I’ve had a few hours to sleep on it. Haven’t looked at the media yet. This was a great game for Pitt. Not just because they won — though that was a huge part of it. It was how they did it. Without playing a perfect game.

They made mistakes. They screwed up on special teams. They turned the ball over a couple times. Stull threw some horrible passes. Mistakes were made. Yet, instead of retreating into conservatism and everything Wannstedt has usually done, he let the team stay aggressive and keep attacking. The defense kept going after Grothe. The offense still threw the ball — downfield.

The players responded. Their energy was excellent the entire game. It was the sort of effort and game Pitt fans have been wanting to see. It’s not about making the offense more “exciting” or something it isn’t. It is seeing Pitt use the players in ways that takes advantage of their skill sets rather than just jamming them into the system regardless of fit.

Once more, it’s time for a LiveBlogging the game. Still haven’t figured out why the darn thing won’t directly embed, but I’ll worry about that on another day.

Simply Click Here after 7:30 and join the fun. I figure on starting this a little before the game.

Remember, the comments will be moderated and subject to approval. Over doing ALL CAPS, excessive swearing, any mention of politics (especially the VP Debate) and personal attacks are generally ways to not see your comments become part of the narrative.

Paul Zeise’s chat this afternoon has him unimpressed with Bulls fans.

Brian: Tonight we will likely see a very rabid fan base in Tampa. Why is it so difficult for Pitt fans to get in their seats prior to kick-off?

Paul Zeise: Well because Pitt fans like to tailgate, have some fun in the parking lot — get wild and crazy then make a grand entrance. I have to be honest, I have been down here twice for games and this atmosphere both times was very similar to going to a game at, well, Temple only with sun and better looking, um, well, “students … “

I hope he checked into his hotel under an assumed name. No one wants to draw comparisons to Temple when it comes to anything related to football.

Zeise in his Q&A also touches on McCoy just hitting the hole tonight as being vital.

Q: I believe Pitt can beat South Florida tonight if Bill Stull runs a little more, the secondary plays together and Oderick Turner doesn’t see the field. What are your thoughts on the game?

ZEISE: I think if ever Pitt needs LeSean McCoy to come up with a big-time performance it is tonight. Forget about all of the other stuff for a minute — if Pitt isn’t able to line up and move the chains with a power run game, I can’t see how it can win. McCoy needs to understand he is playing against fast guys, so all of that dancing and trying to break big runs is useless. They will catch him. He needs to hit the hole hard and fast and move the pile and get those four-, five- and six-yard runs with consistency and regularity and allow the Panthers offense to be in good down and distance situations all night long. If Pitt is lining up in third-and-longs all night, it will be a very, very long night. And the defensive line needs to show up before the fourth quarter, and be disciplined enough to keep Bulls quarterback Matt Grothe contained in the pocket. If they can keep Grothe from running around and making those sandlot plays he is so good at, they have a chance because I’m not sure that offense is disciplined enough to or capable of moving up and down the field without getting a number of “big chunk” plays. The big plays from their quarterback really are back breakers. As for Oderick Turner, I couldn’t agree more, I think it is time for the “experiment” of making him the go-to, big-play receiver — an experiment which has now lasted three seasons — to finally jump the shark. He’s an enigma who is clearly too inconsistent catching the ball to be a reliable weapon. It is definitely Baldwin time.

Brian Bennett at ESPN.com has his 10 things to watch in the Big East.

1. Pittsburgh’s running game vs. the South Florida defensive front: For the Panthers to have any chance in this game, they need this matchup to go in their favor. South Florida is allowing fewer than 60 yards per game on the ground, but the Bulls haven’t seen a team as committed to the run or with as talented a backfield as Pitt. LeSean McCoy was held to a season-low 55 yards last year by South Florida at Heinz Field (though he did score three times). If he doesn’t do more than that, his team won’t put up much of a threat.

