Pitt's football team held its first scrimmage of training camp yesterday. There were several highlights (such as Pat Bostick having a great day, young defenders stepping up) and lowlights (Ray Graham's injury, Greg Romeus STILL out). For all the details, check out the SB Nation Pittsburgh training camp stream - link over to the right.
Showing posts with label Pat Bostick. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pat Bostick. Show all posts
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Thursday, July 22, 2010
News and Notes 7/22
Pitt comes in at #5 in Dennis Dodd's top five schools for football and basketball. This is a slight surprise to me - not that they don't belong there, but Pitt never seems to get the credit they deserve for having a top basketball and football program. It's not yet been sustained as they had some down football seasons this decade, but the school's teams have had quite a bit of success. The best part, though, is that it doesn't look like it's slowing down anytime soon. Both programs have recruited extraordinarily well and could be successful for quite a while.
My bets for the others? If we're talking about the past 2-3 years, let's go with Texas, Ohio State, Wisconsin, and Florida not in that order. Pitt fans might not be happy with it, but you could also make the case for WVU even instead of the Panthers. But his article seems to indicate Pitt made it instead of WVU.
I normally don't mention Bleacher Report too much on here, but a writer for the site believes that Mark Myers can seriously contend for the backup QB job. I don't see how that's even a remote possibility - especially in a year when they are starting a new quarterback. No way Wannstedt doesn't use Pat Bostick as his safety net if Sunseri struggles.
Another gambling site predicts big things for the Panthers, calling them a darkhorse to win the whole shootin' match.
And Panther baseball coach Joe Jordana wins the ABCA East Region Coach of the Year Award.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Spring Wrap-Up
So Spring ball has now concluded and it's a good time for a few last thoughts.
The question about the starting QB position appears to be answered. Even though I havne't seen an official announcement, here's what we know:
- Tino Sunseri took a greater number of the first-team reps in practice.
- Sunseri played much better in the Blue-Gold game.
- Comments by the coaching staff seem to slightly favor Sunseri.
As I alluded to yesterday, Wannstedt seemed like Tino was his favorite and in comments about Bostick, there was a lot of talk about, and I'm paraphrasing here, not to leave Bostick out of the discussion. I think it's a done deal. And I give Wannstedt credit for putting himself in position to do what he said he wanted to do - name a starting QB by the end of the Spring. He hasn't done that yet, but it appears he's in a position to do that. The advantage is that Tino can take the bulk of the snaps in the Fall and give himself time to get in sync with teammates. And if he really struggles early on, there's nothing that says he can't go back to opening it up (though I think once Tino is named, he'd really need to struggle for Wannstedt to do that).
Looking back at the Spring game, the easy observation is the whole caveman "Offense good. Defense bad" theory. But you've a few reasons that contributed to the defense's domination:
1. The offense was likely watered down due to the game being televised nationally:
3. The wind didn't help.
Plus, I think defenses tend to do a little better in these types of games. It's early in the season and the offense is working with a new quarterback and many new players on the O-Line. It will take some time to grow, but I'm not concerned at this point.
Moving on from the final game, it looks like Greg Cross is finally going to get his chance. After scoring a TD on his first play with Pitt, I think it's safe to say that no one thought that was the last we'd really see of him. But that's exactly what happened. It's premature to think he's going to come in and have the same impact as Dorin Dickerson did in moving to tight end. Pitt has several quality receivers including Baldwin, Mike Shanahan, and Devin Street and it may be hard to crack that rotation. But I'm glad it appears he's at least going to get a shot.
Looking at tight end: Call me crazy, but while I don't expect the same production in terms of touchdowns from the position this year with the loss of Dickerson, I think Pitt fans will be pleasantly surprised by the the production the position produces this year. Much of the success at tight end had to do with Dickerson being an absolute freak. But I think Offensive Coordinator Frank Cignetti really knows what he's doing and I believe he'll find a way to again get good numbers at that spot.
Of course we'll know more once the Fall comes and we'll see if any incoming freshmen can make an impact. There's much work to be done and I can't help but think that Wannstedt would much rather have New Hampshire as the opener rather than a tough road game at Utah. Still, should be an exciting season.
The question about the starting QB position appears to be answered. Even though I havne't seen an official announcement, here's what we know:
- Tino Sunseri took a greater number of the first-team reps in practice.
- Sunseri played much better in the Blue-Gold game.
- Comments by the coaching staff seem to slightly favor Sunseri.
As I alluded to yesterday, Wannstedt seemed like Tino was his favorite and in comments about Bostick, there was a lot of talk about, and I'm paraphrasing here, not to leave Bostick out of the discussion. I think it's a done deal. And I give Wannstedt credit for putting himself in position to do what he said he wanted to do - name a starting QB by the end of the Spring. He hasn't done that yet, but it appears he's in a position to do that. The advantage is that Tino can take the bulk of the snaps in the Fall and give himself time to get in sync with teammates. And if he really struggles early on, there's nothing that says he can't go back to opening it up (though I think once Tino is named, he'd really need to struggle for Wannstedt to do that).
Looking back at the Spring game, the easy observation is the whole caveman "Offense good. Defense bad" theory. But you've a few reasons that contributed to the defense's domination:
1. The offense was likely watered down due to the game being televised nationally:
"I don't think there was much concern about [scoring only one touchdown]," said quarterback Tino Sunseri, who completed 9 of 17 passes for 82 yards. He scored the lone touchdown on a 9-yard run on a bootleg.2. The offense's two stars, Dion Lewis and Jonathan Baldwin didn't play a whole lot. Lewis did nothing to make fans think he won't have a strong season with that long run yesterday.
