The Blue-Gold game fanfest is underway. I would love to be there tonight. Of course the one flaw in all of this planning for the festivities.

Where the Blue-Gold Game drew an announced attendance of 2,103 last year, Pederson is hoping to lure more fans today with free admission and other enticements. Pitt players will sign autographs in the Gate A plaza from 4 to 4:30 p.m., followed by live music and entertainment before the 6 p.m. kickoff of the two-hour scrimmage.

Former Panthers greats now in the NFL — Ruben Brown, Claude Harriott, Tyler Palko, Darrelle Revis and Charles Spencer among them — will make appearances and drop by the broadcast booth for in-game interviews.

“We’re going to build events around the game so that the two hours before kickoff are family-fun time,” Pederson said. “Obviously, we think it’s important to raise our profile every chance we get. The opportunity to put it on the NFL Network gives us a chance to have a nationwide presence for the spring game, which we think is spectacular.”

What? No Rod Rutherford? He’s up in Erie now.

Fantastic. Excellent. Great to bring back former players and having them interact with the fans. Can’t say enough great things about that. That the former players are willing to do this, and the school reached out to them is a great change.
Of course, tonight is also the first night of Passover. Kind of an important night for some of us. Aren’t there any Jews in the Pitt Athletic Department? Hopefully there will still be a sizable crowd.
I am happy the game is on the NFL Network at least. I can still watch it. Plus there’s the admitted recruiting angle.

Because the game is televised, it will have to fit in the allotted two-hour window and that means the second-half clock likely will run unabated and the length of the third and fourth quarters will be determined by time constraints. Wannstedt said he’d like the game to end at the same time the broadcast is over.

Wannstedt said the television exposure is excellent for the program and might provide a recruiting boost.

“Anytime you have a chance to get some exposure, it is a good thing,” Wannstedt said. “I mean, I didn’t get a chance to watch any of the Texas or the Florida spring games, but we had them on in the locker rooms after practice and our guys were able to look up there and see them. And I think being on national television says something about the program.

“And also, the prospective recruits who can’t get to the game, the non-local kids, the kids in New Jersey, Florida and Maryland, they will be watching.”

Assuming they know somebody with the NFL Network. It’s not like they can go to the bars.

I know, everyone is waiting for more news on Murdock and Pinkston. At this point there is only speculation, rumor and a little angst. Without even an arrest report or a filed complaint on record, there’s nothing to go on. Stuck with the dreaded, “wait and see” response at this moment. Even the media is stuck.

On the subject of spring practice, I have to apologize for the poor job I’ve done at posting on practice — or more accurately posting on the stories about practice. I’ve read the stories, but trying to interpret them takes more time that I have been lacking the last couple weeks.

The O-line seems to be the biggest issue — and has affected so much of the team that it can be hard to judge. The defense has been great, but how much is it because the O-line is so bad? The running game can’t do anything. The QBs rarely have time to make reads and connect with receivers. It’s such a mess, I don’t see how Lucas Nix doesn’t come in and grab a starting job on the line as a true freshman at this point. Even if he is only half-as-good as advertised.

Really, there isn’t too much concern over the running game. Other than figuring out who will be the #3 back behind LeSean and LaRod. But the O-line concerns are making it that much harder to figure out the starting QB. It seems that Bill Stull is/was the favorite, but JUCO Greg Cross may see more than just packages for Pitt’s “wildcat” formations given his speed and ability to escape a rush. Over the past weekend, Cross really stood out in the scrimmages. He has to work on his passing accuracy. The last thing I want to see is a redux of the first two years of Rod Rutherford — where he would come in in certain packages ostensibly to either pass or run, but everyone knew he was running. But he is showing flashes of what could be.

Cross, who is an excellent athlete, was brought in specifically to be a dual-threat quarterback in the Panthers’ Wildcat package and some spread formations, but yesterday he was effective in the Panthers’ standard West Coast offense.

“He did some really nice things today, for three weeks he has just been learning,” offensive coordinator Matt Cavanaugh said. “We’ve tried to put him into situations where he is doing the things he knows how to do because he is obviously not where [the other quarterbacks] are as far as knowing things. But, his package is expanding every week. And every time he gets the ball in his hands he is a threat, because he can run and he is now starting to show he can pass it.

“It was good to see him have the kind of day he had, it will do a lot for confidence. He hasn’t had a lot of work throwing it, but today we let him show some things and he still has some mechanical flaws and some things he has to work on, but he is working on them and he’s improving.”

Cross’ first drive was impressive yesterday because it was the first time the Panthers scored a touchdown and he did it against virtually the entire Pitt starting defensive unit. Cross’ touchdown run was a quarterback draw but he had an impressive 10-yard run on a bootleg in which he made a number of defenders miss and picked up a first down.

Still, it is probably Stull’s job to lose. If the O-line doesn’t get him killed.

