While I’ve been happy to point out the many areas where Virginia looks to be weaker and has a lot of questions, there’s no getting around the fact that Pitt seems to have just as many issues.

“There are a lot of circumstances at receiver, so we’re not as deep as I would like to be at the position with guys that have played or with practice time,” Wannstedt said.

“Oderick Turner is going to be an outstanding player. He’s a redshirt freshman, but he’s going to grow up fast. And he’s going to make plays Saturday night.”

Pitt is just as young at running back. Sophomore LaRod Stephens-Howling returns as the starting tailback, but three freshmen — Shane Brooks, Kevin Collier and Dickerson are the backups. Sophomore Conredge Collins and redshirt junior Mark Yezovich are battling for the fullback spot.

“To LaRod’s credit, and our strength program, he’s about 10 pounds heavier than he was a year ago today,” Wannstedt said. “I believe he’s stronger, and he’s plenty tough enough. … But, will we spell him? Yes. … There’s no question that it’s going to be running back by committee.”

There are several other issues for Pitt. The placekicking is not settled due to a lingering hamstring injury to redshirt sophomore Conor Lee. A second walk-on, freshman Dan Hutchins, is battling for the starting spot.

Coach Wannstedt seems to really want to give the job to Lee, as he keeps holding the window open, but Lee’s hammy doesn’t seem to want to cooperate. Expect the choice of who kicks FGs to be a gametime decision.

It’s good that Mick Williams is back practicing with the team after his concussion. Personally, though, I would completely rule him out from playing for this week. Just as a precaution since he took quite a while to get better and also, the rotation at DT looks set at the moment. There’s no need to mess with it in the game itself.

Joe Clermond earning the starting gig at left defensive end was a mild surprise after the season he had last year.

“I told Joe, ‘A year ago, I wouldn’t have given you much of a chance to ever be a contributor here,’ ” Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt said. “He’s done a nice job, and he’ll be in the mix come Saturday night.”

A talk with defensive coordinator Paul Rhoads pointed Clermond in the right direction. Rhoads told Clermond the Panthers recruited him because of his speed and playmaking ability, then challenged him to return to form.

In the final three games of the 2004 season, Clermond had 19 tackles — two for loss — and a fumble recovery. That was a drastic difference from last season, when Clermond had 14 total tackles and two sacks in 10 games.

The 6-foot-3 Clermond helped his cause after dropping from 263 pounds to 237 in the offseason, eating more protein and less starch to maintain his weight while reducing his body fat. He concentrated on improving his conditioning, and his speed suddenly returned.

“I’m really proud of him,” defensive ends coach Charlie Partridge said. “He’s as healthy as he’s been at any point the last couple of years. That certainly has helped his progress. You’ve got to give the kid credit. He’s fought back from not playing well a year ago with high expectations on his shoulders at that time and has bounced back and had a really nice camp.”

It was enough to impress Wannstedt and unseat Chris McKillop as the starter. That move surprised even Clermond, who had not only dropped off the Panthers’ depth chart but off the radar altogether.

It helps Clermond that speed is something Coach Wannstedt really wants at every position. Losing the weight helped his speed and made a huge difference.

On the progress of defensive line:

I think if you look at our offensive and defensive line, on the offensive line, some guys have separated themselves from one group to the other. With the defensive line — and I think it’s going to turn out to be a real positive for us – (it’s) the competition. I kidded them because I told them that the first four guys off the bus were starting on the defensive line. We’re going to play a lot of guys. We’re going to play eight guys, maybe more – not just to play them, even though I like rotating guys to keep them fresh, but the competition is that close…

That was Coach Wannstedt last year prior to the start of the season.

Obviously, that was more than a little off. Coach Wannstedt has attributed last season’s missed expectations to the coaches not fully knowing what the players could do and players not being familiar with the system (please try to ignore the fact that all of the coaches on the defense were holdovers from the Harris regime, so you would think that they might have something of an idea about what that side of the ball could do).

“Are we further ahead from where we were a year ago?” Wannstedt asked rhetorically. “Yes. No question we are. How is that going to influence wins and losses? We’ll have to wait to the end of the year to see that. I believe our football team is where we need to be mentally and physically. We’ve had a good camp and our guys are ready to go.”

Wannstedt has been asked many other questions about his team this offseason, which isn’t surprising given its losing record a year ago. Up to this point, many of his answers have either been philosophical or speculative in nature. But the real answers about his team will start to be uncovered Saturday night when the season starts.

…

The Panthers are a fairly young team and have plenty of inexperienced players either starting or playing key reserve roles. Wannstedt has said throughout training camp that if ever he could use an exhibition game it is this season because it would give his younger players a chance to have a dress rehearsal before they are thrown into the fire.

But he does not expect a repeat of last year’s opener because this is his second season as coach and the players are more familiar with his system. He said the veterans will help the young players out and he has a better understanding of his players.