"We wanted to keep it very simple because [the game] was on the NFL Network and things of that nature, and we wanted to establish the ground game and get certain guys touches and we wanted to spread the ball around and we did a good job of that.
"It was very vanilla by design. We wanted to come out here and just do some things that were very basic in our offense."
3. The wind didn't help.
Plus, I think defenses tend to do a little better in these types of games. It's early in the season and the offense is working with a new quarterback and many new players on the O-Line. It will take some time to grow, but I'm not concerned at this point.
Moving on from the final game, it looks like Greg Cross is finally going to get his chance. After scoring a TD on his first play with Pitt, I think it's safe to say that no one thought that was the last we'd really see of him. But that's exactly what happened. It's premature to think he's going to come in and have the same impact as Dorin Dickerson did in moving to tight end. Pitt has several quality receivers including Baldwin, Mike Shanahan, and Devin Street and it may be hard to crack that rotation. But I'm glad it appears he's at least going to get a shot.
Looking at tight end: Call me crazy, but while I don't expect the same production in terms of touchdowns from the position this year with the loss of Dickerson, I think Pitt fans will be pleasantly surprised by the the production the position produces this year. Much of the success at tight end had to do with Dickerson being an absolute freak. But I think Offensive Coordinator Frank Cignetti really knows what he's doing and I believe he'll find a way to again get good numbers at that spot.
Of course we'll know more once the Fall comes and we'll see if any incoming freshmen can make an impact. There's much work to be done and I can't help but think that Wannstedt would much rather have New Hampshire as the opener rather than a tough road game at Utah. Still, should be an exciting season.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Blue-Gold Review
I've got to admit that my attention wasn't completely on the game. Even with the miracle that is I DVR, I missed some chunks of the game and didn't have the patience to rewind to catch everything I missed. But here are a few observations I had:
- Tino Sunseri is clearly the starter. If fans had any remaining doubts, they should have vanished today. Sunseri was 9/17 for 82 yards, zero interceptions, and nice rushing TD from about ten yards out. Pat Bostick on the other hand was 6/13 for 59 yards, no TDs, and two interceptions.
- And it wasn't so much the play, either. You could tell that Tino was the starter simply by the way Dave Wannstedt gushed about him throughout the day. And he was completely baffled on Bostick's first interception, which was not in the vicinity of any receivers. At first Wannstedt sounded as if a receiver ran the wrong route. But when he saw the replay, it seemed like he may have changed his tune. You can say that Tino had the first team to work with, but he also had to go against the first team defense, where Pat went against the second team.
- Speaking of that second team, the offensive line for that unit wasn't good. At all. Pitt fans should really hope that the first-string doesn't have any injuries because they second team needs a lot of work. The second team defensive line had a field day against them and Bostick was under a lot of pressure.
- Dion Lewis was, well, Dion Lewis. He only had five carries, but still managed to break one for 52 yards. Ray Graham had five carries, but only managed 16 yards.
- Kind of a side note because we're talking about the backup kicker, but Kevin Harper has some kind of leg. The coaches say he needs to work on his accuracy, but he's definitely got the distance part down. He made a 45 yard field goal with probably about 10 yards to spare.
- Also related to the kicking game was the fact that Pitt used two other punters in addition to Dan Hutchins. I'm wondering if either of them will get a look to take the punting duties from Hutchins or if they were just trying to get backups some work.
- Tino Sunseri is clearly the starter. If fans had any remaining doubts, they should have vanished today. Sunseri was 9/17 for 82 yards, zero interceptions, and nice rushing TD from about ten yards out. Pat Bostick on the other hand was 6/13 for 59 yards, no TDs, and two interceptions.
- And it wasn't so much the play, either. You could tell that Tino was the starter simply by the way Dave Wannstedt gushed about him throughout the day. And he was completely baffled on Bostick's first interception, which was not in the vicinity of any receivers. At first Wannstedt sounded as if a receiver ran the wrong route. But when he saw the replay, it seemed like he may have changed his tune. You can say that Tino had the first team to work with, but he also had to go against the first team defense, where Pat went against the second team.
- Speaking of that second team, the offensive line for that unit wasn't good. At all. Pitt fans should really hope that the first-string doesn't have any injuries because they second team needs a lot of work. The second team defensive line had a field day against them and Bostick was under a lot of pressure.
- Dion Lewis was, well, Dion Lewis. He only had five carries, but still managed to break one for 52 yards. Ray Graham had five carries, but only managed 16 yards.
- Kind of a side note because we're talking about the backup kicker, but Kevin Harper has some kind of leg. The coaches say he needs to work on his accuracy, but he's definitely got the distance part down. He made a 45 yard field goal with probably about 10 yards to spare.
- Also related to the kicking game was the fact that Pitt used two other punters in addition to Dan Hutchins. I'm wondering if either of them will get a look to take the punting duties from Hutchins or if they were just trying to get backups some work.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Football Talk
So after a long hiatus from football discussion, with basketball out of the way, let's get into it.
For starters, former Panther Elijah Fields could end up at California University. There were some grumblings of this as a possibility almost immediately after he was dismissed from the team and it looks as if it could be a possibility:
Paul Zeise of the PG thinks that while Tino Sunseri had the first crack at reps with the first team, that Pat Bostick seems to have the slight edge in terms of knowing the system. It's been documented that Coach Wannstedt would like this battle to be settled this Spring. I don't know - with the way last year's competition went on, I'd be kind of surprised if that happened. Both quarterbacks say they're ready.
