No phrase fills me with more dread in relation to a Paul Rhoads’ defense then “facing the spread offense.” What further fills me with dread is the fact that there is a belief that Pitt is better ready for it. Spread offenses, no matter what variation, are predicated on speed and athleticism. The defense has to be able to move and respond quickly.

“The challenge we have as defensive coaches is to understand the differences and figure out how to defend them. Certainly what West Virginia does, and the pace with which they do it, presents a lot of challenges for us.”

The Panthers have struggled against the spread in the past, but have had more success recently. Against South Florida this season , the Panthers were dominant in a 31-17 win. At the end of the 2004 season, the Panthers had a similar effort against South Florida and held the Mountaineers to only 13 points the week before.

Rhoads said the difference in his defense’s play against the spread recently is not one definable thing, but a combination of things. Clearly the coaching staff has a better idea of how to attack it now that its popularity has grown so much. And the players have had a chance to play against it more and are able to recognize plays quicker.

No mention of what happened against Utah’s spread offense.

The difference between the spread offenses that Pitt was able to stop last year and this year versus times when they couldn’t — one dimension.

Last year WVU had suspended/kicked-off their top WR Chris Henry. The passing game was severely limited making them more like an option team. Against South Florida the past two times, the Bulls have had no passing game. Below average WRs also made them much more one-dimensional and easier to defend.

While this WVU team is very run oriented — both RB Slaton and QB White — they have been very efficient when they do pass. Add in a more dominant offensive line than USF, and this could be very scary when the defense is out there.