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October 19, 2011

Myers Rising?

Filed under: Coaches,Football,Players — Reed @ 10:36 pm

In Paul Ziese’s Red Shirt Diaries he reports that because of an injury Mark Myers may slide into the #2 QB slot this week.  Apparently Trey Anderson has tendinitis in his throwing hand, which he got by constantly patting Sunseri on the back while saying “Keep doing what you’re doing, Tino. Don’t worry about my playing time.”

Actually it was this as quoted in the P-G:  “Anderson has tendinitis in his throwing wrist. Dodge said it is an old injury that has become inflamed and so Anderson needs to rest it.

This makes an for interesting situation because now Myers could be one snap away from seeing extended playing time, depending on the severity of Anderson’s, and in turn, Sunseri’s injuries.

Which harks back to the issue that we (well, DRW and I mostly) have been discussing on here so much lately;  if that comes to pass (pun intended) does Graham modify his offense to fit Myers, or have Myers try to play in this current offense as fielded, or does he switch Gonzalez back to QB and retain the offense also?

Or… even if Sunseri doesn’t get injured does the staff create packages for Myers to avoid the read-option and still get a look at playing time as QB2? That would be something I’d like to see because just like everyone else I’m looking forward to seeing him in actual action.

Exciting things to consider. If it is a short duration (few series) for Myers’s window of opportunity then Graham should play right to his strengths which is to have him in the shotgun and pray the OL holds up long enough for the receivers to get open and for Myers to stay upright to get the ball to them.  This is the problem that has been dogging our passing game since (before and) after the USF game.

If Myers is needed for more than a few series or a even whole game then Graham has a tough decision to make with how he approaches playcalling.  As I’ve stated, I’m of the mind that Graham will think going forward with the offense as installed is as much, if not more, important then getting a win or two.  I don’t see Myers thriving in the triple read option that the current QBs have to run so things would probably have to change to accommodate him.

So,  something that hasn’t been talked about much is that changing the passing game at this point back to a more traditional set for fitting someone with Myers abilities means changing horses in mid-stream for the OL.  Since spring practice they have been executing on one set of coaching and directions – it would be interesting to see if they could handle a major change in approach at this point.

Ziese also makes a point to ask point blank about Myers’s travails this season…

So today, I asked it very direct – “why isn’t Mark Myers being given a shot”? I can’t ask it any more directly than that. The answer was equally as direct. “Mark Myers continues to be a viable option on our football team but quite frankly, he wasn’t the best option [for the back-up spot] at the start of our season and as we have continued through our season,” Dodge said. 

He said simply put, the team started camp with Sunseri as the starter and Myers as the back-up and Trey Anderson came in and “lit it up” and won the job as the back-up quarterback over Myers. He said once that happened and camp ended, there is just no way to get enough reps for more than two quarterbacks and as a result, Myers has gotten very little work and the work he has gotten, he hasn’t seized the opportunity and made a case for a longer look. 

Ziese expounded on that in his Q&A today:

“Q: The question I have is how far off is Mark Myers at quarterback and does Graham ever state what’s preventing Meyers from being in the rotation, I mean he can’t be any worse then Tino or Trey can he?

Sean Farr, Pittsburgh

ZEISE: Mark’s sense of urgency and focus was lacking for much of the summer and into camp and as a result coaches felt like he didn’t seem particularly that interested in truly competing for the job. So he fell way down the list — Todd Dodge thought that moving Trey Anderson ahead of him would be a wake up call during camp and light a fire under him. It didn’t work and he became the odd man out.”

 Sounds like Myers has snapped out of it.  Interesting times my friends…

P/S: Read the whole Red Shirt Diary for today – lots of good info.





And he must have a great arm the way he swings that big knife and hurls people around. He’s also really fast because he’s able to catch everyone he’s after.

I hear he ran the spread in high school before he became an indestructible killer.

Comment by TampaT 10.20.11 @ 3:04 pm

@reed

Okay, so Clubhouse Cancer is a bit dramatic. My point is that it is being IMPLIED that he was not HAPPY and did/said/performed or lacked performance that resulted in him getting in the coach’s doghouse. And, one can IMPLY that this is not a POSITIVE in the lockerroom.

My point…he’s a good KID from all reports and wouldn’t be the type to bitch or moan or give up or simply “did not put time in” like the coaches are implying.

Comment by PaulyP 10.20.11 @ 3:06 pm

Sorry. Couldn’t help myself. That setup by EMel was too good to pass up.

