Ray Graham Injury: Nightmare Season for Pittsburgh Continues with RB Injury

You couldn’t have asked for a worst scenario. 

The Pittsburgh Panthers were already in the midst of one of their worst seasons in recent memory.  At 3-4, going to a bowl game is a long shot at this point.  Yet the possibly was still very much in play, and securing a much-needed home win against UConn to get back to .500 would be huge.

Those prospects took a severe hit when star running back Ray Graham went down with a nasty knee injury.  It occurred as Graham made a cut in the hole, his right knee buckled and he instantly collapsed in pain.

The injury happened on the very first possession of the game.  He was helped off the field, unable to put any sort of pressure on the leg. 

Graham was visibly upset on the sidelines as he sat on the equipment table letting trainers figure out what was wrong.  By the looks of how Graham reacted, the injury was pretty severe. It didn’t look like a just a tweak.  He was eventually taken off the field on a cart.

It’s a serious blow for the Panthers, considering that Graham had averaged 134 yards per game, which was tops in the Big East and second in the entire country.  He has 939 yards with nine touchdowns, and another 200 yards receiving on the year. Zach Brown, a senior that has a mere 99 yards on the season, replaced him. 

The timing of the injury couldn’t have been worse for the Panthers.  After playing the reigning Big East champions, they have a date with arch-rival Cincinnati before heading out on a two-game road trip to Louisville and No. 25 West Virginia.  They round out the season with a home game against Syracuse.  

If Graham has to miss significant time (three to four weeks), stick a fork in the idea of a bowl game for the Panthers.