Submit your Pitt football question

Q: Paul, here's a light and fluffy question you probably haven't heard in a few weeks ... now that Pitt is close or quite possibly has turned the corner do you think we can get the school colors back? In all seriousness, is this to much to ask? I'm not even asking for the script logo just the colors! Why does the school leadership hate royal blue so much?

Ryan Kennedy, Savannah, Ga.

ZEISE: C'mon now -- this team is 4-1. Don't you know that once the team starts winning all questions about logos, colors and music become irrelevant. But believe it or not I am a fan of the script and the old colors, I just think it is something Pitt fans need to let go of at some point. And the uniforms they wear now, I think they are fine -- they are uniforms for goodness sakes. I will also say this for anyone who is trying to convince themselves that script is Pitt's tradition -- the Panthers played football for something like 80 years before they ever put on the script and they won eight of their nine national championships (at least the nine they claim) wearing something other than the script.

Q: With two weeks to prepare for Navy, do you think the coaches will place more emphasis on improving the passing game, working on the development of newer players(Baldwin, Nix, Cross, etc) or focusing on the Navy rushing attack?

Ryan Ross, Philadelphia

ZEISE: No, I think they'll put more emphasis on stopping Navy -- something the Panthers failed to do last year -- than trying to change what is working right now on offense. Pitt doesn't need gimmicks, new personnel or anything else on offense -- it has been balanced and it is improving and the Panthers should be able to score some points against the Midshipmen. The thing is, the way Navy plays offense, there are going to be limited possesions in the game so Pitt needs to find a way to score points, whether it is the pass or the run. But any time you play against Navy, it is all about your defense stopping their offense and that's what Pitt needs to focus on. If you can stop the Midshipmen a few times here and there and force them to punt or stop them on a fourth down, you give yourselves a chance because their defense isn't very good so you can score some points on them.

Q: Paul, I look at this years defensive roster and I see a lot of the same names from last year. Aside from a year's worth of experience, what does this team have this year that will stop Navy's triple option?

Erik Wirtner, Las Vegas

ZEISE: Well first off -- very few teams have a lot of success against Navy. This is a team that averages 29 points and 313 yards rushing per game -- there is not a good way to "stop" this team. Like I said before, if you can force a few punts, it should feel like a win. Navy is going to score at least 21 or even 24 points almost every game, so Pitt's focus needs to be on slowing them down, perhaps forcing a turnover or two and getting them into third and long if possible. If you remember last year, that dive play killed Pitt on first and second down and it seemed like Navy was constantly in third-and-2 or better and with that offense, they will make that almost every time. But having a year's experience is a key as is the fact that Pitt has seen the cut blocking that Navy's line does and Pitt already has an example of a defensive game plan that does not work. One of Navy's biggest advantages is teams just don't see that offense and so they only have one week to prepare for it all season and that's tough to do. And the way the offensive line blocks and cuts, it is something that until you play against it, you have no idea how effective it is. Most of these guys have played against Navy now and will have a better feel for the precision with which the Midshipmen run their offense.