Comment by TampaT 10.20.11 @ 3:06 pm

DRW, FWIW, Tino completed 64% of his passes last year and had a 137 passer rating. He is certainly functional in the right system and looked much better in his very first college start than he did last week against the same college team.

No, he will never be much more than a capable game manager .. but more importantly, he and Myers are just not fits for Graham’s system. They were recruited for another system .. pure and simple.

Comment by wbb 10.20.11 @ 3:07 pm

@DRW I’m not smearing the kid, I’m just giving my opinion….and check my post, most is positive.

Comment by PaulyP 10.20.11 @ 3:15 pm

Big Guy, In 2000 or 2001 when Walt Harris went to the no huddle, Priestly was the starting quarter back and in his senior year. The previous year the offence was terrific and Harris disregarded the conventual wisdom “If it ain’t broke. Don’t fix it.” Thinking that could make it better he installed a no huddle system. Pitt struggled with 1-5 start making making mistakes in the new no-huddle offence that kept costing them games. So Priestly asked Walt if they could just return to their old offence. Harris made the switch, and from that point on they didn’t look back. The Panthers played much better and went on to win their next 5 or 6 games.

Comment by Justinian 10.20.11 @ 3:30 pm

@DRW

Don’t let any facts get in the way of a good story. Ben Howland did not run a fast break offense at NAU and certainly never made his reputation as a fast break coach.

At NAU he recruited good shooters and ran a motion offense which was modeled after Rick Majerus’ offense at Utah. Yes they took a lot of 3 pointers but only because that’s what they were good at. He did NOT run a fast break offense. In fact, his offense was much like the motion offense he installed at Pitt and Jamie still runs today.

Further Howland has ALWAYS preached defense and rebounding.

Comment by Pitt89 10.20.11 @ 3:31 pm

Thank you EMEL!!!! Knew someone would catch it!!

LOL!!!

Comment by Dan 10.20.11 @ 3:34 pm

Oh, Halloween movies. Friday the 13th was Jason!!! LOL!!

Comment by Dan 10.20.11 @ 3:35 pm

Well, Graham has the #1 or #2 back in the country, and, if no local qb’s want to come here, we’ll just go to Tennessee and get what they say is the #5 qb, or other services have him #5-#10, so, for only being on the job since January, Graham has done an excellent job recruiting.

Comment by Dan 10.20.11 @ 3:39 pm

Moammar got the Sicilian Necktie today.

Bye bye, Moammar. It was not nice knowing ya.

Comment by EMel 10.20.11 @ 3:39 pm

@DRW, seeing as you talk to him, the coach stinks, and the system will retard him, I’m sure your advice, and your wifes and brothers, would be for Michael Myers to transfer.

Has probably allready decided to do that, so, no use in playing him.

Good luck to him, and you. Guess there is nothing else for you to say.

Thanks for your same comment day after day for the last 2 months, appreciate them, best of luck to you and yours!!!!

Comment by Dan 10.20.11 @ 3:41 pm

Michael Myers, could have been too slow of foot to run the Triple Option. Might have to give up the machete.

Just sayin.

Comment by EMel 10.20.11 @ 3:42 pm

I mean the guy could never catch Jamie Lee !

Comment by EMel 10.20.11 @ 3:44 pm

As soon as TG loses 2 more big east games which will be the next two and he is out of the race than you will see the outher QBs

Comment by FRANKCAN 10.20.11 @ 3:44 pm

One question, who got Moammar’s 150 tons of Gold?

Comment by EMel 10.20.11 @ 3:46 pm

Michael might not be fast, but he’d be a bear to bring down in the open field. I mean he withstood gun shots, falls off balconies, clothes hangers to the eye, burning, etc, etc

Comment by Pitt89 10.20.11 @ 3:47 pm

Answer – George Soros.

Comment by 66Goat 10.20.11 @ 3:53 pm

150 tons of Gold at $1666 per ounce = $7.2 Trillion

Comment by EMel 10.20.11 @ 3:58 pm

Hey, I’d even be interested in overthrowing a regime at those prices. We can I sign up?

Comment by EMel 10.20.11 @ 4:00 pm

Hey, Jaimie Lee still lookin’ good in those yogurt commercials!!! She’s aged well, and doesn’t look like she’s had very little work done if any. She still looks like Jaimie Lee, not some creature that some of those people end up looking like after a butcher job!!