2. Matt Grothe vs. Pittsburgh’s defense: Pitt is averaging more than three sacks per game this season and ranks seventh in the country at taking the quarterback down. But if the Panthers pressure Grothe, they’d better wrap him up, because he is adept at making plays on the move. He proved that last year by ripping off an 80-yard touchdown run at Heinz Field. Grothe has been the best quarterback in the Big East so far this season and will pick apart the Pittsburgh secondary if given adequate time.

3. Special teams and tomfoolery in Tampa: One area where Pittsburgh seems to have a clear advantage is on special teams, as it boasts the Big East’s most automatic kicker in Conor Lee. This might also be a place where the normally-conservative Dave Wannstedt could dial up some trick plays or fakes in order to give his team another edge. Wannstedt has shown a proclivity for going for it on fourth down the past two weeks, so maybe he’s got more of a riverboat gambler side than anyone can see.

I have to point this out because the first two echoes what I wrote as keys to the game tonight. Not these weren’t obvious things or anything.

And since Conor Lee gets a mention, it’s a good place to shoe-horn the puff piece on Lee from earlier this week.

That seems to be one of the keys getting hammered in the local media. Must have been a talking point for the players and coaches.

“We’ve started slow on defense the past couple of weeks,” Wannstedt said. “And by slow I mean, we haven’t made many big plays early to change or impact the game and we have to get that going.

“And these guys, if you look at what they do they will challenge us from start to finish. They are four wide receivers, five wide receivers — they are as spread and wide open as anybody we’ll face. They will play 30 percent of the game without having a running back on the field,” he said of South Florida. “So we need to start out playing fast and match their speed.”

Wannstedt said the most puzzling aspect is the poor early play of the defensive line, which was supposed to carry the load for the team. The Panthers lead the Big East in sacks — 3.25 per game — but most have come in the fourth quarter.

“I think two things are behind the way we’ve played in the fourth quarter,” Wannstedt said. “We are in good shape, and I also think that in the fourth quarter, when teams have been in passing situations, we have been able to turn those guys up front loose. They are playmakers for us, and I don’t think there is any question that those guys have to be productive for us to be good on defense.

“And in the fourth quarter, when teams have had to try and throw it against us — our guys have been able to use their ability to just go after it.”

So, what you are saying is the defense has trouble recognizing what an opponent is going to run and that is making them tentative? Or are you saying the defensive coordinator isn’t sure? I mean, it sure reads that the defense is coming out unsure of what to expect and playing back to see what happens, rather than trying to dictate anything.

I suppose the defense performed better in the second-half of the last 3 games. The offense, was more effective in the second half of the Syracuse game. Obviously, if Pitt is going to win this game, they have to be more consistent the entire game. There can’t be big gaps of no production from the offense and the defense can’t sit back in stretches.

Linebacker Scott McKillop knows that the Panthers need to jump on South Florida early to ensure they will have a chance to bury the Bulls late.

“If we go out there and start slowly, we’ll be down real quick,” he said. “It will be an ugly game real fast. We’re playing as fast (in the fourth quarter) as we were in the first quarter. There’s no let down in our effort and execution, we’re getting comfortable in the fourth quarter. Now we need to do that in the first quarter, start out a little faster than we did this past week.”

Murray thinks that it’s by coincidence that the Panthers have started slow, but he also knows that a lethargic start will inhibit Pitt from showing its second-half prowess.

“It’s just something that happens, you start slow and then you pick it up, but we can’t do that against South Florida,” he said. “If they get up early on teams it’s hard to come back on them.

“They’ll pick you apart with their spread offense. If you get behind this team it really kills momentum and Coach Wannstedt says you can either be a momentum maker or a momentum breaker, so we want to start out fast and finish fast.”

And, um, if you happen to remember the Iowa game. It helps to be productive in the middle portion as well.

Joe Starkey makes the point that this game has the potential to be one of the biggest games in Dave Wannstedt’s tenure at Pitt. I have to agree.

