For Pitt, the special teams came under the microscope today. Kick Returner/WR Terrell Allen came in for a tough but fair piece.
The two plays highlighted Allen’s potential — and his shortcomings.
A lapse in concentration led to Allen’s fumble on the opening kick. His speed and athleticism allowed him to tear off a 97-yard return on the second kick.
And a streak of immaturity was why Allen was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct on his long runback for a score.
“Did you see the first kickoff? And did you see what he did when he scored the touchdown?” Panthers coach Dave Wannstedt said. “That’s why he’s not a consistent receiver.”
It’s also the reason Allen was kept far away from reporters after the game and during scheduled interview sessions this week.
In the mind of the coaching staff, Allen’s biggest crime Thursday was not having slippery fingers near the goal line. It was taking a swan dive into the end zone as he scored to tie the game 7-7.
“That was a very poor decision and not a team-based decision,” special teams coach Charlie Partridge said. “That will get you taken off the field a lot quicker than a mishandled kick.”
I imagine Allen feels quite frustrated himself, at this point. A high potential recruit who came on late in his freshman year in the return game in 2003, and expected to be fighting for a starting WR job in 2004. Instead, gets injured in the spring and has to miss the entire season. Gets injured again during the off-season practices and again falls behind many other wide receivers. Doesn’t even get to return kicks until about halfway through the season. Not what anyone foresaw.
The other article on the special teams highlights other negatives to date, but does try to note the positives.
While negative plays have gotten most of the attention, the special teams have contributed plenty of positive plays, too. Place-kicker Josh Cummings is having another spectacular season after having knee surgery after the Nebraska game, punt returner Darrelle Revis has been excellent all season and Allen has been a good kick returner.
The Panthers also have returned two kickoffs and a punt for a touchdown, marking the first time they have had at least one of each since 1977. Pitt also is one of three Division I-A teams (TCU and North Carolina) to have two kickoffs returned for a touchdown this year.
So, there is that.
Of course, there is another wide receiver having a tough year.
Even if it hasn’t been a particularly good year to be a UConn wide receiver, Jason Williams won’t admit it.
To do so would be akin to pointing fingers or shirking responsibility and that’s not Williams’ style.
Williams leads the Huskies with 25 receptions. It’s a total well below the expectations he had for himself coming into his senior year.
Williams is also from McKeesport, so he has been looking forward to this game.
It looks like UConn won’t name their starting QB until game time. As indicated by having Jason Williams, the trip to Pittsburgh is an important recruiting trip for UConn.
“We recruit a lot in western Pennsylvania. (Defensive coordinator) Todd Orlando, who’s from Central Catholic High School out there in Pittsburgh, has recruited that area since we’ve been here,” Edsall said. “We’ve been able to get some quality student-athletes to come here and contribute to our program.
“It’s always going to be an area that we recruit. It’s a tough area to recruit because of the … teams that are out there (recruiting) in that area — all the Big Ten teams, and really, everybody in the country.”
Now, if only we could return the favor occasionally with some of their basketball talent.
Coach Wannstedt was not even publicly bothered by H.B. Blades’ comments from yesterday. No reason he should. Defensive Coordinator Paul Rhoads, though, seemed to indicate that he would have preferred a little more discretion.
