I don’t think I’ve ever been more frustrated/depressed/angry after reading an AP article than I was today.
Nearly three years after inheriting a team that reached the Bowl Championship Series from Walt Harris, coach Dave Wannstedt’s Panthers (2-2) are looking more like a bottom-of-the-Big-East team than a Top 25 contender. And they’ve yet to play any of the conference’s top teams.
It starts off by referencing Walt Harris and out BCS appearance while reminding us we’ve played like crap this year and have yet to play a very good team. They also do us a favor and help us remember Harris’ five consecutive bowl seasons. Meanwhile, we’re 13-14 under Wannstedt and we haven’t even hit the meat of this year’s Big East schedule. Terms such as “disarray” and “leaking points” are thrown around to describe the offense and defense respectively.
Great. Just great.
“We’re kind of back to the drawing board,” Wannstedt said. “We’ve taken a couple of steps backward.”
Ah. Anger and frustration growing. Using the breathing techniques Chas mentioned don’t seem to be working now. Wanny says we’re taking steps backwards, but I don’t think they know which direction to go forward in. We have no plan, no idea of what we’re doing. Similarities to a chicken with it’s head cut off are fair game.
The few fans that showed up in the announced crowd of 40,000-plus were booing by the second play of the game, and Heinz Field was nearly empty at game’s end.
I generally try not to boo my teams unless they do something completely bad. The way Pitt played was worthy of my boos and everyone else who joined in. Did anyone stay until the game was over on Saturday? How many people were left?
The only thing that made me somewhat happy was finding this blatant error (with my emphasis).
Bostick’s statistics looked good (27-of-42 for 230 yards and one interception), but most of those numbers were accumulated as Pitt trailed 34-7 and UConn wasn’t pass rushing. Bostick got rid of the ball quickly enough, but telegraphed some throws while being intercepted three times.
A huge point of contention in the UConn game was a lack of Shady-time.
“He (Stephens-Howling) will be a major part of our game plan” at Virginia, Wannstedt said. “LaRod’s done a lot of good things here, and LeSean’s a freshman.”
LSH, a senior with 3.6 yards per carry, is better than McCoy in Wannstedt’s book, because Shady is a freshman. A freshman with 6.3 yards per. I’ll take the freshman, please.
It would be really helpful if the offense stopped giving up turnovers. In the last two games, 34 points have been scored off of lost fumbles and interceptions.
“We’re reaching for some confidence right now,” Wannstedt said. “The only way to get confidence is to get some results.”
Make it happen (because I’m not too happy right now).
I stand by what I said in another post: I don’t miss Harris. As entertaining as his offense could be at times, it could also be very inconsistent. Walt had Pitt mid-pack, and they would still be mid-pack today, but they would perpetually be mid-pack, and thats why I thought (and still think) that change was necessary. I also stand by the statement that you have to give Wanny at least one, if not two, more years. I hate excuses, and there won’t be any if the team is still floundering at that point. Any new coaching candidate needs to feel like they’re at least going to get 4-5 years to turn things around – Pitts not exactly an attractive option for young coaching talent these days and I don’t want t to see it get any worse.
Does it seem to anyone else like Dave hasn’t gotten his head around the fact that these kids are only here for four years or less? If they have skills/talent, PLAY THEM! The great ones are gone in two these days! My thoughts are that you give McCoy and Bostick as much playing time as you possible can at this point because as bad as you need a few wins this year, you absolutely have to have them next year. The experience will help everyone. I don’t want to see them in panic mode, pulling people in and out of games in random fashion trying to cobble together wins that are mostly unobtainable, and for the most part, irrelevant at the moment.
Note: you don’t “reach” for confidence. As a coach you instill it, and as a player you earn it, but you don’t grasp aimlessly at it. Results will only come at this point with hard work and smart decisions.
1. Wannstedt isn’t going anywhere until at least after next season. The administration seems 100% committed to him through the 2008 season.
2. There may indeed be changes made on his coaching staff if things don’t change. Rhoads seems to be the first name that comes up, but I can’t imagine Dunn and Cavanaugh are too far behind. Wannstedt’s loyalty to Cavanaugh probably puts him at the least likely of the three.