ESPN.com blogger, Brian Bennett, goes over the usual questions in his Pitt spring preview video. He also talks to Offensive Coordinator, Frank Cignetti, about Pitt's many offensive weapons.
SI.com wonders if Pitt is ready to dethrone Cincinnati. More Pitt-Cincinnati talk. Everything I've heard this offseason has been about Pitt and Cincinnati. I'm a little surprised that it appears West Virginia isn't even being passively seen as a contender with both Jock Sanders and Noel Devine coming back.
Cam Saddler's opportunity to get on the field more comes - at wide receiver: I really think he could turn into a great kick returner and hope his focus remains there. But with the losses of Oderick Turner and Dorin Dickerson, there's definitely a need there for another receiver.
And with all the NFL Draft talk about Dorin Dickerson and Nate Byham getting drafted, after Bill Stull's season and experience with a pro-style system, he is getting some looks as well:
Meanwhile, speaking of Dickerson, he's having a hard time gauging where he might be selected because of all the interest he's received.
More to come...
For starters, former Panther Elijah Fields could end up at California University. There were some grumblings of this as a possibility almost immediately after he was dismissed from the team and it looks as if it could be a possibility:
Elijah Fields, who was dismissed from Pitt's football team last month for violating team rules, might end up at California University.As much as he botched his chances at Pitt, I still try to convince myself that he's young and still learning. I hope he can turn things around there.
Head coach John Luckhardt said Fields has shown interest in transferring to the university. The 6-2, 225-pound safety would have one season of eligibility remaining.
"Everything is still in the processing stage," Luckhardt said.
Paul Zeise of the PG thinks that while Tino Sunseri had the first crack at reps with the first team, that Pat Bostick seems to have the slight edge in terms of knowing the system. It's been documented that Coach Wannstedt would like this battle to be settled this Spring. I don't know - with the way last year's competition went on, I'd be kind of surprised if that happened. Both quarterbacks say they're ready.
ESPN.com blogger, Brian Bennett, goes over the usual questions in his Pitt spring preview video. He also talks to Offensive Coordinator, Frank Cignetti, about Pitt's many offensive weapons.
SI.com wonders if Pitt is ready to dethrone Cincinnati. More Pitt-Cincinnati talk. Everything I've heard this offseason has been about Pitt and Cincinnati. I'm a little surprised that it appears West Virginia isn't even being passively seen as a contender with both Jock Sanders and Noel Devine coming back.
Cam Saddler's opportunity to get on the field more comes - at wide receiver: I really think he could turn into a great kick returner and hope his focus remains there. But with the losses of Oderick Turner and Dorin Dickerson, there's definitely a need there for another receiver.
And with all the NFL Draft talk about Dorin Dickerson and Nate Byham getting drafted, after Bill Stull's season and experience with a pro-style system, he is getting some looks as well:
Stull, who was one of 15 former Panthers who worked out Tuesday for scouts representing 27 of the 32 NFL teams, is considered a late-round draft pick or a desired free agent.After the year he had, I'm a little surprised there hasn't been more discussion about him as a middle-round draft pick. He has experience in a pro system, made very few mistakes last year, and despite his weaknesses such as throwing an accurate deep ball, makes for a reasonable NFL prospect.
Meanwhile, speaking of Dickerson, he's having a hard time gauging where he might be selected because of all the interest he's received.
More to come...
Sunday, February 28, 2010
More Football Talk
I found the conversation ESPN.com blogger, Brian Bennett, had with Dave Wannstedt mildly interesting, but nothing much more than that. There was one quote about QB Tino Sunseri in particular causing some buzz:
Glad that Wannstedt plans to have it wrapped up by the Spring as whoever will be the starter will need a large amount of reps with the first team in the Fall. That opener at Utah will be staring us down before you know it.
Bennett also wrapped up his top 30 Big East players of the year and Pitt ended with eight on the list, including three in the top five and the #1 overall player (Dion Lewis). Seems like there were plenty of blockheads ready and waiting to rip apart a top 30 list that concluded nearly two months after the final college game of the year.
Sticking with the draft theme, former Center Robb Houser gets a local story and discusses playing at the next level. A few draft sites (not that I've heard of any of these) offer some ratings: Evaluators believe Houser has a decent chance to find work in the league. For instance, NFLDraftSpot.com rates him as the 12th-best prospect at center. On NFLDraftSpecialist.com, he is No. 18 and a site called WalterFootball.com lists him as 16th.
Apparently Nate Byham didn't look so hot (subscription needed).
And it looks like old Pitt recruit Anthony Morelli isn't giving up on his dream of playing in the NFL:
"He's ready to play now," Wannstedt said. "It's his time. He understands the offense, and we've got a good feel for his abilities and what he can do."You could take that a number of ways - you could say it's Tino's job and it was a slip of the tongue by Wannstedt because there's an open competition. The other way you could read it (the way I read it) is it means that Tino as a backup wasn't really ready to compete. He's ready to compete for the job now. I don't think it in any way meant that it was Tino's job or even Tino's job to lose in camp.
Glad that Wannstedt plans to have it wrapped up by the Spring as whoever will be the starter will need a large amount of reps with the first team in the Fall. That opener at Utah will be staring us down before you know it.
Bennett also wrapped up his top 30 Big East players of the year and Pitt ended with eight on the list, including three in the top five and the #1 overall player (Dion Lewis). Seems like there were plenty of blockheads ready and waiting to rip apart a top 30 list that concluded nearly two months after the final college game of the year.
