After a day spent shuttling around home improvement and paint stores arguing discussing color gradients over which I don’t really care and color choices for a Corian countertop, I’m glad to get back to blogging practice reports. I realize there might be a potential liability issue with the power tools and lawn tractors, but the profit margins would be huge for Home Depot or Lowe’s if they stuck a small bar right next to the paint or kitchen design centers.

The day after the Saturday scrimmage was very light, non-contact. So not much there other than Tony Tucker’s continued excused absence for “personal reasons.”

The status of redshirt sophomore defensive end is still unresolved, as he was excused for the sixth day of training camp to deal with “personal issues.” It’s not a disciplinary matter, and Wannstedt wasn’t sure whether Tucker will rejoin the team but said Tucker is welcome back.

“I don’t know if it’s going to work out or not. There’s been some personal issues going on with him,” Wannstedt said. “We’re trying to help Tony in any way that we can.”

The clock, however, is ticking.

“Obviously,” Wannstedt said, “it needs to be resolved here pretty quick.”

Well, the scrimmage seemed to resolve nothing in terms of the depth chart. Left guard is still a position that is “officially” still up in the air.

Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt said that the competition between Thomas and Jacobson will continue at least through this week because the two are so close.

“Physically they are really very, very close,” Wannstedt said. “Chris is still making some inexperience mistakes that Joe has not made. So in my mind it is a little bit like [safeties] Andrew Taglianetti and Elijah Fields, they are both starters, they are both capable, but if we were playing tonight, Joe Thomas would probably be the starter.

“But we have two weeks before we play so we will see, but Joe had a good scrimmage and it really right now is just experience versus inexperience.”

It’s Joe Thomas at this point. Experience matters more to Wannstedt. We all know that.

As for safety, Elijah Fields is apparently freelancing a bit too much for the coaching staff. That’s the only explanation for Andrew Taglianetti apparently getting the nod at the moment. Tags does not have the physical gifts or size of Fields, but he is more disciplined and much like Scott McKillop, just makes plays. Fields on the field gives Pitt better size in the secondary and speed, but if the coaches don’t trust that he will play smart enough and stick to his assignments he won’t get the starting nod.

Robb Houser seems to have re-established himself to be the starting center. Like last year, it’s the lack of anyone behind him that makes it an unnerving thing.

Q: How much depth is there at the center position? How big of a deal is it if Robb Houser goes down?

ZEISE: I’d say considering the back-up is a walk-on, Alex Karabin, there isn’t much. Not that Karabin isn’t a good player or capable, just that it speaks volumes that none of the scholarship guys they have can beat him out. Karabin is athletically pretty good, but he is a tad undersized and I think if Houser went down the coaches would consider moving John Malecki over to center and putting Joe Thomas into Malecki’s spot.

Which, in light of the way C.J. Davis played there when he had to move over there after Houser went down seems to be less of a concern. The problem is what that does to overall depth. The O-line still remains a very thin unit and losing depth by moving Malecki would mean if any other lineman went down, the drop-off would be that much more dramatic.

Especially since Lucas Nix has been out for a bit with a leg infection.

“I think that Greg Gaskins made a lot of progress last week. He closed the gap a little bit on Lucas Nix. It’s not Lucas’ fault, he’s hurt, but he has to get back with it.”

The kicking game actually seems to be okay. Dan Hutchins has been named the starting punter (no surprise), and is still battling Kevin Harper for placekicking duties. Some concern over Harper’s accuracy, but not his leg.

“There’s no question that Harper’s got the strongest leg. If we were attempting any 50-plus field goals, he gives you the best chance to make it because his leg is so strong,” Wannstedt said. “But, as we all know, field goal kickers make their money kicking between the 30s and 40s.”

I’m still picking Harper to get placekicker duties. He has been nearly as consistent as Hutchins in shorter yardage, but he is close. I just don’t see Wannstedt being very comfortable using two kickers depending on the yardage. He wants consistency in the units.

On to running backs, where Ray Graham did not fumble and had statistically the best day.

Graham, a 5-foot-9, 185-pound freshman tailback from Elizabeth, N.J., put on a show by picking up 152 all-purpose yards and scoring two touchdowns in Pitt’s second scrimmage of training camp Saturday.

“I’m real excited with what Graham did,” Wannstedt said. “Now, will he know what to do? Will he hold onto the ball and do all the other things to trust him in a football game? That is still up for evaluation, but the statement he made today is: ‘I have the ability to make guys miss.’

“He did some Shady moves out there today.”

At this point it is Dion Lewis and then Ray Graham for the two-deep at tailback.

Dan Mason appears poised to grab the middle linebacker spot — if not starting playing there a lot more than the coaches expected this season.

Another true freshman who made a strong case to crack the two-deep depth chart was middle linebacker Dan Mason, a Penn Hills High School graduate. Mason has been one of the standouts throughout camp and yesterday had a team-high six tackles, including two for a loss.

“People see if you work hard. I just want to continue to work hard and, if they want to play me [as opposed to redshirt me], then I would be OK with that,” Mason said. “I’ve been playing hard and I am getting it down mentally, so I think I should [play this season].”

Wannstedt said, “We played Dan Mason with the second unit today and he showed up. He is going to be a player, we know that.”

The beat writers both envision Mason playing middle and Adam Gunn moving outside to play with him. That makes sense to have the experienced Gunn out there with a playmaker like Mason in the best spot.

Nate Nix is happier playing at DE.

“Because of injuries we moved Nate to defensive end and he made some plays. After practice he asked me if he could stay at defensive end, and I said he could. Coach Gattuso is excited to have him.”

Given the depth all across the D-line, this is not a major move, but if it puts the players in their best spot to help and be their most productive then it is a good move.