[Emphasis added.]

I’m not trying to hang Coach Wannstedt with his own words. It’s just that it all sounds good and I want to believe, but it only is so if the team wins. Simply put, Pitt and Wannstedt really need this season opener.

Honestly, I’m having something of a fear reaction as this first game gets closer. It’s making me a little more cynical and sarcastic. Something of a defensive reaction I would say to the fear of disappointment. Trying to temper the optimism that despite my best efforts has been trying to push forward. I hate that.

Let’s get to the embarrassing stuff. The WR who left for “personal reasons” in this case was code for criminal charges.

Former Virginia football player Theirrien “Bud” Davis faces a felony charge in Albemarle County. Davis, a reserve wide receiver in 2004 and ’05, was arrested March 28 and charged with stealing property — textbooks — worth at least $200 “with intent to sell or distribute,” Capt. Michael Coleman of the U.VA. police department said yesterday.

The incident allegedly occurred March 2 at the U.Va. book store. Coleman declined to disclose additional details.

…

Asked yesterday about Davis’ departure, Virginia coach Al Groh said, “This has been an issue that Bud’s been dealing with for awhile. We’ve been in conversation with him over a period of time, and I think we’ll just leave it as a personal issue . . . If it was a playing-time matter, he probably wouldn’t have withdrawn from school.”

You have to be amused about the recent line of Parcell coaching prodigies. They have all adopted this minimal information disclosure and engage in carefully crafted euphemisms that are just accepted when the team is winning and doing well (see Belichick in New England vs. his time in Cleveland). When the team is not meeting expectations or the columnists and writers run out of tolerance for it, it gets old and becomes a source of mocking.

OK, things are a little unsettled in C’ville. Five months ago, in fact, upon punting Ahmad Brooks, Vince Redd and Tony Franklin from the squad (Franklin has since been granted a pardon and plugged into the secondary), Groh allowed that U.Va. was in “a rebuilding circumstance” — rebuilding circumstance being Groh-ese for, umm, rebuilding.

With Davis gone, after being expected to be on the 2-deep and perhaps start — of course with a criminal charge pending since March that the football coaches apparently knew about, you have to wonder why they waited until now — the receiving corp now has a junior walk-on who has never caught a pass on the 2-deep. Starting will be Sophomore Kevin Ogletree.

Coaches and teammates have spoken highly of Ogletree’s ability. At 6-foot-2 and 186 pounds, he’s got the physical tools to be a playmaker. But he saw limited action as a true freshman last season. Five of his seven receptions last year came in a 51-3 win over Temple.

Groh said he isn’t sure what to expect of Ogletree in Saturday’s opener at Pittsburgh.

“Definitely, Kevin Ogletree has got to come in and prove himself,” said senior Fontel Mines, who starts at the other receiver spot.

Returning punts and kickoffs will be a Sophomore transfer from Hawaii, Andrew Pearman

Pearman, younger brother of former Virginia star Alvin Pearman, will return both punts and kickoffs. No one questions Pearman’s speed or elusiveness.

“We want to see if he can catch the ball,” Groh said.

I really hope the special teams coaches are reading this.

The other penchant of the Parcells coaching tree is trying to keep things secret. No matter how silly.

If you went by the depth chart, it would appear that junior Chris Gould will get the first shot at kicking field goals and extra points for the Cavaliers, with sophomore Ryan Weigand starting at punter.

Groh might have a different plan, but don’t try getting the answer before Saturday’s game. Gould remains an option at punter, a position he has held since late in the ’04 season.

“I probably have [decided on a punter],” Groh said, “but I don’t know that I have necessarily told anybody that.”

Brilliant.

There is still one receiver for Virginia who was expected to start and hasn’t been injured, kicked off the team or arrested. Frontel Mines looks to be lining up against Darrelle Revis.

In Virginia’s upset of No. 4 Florida State, Mines had a career-best five receptions for 49 yards. In the Cavaliers’ comeback win over Minnesota in the Music City Bowl, he caught four passes, including one for a TD late in the third quarter.

With his muscular frame (6-4, 220 pounds), Mines could almost pass for a tight end, and he’s an ideal complement to the sleeker, faster Williams (6-3, 196). Now, however, with Williams out indefinitely, Mines looks around the huddle and sees less-experienced receivers: juniors Emmanuel Byers and Theirrien Davis, sophomores Kevin Ogletree, Andrew Pearman and Maurice Covington.

“The receivers, we just got to embrace the challenge,” said Mines, who’s caught 41 passes for 481 yards and three TDs as a Cavalier. “We’ve got to be ready to step up and fill the void.”

Honestly, if there is a game where Pitt should have the safeties playing closer to the line to help on the run and bring pressure on the QB, this game has to be the one.

Finally, apparently Pitt isn’t the only team that has a leader on defense with great bloodlines that will generate glowing stories. The Cavs have Howie Long’s kid to fill that void.