Comment by Dan 10.20.11 @ 4:01 pm

At his bachelor party Mark Myers ate the entire cake before his friends could tell them there was a stripper in it. Give him the start!

Comment by OntarioLett'sGoPitt 10.20.11 @ 4:03 pm

I worked a fundraiser for Children’s Hospital circa 2005 which Dan Marino was the chair and Jamie Lee the guest speaker .. nothing else, just thought I mention it.

Comment by wbb 10.20.11 @ 4:08 pm

How’d she look in person???

Comment by Dan 10.20.11 @ 4:13 pm

Jamie Lee always had a great bod…..ie. like in the movie …Perfect

link to palzoo.net

Comment by EMel 10.20.11 @ 4:25 pm

she wore a pants suit and was not all dolled up – didn’t look like a movie star (but I still would have give her a run)

For some reason, I was taken by how tall Marino was .. maybe because he walked in with his wife who is not that tall. I saw Marino play quite a few times at Pitt but never live in his street clothes.

Comment by wbb 10.20.11 @ 4:43 pm

Pauly P. – there was no implying. Myers’s ‘going through the motions’, ‘needing a fire’, etc… has been discussed in the media since spring camp. Again, this isn’t a secret at all but is getting more publicity due to 1) the current state of the QB play and 2) the fact that Myers is going into this week as second string and could see action as soon as this week.

You seem to think that these reports are slurs on the kid’s character or something but they haven’t been couched in those terms at all – from any of the PITT staff, the beat writers or others who had seen him practice.

They are just statements of what actually happened with him and I for one have taken pains to counter any negativity in what I write with the explanation that he pretty much got screwed by circumstance when Graham arrived and it is understandable if it effected him… just like it probably would any other young player.

Remember, Myers is 19 years old and this is probably the first major disappointment he’s had in his sporting life. Add to that the fact that in reality he probably could of burned up the practice fields with his play and still not come out of training camp in the top two because of what the HC wants in his QBs… that has to be very disappointing.

Again, to you and to DRW… I watched him practice on more than one occasion and even I, a by no means expert fan, could see that his head was elsewhere compared to the other two QBs. I’ve written on here before that the family was going to take a long hard look at Myers’s future at PITT. These factors are why there was speculation that he would transfer before the camps and, truth be told, was entirely understandable.

DRW is correct (yeah!!) in stating that if Myers stays at PITT as the third string QB in this offense he’ll get zero coaching and preparation for a future in football. All the staff’s energies have been and will be with QBs fitted to the offense ahead of Myers on the depth chart.

Players transfer all the time when they aren’t happy with what they are getting at one school – especially QBs when they are faced with an offense that wasn’t what they signed up for. Doing so is no indication of anything but the player and his family looking out for his best interests and there is nothing wrong with that at all. I won’t be surprised one bit if he goes after this season.

But to think that writing about this now is some sort of conspiracy or smoke screen is ludicrous. What it is is newsworthy and timely.

Comment by Reed 10.20.11 @ 4:51 pm

Maybe Michael Myers can play QB and Jamie Lee can play wide receiver. She can “flash” to the middle as a decoy. Maybe Shanahan and Street can get open then.

Comment by TampaT 10.20.11 @ 5:01 pm

Speaking on my one of my old HS’s brightest stars.

Dan the Man has a nice array of Pitt gear on his website.

link to danmarino.com

Comment by EMel 10.20.11 @ 5:13 pm

Lol, TT….sounds a lot more exciting than the last 2 games.

Comment by EMel 10.20.11 @ 5:18 pm

As far as Myers the Pitt QB, I think he’s had to deal with disappointment before. Being that the Mentor HS coach (an opponent) said he was the best QB he had seen in 20 years. That is saying something, which begs the question. Why didn’t Myers start BEFORE his senior season?

Is this another one of those cases like Big Ben not starting till his senior year?

I think I read somewhere the kid who started over Myers went to some Ivy League school, so…….

Comment by EMel 10.20.11 @ 5:22 pm

EMel, that kid who went to the Ivy league led St Ignatious to the state title

Comment by wbb 10.20.11 @ 5:51 pm

Thinking like a 19 year old, one can see how Myers might have had an emotional reaction to Anderson being brought in as “ringer”. At this point, I hope he is over it.

Comment by HbgFrank 10.20.11 @ 5:56 pm

Agree, HbgFrank.

