The Manning Award Watchlist expanded by ten more QBs. Bill Stull is one of them. He has no real shot, but it’s an honor to be among the 48 QBs on the list. There isn’t a cut-down until November 20 or so.

There are 12 players on Pitt’s roster from Florida. USF Coach Leavitt is especially familiar with the Florida guys on the D-line.

He’s familiar with at least three: Jabaal Sheard, Gus Mustakas and Greg Romeus — all Florida natives he targeted on the recruiting trail. “I know those Pitt defensive linemen very well,” Leavitt said. “They’re very active and very strong.”

In trying to describe Mustakas, Leavitt paused, then said: “He is very strong. There is no finesse there.”

His name is Gus Mustakas. Finesse just is not possible with a name like that.

The storyline for Pitt’s O-line is stopping George Selvie. That kind of ignores that the other DE, Jason Pierre-Paul, who has been outstanding this season. Especially since Selvie has been more reputation than output in key games this season.

One could make the same claim about Pitt’s Greg Romeus and Jabaal Sheard who were expected to be the dominant force on the D-line. They haven’t been as impressive, but the interior has stepped up nicely.

In terms of sheer production the Panthers rotation of tackles — Mick Williams, Gus Mustakas and Myles Caragein have been more productive than the trio of ends — Sheard, Romeus and Brandon Lindsey.

As an example, last Friday, the Panthers beat Rutgers, 24-17, and the three defensive tackles combined for five tackles for loss (the team had seven) and the team’s three sacks. The three ends had no tackles for loss and no sacks but did knock down three passes at the line of scrimmage.

The defensive tackles have combined for 75 tackles, 20 1/2 tackles for loss and 8 1/2 sacks; the ends have 56 tackles, 15 1/2 tackles and 11 1/2 sacks.

Pitt defensive coordinator Phil Bennett said that while the numbers aren’t overwhelming for the ends, Sheard and Romeus are playing well. He said they are just drawing a lot of double teams and help from running backs, which has hurt their productivity.

Yes and no. Romeus and Sheard have been facing a lot of attention, but they haven’t seemed to do a great job at beating it. At times, it seems like Romeus is more interested in the tape ball.

Some love for Hynoski, who is all about the team.

“I just want to do whatever it takes — running, blocking or catching,” said Hynoski, who had career highs of 29 yards rushing and 36 receiving in a 24-17 win at Rutgers last Friday. “I want the coaches to feel confident in me in all three areas. I’m not a guy who cares about the stats. I just want to win, and that’s all that matters.

“The way I look at it, if Bill throws a touchdown or Dion scores, it’s just as good as me scoring one. Once the team does well, all the individual things will fall into place.”

Jarred Holley has taken advantage of the injury to Elijah Fields to show he belongs out there. Hopefully someone on Pitt’s defensive staff does this.

Q: Despite Dave Wannstedt’s unwillingness to change from his preferred 4-3 defensive alignment, do you think that he would entertain the idea of taking out a linebacker and replacing him in the starting line-up with Elijah Fields (assuming he is healthy) in that bandit/hybrid position that he can play against the more athletic teams left on Pitt’s schedule (i.e. – South Florida, Notre Dame, West Virginia, and Cincinnati)? I think that both Fields and Holley need to be on the field against the teams mentioned above to help match the speed of those offenses.

ZEISE: If I had a gift certificate or something to give away for the question of the week — you would certainly get it because that is a great question. And the answer is — I think against South Florida, West Virginia and Cincinnati (three spread teams left on the schedule) — I guess Syracuse plays a bit of a spread now too, don’t they — you will see more of that bandit/buck stuff and Fields will be the guy to fit that role. One thing these last two games have done is convinced coaches that Jarred Holley is indeed ready to fill that role as starting safety and he is capable of making plays and holding his own.

Coach Wannstedt doesn’t want a redux of the Russell Wilson/NC State defensive debacle with B.J. Daniels. No body does.

The fans, commentors and this blogger have not been shy about heaping praise on OC Frank Cignetti. He gets a puff piece today focusing on his modesty.

In no particular order, Pitt offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti credits coach Dave Wannstedt, quarterback Bill Stull, running back Dion Lewis, tight end Dorin Dickerson, the other playmakers, the offensive linemen, the offensive coaching staff, the ball boys and even former coordinator Matt Cavanaugh for their roles in the team’s surprisingly effective offense and its 6-1 record, No. 20 ranking and first-place standing in the Big East Conference.