Nothing Pitt does tonight could match the historical magnitude of what it pulled off Dec. 1 in Morgantown, W. Va. But in terms of impact within a given season — that is, within Pitt’s season — a win tonight would be bigger, because it would make the Panthers 2-0 in the Big East and quite possibly provide the springboard to a landmark campaign.

This might be Pitt’s last chance to play somebody in the top 10, as No. 24 Connecticut is the only other ranked team on the schedule at the moment.

The key is this is for Pitt’s season. Beating WVU was huge in terms of a lot of things outside of Pitt. The BCS, the coaching carousel, the direction of WVU. The only real impact for Pitt was a big recruiting boost and the expectations for this season.

This game, if Pitt can win, makes BGSU the exception, the blip. A win and suddenly Pitt is one of the teams to beat in the Big East this year. Brian Bennett on ESPN.com echoes the points.

Not that this game doesn’t have meaning outside of the Big East. Other BCS Championship hopefuls in the SEC and Big 12 have a rooting interest in Pitt to make sure there are no other teams that can make a claim.

From the South Florida perspective, this is about the end of “preseason.”  It’s now about starting the Big East conference play as the favorite and not blowing it — like last year.

The scenario is eerily similar.

Go back briefly to 2007.  The University of South Florida had just run off football victories against Elon, Auburn, North Carolina, West Virginia, Florida Atlantic and Central Florida, in that order.

6-0.  They had entered into college football’s restricted airspace…..ranked No. 2….a spot normally reserved for old, traditional powers, not 10-year old upstarts halfway through their 11th season.

The Bulls were headed to Rutgers for their seventh game, Thursday night, national television audience on ESPN.

Sound familiar?

The Bulls lost 30-27. The first of 3 straight conference losses that knocked them out of the top-25 and out of any chance at the Big East title. Of course, that game was on the road as well. USF is saying the right things.

USF gets its first shot at proving it can handle the rising pressure Thursday night against Pittsburgh at home. The game will be televised on ESPN, and the nation will be watching to see if another top-10 team topples over.

When asked about playing on national TV, Grothe responded like the leader of a top-10 team should.

“It’s actually really cool,” said the former Lake Gibson star. “Especially when you’re on the field and see all the cameras flying around. It’s good for the program. It’s good for the guys out there. We get a little more confidence, especially when we’re playing at home.”

They are also not playing down the importance.

The Bulls realize this game means much more than just playing on a nationally televised stage. Win, and they have the following week to rest with a perfect record intact. Lose, and they have to sit through a bye week before getting the chance to bounce back.

“It’s a big game. We have to win this one,” said Grothe. “We’ll have some time to relax and heal after this week, so we need to come out and play the best we’ve played all year.”

Neither are the coaches.

“There’s a different buzz in the meeting room,” defensive backs coach Troy Douglas said. “They understand we need to step our game up even more. … It’s obviously a big game, so we’ll see what happens.”

Panther Rants has their preview for the game.

The keys for Pitt are obvious. On defense, Matt Grothe has to be contained. Pressure has to be put on him and actual hits and tackling. No getting close and whiffing. Grothe is so elusive as he starts to move around when he drops back. If he isn’t wrapped up quickly, he will get loose and make Pitt pay. They have a stable of decent — promising, even — backs. But I’d rather take my chance with their running backs than with Grothe.

On offense, this is where the offensive line has to be big. They have to give Stull time — and space. When he throws, there has to be room for him to stride. His arm strength, and mechanics require it. On his best, strongest throws, he is stepping into them. The Bulls defense has plenty of speed and they let their corners gamble.

And of course with the offensive line, they have to be opening space for LeSean McCoy and LaRod Stephens-Howling. Yes, the defense will be keying on McCoy, so it is up to the O-line to give him a chance.

As for the coaches. This is where the lack of faith comes in as a fan. Gameday coaching by Wannstedt and the coordinators.