Sticking with the draft theme, former Center Robb Houser gets a local story and discusses playing at the next level. A few draft sites (not that I've heard of any of these) offer some ratings: Evaluators believe Houser has a decent chance to find work in the league. For instance, NFLDraftSpot.com rates him as the 12th-best prospect at center. On NFLDraftSpecialist.com, he is No. 18 and a site called WalterFootball.com lists him as 16th.
Apparently Nate Byham didn't look so hot (subscription needed).
And it looks like old Pitt recruit Anthony Morelli isn't giving up on his dream of playing in the NFL:
Former Penn State quarterback Anthony Morelli is back, looking for a second chance after getting cut by the Arizona Cardinals two years ago. Morelli, who will be 25 in June, insists he's not just older.He seems willing to also play in a lower-tier league, if need be:
"I've gotten bigger, faster, stronger, I'm jumping better," he said. "I think the chances are pretty good, I just need to get in front of some people."
Morelli will do that next Friday in Indy when he holds a personal workout on the same day this year's big-name quarterbacks, receivers and running backs are measured and take tests during the combine at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Since getting cut by the Cardinals two years ago, Morelli bided his time by working out on his own, coaching quarterbacks at Pittsburgh's Plum High School and helping his uncle with construction jobs.And this one's a little off the board, but for iPhone junkies, a special Pitt app, is now available for purchase on iTunes. One is due out soon for Crackberry addicts, such as myself.
All the while, Morelli maintained the dream of playing football. Morelli's wife finally persuaded him to move back to Indy, where he's been getting help from former NFL quarterback Jack Trudeau.
"I'm only 24 years old, and I've played against a lot of these guys in college. So when it comes to age, I feel like I haven't hit my peak yet," Morelli said. "I'm going to keep going until I exhaust all my opportunities, and if I have to go play in a lower-level league, I'm going to do that until everyone tells me to give it up."
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Football News
A few football related notes:
Former 1980s Panther Teryl Austin was hired as the Defensive Coordinator of the Florida Gators. He's coached in a variety of positions in college and the NFL with the Cardinals and Seahawks.
ESPN.com blogger Brian Bennett talks expansion - not just Big Ten, but the idea of Big East expansion comes up.
Looks like Dorin Dickerson and Nate Byham are the only two Pitt players headed to the combine. South Florida leads the way with six combine reps.
Conspicuously absent is Aaron Berry, Pitt's First-Team Big East CB. This projection has him as a possible 5th-6th rounder at best. And here's another one that projects him as a 7th rounder. Okay, one more - this one projects him as a Free Agent pickup.
Meanwhile, another former Pitt corner, Darrelle Revis, came home recently.
Looking ahead to next year, Mark Schlabach has Pitt at I think the highest I've seen in any of the preseason polls - #14. Cincinnati checks in at #13. Pitt has some lofty expectations to live up to, despite not knowing who will play QB - Pat Bostick or Tino Sunseri.
Speaking of Sunseri, his younger brother Vinnie, has his first scholarship offer (subscription needed).
And Bill Hillgrove, voice of the Panthers, is lending his expertise to, and I'm not making this up, a camp for aspiring announcers.
Former 1980s Panther Teryl Austin was hired as the Defensive Coordinator of the Florida Gators. He's coached in a variety of positions in college and the NFL with the Cardinals and Seahawks.
ESPN.com blogger Brian Bennett talks expansion - not just Big Ten, but the idea of Big East expansion comes up.
Looks like Dorin Dickerson and Nate Byham are the only two Pitt players headed to the combine. South Florida leads the way with six combine reps.
Conspicuously absent is Aaron Berry, Pitt's First-Team Big East CB. This projection has him as a possible 5th-6th rounder at best. And here's another one that projects him as a 7th rounder. Okay, one more - this one projects him as a Free Agent pickup.
Meanwhile, another former Pitt corner, Darrelle Revis, came home recently.
Looking ahead to next year, Mark Schlabach has Pitt at I think the highest I've seen in any of the preseason polls - #14. Cincinnati checks in at #13. Pitt has some lofty expectations to live up to, despite not knowing who will play QB - Pat Bostick or Tino Sunseri.
Speaking of Sunseri, his younger brother Vinnie, has his first scholarship offer (subscription needed).
And Bill Hillgrove, voice of the Panthers, is lending his expertise to, and I'm not making this up, a camp for aspiring announcers.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
And you Thought the QB Controversy Might End in 2009
And you thought the QB controversy was bad this year.
Enter Anthony Gonzalez.
No, not THAT Anthony Gonzalez.
THIS one.
Hard not to be intrigued about what he can do, if not impressed. He was wanted by Penn State, West Virginia, and Florida State among others. He's considered by most a dual-threat with the ability to pass and run well. Oh, and he can play defense, too.
Now, I don't know about you - but the first thing I thought of was Dorin Dickerson. It seems as if he's surely going to be given the chance to play QB at Pitt, but let's hope he doesn't get moved all over the place.
And about that QB controversy. Next year you've got Bostick, who still has two years of eligibility remaining assuming he redshirts this year. You've got Sunseri who will have three and was possibly the favorite to start. You've got Kolby Gray, who will have four. And now you've got Gonzalez, who will have four and might not redshirt if he can prove he can start right away. That's a HUGE if - especially given the number of options Pitt will have. But if he does, I can't imagine that all three of the other guys would stick around. You've got to think one of them would transfer.
