shots farther than he ever did in Istanbul. Its called the ultimate green light.The Americans won their final three gammes in group play in these Olympics by a mere 16 points combined.dddddddddddd In the victories over Serbia and France, Durant took nine shots combined.In the knockout portion of the tournament, Team USA beat Argentina, Spain and Serbia by a total of 63 points, with Durants offensive aggressiveness standing out as the clear difference.I wasnt being myself, Durant admitted. Coach sat me down and showed me some film from 2010 and he said, I want to see that guy again.Said Colangelo, referring to the considerable debate sparked back home by Durants move to the Golden State Warriors and the resulting Durant duress he says hes seen with his own eyes: This was good for him. For his psyche.Durant, for the record, doesnt dispute that diagnosis.But he left Brazil looking positively buoyant, which the Warriors must love seeing as much as USABs elders.I cant let anybody steal my joy, Durant said, presumably addressing critics of his free-agency decisions. [Former Thunder assistant and current Team USA assistant] Monty Williams used to tell me that every day; dont let anybody steal my joy.Anthony knows the feeling. He spent much of these Olympics fielding questions about his belief that a third gold medal takes his resume to the same stratosphere as an NBA championship ring would. But now hes done playing defense for the summer and insists he, too, has zero future plans to listen to anyone eager to challenge the contention.Of course it wasnt as easy as we would have liked, Melo said. [But] this journey that we had here in Rio, starting in [Las] Vegas, you cant ask for nothing more than that.Said Durant: Im on cloud nine right now for sure.That was evident at the local airport, before Team USA boarded its flight back to the States, when Durant thrust himself into an Anthony interview with SportsCenter and bellowed: Hes coming back in 2020, baby.Except that Anthony really isnt. Nor is Krzyzewski, who steps aside at last -- one Olympics later than he originally planned -- to let San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich take over as head coach for the next four years.Durant, at 27, is obviously still on his upward arc, as good as he looked when it mattered most down here. But an era ended Sunday in South America for USAB.Ready or not.Ive seen both sides of it, Anthony said. Ive seen the losing side [in the 2004 Olympics in Athens] and Ive seen what it feels like to win three gold medals.I wouldnt trade that, for anything in the world. ' ' '