He probably had high hopes of competing with Tino in a pro style offense. Then the guy who recruits him gets fired and the new guy changes the system to one he’s not comfortable playing. My guess is more of a defeated/disappointed attitude rather than a bad attitude.

Graham then brings in a kid who’s a “better fit” and Myers finds himself out in the cold. At least he stuck around and tried to contribute in some way by punting. He could have been a total quitter but he’s hung in, which does speak to his character and upbringing.

Like Reed said, if he decides to transfer after this year, there’s nothing wrong with that. I’d wish him well – as long as we don’t have to face him at some point that is.

Comment by TampaT 10.20.11 @ 6:13 pm

@wbb,

You mean like Trey, Tino & Gonzo led their HS teams to their respective state HS championships?

Comment by EMel 10.20.11 @ 6:46 pm

Here’s what I found out about the kid that kept Myers from starting at QB until his senior season in HS.

link to pennathletics.com

He’s(Andrew Holland) the 3rd string QB on UPenn Quakers team.
Didn’t take a snap in his first two years.
Finally got to take a few snaps this year.
Since the starting QB at Penn is also a junior and all Ivy league this kid will never play.
Also the 2nd string QB is a soph.

Well at least Andrew is getting a great education from a great school.

Comment by EMel 10.20.11 @ 6:54 pm

Oh forgot to mention, Andrew is a junior. Had a Grandfather who played at Notre Dame and had two uncles play in the Ivy League. So it’s a family thing. Got to love it.

Comment by EMel 10.20.11 @ 6:59 pm

and he led Celevalnd St Ignatius to Ohio 4A (or is it 5A) championship as a senior

Comment by wbb 10.20.11 @ 7:15 pm

Yes he did, and Trey led Pearland HS to the 5A, Texas State championship and Tino led Central Catholic to the 4A state championship in PA , as well as Gonzo led Bethlehem Liberty to the 4A championship as Junior and was the named the AP Quad A player of the year.

Apparently all this stuff doesn’t mean a hilt of beans wbb as far as whether someone will be a good college QB.

Comment by EMel 10.20.11 @ 7:30 pm

Ryan Fitzpatrick also went to an Ivy League school, he’s not too shabby. There are QB’s in that league right now that are better than the two Pitt has put on the field easily.

Comment by OntarioLett'sGoPitt 10.20.11 @ 7:46 pm

Marinatto, came up for air yesterday, in between pasta courses to belch up this thought to the AP.

“Marinatto said again that Pitt and Syracuse, who are contractually bound to the league for the next two seasons, will not be allowed out earlier.

“Absolutely not,” he said. “We have no intentions of doing that. Period. Exclamation point. End of sentence.” ”

We can only hope he falls into a bowl of linguine ala Captain McCluskey.

Finito Marinatto

link to silverscreeningroom.blogspot.com

Comment by EMel 10.20.11 @ 7:57 pm

On another humorous note, State Pen & Louisiana-LaFayette are the ONLY 6-1 teams that ARE NOT ranked.

We Are State Penn !……haha

Comment by EMel 10.20.11 @ 8:22 pm

this is stupid because myers won’t play. one because Graham is sticking with Tino, two because myers has a crudy work ethic, and three because myers is incapable of running the ofense

Comment by pk 10.20.11 @ 8:25 pm

He could play if Tino gets hurt and with this O-line a……

I told everyone once we were all born in the wrong era for PITT Football.

I give you the 1910 PITT PANTHERS Undefeated &
UNSCORED ON.

Record 10 – 0 – 0
WP 100%
PF PA APD
353 0 35.3

Games
Polls
Coaches
Roster
Draft Picks
Awards

Date Opponent Score
Oct 01 Ohio Northern University (W) 36 – 0 all-time
Oct 08 Westminster College (PA) (W) 18-0 –
Oct 15 Waynesburg University (W) 42 – 0 all-time
Oct 22 Georgetown (W) 17 – 0 all-time
Oct 29 Ohio St. (W) 71 – 0 all-time
Oct 29 Ohio Medical (W) 71 – 0 all-time
Nov 05 West Virginia (W) 38 – 0 all-time
Nov 12 Washington & Jefferson (W)14-0
Nov 19 Carnegie Tech(W)
(W) 35-0
Nov 24 Penn State (W) 11 – 0

Comment by EMel 10.20.11 @ 9:09 pm

@wbb
Just caught your comment about Jamie Lee and Marino at the fundraiser.

So you’re near a hot-bod movie star and instead you’re fixated on how tall Marino is?