Paul Zeise in his PG chat seems a bit confused as to what Wannstedt is doing. But I don't think you can not recruit this type of kid just because you have other options. You take the best players you can and try to find homes for everyone. It might not always work out, but there are too many variables - injuries, grades, guys not playing to their potential, etc. to simply not go after players at specific positions just because you may think that depth exists. I'm not at all saying this is what Paul meant, just pointing out that in general, you've got to take who you can get.
Here's a breakdown from ESPN.com (who ranks him as a four-star recruit) as well as some video if you've never seen him.
Enter Anthony Gonzalez.
No, not THAT Anthony Gonzalez.
THIS one.
Hard not to be intrigued about what he can do, if not impressed. He was wanted by Penn State, West Virginia, and Florida State among others. He's considered by most a dual-threat with the ability to pass and run well. Oh, and he can play defense, too.
Now, I don't know about you - but the first thing I thought of was Dorin Dickerson. It seems as if he's surely going to be given the chance to play QB at Pitt, but let's hope he doesn't get moved all over the place.
And about that QB controversy. Next year you've got Bostick, who still has two years of eligibility remaining assuming he redshirts this year. You've got Sunseri who will have three and was possibly the favorite to start. You've got Kolby Gray, who will have four. And now you've got Gonzalez, who will have four and might not redshirt if he can prove he can start right away. That's a HUGE if - especially given the number of options Pitt will have. But if he does, I can't imagine that all three of the other guys would stick around. You've got to think one of them would transfer.
Paul Zeise in his PG chat seems a bit confused as to what Wannstedt is doing. But I don't think you can not recruit this type of kid just because you have other options. You take the best players you can and try to find homes for everyone. It might not always work out, but there are too many variables - injuries, grades, guys not playing to their potential, etc. to simply not go after players at specific positions just because you may think that depth exists. I'm not at all saying this is what Paul meant, just pointing out that in general, you've got to take who you can get.
Here's a breakdown from ESPN.com (who ranks him as a four-star recruit) as well as some video if you've never seen him.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Back to the QBs
Pat Bostick appears headed for a redshirt assuming Bill Stull can safely get through the season (which is a big assumption) according to Paul Zeise.
I really hope this happens. Sunseri has already redshirted, so there's no point in playing Bostick ahead of him unless the coaches are sincerely convinced that he's that much better. I'd really like to see Bostick keep two years of eligibility after this season. I'm not saying he's the answer, but I think a full year of development without having to worry about playing in a game could really help him.
Meanwhile the left guard spot is still up for grabs and Ray Graham has officially moved ahead of Chris Burns as the back-up running back.
Even with Lewis assuming the starting job, I've got to think Graham will still come away with about 30% of the carries early on.
I really hope this happens. Sunseri has already redshirted, so there's no point in playing Bostick ahead of him unless the coaches are sincerely convinced that he's that much better. I'd really like to see Bostick keep two years of eligibility after this season. I'm not saying he's the answer, but I think a full year of development without having to worry about playing in a game could really help him.
Meanwhile the left guard spot is still up for grabs and Ray Graham has officially moved ahead of Chris Burns as the back-up running back.
Even with Lewis assuming the starting job, I've got to think Graham will still come away with about 30% of the carries early on.
Friday, August 21, 2009
Catching Up
I wanted to resist, but here is another QB story.
And, an AP article talks about Bostick's big game success (despite downplaying that he didn't play particularly well in either game other than mentioning his three interceptions).
Links fast and furious today:
Paul Zeise finally analyzes something I've been screaming about - the bowl situation.
And if that is what the line-up really looks like, in a year when the Irish don't qualify for the BCS and thus end up in the Champs Sports Bowl, the second place team will go to Charlotte to face an ACC team but the third place team in the Big East will end up in either Toronto, Birmingham or St. Petersburg against some MAC or Conference USA school.
That's not a very attractive lineup and speaks volumes about the work left to be done by the conference to continue to build itself up and change the perception of the programs in it.
Finally, someone who gets it.
It seems that everyone (at least from articles I've read) seem to think that the Gator Bowl is no big deal. True it's not a BCS bowl, but it's still a New Year's Day bowl and I consider it on that next Tier of big bowls such as the Cotton Bowl. And for those of you who don't think that's a big deal anymore, I would beg to differ. That may be the only college football casual fans watch all year long (yes, there are actually casual college football fans). A day off of work, too cold to do anything else (at least for those of us in the north) - a day full of college football. Outside of the BCS, New Year's Day is really THE day for college football.
Big East fans also weighed in about it.
Meanwhile, Paul also addresses something I discussed earlier (see below) - the use of the tight ends.
ZEISE: Yes. Cignetti has said as much on many occasions. And early in camp -- before Byham and Dickerson were both injured -- it reflected as much. He knows these guys are two of his best players and he said he wants to make sure they both get enough touches to have an effect on every game. Byham will also play a big role in the running offense because he has developed into an excellent blocker.
As I've said, Pitt is likely poised to use the TEs more - a questionable quarterback, no McCoy, solid players at TE...it seems like it's a given.
Shariff Harris is seemingly in trouble. After a fair amount of hype surrounding him as the possible replacement for Shady last year, he seems to have fallen behind at least Dion Lewis, and now may be as low as 3rd or 4th on the depth chart.
Jarred Holley wants playing time.
Greg Romeus and Jabaal Sheard are going to be a handful.
Craig Bokor is one of the last holdovers from the Walt Harris era.
And, an AP article talks about Bostick's big game success (despite downplaying that he didn't play particularly well in either game other than mentioning his three interceptions).
