Funny thing. The Steelers play a big game on Sunday, and on Monday there isn’t much on Pitt.
From the throwback game. Game worn jerseys, pants and helmets are on the auction block. All money goes to the Pitt Panther Club Athletic Scholarship Fund.
Senior Running Back Ray Kirkley, gets a puff piece. The focus is on his hard work and perseverance to once again earn the starting job.
So it was not a shock to him that, despite being the most experienced tailback heading into spring, he was not considered a favorite to win the starting job. By the end of spring, he was behind a freshman, Rashad Jennings, on the depth chart.
He fell behind sophomore Brandon Mason and Tim Murphy, and when true freshman LaRod Stephens-Howling got to campus for training camp, he vaulted Kirkley as well.
But as has been the case with Kirkley throughout his career, he never got down. He just worked harder and made sure every time he touched the ball, he ran harder than any other back and made coaches take notice of every carry.
His approach has paid off again. Four games into the season, he is the Panthers’ leading rusher and has been their most consistent performer on offense. Mason and Jennings have been bothered by injuries and Murphy has moved to fullback.
As the article notes, he is also the only RB who is not or has not been dinged up to any level this season.
Kirkley has really benefited from Coach Wannstedt emphasizing that the team get faster and leaner. Shedding some of the pounds has really increased his speed — hitting the hole, cutting and turning corners. It has made a big difference from last year, when at times he just seemed to be unable to make that cut or generate any speed.
Sophomore Tight End Darrell Strong also comes in for a puff piece on his growing role in the offense. Coach Wannstedt sees Strong as one of the potential playmakers on offense.
“Darrell Strong is a little bit like (running back) LaRod Stephens-Howling,” Wannstedt said. “We have a handful of guys, in my opinion, that give us an opportunity to make a big play. He’s one of those guys.
“Darrell has the ability to make the great finger-tip catch, and he’s probably a better runner with the ball in his hands than we give him credit for. But he’s just going through that whole transition.”
Strong has struggled to get on the field at time because he has not exactly been an enthusiastic blocker. Given the preferences for running the ball by Coaches Cavanaugh and Wannstedt, the TEs need to be willing and eager to block. Since I didn’t see the game on Saturday, I didn’t see how often Strong was in the game. In the first 3, though, the only times he was on the field it was a given that the ball was going to him. Pitt is going to have to show some more variety as conference play begins.
I wanted to write about this yesterday, but I was traveling back from a family visit in Pennsylvania. Top RB recruit, LeSean McCoy suffered a compound fracture to his ankle.
“I heard it pop,” McCoy said from his emergency room station at the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. “I was like, ‘What was that?'”
What it was was a broken ankle, one that required surgery late yesterday afternoon to repair ligament damage of undetermined severity and to strengthen the fracture. According to McCoy’s father, Ron, doctors said McCoy will have to stay off the ankle for 8-12 weeks before beginning rehabilitation.
McCoy has a long road back — if ever fully. While he recently eliminated Pitt from consideration, I wouldn’t wish this on a Penn State player. Hopefully one of the schools that offered him will still honor the scholarship offer, and give him a chance to at least get a college degree.
