Pitt QB Stull wheeled off after hit to neck; tests show no serious injuries

PITTSBURGH -- Pitt quarterback Bill Stull was taken off the field on a stretcher after striking his neck against teammate LeSean McCoy's back while being hurried on a pass play during the third quarter Saturday against Rutgers.

Stull was talking and moving his arms while leaving Heinz Field, and preliminary tests revealed no serious injuries. For precautionary reasons, Stull planned to spend the night at an on-campus hospital, UPMC Presbyterian.

"It looks like he's going to be fine," Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt said.

Rutgers defensive back David Rowe was pressuring Stull as the quarterback threw an incomplete pass intended for Cedric McGee on a third-and-12 play from the Pitt 27. Stull's neck snapped backward after he released the ball and struck McCoy, who was already on the turf.

Stull lay motionless for nearly 10 minutes as players from both teams knelt in front of their benches, their heads down.

"The kid's a tough kid -- we kept hitting him, and he kept getting up," Rutgers coach Greg Schiano said. "When [he hit his neck], I was, `O-o-o-h,' and I started saying a prayer."

The junior, who helped lead Pitt to a 5-1 start, drew a loud cheer from the crowd of 51,161 when, despite being strapped to the stretcher, he raised his left arm and gave a thumbs-up sign while being taken off the field.

Stull was 16-of-22 for 279 yards before getting hurt, even as the No. 17 Panthers fell behind 41-31 before losing 54-34.

Pitt may have lost junior center Robb Houser to a broken leg, though Wannstedt said that might not be certain until Houser has an MRI exam.