Some changes to the line-up had to be expected. What, with injuries on the defense. The offense seems to need it, but let’s face it, no one was absolutely sure if Coach Wannstedt would make some changes that weren’t necessitated by injury. Well, it has started.
…the Panthers have benched right guard Greg Gaskins and shuffled the right side of their offensive line.
Jordan Gibbs, a 6-foot-7, 305-pound junior and one of the biggest players on the team, will start at right tackle. Lucas Nix (6-6, 305), who had manned right tackle since last season, will slide over to replace Gaskins as part of a re-worked starting five for the Panthers (1-2).
The right side of Pitt’s line now averages 6-feet-6 1/2, 305 pounds.
“We want to take a look at this lineup and see if this doesn’t give us the best five,” coach Dave Wannstedt said.
When he was hired six years ago, Wannstedt vowed to build the program from the interior – the offensive and defensive lines. While the defensive front is deep and talented, the offensive line left few options prior to the recent switch. As a whole, the group hasn’t developed as consistently as their defensive counterparts despite having well-regarded offensive line coach Tony Wise.
“We’ve been talking about our offensive line,” Wannstedt said. “Is there anything we could do? We’ve got to be very honest about it and play the best players that give us a chance to win at this point.”
So, is this a tacit admission that Greg Gaskins hasn’t exactly been up to snuff? That, but for Ryan Turnley continually banged up and Jake Lippert being the only option at center keeping Coach Wannstedt from giving Lippert time anywhere else on the line?
Of course not.
“We’re going to make a lineup change in the offensive line. I hate to make a change in one position when we’re struggling as a group. It’s not an indication that it is one individual or one position. When you don’t win a game, when you get beat like we did on Thursday, as I told the players, as a coach you have a tendency to look at everything under the microscope a lot closer after a loss than you do after a win.”
Of course, Gaskins is the only one heading to the bench, so draw your own conclusions.
Wannstedt is also blaming the tight ends for not being good blockers.
“That’s an area the offensive line, and every position on offense, that we need to improve on. It’s probably a position that goes, not unnoticed, but is taken for granted when you’re running your power game, and you’re running your toss sweeps and your stretch game. The point man there is really your tight end.
“That happened when we had the third down and three on the goal line. We have a wing, we run a power, and their defensive end gets penetration up the field, up and under our tight end. Was it a mistake mentally? No. It was a physical thing.
“Mike Cruz is probably 230-235 pounds right now, Nate Byham was 260, a strong 260 pounds, and he handled most defensive ends when he lined up against them. Now he’s doing it on Sundays. That is something from a coaching standpoint where you have your plays that you believe in, you know are good plays and then you have to think what can you do? It looks good on the board and sounds good in the clinic, but if we can’t do it, then we’re wasting our time.”
So in the first game of the season, the TE gets blown up and Coach Wannstedt rips the play out of the book since it won’t work. Yet, they kept running the ball straight ahead with Gaskins and Karabin? Good.
Just a thought, but since Cruz (and no other TE) hasn’t caught a pass since the first game, maybe consider sticking an offensive lineman at the TE spot to help if the blocking for the running game is so bad. I mean teams are already stacking against the run.
It is what Coach Wannstedt is essentially saying about running the ball outside. That Pitt can’t/won’t run the ball outside because the TEs don’t block well enough. Since Pitt isn’t about to run any less and the TEs aren’t exactly a huge part of the passing game right now, it would make more sense to get an extra lineman out there.
Can anyone tell me the difference between Tino and Myers. Frank Cig said Tino is having problems finding his starting point? Isn’t that a problem true freshman qb’s have? I understand Tino has started 3 games but he has practiced against a pretty damn good defense for 2 1/2 years.
Interesting that the coaches themselves have mentioned Myers as an option. Unheard of in the Wanny era and indicative of a loss of faith.
When FINALLY given the chance, Ben threw for 54 TD’s and over 4000 yards, both Ohio HS State records in his first & only season as QB. The coach’s son stats the previous season were puny when compared.
And just as school administrators or league organizers everywhere went along with the coach and his nepotism, journalists like Zeise go along as well. As this crap has been accepted in America for decades. All the while calling others the “lunatic fringe”, conspiracy theorists or whatever. What a pile of horse crap
Paul Zeise has a whole spectrum of interests with how he goes about his job – finger pointing to the HC of the team he requires open and honest access to is not one of them. Of course, he may well believe what he writes – but it wouldn’t be the first time he writes something that proves out to be wrong in the long run.
For me – I think there was something rotten in the state of Denmark – going back to January 2009.
Hynocerous – we keep hearing from others that Sunseri is as you say – far, far above Bostick – but you know what?… 12 quarters of play, throw in his 2009 playing time and the Spring and Training camp scrimmages and where has that talent been on display? In one good scramble for 20+ yards maybe? It sure hasn’t been in his passing ability. His long ball looks far, far worse than Bill Stull’s so far. He’s thrown at the feet of numerous open receivers. It hasn’t been in his read & react ability, which has been non-existent. So where?
Hell – even the Miami defenders said after the game that their coaches told then that Sunseri had accuracy problems – we’ve sure seen that though haven’t we?
Again, where exactly is this great talent we keep hearing about? Better show up soon or he’ll be the most talented guy on the bench – that is if DW finds the guts to make a change for cause there.
