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March 30, 2010

Unnecessarily Personalizing the QB Battle

Filed under: Uncategorized — Chas @ 10:54 am

I went back and looked over my post on how it seems that the QB competition is over before it started. I certainly don’ t make the claim that Bostick should be the starter over Sunseri, or vice versa. I think most fans aren’t absolutely certain one way or another. That’s why it seems so surprising and confusing that it seems that Sunseri has the job this quickly.

That is how I look at it. Obviously I don’t know as much as the coaches. I don’t see the kids in practice. The amount of work Tino Sunseri saw last year hardly provides much to go on. Pat Bostick redshirted last year, so there is little to know about how far he actually has come. I took the coaches statements at face value that the competition was open and that no decision was made — and I think most people did.

Apparently I had a burst of naivete in that respect. So in less than a week after practices got underway — and even statements that the competition was absolutely open despite evidence suggesting otherwise — to have that be otherwise. Well, I can understand frustration and annoyance at Coach Wannstedt. Hate feeling like you can’t even believe the things your own coach is saying.

I really don’t buy the Western Pennsylvania conspiracy stuff. Nor do I buy the whole ties to Sunseri the elder. Putting all of it on Coach Wannstedt is not fair and seems to be a bit of a way to avoid pinning any of the decision on popular assistant coach Frank Cignetti.

Yes, Wannstedt is in charge and the final decision is his. I don’t think he’d ignore his coaches and what happens in practice just because of geographic or family ties.

P-G beat writer Paul Zeise concedes that it is now Sunseri’s job, but offers this caution.

Tino is the No. 1 quarterback because he is physically more gifted than Pat Bostick and has far more upside. But that isn’t any different than the way things were last year during training camp – he threw the best ball, could make all the passes, had the strongest arm and quickest release of any quarterback in camp. But when push came to shove, he couldn’t seperate himself from the other two so the coaches opted for the experience and grit of Stull and well, that worked out obviously. So while he is clearly on track to be the starter, when they put him in position to win or lose the job against a live pass rush, blitzes and changing defenses in the fall — will he be able to win it this year or will the coaches be in the position to opt for experience again? I’m thinking he’ll get it done but until it happens, you just never know.

That much I’m not buying unless there is an injury. Sunseri has the job now. He will have the job in the fall. Say this for Coach Wannstedt and even what we have seen from OC Cignetti. Once they commit to a QB, it takes something much more cataclysmic before they make the change.

Sunseri struggling in live practices in the fall will not cost him the job. At that point, the script becomes he has the chemistry with the starters and he will come around. Plus there just won’t be time at that point.





I think its difficult at this point to say who should be the #1 QB as a fan or outsider. What we saw from Bostick a few years ago was certainly unimpressive. I know he was a freshman, but he looked like he had no business playing Division I football. That being said, by all accounts, he has been working as hard as anybody on the team. I expect that sitting out last year gave him a chance to mature, get a better handle on the offense, and develop physically.

As for Sunseri, he was also unimpressive in limited action last season. He seemed to be pressing and made a lot of mistakes when he was in there. Everyone says he has some of the physical tools, but we haven’t really seen all that much of him.

As Snala alluded to in an earlier post, I think at this time we should just rely on Cignetti’s judgment. What he did last year with the offense, and Stull in particular, was impressive.

We’ve still got a lot of spring ball left to try to sort things out. Even if Sunseri is the default starter right now it doesn’t mean that he isn’t being pushed by Bostick on a daily basis.

Comment by TJ 03.30.10 @ 12:09 pm

Anyone know what the 2PM media announcement is about?

Comment by Pitt it IS 03.30.10 @ 1:18 pm

Never mind – Wanny contract extension. Great for the program.

Hail to Pitt.

