There’s so many tabs I expected to get to the last couple days and then the offense went splat in the final scrimmage and that kind of overwhelmed everything.
The one thing I didn’t read that much about was how much was it the offensive line being overwhelmed and how much was it the QB play stunk. A lot seemed to fall on the QB, but clearly there are still concerns.
The starting offensive line is going to be Jason Pinkston, Lucas Nix, Alex Karabin, Greg Gaskins and Chris Jacobson. I know we’ve been told there is an open competition at some of the spots but Gaskins has taken pretty much every snap with the first team and Karabin’s primary “competition” at center was from Jack Lippert, who coaches are talking about moving to guard. The good news is this unit of five has played together all camp, so they should have some chemistry by the time the Utah game comes around. But as yesterday showed, the unit still has some work to do in order to prove it can be the kind of unit which can dominate defenses.
Let me see if I have this straight. The walk-on senior is going to be the starting center. Fine. Sounds good. Reasonable, all things considered when you have converted a D-lineman that is a redshirt freshman as his back-up. Let him spend the year really learning the position and being ready to take over next season, getting ready to play this year.
Wait, what?
You are even discussing moving the only other guy listed on the depth chart at center to guard? Having him learn another new spot on the O-line? When there is no one else there to play center next season? That is, unless true freshman Artie Rowell is going to be the starter in 2011?
Oh, dear god. Are Turnley and Gaskins really that bad at the right guard? I’m at a loss. As much as I want to say that I trust Wise and Wannstedt on the O-line, I’m having a real hard time doing it right now.
One thing has emerged from the second scrimmage. The odds of seeing 4WRs are slim and none with the present O-line.
The second issue is that the offense yesterday again showed that it could be tough to not have Henry Hynoski on the field. Simply put Mike Cruz is not Nate Byham in terms of being a blocker and the offensive line isn’t quite good enough to block without the help of a fullback. Again, there are still more weeks to get things cleaned up but at least for now there has to be a little bit of concern that the offense is not going to be as good as it was last year.
Then there is the play at QB. Paul Zeise even speculates that this is something of a pattern emerging with Tino Sunseri.
Tino Sunseri was very good early in camp last year and seemed to hit a wall where he never got better and even regressed a bit. I’m not saying that has happened this year but he is not progressing in terms of becoming more consistent the way you’d like. He is still missing throws, he is still struggling with some throws which by now should be easy and he is still just having a hard time with his consistency.
Zeise tries to end by saying he thinks Sunseri will get it together, but this is not good for a guy who has had the job since the spring. The guy who is supposedly bonded with the WRs.
At least Tino Sunseri is still positive.
Last two a day!!!!! 13 days
Why am I thinking the over/under on Dion Lewis carries this year will be around 350?
Kirk Herbstreidt was asked about his assessment of the BigEast FB on Mike & Mike today.
First, he indirectly suggested it was a weak conference, but felt the UConn is the team to beat.
He mentioned while everyone seems to be on the Pitt bandwagon and Dion…the Panthers have no experience at QB.
Not critiquing his assessment one way or the other…it is a valid point after all…but I thought you might be interested in his assessment.
DaveD
He was like 24 of 32.
Really can he be worse than Stull was the first year he was the starter? (not the year he got hurt in Game 1) If PITT can win 9 games with Stull that year, they should certainly be able to win 10 or 11 with Tino. Frankly I’m more concerned with the O-line and the injury to Ray Graham, since Jason Douglas (a redshirt freshmen) has apparently passed up junior Chris Burns (who Zeise thought was going to be the starter last year) on the depth chart at TB.
Also the lingering back injury for Romeus means little practice time and no reps.
I just wish they would have played a cupcake or two (with a new QB) before playing Utah on the road. That is an extremely tough opener for anybody. Utah routed national champion Alabama in the 2008 Sugar Bowl(which is like a home game for the SEC).
I agree this is going to be a very tough opener, but not impossible to win.
Utah’s defense is suspect but Pitt’s offense is suspect in certain areas (interior O line and QB).
The game is going to come down to limit the turnovers on Pitt’s part and for the Pitt defense to stuff Utah’s offense, aka field goals instead of TD’s.
If Pitt’s d-line can dominate and get to the QB there is a chance.
UConn will not win the Big East, they will finish 4th, they are a bit over-hyped because of their coach.
Sure there are questions, in college football there always are strengths and weaknesses. When was the last time we had this many stars and this much depth?
In 2008, while Stull didn’t throw a lot of TD passes he also didn’t throw a lot of INTs – his INT to Pass Attempt ratio was an excellent 1:33 (w/ an even better ’09 at 1:40).
That stat means everything when you have an offense that is built around the run, getting first downs and eating the clock.
So as far as I’m concerned the real determination of how well Sunseri might do, or is doing, isn’t how strong his arm is or how well he can scramble – it’s making the right reads, being accurate with his passes and not panicking… thus not throwing picks.
It’s the quickest way for catastrophic failure on the football field.
That’s not going so great so far in camp. Ricky Gary (all 5’8″ of him) had three INTs just yesterday.
If Sunseri can avoid INTs and even just produce average play at the QB position to start off the season then he’ll be fine. He needs, IMO, to not try to do too much and follow the script. He has playmakers who can do magical stuff once the ball is in their hands – he doesn’t need to force success.
I find it to be very informative regarding all sports, my nephew gave me a yearly subscription for a gift, since then, the yearly renewal is really cheap and they throw in the insider internet access.
Go to sleep until 9/2