I guess the word is aggressive. Not reckless. Aggressive. For all 60 minutes. They want the players to play a complete game from the opening kick to the final whistle. They have to do the same. They can’t be afraid to take shots. They can’t think that they need to start killing clock. It starts at the top. If the coach and the coordinators aren’t aggressive and calling for plays that attack, then the players take their cue from that.

Okay, about South Florida. Pitt Panther Prowl exchanged Q&A with The Bull Gator, and vice versa. Good stuff.

Simply awesome — Dave Wannstedt goes Twitter.

Nice piece on LaRod Stephens-Howling.

Head coach Dave Wannstedt awarded Stephens-Howling a game ball after that performance, not just because of his rushing but also for the three special teams tackles he made. He’s playing on punt and kickoff coverage teams for the first time this year. Wannstedt gushingly calls him “the most underrated player in the Big East.”

“I cannot say enough good things about LaRod,” Wannstedt said. “If there’s ever been an example of a team player, a guy willing to do whatever and just wanting the team to win without getting caught up in personal accolades, it’s LaRod.”

Wannstedt toyed with putting McCoy and Stephens-Howling in the backfield together during training camp, but it’s yet to happen in a game. Right now, they offer different looks to a defense and will give South Florida something to think about for Thursday’s night’s game in Tampa.

There are supposed to be 13 NFL scouts at the Pitt-USF game tomorrow. I guess that’s why I find it hard to believe that DE George Selvie will miss this game.

Selvie and McClain were limited at Tuesday’s practice, but their workload increased from Monday, USF coach Jim Leavitt said.

“Well, we definitely wouldn’t go less,” Leavitt said. “We got a game Thursday. We want to definitely do more. So they’re doing more.

“We’ll see on game day if they can play. I’m assuming they’re going to try to play if they can.”

If Selvie is out along with DT Terrell McLain, then you add that to CB Theo Wilson who has a sprained left knee and WLB Brouce Mompremier who is recovering from a scary neck injury. Well, wow. Four starters out. That’s a lot of injuries on the defense. If Pitt can’t get the offense going against a really banged up defense, then either Pitt has some real problems or USF really can coach-up their players. I’m not saying Pitt wins, but they better be able to score.

If you want a good omen, Beano Cook predicts a USF-Penn State BCS Chamipionship game. Can’t believe he left out Notre Dame.

The Tampa Bay Rays play the White Sox at 2:30 the same day. A big sports day in the Tampa-St. Pete area. At least it isn’t in direct conflict.

From a chat with one of the USF beat writers.

Q: Greg, Pitt uses running to control the clock, how does USF plan to stop the run especially McCoy. — Jim

G.A.: A big question this week. USF’s been very consistent in praising not only LeSean McCoy, but also LaRod Stephens-Howling, who had two fourth-quarter touchdowns in their win against Syracuse. Both have been very effective. USF’s first five opponents haven’t really presented a running threat — none have rushed for so much as 100 yards as a team — but that changes this week. Instead of the nickel package USF has made its base defense thus far, the Bulls will be back in a standard 4-3 defense, with defensive end Chris Robinson likely sliding back to strongside linebacker, alongside Tyrone McKenzie and Kion Wilson.The run defense has been stout, but it hasn’t been challenged like it will be Thursday night. Remember, McCoy had a big game last year against the Bulls, but USF scored 48 points — I don’t think the Bulls will be happy if they give up 37 points on Thursday …

Q: Greg, our secondary got burned for some big plays on Sat. Are there any adjustments being made to address this or do you not see it as a problem against such a run-based offense? — Brendan

G.A.: Defensive coordinator Wally Burnham said he was “embarrassed” by his defense giving up five pass plays of 35 yards or more in Saturday’s 41-10 win against N.C. State. All but one came with USF ahead by at least three touchdowns, and three of the five didn’t result in points, but Burnham said it’s something that has to be fixed or it’ll be more costly next time. Defensive backs coach Troy Douglas said it isn’t tackling — he claimed USF’s defensive backs have missed only one tackle in the last two games — but said it’s more about positioning and being in the right place. Pitt quarterback Bill Stull hasn’t had great numbers, with just two touchdowns so far, but it’s an area that will be a focus in practice for certain.