LMAO – a true blue and gold Pitt fan for sure!

Comment by TampaT 10.21.11 @ 8:48 am

Since we’re swapping stories… I was in San Fran for a Auto tradeshow working a booth for a customer, when out of nowhere, the booth next to me starts setting up for a celebrity signing. Who is it? Tony Freaking Dorsett. I’m like a kid in the candy store. So, during a downspot, I jump in line like a Blue & Gold homer that I am…I get up to him, he is a great guy. We chatted about his dominance of Notre Dame (one of my favorites), and some other niceties.

But like wbb, I was struck by one thing– his hands. For a relatively dimunitive guy (heigth and girth), his hands were as big and strong as freaking linebacker. I have an average hand size and I would say firm, professional grip…but man, I couldn’t forget those hands all day!

Comment by PaulyP 10.21.11 @ 9:06 am

OK, here’s mine. It’s more Black & Gold vs Blue & Gold.

My wife and I are at dinner at a waterfront location in Tampa and I spot Franco Harris at the next table. In my business, I deal with C-Level types, and I’m typically not afraid to talk with anyone, even other sports figures.

But it takes me a while to “decide” on the right moment to approach him. I walk to his table and say, “Are you who I think you are?”

What an idiotic thing to say!!!

He smiles and says, “Well who do you think I am?” My intelligent response, “Franco?” He says, “You might be right.”

I then realize what a doofus I sound like and apologize for the dumb questions. We laughed and had a nice conversation for a few minutes. No matter how old or experienced you get, you always seem to revert to a being little kid when in front of your personal heroes.

Comment by TampaT 10.21.11 @ 9:41 am

Another story, In the eighties after a game, I was enjoying myself immensely at Zelda’s when in comes Hugh Green. I give him the congratulatory slap on the back. It was like hitting a block of granite. I have been around many musclebound guys, but I can’t remember anything that impressive.

Comment by gc 10.21.11 @ 9:42 am

actually TampaT, I was near Marino but not near Jamie Lee but saw her across the room and never got close

EMel, you’re missing the point about the Ivy Leaguer who preceded Myers in high school. You were tring to make the point that this guy had no business playing instead of Myers (ala Rothlisberger) .. but I am making the point that since he led his team to the state title, he most certainly did.

Comment by wbb 10.21.11 @ 9:52 am

Pitt bbal #11 in ESPN Preseason Coaches poll.

Comment by TampaT 10.21.11 @ 10:08 am

Ok – Dan Marino helped our paperboy on his route he was a young teenager – I was 19 or so – he was probably 13. I remember him because his friend John Berger said “Danny’s going to be a famous baseball player someday” … I knew him before you all did.

Another: I watched a Pirates game from the broadcasting booth with Bob Prince – he was a college classmate and friend of my dad’s at PITT. Yes, he drank like a fish during the game.

I also got drunk as hell with William Defoe once but that’s non-PITT related.

Comment by Reed 10.21.11 @ 5:31 pm

Nice story about Alexcih in the trib. Shows that the recruiting stars don’t always matter over heart. Also he was right, 44 was a dirty player. He ran into the pile after the play on several occasions.

Comment by gc 10.21.11 @ 7:54 pm

Chad Voytik on ESPNU now.

Comment by Scott 78 10.21.11 @ 8:39 pm

Am I only the only one that has said, “That was very Sunseri-like” about five times so far in Voytik’s first half? At least Syracuse is putting it’s foot up WVU’s arse, currently.

Comment by cnorwoodaz 10.21.11 @ 9:18 pm

BigEasy wide open. The Hoopies got deliveranced and and Butgers got L-holed. haha

Does anyone in this conference really deserve a BCS bid?

Comment by EMel 10.22.11 @ 12:10 am

Sorry it’s Friday nite and the girlfriend is over to cook breakfast in the morning. lol

Comment by EMel 10.22.11 @ 12:12 am

Living outside of Filthydelphia there is nothing I can do about getting away for this Wednesday evening game. I’m sure most of you read about this.

10/26/2011 WVU OCCUPY HEINZ
If anyone has a big Twitter following, then feel free to run with it. Red shirts with “10/26/2011 OCCUPY HEINZ” (in black). Decide on a gathering point, seating location,etc. Get some Let’s Go chants rocking in the 1st quarter. Stage a walk out with 5 minutes left in the 1st quarter. Something along those lines.

Comment by JD 10.22.11 @ 11:18 am

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