Some credit to the Defense for the way it’s been playing.
Despite concerns about the unit coming into the season, the Panthers’ defense ranks 20th nationally. Pitt is giving up only 307.5 yard-per-game. Coach Dave Wannstedt said Wednesday after practice that the defense has been key to Pitt turning around its season and evening its record at 4-4.
“Our defense has played very consistent from the standpoint that we’re improving against the run, for sure, and we’re improving on the big plays,” Wannstedt said. “When you don’t give up the big plays and make teams drive the length of the field — well, they’re going to have a tough time doing it.”
That’s great. Of course consider that the last 3 games have come against the 76th, 77th and 113th ranked offenses (Cinci, USF and Syracuse) and that Ohio and Nebraska are 101st and 91st. Rutgers is 44th and they piled up the yardage. Just keep things reasonable about what the D is doing against what kind of competition.
Also note, that Wannstedt still feels that Pitt isn’t running the ball well enough. He’s happy to keep the passing to under 30 attempts, though.
As Joe Starkey notes in his ESPN.com Big East notebook (Insider subs.) the next game will be the test to see whether the defense really has improved from the shellacking it took in week 1 against ND.
A big key against Louisville will be the defensive line, which must help control Cardinals running back Michael Bush and generate pressure on quarterback Brian Brohm.
Brohm, the highest-rated passer in the country, hasn’t seen a set of cornerbacks as good as Darrelle Revis and Josh Lay. But without pressure on the quarterback, Revis and Lay will be in trouble.
Senior Linebacker J.J. Horne gets a little love.
The coaching staff named Horne its defensive player of the game after he had six hits and a pass breakup against Cincinnati. A week later against South Florida, Horne again had six stops and also forced a fumble.
Horne is in his first season as the full-time starter at weak-side linebacker. His presence took on increased importance when Brian Bennett went down with a season-ending knee injury a month ago.
Since Horne’s backup, Adam Gunn, is just a redshirt freshman, Horne rarely gets a breather on game days.
“Here’s a kid who, even though he’s a fifth-year senior, he’s probably never achieved the credit that maybe was deserved,” defensive coordinator Paul Rhoads said. “He’s been a split-role player. Now, he’s having to play the position all on his own.
“We’re asking him to do a number of things in the nickel and dime packages. And he’s doing all that with a physical ailment that he’s playing through, and we’re always proud of our kids when that kind of physical toughness shows.”
Horne has also been playing with a hurt shoulder.