The Bulls, of course, say they are focused on this game as the first step towards winning the Big East — it is their conference opener.

So is it any surprise that Pitt’s defense is putting most of their emphasis on QB Matt Grothe?

“Their quarterback is a special player,” Pitt middle linebacker Scott McKillop said. “They want the ball in his hands. He makes a lot of people look silly. Sometimes, you think, ‘Oh, there’s three people around him. He’s trapped. He’s swarmed.’ And, somehow, he manages to get out.”

Grothe is at his best in big games. He completed 23 of 40 passes for 346 yards and three touchdowns in a 31-24 overtime victory over Central Florida on Sept. 6. The following Friday, he completed 32 of 45 passes for 338 yards and two touchdowns in rallying the Bulls from an 18-point deficit with a 31-point outburst in a 37-34 victory over Kansas.

“Grothe is able to pick you apart if you stay back on him, but once he gets out of the pocket the play’s not over yet,” Pitt weak-side linebacker Shane Murray said. “He’s very good at rolling out, too, and he’ll find guys downfield. He has the ability to see the whole field. So, he can hold the ball and kill a defense with his legs and his arms.

“And that’s what hurts other teams.”

Grothe is completing passes at a 66% clip this season. He’s got 8 TD passes and only 2 INT. 1175 total passing yards. He’s also got 1 rushing TD. Oh, and he’s the leading rusher on the Bulls with 219 yards.

Pitt also hasn’t forgotten how the Bulls humiliated them on 2 fake punts in the same game last year. Given the play of the special teams last week, it has to be a point of emphasis.

I suppose that’s what it comes down to with Coach Dave Wannstedt. We all know it on some level. Some are comfortable with it. Others not so much. Still others frustrated, because they believed he might change and adapt.

Right now, I’m at the point where I acknowledge it. Wannstedt’s actions — playing those who he thinks knows the system best regardless of their talent and ability to actually execute, fearing mistakes to the point of paralysis on developing the talent behind the starters, preferring to hire coaches to whom he has the deepest ties to and won’t challenge his assumptions (classic groupthink), sticking with one system and game plan regardless of the talent rather than adapting the gameplan and system to the talent, and playing not to lose (and yes, I know I’ve left stuff out) — all say he isn’t changing.

I thought for myself that Wannstedt was capable of adapting. That while he would stick to his basic priniciples of what he believes, he could tweak and adjust things as a head coach at college. That Wannstedt would be Pete Carroll-esque with more than just having similar enthusiasm and energy.

Instead, it is rather clear that Wannstedt has followed the path of Al Groh and Chan Gailey. Playing somewhere around mediocrity. Really, Wannstedt has been a less successful, but more engaging version of Al Groh. Groh has been a great recruiter to his alma mater. He has sent lots of top talent to the NFL. At the same time, he has never gotten too far in a conference not that different from the Big East in strength (I know, worse). In his best years, Virginia has been a top-25 team, and he’s had a couple sub-.500 years (along with this year). The team has averaged 7 wins or so a season, 5-3 in conference most years, and has been 3-2 in 5 bowls. It doesn’t look like it will ever get much better there.

Jonathan Baldwin and Greg Cross, as much as anything else have been representative of the frustration fans are realizing in Season 4. Maybe they don’t live up to the hype. Maybe they do. We just don’t know. When asked about them every week, it’s the same thing.

Q: Paul you said “on this offense Jonathan Baldwin, LeSean McCoy, LaRod Stephens-Howling and Greg Cross are the only four who are genuine playmakers” Why is it that only one of these four players gets a chance to play?

