No DSL at the new apartment until after the weekend. Still getting settled so I’m not getting a blog break until the evening. Since most of you have probably read the stories already, I’ll do this briefly.
The D-line got a little thinner with Redshirt Freshman DE Doug Fulmer out for the rest of the season with ankle surgery.
“That’s really a serious shame because the kid worked so hard to win a starting job, worked so hard to put himself in a position to really have an outstanding year,” Wannstedt said. “It’s very unfortunate.”
Redshirt junior Chris McKillop will start in Fulmer’s place, opposite Joe Clermond. Freshman McKenzie Matthews and senior Charles Sallet are their backups, and Wannstedt said senior tackle Vernon Botts will play end at times.
McKillop moves from the left side to the right DE. I guess it’s good Mathews got some time in this past week, ahead of this weekend. It’s not like concerns about the depth on the lines wasn’t already a concern.
On the depth of the defensive line:
Well, we hope to get Mick Williams back this week, we held him last week. He banged up his shoulder a little bit. (John) Malecki’s playing better, Gus Mustakas is playing real good, Rashaad (Duncan) is playing real good. There’s a part of me that, I wish a couple guys would really jump ahead of the pack, but that hasn’t happened. Gus has probably been our most consistent defensive tackle and Joe Clermond has probably been our most consistent defensive end. Vernon (Botts) has been great. He’s a senior that hasn’t had many opportunities to play and we’ve played him at tackle, we’ve played him at end, (and) in the past he’s been a tight end. The guy has already graduated, he’s a smart guy. He’s doing this because he loves it and he loves this school. So we’ll move him out to end this week and he’ll help us out there.
Senior WR Joe DelSardo may be officially out of the doghouse with Coach Wannstedt, but it doesn’t seem to jibe with reality.
Senior wide receiver Joe DelSardo was not in uniform Saturday or on the sideline. Wannstedt said DelSardo, who was suspended for two weeks in training camp and also for the opener against Virginia, was not injured, but he was not suspended again, either.
“Joe has returned to practice and he is ready to go,” Wannstedt said. “It was a team decision and that’s all I will say about it. He was held out of playing but he is back today.”
Uh-huh. I’m pretty sure he has no redshirt option at this point.
Nice puff piece on the Pitt passing game.
Coach Wannstedt is still bothered about the running game. Yet he doesn’t exactly blame anybody.
On the run game:
I’m not happy with our run game at all. We have a lot of work to do there. If we’re going to be a good football team, we’ve got to find a way to run the ball more effectively. Big plays, sustaining blocks (are lacking). A combination of things, but to have a good running game you have to have pretty much everyone on the same page. One guy can miss a block or come off a block and the guy makes a tackle, while the other four or five guys all did their job. So it can be a little tricky. Our offensive line is playing a lot better as a group. I think the continuity of the group is outstanding. Paul Dunn (Pitt’s offensive line coach) has done a great job of molding those guys after a year-and-a-half. Tyler’s not holding the ball as long. Our offensive scheme has become a little bit more quarterback friendly. We’re not sitting back there holding the ball. We haven’t eliminated all of our deep-drop, seven-step passing game but we don’t have much of it in. So we’ve got to give credit there to Matt Cavanaugh (Pitt’s offensive coordinator) and the coaches. In the off-season, we looked at what can we really do with the guys that we have. Obviously (it’s a matter then of) where our quarterback is throwing the ball and being accurate. Tyler is playing very well.
That helps.
Meanwhile upstate NY noticed that Kevin Collier is seeing playing time and moving up the depth chart.
Collier, recruited by former Orange star and assistant coach David Walker, was felt to be a strong SU lean until Walker resigned in the wake of Paul Pasqualoni’s firing and accepted a job at Pitt. He has played in three games, carrying 19 times for 59 yards (3.1 yards per carry) and one touchdown, with the bulk of his playing time coming in Saturday’s 51-6 victory over The Citadel.
“He is so serious about wanting to be the best,” Wannstedt said. “I love his attitude. For a freshman he is very mature, he understands the importance of it, and he works as hard as any player on the practice field. Every day he shows up.”
Now, if he and the other backs can only get a hole or two opened for them.
