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PrintThe Panthers are now 5-1 and on a roll, but I think it is clear now that the schedule gets much tougher from this point forward (Pitt's first six opponents are a combined 22-21, the next six are a combined 24-14). I think most people generally assumed they'd be at 5-1 at this point (though with a win over Bowling Green and the loss coming to South Florida) but the next six games will tell the story of this season -- starting Saturday with Rutgers, which is a much, much trickier game than some people seem to think. The Scarlet Knights haven't been great on offense, but they have a great defense, the best defense Pitt will have faced to this point in the season -- and correct me if I am wrong (I'm not) -- Rutgers has beaten Pitt three years in a row. People who think this will be an easy win are kidding themselves. Rutgers will come to play and will play hard. Unless Bill Stull plays a much better game than he did on Saturday, the Panthers offense is going to really struggle to score enough points to win.
That being said, here is my weekly review of the Navy game, otherwise known as the Good, the Bad and the Ugly -- though it can never ever be as good as the original featuring Blondie, Angel Eyes and Tuco ...
The Good: Pitt fans should enjoy watching LeSean McCoy run the ball because he really is a once-in-a-lifetime talent. He is a special player and once he gets rolling it is amazing to watch. Some people in Navy's press box talked in awe about how he was the best tailback they had seen play at Navy in a long, long time.
And, it goes without saying that the offensive line is really coming together well. I think C.J. Davis said it best when he was asked about the difference between the line last year and this: Coaching, he said. "Paul Dunn was a good coach but Tony Wise is a great teacher and that's what we need," Davis said. The line is firing off the ball and really just becoming a team's strength (though we'll find out a lot more this weekend).
I wonder if anyone out there still questions my previous statements about Jabaal Sheard likely being better than Greg Romeus by the time it is all said and done -- Sheard is becoming a player and the defensive line played extremely well. In fact the defense as a whole played well, was disciplined and tackled well.
Greg Williams also had a big game, and at some point, you'd think Jonathan Baldwin will be able to get the ball thrown his way more than three times a game. Like McCoy, he is a special talent. Henry Hynoski will be a beast as a blocking fullback next year and beyond.
The Bad: Bill Stull has tremendous heart, a lot of grit, a lot of the intangibles and he's a winner, which is why he is the starting quarterback. But he needs to play much better than he did Saturday for Pitt to have a chance to win down the stretch. He missed two wide-open receivers in critical situations again, he threw two terrible interceptions, including one that could have changed the game completely as it was the difference between Pitt being up only 21-14 instead of at the very least 24-7. He also had too many passes batted down and he had several opportunities to tuck the ball and make a few yards but threw bad (and dangerous) passes instead.
Conredge Collins finally got some chance to run the ball and did so effectively -- then he fumbled which means he likely won't see the ball again. The defensive tackle position is suddenly very thin as Tommie Duhart (ankle) was knocked out of the game and Mick Williams (concussion) missed the game.
The Ugly: Personnel decisions are often second-guessed and most of the time for the wrong reasons . But the decisions to not play Elijah Fields -- for even one snap -- and to burn Pat Bostick's redshirt so he can hand off three times and take a knee (and then explain that he needed to "get some work") are both puzzling -- and that is being kind. Bostick was supposed to be the franchise quarterback -- in playing him for three meaningless snaps you've basically told him and the world that he is no longer regarded as that because if he was, you'd want him to have as many years of eligibility to be the starter as possible. And the bottom line is this -- if you don't think that he is the guy for the future, that's fair. And if you think Tino Sunseri is -- and he might not be -- why burn his redshirt -- especially for a guy like Bostick who has done everything they've asked, who works hard and who doesn't embarrass himself or the program? Why not tell him that you're not sure he is the guy and give him the option to transfer somewhere (like a Division I-AA program) and have his three years of eligibility remaining intact. Those three snaps did nothing to "get him ready" in case Stull goes down so it just smells like a "not-very-well thought out" plan. That's especially true when you weigh it against the decision to not play Fields, who is clearly the back-up at safety. But he's played well when he has been put in the games and, unlike Bostick -- who may or may not be needed since quarterback is not a position which is normally substituted unless there is an injury -- Fields has to play in a lot of nickel and dime packages and the bandit package (which obviously against Navy don't come into play), so why not get him in the game and give him a few snaps to keep him sharp and keep him ready. He's a guy who Pitt is going to need at some point this year so not playing him for an entire game -- one in which you held a 42-14 lead and got every other member of your second and some third team members into -- is taking a risk of shaking his confidence.