ZEISE: Well, we got to see three of the four Saturday against Syracuse — and not surprisingly they all made key plays. I mean, Dave Wannstedt conceded the bubble screen to Jonathan Baldwin on third-and-9 was basically a safe play that is designed not to get a first down in that situation but just get a few yards of field position and avoid a negative play. But Baldwin broke a tackle and made some nice moves to get to within a few feet of the first down and that enabled the Panthers to go for it on fourth and then continue to the game-tying score. The situation with Greg Cross is puzzling and frustrating — I can’t quite figure out why this kid was recruited if he is not going to be used. And if they are waiting to use him this week against South Florida, that is a terrible idea because the Bulls strength is this — speed on defense. So Cross won’t be the fastest player on the field and he won’t be able to run wide or make people miss, which means it is not a good week to try and bring him out to showcase his talents. In fact, the only way you have a chance to beat the Bulls is if you man up and try to beat them the old fashioned way — by pounding them with a power run game and keeping their offense off the field. And let’s not forget that for the fifth week in a row, Jonathan Baldwin is allegedly — according to the coaches — in line for more playing time …

[Empahsis added.]

The coaches are saying he should play more (and to a lesser extent similarly with Cross), yet they don’t. Which they then justify by saying that it was because the game situation dictated against it. A tight game, and they couldn’t risk the mistakes. The usual. Legitimate and utterly reasonable statements. And at the same time complete and utter crap.

Never mind that in at least the Buffalo and Syracuse games it never should have been that kind of game. You can’t legitimately argue that the across the board talent and depth at Pitt versus those two teams was close. And in Syracuse’s case, it definitely wasn’t any sort of advantage on the coaching. So either the players aren’t doing the job (other than not turning the ball over) or the coaches aren’t.

There’s no real development of the players behind the starters. It’s just about improving their conditioning and learning the playbook.

There was a point made about Wannstedt’s style that resonated with me.

…And, we are always one hurt thumb away from disaster.

That fits with Coach Wannstedt after a lot of disappointing seasons at Pitt and the pros. It was the injuries. They couldn’t “catch a break.” Too much of other things to overcome. A coach that leaves no margin for error for anything to go wrong — and something always does — is bound to fall short.

This is a coaching clinic for the right reasons. Not to get on the side of a high school or AAU coach with influence over top players. This is to help.

A group of coaches — including Pitt’s Jamie Dixon and Xavier’s Sean Miller — will host a coaching clinic Oct. 16 at La Roche College in Pittsburgh. It’s a rare midweek clinic on the Thursday night before colleges start practice, and all proceeds from the event will go towards the Dave Manzer Heart Fund.

Who is Dave Manzer?

He’s the former head coach at Messiah College who is in a Milwaukee hospital awaiting a heart transplant. Meantime, his wife Kathy and three children — Andrea (20), Erica (16), and Aaron (6) — are left without a husband and father healthy enough to earn a living, meaning though times are tough for much of the country it’s probably fair to assume most of our problems pale in comparison to the ones with which the Manzer family is dealing.

Right before the start of full practices and the midnight madness starts. Coach Jamie Dixon, Sean Miller and other coaches who come from the Pittsburgh areas coming to help.

As previously noted, Levance Fields has had setbacks in coming back after some additional surgery on his foot. It’s slow coming, and he is still expected to be ready for the start of the season. If there’s a silver lining, it’s this.

In Fields’ absence the Panthers have been able to give much-needed minutes at the point to freshmen guards Travon Woodall and Ashton Gibbs. The Panthers need both of them to be ready to go in October and maybe in November in the event Fields isn’t 100 percent. The Panthers’ staff is also feeling confident about the progress of sophomore guard Brad Wanamaker and JC transfer Jermaine Dixon.

I’m sure the coaches would love to have him healthy and getting conditioned and in sync with the team, but this presents a big opportunity for the guards to make their presence known and get into the rotation. With Fields’ conditioning thrown off, especially early in the season he will need extra spells. Hopefully the other guards will step up to let him.