Um, how shall I put this:

S–t, p–s, m———-r, c–t, c——–r, f–k, d–k

Yeah. That about sums things up for the second half effort against Louisville.

Pitt found some new and innovative ways to dig holes in the first half, and while they didn’t appear to be so big initially, they caught up in the second half.

I’ve seen better run defense at a metamucil convention.

Highly frustrating.

Comment away at the game tonight.

Not only have I yet to find anyone picking Pitt in this game, I’m not sure I’ve found anyone willing to simply pick Pitt against the 21 point spread. In USA Today, they predict a 45-20 Louisville win.

Bruce Feldman on his ESPN.com blog (Insider Subs.) is virtually identical.

Louisville 45, Pitt 21: Only Syracuse has a worst run D in the Big East than Pitt, that should make the Cardinal RBs very happy.

This is the first prediction that actually has taken notice of this issue. More than the passing attack of Louisville, this concerns me. What killed Pitt’s defense in the Rutgers game, wasn’t the passing game. It was not being able to stop the run — especially at key points. They’d get Rutgers in a 3rd and long, and if they ran you knew they were going to get it. I like Pitt’s secondary against the Louisville receivers, especially with Urrutia not in the game to help stretch the field. Pitt is going to have to put men in the box to stop Michael Bush and Kolby Smith.

Louisville DE Elvis Dumervil gets a piece in USA Today.

It seems people remain shocked that Pitt has not yet had any commits bail or “reopen their recruiting” for the recruiting class of 2006.

For months many believed that Pittsburgh’s highly- ranked recruiting class would be losing some commitments considering the rough season, but things are still looking solid.

Early pledges like offensive lineman Joe Thomas and cornerback Ricky Gary say they’re not going anywhere. Gary is even helping out in the recruitment of Panther targets like Pahokee, Fla., teammate Tamarcus Porter

Gary’s solid commitment seems to be the theme with most committed Panthers.

“I’m not backing out on Pitt because I feel like I can come in and play,” Gary said. “I think I’ll get out there. The coaches, they tell me they want to use me on special teams and stuff, so I’m ready to play.”

Quarterback Dexter Davidson also sees something building at Pittsburgh and wants to be part of that process. Nate Nix, who’s having a huge season for his high school team, is also ready to come in and help the team get to the top echelon of college programs.

The Panthers are not just on damage control with commitments. They’re also still making noise with some very top prospects who could be deciding in the near future.

Syracuse (N.Y.) Christian Brothers defensive end McKenzie Mathews is expected to have his final list of schools done in a few months and the Panthers don’t look like they’re going anywhere. Defensive tackle Jared Martin says Pitt is still high on his list after the latest trip to Colorado.

Cornerback Bryan Williams, a 2005 signee who is at Valley Forge Military Academy this year, is expected to also give a boost for Pitt in the team recruiting rankings but he may not arrive at Pitt until 2007 because he’s in a two-year program at Valley Forge.

Last week, Pitt also added another commit from junior college safety Lowell Robinson.

Not only is Pitt hanging on to their top committed players, but they are also making headway to possibly move up a few spots before things are all said and done.

This week, Rivals.com has Pitt ranked #12 in the nation for their recruiting class.

I’m not totally sure why people are shocked. Coach Wannstedt, for all the shots he takes, is a hell of a charismatic guy with people. You don’t exactly hear anyone rip him for his personality or demeanor (just his game planning and Xs and Os). One thing he seems to have done very well in recruiting is not just try to get more kids, but keep up excellent contact with the ones who have already committed. He seems to have immediately understood the importance of hand-holding. Also, unlike the watershed 2003 mayhem, there is no longer utter chaos and questions regarding the Big East and the BCS for the immediated future. That was a big factor, and something other schools could easily exploit against Pitt.

Hmm, so that’s what happened to Bryan Williams. Williams was supposed to be a good get for the defense, with great upside from Akron’s Buchtel High, but on signing day he didn’t. Now we know why. Good to see that Pitt still looks to have him on board at some point.

