ESPN.com has conference reviews, Joe Starkey handles the Big East.
Biggest Disappointment
Pittsburgh
The Panthers garnered some preseason votes in both polls and were picked to finish third in the conference but lost their final five games — their first five-game Big East losing streak since 1998 — to finish 6-6 and mired in sixth place. Some key injuries on the defensive line set the stage for the season-ending collapse. Pitt’s final three opponents (UConn, West Virginia, Louisville) combined for 139 points and 1,621 yards. West Virginia’s home loss to USF also could qualify in this category. It was a season-killer.
Yeah, Pitt was an easy consensus. In the individual capsules (Insider subs.) I was mildly surprised he even mentioned Paul Rhoads.
Shortly after the regular-season finale, second-year coach Dave Wannstedt fired linebacker coach Curtis Bray and strength and conditioning coach Mike Kent but surprised many by retaining defensive coordinator Paul Rhoads. The Panthers finished 87th in Division I-A in total defense.
Capsules are tough, because you are trying to summarize everything past and going forward in too short a space. Still that, was begging for more. Instead, that was the extent of commentary on the defense. In looking back and forward you get this.
Biggest disappointment: The freshman class was supposed to have some major contributors, but players such as receiver/tailback Dorin Dickerson, tight end Nate Byham, tailback Kevin Collier and safety Elijah Fields would have been better off redshirting. Dickerson was hobbled early in the season and Fields didn’t catch on to the defense fast enough.
What’s next: As the pressure rises, Wannstedt is going to have to break in a new quarterback to replace Palko. The three major competitors will be highly touted freshman Pat Bostick, junior Bill Stull and redshirt freshman Kevan Smith. Whoever emerges should have an outstanding corps of receivers, led by Derek Kinder (57 catches, six touchdowns) and Oderick Turner (44 catches, eight touchdowns).
The implication by linking Byham and Collier with the other two, is that they too had struggles that kept them from contributing. Not simply a failure to use them. Something that isn’t actually clear from this past season — especially Byham. If you want to use the heralded freshmen as the “biggest disappointment” rather than the run defense, then the questions on the coaches only increases.
The pressure is going to be on seeing the defense improve. That more then anything else, it is what will be watched closely. It’s what has failed miserably. It is supposed to be Wannstedt’s strength. It’s where he has resisted any coaching changes other then tossing over Bray since coming into the job.
2006 Combined men and women’s hoops record:
20 – 0 !!!
Every year some players rise up and surprise us fans by being much more productive than we all thought they would be – like Oderick Turner and Joe Thomas of 2006. We have some excellent talent coming down the pike, and one who just might surprise is Bill Stull – he has all the tools, an excellent HS pedigree (first WPIAL player to pass for 3000+ yards in a season), and will probably be better protected than Palko was. I wouldn’t be surprised if he comes close to matching Palko’s stats next year.
Revis hasn’t gone yet – but probably will, and hopefully we won’t need another MLB that gets a million tackles because the D line can’t stop anyone. But again, we have some kids that can rise up and perform as well, or almost as well, as those two did.
My point… every year good players graduate or leave college programs. It does not create an unfillable void. So, don’t get too pessimistic before the season actually starts and the team plays a few games.
As an exercise I looked up some players…
Just for argument’s sake – here are the seniors that saw any real amount of playing time last year:
Palko QB
Blades MLB
Buches TE
Botts DE
Sallett DE
Sessions OLB
Simionitis OL
Villiani OL
So, aside from Palko and Blades, I think that each of these other seniors will not be too sorely missed, and that we will actually see upgrades in their replacements.
We might actually have more athletic & talented personnel in the D backfield next year especially if Fields can come around.
I asked a question on the other Blog as to whether DW should put the most talented players – regardless of age and experience – on the field and let the wins/losses come as they may, or should he take each game individually and try for a winning record regardless of getting the young talent gameday experience. (Basically, play for 2007 or 2008?)
What do you think?
I agree with you that Stull will be better than people think and the offensive line will be better too. I think we should be able to score points next year. The coaching has been suspect and I don’t want to hear Wannstedt complaining about talent anymore. That is bad leadership, you shouldn’t insult your players publically. Dixon would never do that. No matter how badly a player screws up, Dixon always has their back in the press.
