Coach Wannstedt did a Q&A with Brian Bennett at ESPN.com. Most of the conversation centered around the offense.
Let’s talk about your quarterback situation. Is Bill Stull still your starter, or will there be an open competition this spring?
DW: Billy is going to be our starter. We went 9-3 in the regular season with Bill Stull. It was the best record that Pitt’s had since Dan Marino was here. So people have a tendency to lose sight of that a little bit, too, because of the bowl game. Now, did Billy play at a level that we need him to play at to win a championship? No. Can he get better? Yes. He understands that.
Pat Bostick is looking for an opportunity, Tino Sunseri is looking for an opportunity and we have Greg Cross on our team, he’s looking for an opportunity. So I think that with a new quarterback coach coming in, a new offensive coordinator, it’s going to create a real natural sense of urgency on offense in addition to the quarterback position, which I think will be healthy.
All three quarterbacks will get equal opportunities in practice and scrimmage situations and we’ll see how it unfolds. I think we know these kids well enough that we can expect someone to surface and we can hang our hat on someone and say, “OK, this is the way we’re going into the fall.”
So Stull is the starter, but the other three quarterbacks will get equal opportunities — to be the back-up? Whee.
I can’t say I’m really surprised by this. Coach Wannstedt is not going to open up the QB competition. Like a starter doesn’t lose his job to injury, a position doesn’t re-open just because the OC is new.
Wannstedt seems very high on Dan Mason, even suggesting he could make the two-deep as a freshman. Not too surprising, I suppose given the depth issues at linebacker.
He also talks a little about LeSean McCoy going pro. According to Mel Kiper (Insider subs), he sees McCoy falling to the start of the second round (but the 3d back taken).
No one in this group comes remotely close to the talent and depth we had at this spot last year. I expect only two running backs, Ohio State’s Chris “Beanie” Wells and Georgia’s Knowshon Moreno, to go off the board in the first round. They probably won’t be selected until the mid-to-late portion of that round.
Pitt’s LeSean McCoy has first-round ability but more than likely won’t come off the board until the second round. That’s the same scenario I see for Connecticut’s Donald Brown, who could end up being one of the more productive rookie running backs in the NFL because of his all-around skills and tremendous character.
He puts Conredge Collins at the top of the fullback list.
Although this position basically has been phased out in the NFL, I like several prospects, beginning with Pitt’s versatile Conredge Collins and LSU’s experienced and highly skilled lead blocker Quinn Johnson.
Over on defense, he sees Scott McKillop going sometime in day two.
I don’t buy the concussion factor with Stull at all. Sure, he played OK against L-ville before the injury, but I was posting on this site early in the season about how overmatched he was at the position and how he was going to hold back an otherwise decent team the rest of the season. You could see it from the start of the season; he just isn’t a D1 QB.
When you’re under-sized, have no mobility, and can’t throw deep balls……..well, a concussion is just another in a long list of things to overcome.
Stull was serviceable at QB until the concussion which had a huge impact on his confidence. Unless there is a legitimate chance for Sunseri to be the starter then I think open competition does much. Bostick would probably be next in line and he is completely inept. Typically, in spring ball, everyone gets lots of reps and the coaches should have plenty of opportunities to evaluate talent. I think declaring Stull the start and making it his job to lose is the correct move here. B
One thing Cav demonstrated was his inability to develop quarterbacks. Hopefully this is something Cignetti can do a better job of. Like it or not, Stull is going to be our QB this year. Hopefully the off season gives him a chance to regain some confidence that he displayed earlier in the season and develop and mature as a QB and leader.
I don’t think its fair to write him off just yet, especially since our other options are not great.
If you want to write him off then you might as well shut up and not post or read the blog all 2009 season because he is going to be the starter because he will be the best we have.
I don’t read DW’s comments above to mean Stull will start on opening day. More like it’s his job to lose. In general this coaching staff has made changes at the QB position when someone does not firmly take the job. If Stull starts and shows no improvement, I think that a change will be made. I hate to admit it, but when it comes to the QB position, I favor experience over potential every time…as a starting point. If Stull struggles early, then bench him. If that happens, I’m betting the second choice will almost certainly be Bostick.
As far as Stull goes, (concussion or not) he is not strong-armed, doesn’t have a quick release, and is not mobile with a less than dominant O-line in front of him. I hate to criticize a college player who I’m sure does his best, but I believe he is simply mismatched.
As HbgFrank said, I take it that its his job to lose, and that is the right move for now.
One thing that I am really hoping for Cignetti to use more of is a three-step package. Clearly Stull’s strength is not throwing the ball downfield on play-action. We need the play action to go with the running attack, but I’d like to see more three step drops with quick hit passes on slants, hitches, and slide patterns coming from the wr’s, slots and backfield. These are types of patterns that Stull can have a lot of success with and still fit with the pro-style offense.
I’ve heard all the stuff before about how we’re supposed to orient the offense around quick hit passes in order to mask the fact that Stull can’t throw downfield. News flash: the short passes aren’t always easy for him because he often has trouble seeing over the line. That lack of size is also a contributing factor in his questionable pocket presence; he simply can’t feel what’s coming because he can’t see it and he’s not mobile enough to escape and make a play anyway.
Part of the fun of posting about this stuff is venting — it’s cathartic. Why do I have the sinking feeling that the days of “Stull-venting” are not over in this town?
It’s not going to mask the fact that he can’t throw downfield. Throwing the deep ball isn’t something he excels at and I’m willing to concede that it never will be.
For all of the criticism thrown Stull’s direction (and yes, much of it is well deserved) I think Cavanaugh could have done a better job of putting him in situations where he has a fighting chance to succeed.
We know he is immobile and we know he can’t throw the deep ball all that well, but a quick game package was notable absent in Cav’s offenses.
I’m not saying this is going to cure the problems of the offense, but I’d at least like the offense to try some of this stuff. A few of the only completions we made in the Sun Bowl were late in the game on the two balls over the middle to Dickerson. I don’t think we saw enough of that or enough quick slants, outs etc. all season long.
I’m just hoping Cignetti will look to do more of that because we did have some success with it.
I’ve posted this thought before and will repeat … it is possible that Shady’s departure will force them to use their other talent more, and become more diverse. Obviously, both Byham and Dickerson were underused; Wright scored on an 80yd end-around the 1st time he touched the ball from scrimmage (alhtough it was called back by an unnecessary hold), and I expect Cross and Baldwin to be used much more.
I’ll go by what my eyes tell me rather than what the SID puts in the program — he looks small out there and has no physical presence at all.
And I’m not necessarily opposed to small quarterbacks. (Sunseri’s small, too.) Some guys can overcome that, usually with mobility or with some sixth sense pocket presence — stuff we already know Stull doesn’t have.
Other than that, I feel mildly confident that the team will play well. 8 or 9 wins should almost be guaranteed, and if the line plays OK and whoever is QB can be reasonably accurate more wins is a definite possibility.