Links fast and furious today:
Paul Zeise finally analyzes something I've been screaming about - the bowl situation.
And if that is what the line-up really looks like, in a year when the Irish don't qualify for the BCS and thus end up in the Champs Sports Bowl, the second place team will go to Charlotte to face an ACC team but the third place team in the Big East will end up in either Toronto, Birmingham or St. Petersburg against some MAC or Conference USA school.
That's not a very attractive lineup and speaks volumes about the work left to be done by the conference to continue to build itself up and change the perception of the programs in it.
Finally, someone who gets it.
It seems that everyone (at least from articles I've read) seem to think that the Gator Bowl is no big deal. True it's not a BCS bowl, but it's still a New Year's Day bowl and I consider it on that next Tier of big bowls such as the Cotton Bowl. And for those of you who don't think that's a big deal anymore, I would beg to differ. That may be the only college football casual fans watch all year long (yes, there are actually casual college football fans). A day off of work, too cold to do anything else (at least for those of us in the north) - a day full of college football. Outside of the BCS, New Year's Day is really THE day for college football.
Big East fans also weighed in about it.
Meanwhile, Paul also addresses something I discussed earlier (see below) - the use of the tight ends.
ZEISE: Yes. Cignetti has said as much on many occasions. And early in camp -- before Byham and Dickerson were both injured -- it reflected as much. He knows these guys are two of his best players and he said he wants to make sure they both get enough touches to have an effect on every game. Byham will also play a big role in the running offense because he has developed into an excellent blocker.
As I've said, Pitt is likely poised to use the TEs more - a questionable quarterback, no McCoy, solid players at TE...it seems like it's a given.
Shariff Harris is seemingly in trouble. After a fair amount of hype surrounding him as the possible replacement for Shady last year, he seems to have fallen behind at least Dion Lewis, and now may be as low as 3rd or 4th on the depth chart.
Jarred Holley wants playing time.
Greg Romeus and Jabaal Sheard are going to be a handful.
Craig Bokor is one of the last holdovers from the Walt Harris era.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Football Notes
Gene Collier wonders aloud if Tino Sunseri is deserving of the starting QB spot.
Meanwhile, Dave Wannstedt confirms our worst fears:
"[Senior] Bill Stull is the starting quarterback," Wannstedt said. "And these other guys, well, obviously we are in training camp, we have to improve. I don't think it is as much as [they] have to prove anything as much as [they] just improve every day."
Okay, so maybe that was a bit harsh. It's not that I don't think Stull should necessarily be the starter. I just wish it was as open a competition as I thought it was supposed to be.
Later in the same article, offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti appears to think it IS indeed open:
The news that Stull was called the starter by Wannstedt was a bit of a surprise to Sunseri, who said offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti is treating the quarterback position as "open competition."
"We are all trying to help each other every day," Sunseri said. "Whatever we can do to help the team is what we're going to try and do, and whoever can do it the best is going to be able to play. And coach Cignetti is very, very into that about that competition."
Wannstedt also thinks Dion Lewis is looking sharp - further possibly supporting my mild reach of predicting him as the Big East Rookie of the Year.
Meanwhile, Paul Zeise answers a question about Bostick possibly taking a redshirt in the Q&A - this is something I've thought about many times since Wannstedt burned....(I mean, used...I guess there's no good way to say it)....his redshirt.
I wouldn't be against it since they already redshirted Sunseri and can't do it again IF they are convinced Sunseri can be the backup. Why not redshirt Bostick if you can this year and allow him to have two years of eligibility? If they don't redshirt him and again burn his eligibility for a game or whatever, then I'll be convinced they are just trying to get him out of Pitt. If Stull plays most of the season and they are convinced Tino can handle the backup role, then there's no reason not to.
Dennis Dodd predicts Pitt to finish third in the conference, though he thinks a win vs. NC State could be part of a 6-0 start.
Zeise also discusses the scrimmage, Dion Lewis, and the kickers (among other things) in his blog.
Meanwhile, Dave Wannstedt confirms our worst fears:
"[Senior] Bill Stull is the starting quarterback," Wannstedt said. "And these other guys, well, obviously we are in training camp, we have to improve. I don't think it is as much as [they] have to prove anything as much as [they] just improve every day."
Okay, so maybe that was a bit harsh. It's not that I don't think Stull should necessarily be the starter. I just wish it was as open a competition as I thought it was supposed to be.
Later in the same article, offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti appears to think it IS indeed open:
The news that Stull was called the starter by Wannstedt was a bit of a surprise to Sunseri, who said offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti is treating the quarterback position as "open competition."
"We are all trying to help each other every day," Sunseri said. "Whatever we can do to help the team is what we're going to try and do, and whoever can do it the best is going to be able to play. And coach Cignetti is very, very into that about that competition."
Wannstedt also thinks Dion Lewis is looking sharp - further possibly supporting my mild reach of predicting him as the Big East Rookie of the Year.
Meanwhile, Paul Zeise answers a question about Bostick possibly taking a redshirt in the Q&A - this is something I've thought about many times since Wannstedt burned....(I mean, used...I guess there's no good way to say it)....his redshirt.
I wouldn't be against it since they already redshirted Sunseri and can't do it again IF they are convinced Sunseri can be the backup. Why not redshirt Bostick if you can this year and allow him to have two years of eligibility? If they don't redshirt him and again burn his eligibility for a game or whatever, then I'll be convinced they are just trying to get him out of Pitt. If Stull plays most of the season and they are convinced Tino can handle the backup role, then there's no reason not to.
