With training camp over with the final scrimmage (Um, what is the real difference between “training camp” and the practices that will be taking place for the next week and a half — I mean other than preparing directly for USF and a #$&*ing spread offense? Shut up and don’t ask such stupid questions!) yesterday, what have we learned?
I’ll come back to that in a later post. Right now, the stories of the day.
No puff pieces today. The primary in both papers is Greg Lee playing in the scrimmage and a bit of tension between Coach Harris and the teams expected #1 WR. Lee said part of the problem in his length of sitting out was that there was a mis-diagnosis in his injury. They originally thought it was in the hamstring, and worked that but it turned out to be in the quad. Harris still thinks Lee was just trying to duck working. This is hardly the stuff of Antonio Bryant prima donna act, but after being spoiled the last couple years by Fitzgerald’s otherworldly level of professionalism and maturity it doesn’t look great. In the other piece, there is a question of double standards asked regarding Tim Murphy’s injury, but not being questioned. Harris dismissed such a question because Murphy is a senior, a “hard-nosed player… [and] a tough guy,” who has proved himself.
Zeise’s notebook focuses on the decision on QB. No predictions. A live panther, named Shasta, was at the scrimmage yesterday for some pictures and video with the coach and players. We can expect to see it on the jumbotron at the games this year.
Bendel notes some of the one-on-one activity during the scrimmage. He also observes that the O-line was makeshift because of injuries.
That leads to Starkey’s column. Depth will be a real issue this year. Pitt is thin at many places, but more so on the lines. Starkey takes Coach Harris to task for the number of misses right in his own back yard.
Derry Area’s Kyle Schmitt is the starting center at Maryland and one of the more respected linemen in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Mt. Lebanon’s Justin Geisinger is Vanderbilt’s starting left tackle and team captain.
Mt. Lebanon’s Bob Whitaker, a 320-pound right guard, was a Sporting News freshman All-American at Kansas.
Thomas Jefferson’s Tyler Reed arguably is Penn State’s best linemen and plays next to North Hills’ Andrew Richardson.
Washington’s Dan Mozes, a sophomore guard at West Virginia, is regarded as a certain NFL draft pick.
The list goes on.
…
But the overriding factors are Pitt’s failure to attract enough talent and to develop the talent on hand.
He doesn’t actually make the point except on Mozes, but he is indicating with these players that Pitt hasn’t looked for the diamonds in the rough at the line. Pitt can’t get the blue-chip linemen yet.
Starkey credits Harris for finally realizing the importance of the lines by the hiring of a new tackle and tight end coach and a new strength coach. The problem, he thinks, is that it might already be too late for Harris. The pressure on Harris is already big. Pitt is going to have to win 2 of its first 3 games, to start bringing it down. No small task.