It just keeps making former OC Matt Cavanaugh look worse.

Q: I believe Frank Cignetti Jr. is a much better fit as a college offensive coordinator than Matt Cavanaugh. I think he has shown more creativity in his schemes and is younger and better with college athletes. Do you agree?

ZEISE: Yes and mostly because he really likes being a college coach. Matt is a very good offensive mind and he knew what he was doing but in four years here you never got the sense that he really wanted to be a college coach, in fact he had said as much. His heart was in the NFL as a coordinator. Frank Cignetti wants to be a head coach and he loves the college game so he has embraced it and ran with it…

At one time, early in his job at Pitt, Cavanaugh talked about being a head coach in college. Yet, no one took it particularly seriously. He was very much like the Paul Hackett style coach/coordinator. More about seyt schemes and systems and less about using the players in ways that played up their strengths.

Here’s a list of stations around the country that are showing the game.

I find it funny, amusing and sad.

There are people who still have trouble with Bill Stull as the starter.

Q: Bill Stull is having an excellent year statistically, but do you really think he is the best quarterback on the team? My main objection is that he is not a “playmaker.” I have always felt that the best chance of winning a game is to have a quarterback who is a playmaker.

ZEISE: Bill Stull is indeed the best option for this team at quarterback right now. He’s put that to rest long ago and frankly this isn’t even a worthy discussion at this point. Pitt will go as far as he takes them and in terms of playmakers, I don’t agree. He’s made some big-time throws in recent weeks and Friday against Rutgers he made a few under a lot of pressure. Stull for some reason isn’t the most beloved player on this team among fans, but my goodness, the Panthers are 15-5 with him as a starter. I’m not saying he’s an NFL quarterback — or that he’s even a great player — but to say he is just along for the for ride is inaccurate because he’s made a lot of plays and frankly, a couple of games he’s been the difference between winning and losing. He also proved against Connecticut that he could indeed bring the Panthers back if they got behind and that was a question people had about him.

I have to admit to staring at that link all week. First, it is really hard to argue with success, and by nearly every metric Stull has been a success this season. I’ve been among the doubters as to how successful Pitt’s offense could be over the first few games, but he has done the job. The main problem I have with it, though, is — well, who on the roster would have fit the role of “playmaker” QB? You can’t just declare that he shouldn’t be the guy because he isn’t dynamic enough without a clear alternative that fits that bill.

There is no evidence that Sunseri would be that guy other than his success in high school and nice reports on how he did in the training camp. I like Bostick, but I can’t call him a “playmaker.”

I don’t know if people still hold the Sun Bowl and his performances in the last 3 games of 2008 against him. The natural distrust of the starting QB. The way Stull was guaranteed the job, despite not really outplaying the other QBs in camp. There just should be a point where you have to let it go.

Stull is the starter. He’s been very good this season. He has stayed within the system and has made a lot more throws than he’s missed. Unless there is an injury he should be the starter. Not because he has experience. Not because Coach Wannstedt says so. Because he has been very good in the job.

Speaking of not letting go.

So I’ve got this guy who emails every time Pitt loses a game. If I didn’t know any better, I’d swear it was Lou Holtz in disguise.

Here’s what it looks like: Wannstedt ruined the Bears, he ruined the Dolphins, and he’ll ruin Pitt, too.

And whaddya know, Wanny has won 16 of his last 21 games at Pitt, and only a 28-21 loss to Cincinnati last year kept the Panthers from winning their first ever outright conference title. In previous years, Saturday’s game against USF would have been a classic Pitt stumble.

Not now – not after Wannstedt has his players and philosophy set; not after he made one of the best hires of the offseason by bringing in Frank Cignetti to run the offense and turn wayward QB Billy Stull into one of the nation’s most productive passers (Stull, 2008: 9 TD, 10 INT; Stull, 2009: 14 TD, 3 INT).

Maybe, you know, the guy in Columbus can learn a little something from the guy in Pittsburgh who will, according to my email friend, one day ruin the Panthers.

At least he hasn’t had to hear from the guy in a month.