Dennis Dodd predicts Pitt to finish third in the conference, though he thinks a win vs. NC State could be part of a 6-0 start.
Zeise also discusses the scrimmage, Dion Lewis, and the kickers (among other things) in his blog.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Camp Kikakee Continues
Pat Bostick says all the right things about potentially not being Pitt's starter this year:
"I'd like my role to be the starting quarterback," said Bostick, who has become one of the team leaders over the past two years. "But I still have a job to do every day even if I am not. I think some guys, if they are not the starter, they let their foot off the gas but that is not the case with me.
"Your opportunity can come at a moment's notice and it is one play. One moment's notice an injury happens and you are out there playing and you have to be ready. What really motivates me is that this university made an investment in me to do a job and I've got to do it."
There are an awful lot of injuries and Dan Mason makes headway to gain the starting spot at middle linebacker...I'd still have to see it to believe it.
Meanwhile, my worst fears continue to be confirmed, as the Big East inks a deal with the Champs Sports Bowl.
Oh, and there's a pretty important scrimmage in case you haven't heard.
"I'd like my role to be the starting quarterback," said Bostick, who has become one of the team leaders over the past two years. "But I still have a job to do every day even if I am not. I think some guys, if they are not the starter, they let their foot off the gas but that is not the case with me.
"Your opportunity can come at a moment's notice and it is one play. One moment's notice an injury happens and you are out there playing and you have to be ready. What really motivates me is that this university made an investment in me to do a job and I've got to do it."
There are an awful lot of injuries and Dan Mason makes headway to gain the starting spot at middle linebacker...I'd still have to see it to believe it.
Meanwhile, my worst fears continue to be confirmed, as the Big East inks a deal with the Champs Sports Bowl.
Oh, and there's a pretty important scrimmage in case you haven't heard.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
A Controvery Brewing?
Paul Zeise makes it clear that while he isn't ready to declare a QB controversy outright, he does believe that Stull has had some competition - and not from Bostick, who some believed might be able to challenge him:
Let's put it into golf terms, since, the PGA is currently going on and well, you know who is a virtual lock to win it.....
But say for instance, Bill Stull began camp with a big lead, say he was at -10 over Pat Bostick at -6 and Tino Sunseri at -4.
Well, so far through five holes on the final round, Stull is about three over par (or -7 for the event), Bostick is about one over (or -5) and Sunseri is about two under (or -6 and surging).....In other words, stay tuned to this one because the back nine is going to get very, very interesting.
Meanwhile, despite getting more work as of late, Wannstedt says that Bostick is still #2 on the depth chart - for now:
For the second day in a row, redshirt freshman Tino Sunseri took more reps than junior Pat Bostick with the second unit. Sunseri ended the red-zone drills with a pair of crisp touchdown passes. Wannstedt said nothing has changed on the depth chart. Sunseri and Bostick are backing up Stull, who had another rough day.
As I mentioned earlier, the biggest question is whether Wannstedt will let go of his 'comfort zone' in Stull and give he job to a fairly inexperienced starter of what could be a conference championships team.
Meanwhile, ESPN The Magazine talks about the QB issue and gives its Big East conference preview (Must be an insider to view article).
Let's put it into golf terms, since, the PGA is currently going on and well, you know who is a virtual lock to win it.....
But say for instance, Bill Stull began camp with a big lead, say he was at -10 over Pat Bostick at -6 and Tino Sunseri at -4.
Well, so far through five holes on the final round, Stull is about three over par (or -7 for the event), Bostick is about one over (or -5) and Sunseri is about two under (or -6 and surging).....In other words, stay tuned to this one because the back nine is going to get very, very interesting.
Meanwhile, despite getting more work as of late, Wannstedt says that Bostick is still #2 on the depth chart - for now:
For the second day in a row, redshirt freshman Tino Sunseri took more reps than junior Pat Bostick with the second unit. Sunseri ended the red-zone drills with a pair of crisp touchdown passes. Wannstedt said nothing has changed on the depth chart. Sunseri and Bostick are backing up Stull, who had another rough day.
As I mentioned earlier, the biggest question is whether Wannstedt will let go of his 'comfort zone' in Stull and give he job to a fairly inexperienced starter of what could be a conference championships team.
Meanwhile, ESPN The Magazine talks about the QB issue and gives its Big East conference preview (Must be an insider to view article).
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Day Four Events
Day Four of Pitt brought a somewhat disturbing picture of the QB situation:
I had written after the first two days that the quarterbacks threw the ball well and they did. But I also cautioned they were throwing in 7 v 7's and without a pass rush. Well, yesterday the defense turned up the heat a little bit and it all came crumbling down.
Starter Bill Stull looked a lot like the player who ended last season and Tino Sunseri looked a lot like a second-year player. And Pat Bostick was the odd-man out yesterday as he barely participated in any of the team stuff as he and Sunseri will be alternating days to get the bulk of the work with the second team.
This key question remains for me - Is there any way Stull will not start the season as he Pitt QB. It seems more and more unlikely the closer we get to the first game. As mediocre (and sometimes downright bad) as he was last year, he seems to be the 'safe' choice - to Wannstedt at least. I think he figures the defense looks great and he really only needs someone to manage the games at this point. And who better to manage the games than an experienced Senior?
I'm not sure that's the way he should be thinking. In fact I'm pretty sure it's not. But nonetheless, that's where I believe he's at.
I had written after the first two days that the quarterbacks threw the ball well and they did. But I also cautioned they were throwing in 7 v 7's and without a pass rush. Well, yesterday the defense turned up the heat a little bit and it all came crumbling down.