Some of Zeise’s comments in his chat transcript are a fairly disconcerting.
When asked about opening up the Virginia game in the Wildcat formation:
“I wouldn’t have a problem with starting out in the conventional offense, either — just don’t hand the ball to your fullback then try play action so you are sitting at third-and-16. And by all means, if you are third and long on the first series, use a draw play and punt!!!! The first series of play calling in the last game made absolutely no sense on a number of levels and Pitt paid for it by turning the ball over and giving the Huskies a short — 6-yard — field.”
When asked if he thinks the LBs cover WRs too much in Rhoads’s defensive schemes:
“Yes and I think this defense plays too many soft coverages and it is evident when you see the same routes working in the same spots every single week.”
When asked about the overall performance of the defense last Saturday:
“Yes, I thought that Pitt got caught in several coverages and defensive calls that were bad given what Connecticut is capable of doing. I also can’t understand, after last year, how the quarterback scrambling thing wasn’t rectified because that was a big part of it too. The sad thing is, a very good effort by the defensive line was wasted because the back end didn’t take care — or in some cases wasn’t put in position to take care of — its business. Again, this team seems to never be able to do everything well at the same time and that’s a problem.”
It makes me wonder if Rhoads has any real clue what he’s doing at all, so much so that Zeise’s suggestion that Wannstedt take over the DC duties himself next year sounds like a hell of an idea.
check it out.
History:
Coached togehter with the Brears
Both were DC at the “U”
Philosophy:
Defence wins
D is fast and a little undersized
3-4 – very little blitzing
Offence is pro-style, run first, ball control
First three years as coach:
Poor records (Shiano 8-27, 2-19 in BE)
Good recruiting classes
Inthe future for DW?
After year 3, Shiano was forced to fire some assistents (loyal like DW) and became his own DC. In year 4 finish 4-7. In year 5 Rutgers got their signiture win against Pitt and DW and went 7-5 (4-3 BE)
I think it’s safe to think that some heads wil roll unless something dramatic happens by the end of this year. The OC, DC and OL line coach have the hottest seats right now.
Look for DW to be here until the end of 2008. If we see improvement in overall play and continued recruiting success, DW will be here well after that.
So, as hard as it is right now, we MUST be patient. The administration is not going to fire DW anytime soon.
Rhodes should already be gone. I’m tired of thinking about it.
1) Players
2) ?
3) Profit
PITT 21
UVA 20
The season is about to take a turn for the better.
As far as the assistant coaches go, Rhoads needs to go first, then probably the O-Line coach next. I’ve been unhappy with Rhoads since 2003 and he has yet to prove me wrong.
And if we’re going to the draw play on third and long, why can’t we just quick kick it?
Put Maurice Williams in motion in the wildcat with Byham in the game – i bet he can throw a better pass then that duck Shady threw – that could have gone for some serious yardage if it wasn’t thrown behind him allow the D to make a tackle…all i saw was daylight ahead of him…
OR even this – put bostick in motion if he’s in as a WR – and if they cover the TEs and other WR, tell him to throw it away. Very simple.
I’ll also be happy if we don’t throw any INTs or incompletes on screen passes this week. That would be a serious improvement.
And if the D holds them under 20 i’ll be happy with them. I’m not expecting miracles here folks.
im not going to dispute anything people say about cavanaugh, but you cant fire him after he loses his starting QB and WR before the first game is even over.
For that reason let’s hope the administration has similar cajones to Rutgers and makes him fire Rhoads and Dunn next year. They clearly are miserable failures at their respective jobs, and firing them is our only hope for success. My fear is that a major diff between RU and Pitt’s situations is that Nordenberg has some kind of woody for Rhoads … how else to explain that he was thrust upon Wannstedt in the first place (and almost given the HC job outright!). Pathetic.
I was telling my buddies the other day that maybe someone ought to buy DW a copy of Madden or NCAA Football. You know, just to show him that there are more than five possible offensive plays (not counting Wildcat).
–This kind of logic is why Dave has never been a winner as a head coach.