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Williams, DeCicco play key roles in Pitt's success

by Bruce Wald , Tribune-Review

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The University of Pittsburgh's football team has enjoyed a successful season so far, and two of the Panthers' defensive leaders are from perennial powers.

Senior defensive end Ernest "Mick" Williams, from Monessen High School, and junior strong safety Dom DeCicco, from Thomas Jefferson High School, have played important roles in Pitt's 7-1 start and 4-0 mark in the Big East.

Williams is the team's fourth-leading tackler with 31, including 22 solo tackles. He leads all conference defenders in tackles for a loss. The three-year starter has produced four sacks for 21 yards, three forced fumbles, one broken-up pass and seven quarterback hurries.

His finest games from a statistical standpoint came in a 27-14 home win over Navy and a 38-31 loss at North Carolina State. He recorded eight tackles in each game with five solo stops.

Against Navy, he added three tackles for losses of 10 yards, two sacks, a forced fumble, a broken-up pass and two quarterback hurries. He made five tackles for losses at North Carolina State with a forced fumble and one quarterback hurry.

"He has been the heart of the defensive line," said Greg Gottuso, Pitt's fifth-year defensive line coach and assistant head coach. "Mick's an experienced veteran, a relentless performer in the trenches who thrives as both a run stopper and pass rusher. His strength and conditioning levels are at the highest of his career, and he is playing that way."

DeCicco is in his second year as the Panthers' starting free safety and leads the team in tackles with 62, including 42 solo stops. He also has two interceptions, two broken-up passes and a forced fumble. DeCicco's tackle total ranks ninth among all conference defenders.

He made a season-high 12 tackles with seven solo stops in Pitt's 35-10 win at the University of Louisville. He added eight tackles with six solo stops in the seven-point loss at North Carolina State.

DeCicco made five solo tackles against both the University of Connecticut and University of Buffalo. He recorded ten tackles in Pitt's most recent wins at Rutgers and home against South Florida.

"If his current rate of development continues he will soon be looked at as a star in this league," said Jeff Hefley, Panthers' second-year secondary coach. "Dom's a ball hawk whether he's defending the run or pass. He can also play the free-safety position if necessary which really gives versatility in the secondary. Obviously that's an advantage."

DeCicco was one of three players selected last April by fifth-year head coach Dave Wannstedt as a recipient of the Ed Conway Award, annually presented to the most improved players of the spring.

The late Ed Conway was the former radio voice of Panthers' football and was a sports anchor at WTAE from 1969 through 1974.

The Panthers play host to Syracuse on Saturday.

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