Not a transcript, but the official Pitt release of quotes from Coach Walt Harris after the second day of practice (PDF version). What can be gleaned from them?

Well, it looks like freshman QB Darrell Strong has a live arm that has been wowing the media, but Harris keeps dousing their ardor. On a larger point, it suggests that Harris would never want to start a freshman QB. He feels there is too much to learn and absorb in his system to ever consider starting one. It’s probably true for Harris, and it may be what keep him from getting a top blue chip QB recruit until he sends one to the NFL in the first or second round. I see that as yet another reason why Harris will want Palko to win the starter’s job.

Fullback Tim Murphy will see a good amount of time at the tailback position because of the loss of Walker because of academics. This suggests that Harris doesn’t see Walker making up the academic problems in time for the season.

Let the hate mail to Stewart Mandel at SI.com commence. His Big East preview is now out. He has Pitt tied with Syracuse at 5-6 (3-3 in Big East) at #5 in the conference. UConn and Rutgers at 3 and 4 Not a lot of details on the why and how he thinks this way. Here is one of his 3 burning questions.

Is Walt Harris’ job in jeopardy?
Despite taking the Panthers to four straight bowl games — they were 11-34 the four years prior to his arrival — the ninth-year head coach took some serious heat last season when a team with preseason BCS aspirations finished 8-5. Things won’t get any easier this fall having to replace 13 starters.

I would say Paul Pasqualoni at Syracuse is on a hotter seat. I think, even if Harris finishes 5-6 he gets one more year (especially if recruiting improves over this past year) . Side notes that may only interest me: they still used the Carrier Dome logo for Syracuse, rather than the interlocking SU. Pitt’s logo is just a blue-gold blob.

First day of practice and media day for the team. A couple articles summarizing a lot of what was said at Coach Harris’ press conference yesterday. Except for Greg Lee, it is wide open at the WR position. Even the freshmen have a shot. And while he may only be the kicker, superficially it looks like we have found the guy to take over for R.J. English as the one to get the fans to say, “Dude.”

It was surf on turf – or so it seemed – when junior college kicker Josh Cummings
removed his helmet at the indoor practice facility. Cummings is a California kid
and he sports long, blonde locks.

Tez Morris looked good in practice. Even the freshman QB looked good in practice today. As if Palko v. Getsy wasn’t enough for some.

As said, this was media day, and the one chance this pre-season for the media to actually get to talk to Palko and Getsy. Well, at least Palko.

Microphones and tape recorders surrounded Palko as soon as he became
available. No less than 15 reporters swarmed the redshirt sophomore from West
Allegheny High.

Getsy, meanwhile, stood 20 yards away, by himself at the outset.
Several minutes went by before a reporter talked to the redshirt sophomore from
Steel Valley High.

Think the local media has picked a favorite? Apparently there were a lot of questions asked of each trying to get them to critique the other’s game. Kind of a cheap way to generate more controversy. Thankfully, neither took the bait.

Another article played up their similarities. Right down to the same score playing golf together. Getsy insisted, though, that he isn’t leaving for Akron if he doesn’t get the job. Isn’t togetherness swell?

Of course, Coach Harris dismissed the idea that he likes having a QB controversy. Everyone is thinking about the 2000 season, when he yo-yo’d Turman and Priestley around from week to week. In fact, Harris’s QB issues are the subject of Smizik’s column. And Smizik looks to be going after Walt this season:

He is not, he insisted, a serial quarterback manipulator.

During a 34-minute interview session, for which he was 12 minutes late,
Harris steadfastly maintained he does not stay awake at night plotting ways to
jerk around quarterbacks.

His life’s mission, he said, is not to make miserable the players at
the very position he most cherishes.

Could have fooled a lot of people.

A 12 minute delay is worth mentioning? I think you can call that petty nitpicking. Smizik all but declared in the column that this is 2000 all over again for the QB position. Quite honestly, this article seems more than a little premature. The plain fact is, neither Palko or Getsy has been able to create much separation to make the clear case for starting one over the other. It would be nice, but it hasn’t happened.

While I want a clear starter decided before the USF game, I sure as hell want to make sure the back-up actually gets playing time. That is one of my biggest beefs with Harris over the last couple years. He never took Rutherford out of games. That meant not giving Palko in 2002 or Getsy in 2003 any real game experience — even when the games were clearly decided. That is part of why no matter who gets the starting nod, game experience is a major issue.

Final piece, a column from Starkey at the Trib. On the subject of Harris’ press conference, what a “downer.”

By the time the half-hour session ended, you wanted to flick on the local
news for a quick pick-me-up.

Harris started by labeling the coming season a “challenge.” He got that
right. It’ll kick off with five games in 25 days, hardly the ideal itinerary for
a club that’ll be greener than The Incredible Hulk.

The coach then spoke sadly of receiver Princell Brockenbrough, who might
miss the season with a knee injury. Speedy receiver Terrell Allen will join
Brockenbrough on the sidelines.

Furthermore, Harris explained, heralded recruit Craig Bokor is off to prep
school, and potential starters Jawan Walker (tailback) and Josh Lay (cornerback)
are having academic problems and “working on their eligibility,” whatever that
means.

No clarification was needed on the heavy losses Pitt has sustained. Larry
Fitzgerald, Brandon Miree, Kris Wilson, Shawntae Spencer and Rod Rutherford —
not to mention Anthony Morelli and Andrew Johnson — all have moved on.

Any more good news?

After recapping all the negatives, Starkey pointed out that Pitt could still end the season with 8 wins. It’s the schedule, baby. Starkey then notes that Pitt could just as easily end up 4-7 as 8-3. Somewhat along the lines of what I noted that the schedule isn’t difficult, but it isn’t necessarily going to be easy for Pitt this year. Of course, if Harris goes 4-7, he is toast.