Comment by Pitt it IS 03.30.10 @ 1:20 pm

I don’t think that Bostick needs to be told that whoever is given the starting duties at QB, that the backup better keep his head in the game and prepare to BE the the #1 guy at a moments notice. Sunseri probably has more potential that needs to be quickly developed if in fact he gets the nod to begin the season, so I’m not surprised that he is now getting so many reps with the first team. However, even if its made offical tomorrow that Sunseri is the guy, Bostick is just one play away from stepping into that leading role and he knows that from experience. He has been “the guy” in some of Pitt’s biggest wins of recent history. ND quad overtime win and THEE WIN at West Virginia had him at the helm only because of injury to the starting quarterback. So I hope he has matured enough to rise above all of this reporting/fan hype and just continue to concentrate on improving at his position, because I will guarentee that he will be called on again before graduation to be “the guy” once again and manage the QB position well enough to pencil in another key Pitt win in the future. Nothing wrong with playing the Hero’s role from the bench if you really are sincere about contributing to the team in the best way possible irrespective of the prevailing circumstances.

Comment by Dr Tom 03.30.10 @ 1:54 pm

I remember a Wannstedt interview in early January on a local radio station. At that time, even though he said there would be competition, he spent almost all of the time talking about Tino. I think it has always been Tino’s to lose.

There is no doubt that they (Wanny and Cig) think Tino is the best option to step up and lead this team despite his inexperience …. and if anything, Wannstedt appears to be swaying from his norm in preferring the less experienced.

Comment by wbb 03.30.10 @ 6:10 pm

I think that mobility is what Cig is after…I’m not convinced that Tino is a better QB than Pat (only because I have not seen him play in a real game situation). It was Pat that was under center in the 13-9 game. Plenty here will say it was all Shady. I don’t buy that, Pat made a few really good throws in that game. I do think the college game is moving more and more towards the mobile QB. Tino may very well be our Zack Collaros (?) (Cincy’s QB)…If he is, I’m all for him being the starter. If he falters, I am confident that Pat can do the job, just with a different style.

Comment by HbgFrank 03.30.10 @ 6:36 pm

Chas – I think you hit the nail on the head with this quote; “Well, I can understand frustration and annoyance at Coach Wannstedt. Hate feeling like you can’t even believe the things your own coach is saying.”

For me, and some other fans, it isn’t so much that it appears that Sunseri will be the starting QB in the fall – that had at least a 50/50 chance of happening. No, it is that after being excruciatingly loyal and hard working over the last three years Pat Bostick isn’t even getting a fair shake to compete for the position.

I agree that no one kid should be given the job without earning it based on a reward for past actions- and that Bostick would have to compete to win the QB1 position. That much is pretty apparent to any sports fan.

Well, then it goes double for a kid to be awarded that starter’s position without any history at all, especially if the party line from the Head Coach is that both are getting an equal shake.

I’ve been a big DW supporter since his hire but this leaves a bad taste in my mouth. It’s almost as if DW doesn’t have the guts to come right out and say he’s made his decision already. Believe me, the one thing Pat Bostick isn’t is dumb – that young man knows what is happening… don’t insult him by not being upfront with him. He deserves at least that much from the coaching staff in my opinion.

Comment by Reed 03.31.10 @ 7:17 am

Dr Tom – “matured enough”? I’d say he showed his maturity throughout the 2007 season when he was starting in Div I football as an 18 year old kid. There was no quit in that kid then and I know there isn’t any in him now.

Comment by Reed 03.31.10 @ 7:21 am

I think Wanny is being more than fair to Bostick, by saying he has a shot. I think the tape and reviews are in over the last two years and Sunseri is clearly more talented than Bostick. I love Bostick’s mental toughness once thrown in the fire, but he looked sub-mediocre most all of the games he played the past two seasons…13-9 notwithstanding — although that was clearly his best moment. He was really pretty awful in the ND win, which caused the game to go on so long despite Pitt outplaying them badly.

Sunseri was recruited by Louisville back when they had Brian Brohm and one of the best offenses in the country, and he has shown his ‘blue chipness’ last summer and fall. He just has to produce, which I think he will…but I like Bostick as a seasoned back up who can keep the machine moving while not necessarily being the hero…all kinds of kids like that on teams across the country, and should take pride in that.

Comment by Matt N. 03.31.10 @ 2:19 pm

Hey, what about that QB that we recruited?

Comment by Pedro Salgado 03.31.10 @ 7:32 pm

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