I won’t defend his time at Miami or Chicago. They were unmitigated disasters that not only messed up the teams for years, but the fanbases there still regard him with disgust while the sportswriters continue to use him as an easy punchline.

Now, understand. I have a continuing ambivalence regarding Coach Wannstedt. I just don’t know if he can be as successful as he thinks on a consistent basis. I think some of his ingrained inflexibility especially with offense is a fatal flaw that may keep him from ever realizing the goals he has set out for the program and we fans want.

That said, the key is that I while I don’t know about the level of success he will achieve at Pitt, there is no metric by which you can say he will or has ruined Pitt. He has underachieved for a few years. He has had headscratching losses (and probably will have more). He frustrates at times.

He has not shown anything, however, to suggest that he will or has ruined Pitt in the four plus years as head coach. Recruiting has improved. Relations with alumni is better. Media relations are stronger. Interest in the program has picked up again.

The police blotter has been relatively clean. No hints of impropriety in the program. Academics have been solid. Things that were in place before Coach Wannstedt and have continued.

At some point, you have to actually have more to go on than gut and past screw-ups.

It’s been a pretty good week for Dion Lewis. The Big East Offensive Player of the Week has gotten a lot of attention, as he is 82 yards from 1000 yards after only 7 games.

The storyline after a trip to Rutgers was how all the other schools missed him. Everyone seems to be running with it including Sports Illustrated.

Two years ago, after rushing for 979 yards and 14 touchdowns on only 79 carries as a junior at Blair Academy in Blairstown, N.J., Lewis sent copies of his highlight tape to several Division I-A programs, including nearby Rutgers. The response was underwhelming. Only Pitt assistant coach Jeff Hafley paid him a visit, and he immediately began working to get Lewis’s commitment. “I’d run into other coaches who were recruiting one of the seniors [at Blair],” says Hafley, who liked the way the 5’8″, 195-pound Lewis broke tackles and accelerated through holes. “They thought he was too small, and I’d lie and say, ‘Yeah, he’s real small.’ But he’s short, not small. He’s built like a truck.”

And once Pitt got that commitment, Lewis wasn’t interested in going anywhere else.

When Lewis averaged an astounding 14.1 yards per carry as a senior, more major programs — including Cincinnati — checked on his availability. Lewis wouldn’t even take a call. He had verbally committed to Pitt the previous summer.

“If coach (Stone) told me a (college) coach wanted to talk to me,” Lewis said, “I’d say, ‘Tell him I’m not here or something.’ “

The other impressive thing is that he hasn’t worn down at this point. Something many (including me) expected if he didn’t see more splitting of time with Ray Graham.

“You have to tackle him every time,” Wannstedt said. “And, in the fourth quarter, those 21/2-yard runs become four-yard runs. He has proven he can do it all. He can go inside and outside, shows power and speed, and that is very unusual for any back, let alone a freshman.”

Pitt guard John Malecki said it is no coincidence that Lewis is getting better and stronger as games wear on because he is one of the best-conditioned athletes on the team.

Malecki also loves to block for Lewis because he is a physical, straight-ahead runner, the kind of football player people in Western Pennsylvania seem to embrace. Lewis played high school football at Blair Academy in New Jersey.

“Dion is doing a lot of incredible things,” said Malecki, a Franklin Regional graduate. “He is a four-quarter, smash-mouth, Pittsburgh-style running back, even though he is not from around here. You can tell he loves the way we run the football.

“He worked very hard to get into our strength and conditioning program to catch up to older guys, and he fits our mentality as a second-half team. Coach Wannstedt and [strength and conditioning coach] Buddy Morris implement that in all of us. [Lewis] takes it to another level.”

Obviously there are still 6 more games (including a bowl appearance), so he could still hit a wall. The good thing is Pitt hasn’t had a bye week yet. So, there will be a week off after this game and between ND and WVU to hopefully be refreshed during the final games.

And, yes, the Bulls know they will have to focus on stopping him.

“His feet are always within his body; they never get outside his framework, and they’re always moving. He does a great job with balance, does a great job with vision seeing the field,” defensive coordinator Joe Tresey said. “You just don’t know where he’s going to appear sometimes. He just gets behind people and, boom, he’s outside on the perimeter outrunning people. … He’s the best back we’ve seen so far this year without a doubt.”