Kevin Gorman has recruiting notes within the WPIAL. Pitt looks to be heavily involved in several other players who have rising stock.

Greg Doyel at Sportsline.com previews the Big East. He puts Pitt at #7 but in the NIT. He only sees 6 BE teams making it to the dance. Kind of a surprise.

NIT or bust: The Panthers are going to struggle to reach the NCAA Tournament for a myriad of reasons: (1) C Chris Taft and PF Chevon Troutman are gone. (2) The early season schedule is too easy, which will drag down Pittsburgh’s RPI to the point that (3) a break-even record in the Big East might not be enough to impress the NCAA selection committee. That said, Pittsburgh has some nice pieces in place beginning with Krauser, who wisely put off his career overseas, and Gray, who could match Taft’s sophomore production if he can stay out of foul trouble. That’s a big if, though, because of Gray’s lack of mobility. The Panthers will get a boost from a strong freshman class led by SF Sam Young, PF Tyrell Biggs and future starting PG Levance Fields.

I realize, the bar for Pitt’s non-con is kind of low, but it is far better than it has been. I think by mid-season, the RPI on it will be better than expected. Of course, Pitt has to do very well in the Non-Con — beating either South Carolina or Wisconsin — and winning the rest.

Greg Doyel at Sportsline.com previews the Big East. He puts Pitt at #7 but in the NIT. He only sees 6 BE teams making it to the dance. Kind of a surprise.

NIT or bust: The Panthers are going to struggle to reach the NCAA Tournament for a myriad of reasons: (1) C Chris Taft and PF Chevon Troutman are gone. (2) The early season schedule is too easy, which will drag down Pittsburgh’s RPI to the point that (3) a break-even record in the Big East might not be enough to impress the NCAA selection committee. That said, Pittsburgh has some nice pieces in place beginning with Krauser, who wisely put off his career overseas, and Gray, who could match Taft’s sophomore production if he can stay out of foul trouble. That’s a big if, though, because of Gray’s lack of mobility. The Panthers will get a boost from a strong freshman class led by SF Sam Young, PF Tyrell Biggs and future starting PG Levance Fields.

I realize, the bar for Pitt’s non-con is kind of low, but it is far better than it has been. I think by mid-season, the RPI on it will be better than expected. Of course, Pitt has to do very well in the Non-Con — beating either South Carolina or Wisconsin — and winning the rest.

In fashion news, the Cardinals are rumored to be wearing black jerseys for the game rather than red. I realize “Walk the Line” is coming out, but the folks in Kentucky do realize Johnny Cash was born in Arkansas don’t they? The Cardinals seem to be talking more about showing the country who they are than just winning the game.

So are the Cards. Several U of L players said they view this game as a chance to regain national respect they lost with the two losses. The Cards will be healthier than they have been in a month with the return of two starters, running back Kolby Smith and outside linebacker Abe Brown.

“There’s no question this is a night when everybody’s watching, and it’s a chance to show what you can do,” Dumervil said. “We want to show that we’re still a good football team.”

Their fans are confident that they can blow-out Pitt at the Pizza Park, and CollegeFootballNews.com is predicting the same.

When I say “ball-control offense,” do you think about time of possession, controlling the clock and slow drives down field? Yeah, me too. So how this article can claim that about Louisville when they average more than 40 points a game and are second last in the BE in time of possession?

Louisville’s offense is more ball control rather than one that utilizes a vertical passing game. The Cardinals, though, have made their share of big plays, thanks to Brohm. He has completed nearly 70 percent of his passes for 2,102 yards and 14 touchdowns with just three interceptions. Six players have double-digit receptions, and 14 have caught at least one pass.

Louisville’s running game is solid, with Michael Bush as the featured back. A bruising, 6-foot-3, 250-pound running back, Bush has 813 yards rushing and 18 touchdowns. He runs behind a primary veteran line that averages about 6-5 and 310 pounds.

That O-line also explains why their QB has only been sacked 9 times this season. They provide excellent protection for Brian Brohm. Brohm is statistically one of the best QBs in the country will, of course, be facing the pre-season All-Big East QB, who really doesn’t care.