And one other thing: I have received a number of questions -- too many to count -- about who I think would win in a game between Pitt and Penn State. I might get stoned for saying this but I'm just being honest -- I think Penn State might just be the best team in the country and it won't shock me if Penn State wins the national championship. Certainly the Nittany Lions are the most complete team I have seen in terms of offense, defense and special teams and certainly they have the easiest path to the national championship game given how weak the Big Ten is and the fact that they don't have a conference championship game to get through at the end of the road. But that isn't Penn State's fault -- just like it isn't Texas's fault that they happen to be playing in the Big 12 in a year when it is ridiculously loaded. I think Penn State would beat Pitt -- though it wouldn't be a blowout and the Panthers would make it very interesting because they have the athletes on defense to match up with spread teams -- because the Nittany Lions offense would score a few more points than the Panthers offense. That doesn't mean I don't think Pitt is good -- in fact, I do think Pitt is a very good team and the Panthers will be a tough out for any team they play because of that defense, which is getting better every week -- it just means I think they don't quite have enough to beat a national championship-caliber team yet.
OK, let's get started ...
Q: So Pat Bostick lost his redshirt for three hand-offs and a kneel down? What was the purpose of putting him in? Even if he isn't in their plans for the future anymore it still seems like a waste of a year. How does Pat feel about that decision?
Mike Myorard, Pittsburgh
ZEISE: I addressed this Bostick subject in the ugly section but I guess I should clarify --- technically I suppose Bostick could still redshirt next year and then still have two years to compete for the starting job when Bill Stull graduates, but that doesn't seem likely given that he is the back-up this year and if the story is "the back-up has to be ready to play" -- well why would that change next year? It just wouldn't make sense at this point -- that ship has sailed. And to answer your second question -- I haven't yet talked to Pat but according to Wannstedt, Pat is OK with it and that's good news if it is true.
Q: I am surprised more was not made of the interception that Bill Stull threw in the 2nd quarter in the Navy endzone. I was sitting in the other endzone, and I saw at least two other guys wide open. I also noticed Stull really locks on to his primary receiver and if he can't get open he really struggles. That concerns me and I personally think that Pat Bostick was a much better QB at the end of last season than Stull is now. The rumor at the game was that Bostick is transferring -- have you heard anything?
Joe D., Reading
ZEISE: It was a bad interception and one of those plays that could have been a key to the game had Pitt lost. But since the Panthers pulled away the way they did -- and that interception, though critical at the time, was mostly a footnote and thus it got overlooked. But those are the types of bad throws/decisions that killed Pitt's quarterbacks last year and killed the Panthers chances last year. He has for the most part avoided those kinds of mistakes but he needs to continue to protect the football and not force things. As for your point about Bostick playing better than Stull -- I would respectfully disagree. Stull has been world's better at operating the passing game and avoiding costly interceptions and he has been far better at overcoming mistakes and adversity. I don't think it is even close, to be honest -- the quarterback position is much better this year than it was last year (and that's not to throw Bostick under the bus; he did some good things last year but he was a true freshman who didn't have even one full training camp to prepare for the season).
Q: Is there still a chance for the Pitt-Cincinnati game to be televised? As it stands right now, this game could decide the conference championship and BCS bowl.
Clay Baker, Columbia, Pa.
ZEISE: I would assume that after this week -- if Pitt wins -- the rest of the Panthers games will be picked up by some television network. I'd be careful though about declaring that game as being a conference championship game because there are far too many games left for both teams. And don't forget -- West Virginia won this conference last year and the Mountaineers are still undefeated in conference play and still the team to beat. No, they haven't been impressive -- but they are starting to get on a roll. And then there is South Florida. There is a long way between now and the BCS being handed out so Pitt should focus on just winning games and let the chips fall where they may.
Q: One name that has yet to come up in any of your columns or Q&A's is Robb Houser which is usually a good thing for offensive linemen. I assume that he has been pretty steady. What are your thoughts?
Bill Aloe, Pittsburgh
ZEISE: I've written about him some but you are right -- he has been the unsung player on this team. He has played very well and solidified a position that has been shaky for a few years. He has been very consistent and consistently good. He is an example of excellent recruiting -- there was a need, they went out and found a junior college player who was ready to play and they got him to sign on the dotted line. And the good thing is, the coaching staff will tell you he has been much better than anyone could have imagined. Just a tremendous find of a diamond in the rough.