Starter Bill Stull looked a lot like the player who ended last season and Tino Sunseri looked a lot like a second-year player. And Pat Bostick was the odd-man out yesterday as he barely participated in any of the team stuff as he and Sunseri will be alternating days to get the bulk of the work with the second team.
This key question remains for me - Is there any way Stull will not start the season as he Pitt QB. It seems more and more unlikely the closer we get to the first game. As mediocre (and sometimes downright bad) as he was last year, he seems to be the 'safe' choice - to Wannstedt at least. I think he figures the defense looks great and he really only needs someone to manage the games at this point. And who better to manage the games than an experienced Senior?
I'm not sure that's the way he should be thinking. In fact I'm pretty sure it's not. But nonetheless, that's where I believe he's at.
Monday, January 5, 2009
They're Back
Plenty of interesting football tidbits from Wannstedt's final press conference of the year that kind of came in under the radar after the news of Pitt's #1 basketball ranking.
For starters, it appears both Shady AND Cavanaugh will be back. Many fans might take this as a 'good news / bad news' situation. Obviously, McCoy back can only be seen as a huge positive:
Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt said today during his season-ending news conference that he expects standout tailback Lesean McCoy to return for his junior season next year. Wannstedt said McCoy and his family had contemplated him leaving school early and declaring for the NFL draft but that all parties decided the best thing would be for McCoy to return to school for at least one more season.
Cavanaugh, however, is kind of a different story...although Wannstedt was quick to point out that he is solidly behind him:
Wannstedt also said there will be no changes on the coaching staff and fully endorsed the job which was done by embattled offensive coordinator Matt Cavanaugh, particularly with regards to his work with the Panthers quarterbacks.
"Matt has forgotten more about coaching quarterbacks than most of the other guys out there will ever know," Wannstedt said. "And you can quote me on that one."
You can tell he was dying to get that last line in. I don't know. I'm sure Cavanaugh through his playing career and coaching career alone has learned quite a bit. However, his showing in the Sun Bowl certainly didn't help an already rough relationship with fans. He may know quite a bit, but it would be hard for even his strongest supporters to fully support his play calling this year. McCoy saw far too few opportunities in the first half of the bowl game and when Stull struggled on the deep balls and fade routes, it looked like more quick/screen passes might have helped...anything to move the ball. It's hard to be an expert just watching the game on tv, but to score zero points in a bowl game against a suspect defense is borderline inexcusable.
Other tidbits include Stull remaining the starter heading into the Spring, but it will basically be an open competition:
"Tino Sunseri is going to get a hard, hard look this spring, and so is Pat Bostick and so will Billy. We're going to be more demanding at that position than we've ever been because I think we all know that for us to take the next step, we've got to be more productive there and it's going to take a bigger commitment on my part, a bigger commitment on Matt Cavanaugh's part and a bigger commitment on our players' part for that to happen."
I don't think the QB news surprises anyone. Wannstedt clearly isn't too high on Bostick right now. However, it appears the futures of Kevan Smith and Greg Cross may be up in the air for now.
TE Nate Byham (shoulder) and CB Jared Holley (arthroscopic knee) will also apparently undergo surgery while Tackle Jason Pinkston will have an MRI to determine if he needs shoulder surgery.
For starters, it appears both Shady AND Cavanaugh will be back. Many fans might take this as a 'good news / bad news' situation. Obviously, McCoy back can only be seen as a huge positive:
Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt said today during his season-ending news conference that he expects standout tailback Lesean McCoy to return for his junior season next year. Wannstedt said McCoy and his family had contemplated him leaving school early and declaring for the NFL draft but that all parties decided the best thing would be for McCoy to return to school for at least one more season.
Cavanaugh, however, is kind of a different story...although Wannstedt was quick to point out that he is solidly behind him:
Wannstedt also said there will be no changes on the coaching staff and fully endorsed the job which was done by embattled offensive coordinator Matt Cavanaugh, particularly with regards to his work with the Panthers quarterbacks.
"Matt has forgotten more about coaching quarterbacks than most of the other guys out there will ever know," Wannstedt said. "And you can quote me on that one."
You can tell he was dying to get that last line in. I don't know. I'm sure Cavanaugh through his playing career and coaching career alone has learned quite a bit. However, his showing in the Sun Bowl certainly didn't help an already rough relationship with fans. He may know quite a bit, but it would be hard for even his strongest supporters to fully support his play calling this year. McCoy saw far too few opportunities in the first half of the bowl game and when Stull struggled on the deep balls and fade routes, it looked like more quick/screen passes might have helped...anything to move the ball. It's hard to be an expert just watching the game on tv, but to score zero points in a bowl game against a suspect defense is borderline inexcusable.
Other tidbits include Stull remaining the starter heading into the Spring, but it will basically be an open competition:
"Tino Sunseri is going to get a hard, hard look this spring, and so is Pat Bostick and so will Billy. We're going to be more demanding at that position than we've ever been because I think we all know that for us to take the next step, we've got to be more productive there and it's going to take a bigger commitment on my part, a bigger commitment on Matt Cavanaugh's part and a bigger commitment on our players' part for that to happen."
I don't think the QB news surprises anyone. Wannstedt clearly isn't too high on Bostick right now. However, it appears the futures of Kevan Smith and Greg Cross may be up in the air for now.
TE Nate Byham (shoulder) and CB Jared Holley (arthroscopic knee) will also apparently undergo surgery while Tackle Jason Pinkston will have an MRI to determine if he needs shoulder surgery.
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