In 2004, Palko earned the mantle of the Big East’s top quarterback with a sizzling sophomore season. This year, Brohm was expected to do the same.

What better time to do it than in the first meeting of Pitt and Louisville as Big East foes?

“He can be the top dog, it don’t matter to me,” Palko said, grinning. “I’m going to play football, and whatever happens, happens. I don’t look at it as a personal battle. I’ve got too many other things to worry about than to worry about what he’s doing.”

So, with this game, it seems to be all about what Pitt will do defensively against Louisville.

“This is a monumental task that we have in front of us, no question about it,” [Defensive Coordinator Paul] Rhoads said. “We have a saying and I learned it a long time ago — respect everyone that you face and fear no one. We talk about that from week to week and I promise you we have plenty of respect for what Louisville does as an offensive football team. We might line up and get beat by 40 points in this game, but it won’t be because we’re intimidated or fearful.”

Well, as long as that happens because they weren’t intimidated and fearful. I think I’ll curl into a fetal position now.

A kind of generic AP story on how this game doesn’t have the same sparkle it did before the season actually began.

“All year and all summer we worked hard, and we had this thought that Pittsburgh would be the game that would determine how the season would go,” Louisville wide receiver Joshua Tinch said. “It’s still the game that will determine how our season will go.”

Perhaps, but not for the reasons many expected. Losses by No. 24 Louisville (5-2, 1-2 Big East) and Pitt (4-4, 3-1) have taken some of the luster off the matchup, but the game at Louisville still has bowl implications for both teams.

This theme was already covered on Tuesday.

This piece briefly talks about Coach Wannstedt having patience and persevering this season.

Three decades in coaching have taught Dave Wannstedt the value of patience and a thick skin.

The first-year Pittsburgh coach needed both as the Panthers started the season with four losses in five games, that included an overtime loss to Ohio University and a 7-6 defeat at Nebraska.

“The fans react and the media reacts and you’re either a 10 or a 1. There’s no in between,” Wannstedt said. “I know the expectations were really high, but I don’t think that was set within the university, but I think from the outside all the hype and all the excitement. And that was good. I didn’t once try to stop it. It’s all part of the whole college experience.”

My head starts to hurt every time I try to break down that last quote.

In Joe Starkey’s Big East Notebook for ESPN.com (Insider Subs), he frames the issue correctly for Pitt.

This is the week we find out whether the Panthers (4-4, 3-1) have legitimately improved or whether their three-game winning streak was a function of playing three average-to-bad teams (USF, Cincinnati, Syracuse) at home.

The last two times Pitt faced offenses this powerful — Utah in last year’s Fiesta Bowl and Notre Dame in this year’s opener — it gave up a total of 77 points. Louisville is averaging 64.3 points per game on its home turf and has won nine consecutive home games.

That means two things: Pitt needs to control the ball to keep Louisville’s offense off the field, and the Panthers need a big game from a defensive front that has struggled mightily at times and is battling injuries.
…
Palko, as hot as he has been for most of the past five games, has struggled in first quarters.

“A lot of that is my responsibility,” Cavanaugh said. “I have to put him in situations where he can have some success early — not get hit early. All those things that as a quarterback, you want to have happen early in the game.

“What in the game plan is it you don’t like, you’re not sure of? I’ll make sure not to call that. Sometimes, it has worked well, sometimes it hasn’t. I have to be inside his head, and he has to be inside mine.”

Cavanaugh also explained that it can be a balancing act in trying to manage Palko’s ad-libbing.

“You hate to pull the reins in on a guy who has athletic ability and can make something out of nothing,” he said. “The only answer is, if it’s working, you let it go. There have been times he’s made some decisions I’ve questioned, but he’s gotten away with it. Other times, I have to say, ‘Look, now’s not the time to get too cute.'”

In the notebook on Louisville, he writes that Louisville wants to get off to a fast start so they can have the crowd with them the whole way. Not exactly a shocking plan considering this is their Big East home opener.