And, while much has been made about the fact that the defensive line is playing well and that there are two starters — left guard C.J. Davis and left tackle Jason Pinkston — sitting out, the bottom line is the unit that is left has a long way to go.

As things stand, the right tackle spot will be manned by either junior Joe Thomas or redshirt freshman Jordan Gibbs. While both have had some good moments, they also have struggled in trying to handle the Panthers’ speedy defensive ends. Center Robb Houser has been consistent, but the revolving door at left guard — Davis’ spot — has not spoken well of the Panthers’ depth.

The one positive development has been the smooth transition of junior John Malecki from defensive tackle to offensive guard. He clearly has been one of the most consistent performers on the line this spring.

The one thing I’d like to know is since the 1st team O-line is so patchwork and key players out, how is the 2nd team O-line doing against the 2nd team defense? That would probably tell a good deal about the depth at O-line and the drop-off on talent on both the offensive line and the D-line.

Gauging the drop-off on defense has been an issue for new Defensive Coordinator Phil Bennett.

Bennett said that coaching with enthusiasm is the only way he knows how to do his job, but that if players don’t know it is genuine, it is a waste of energy. And he also believes his job has been made much easier because he has inherited a lot of good football players to work with.

“I’ve quickly figured out that our first-line players are definitely good players,” Bennett said. “So that’s helped, and now we’re trying to develop a second group so that the drop-off is minimal. We have some quality depth, but we need to build on it. And I guess my coaching style is such that college football is a lot about emotion and passion, and I think you have to bring that with you when you coach, and I always have.”

No shock that he isn’t trying to change the defensive philosophy from last year.

Back to the depth issue, the one area on defense where there is a clear problem, only exacerbated by Murdock’s indefinite suspension, is at Safety. Eric Thatcher will be the starter at free safety, and while Dom DeCicco and Elijah Fields battle for the strong safety starting spot, it’s safe to say the back-up will see plenty of action spelling both starters. And that means any injuries or suspensions would make this a very, very thin position.

After that, it’s all walk-ons: Michael Toerper. Austin Ransom. And one guy who’s not even on the roster. Murdock switched from cornerback to safety this spring to replace Irvan Brown, who was excused for “personal reasons.”

…

Problem is, Pitt doesn’t have any safeties in its recruiting class. Manny Williams played safety but is projected as an outside linebacker and is coming off an ACL tear. Antwuan Reed could move from corner. Or Pitt could elect not to greyshirt Andrew Taglianetti.

Possibilities from the current roster to move to safety could include Aaron Smith, a cornerback last season who has been a pleasant surprise at receiver this spring; Tristan Roberts (a high school safety) or Greg Williams, but both have looked good at outside linebacker this spring; and Jovani Chappel, who played safety last season but is now starting at the boundary corner.

Safe to say, safety should be a priority for Pitt’s recruiting efforts for the Class of 2009.

He’s probably 25-30 pounds too light for the spot, but CB Buddy Jackson has reportedly been very physical and done well this spring. He might be a desperation option.

The last link was to Kevin Gorman’s blog post after the last practice. Some other key things from his typical must-reads on practice.

— The teams didn’t give a good effort yesterday, and Wannstedt let them know.

— O-line issues kill the running game (again)

— Cross is looking more comfortable in the offense every practice

— Even Wannstedt is unsure about how good the D-line is versus the O-line problems

— Dan Matha will miss the rest of spring practice, but won’t need surgery on a knee that was “sprained” last week. Cedric McGee is already back practicing with the receivers

How do we know we’re heading for the final week of spring practice and there just isn’t much to talk about? When the player puff pieces hit re-runs? Last week, the Trib had a piece on Doug Fulmer, this week it’s the P-G.

“Doug is fine, the mental part is not a concern,” Pitt defensive line coach Greg Gattuso said. “If you watch him, sometimes the thing we have to be most concerned about is that he is a little too excited to get out there. We need to slow him down. He’s missed a lot of games, but he has been outstanding this spring.

“He is one of the hardest-working, blue-collar guys on the team. And a lot of times when you say that, you are talking about a guy who lacks some athleticism or speed — with Doug, that’s not at all the case, which is why he is where he is.”

Fulmer will be one of three players, the other two being sophomore Jabaal Sheard and redshirt sophomore Greg Romeus, who will play the majority of the snaps at the two end spots. He has been one of the more dominating defensive players throughout most of spring.

Reed over at PPP, explains why he’s pulling even harder this season for Dorin Dickerson to have a break-out season.

In an O-line still struggling with injuries, question marks and high anxiety (at least for the fans), John Malecki is an apparent bright spot as he has transitioned from the D-line to the O-line at Right Guard.

Malecki had to adjust from striking with his hands on defense to learning to block with his chest and shoulders under the direction of offensive line coach Tony Wise, who’s encouraged with Malecki’s progress.

“John is learning every day. But he’s got very good footwork, and he can move,” Wise said. “If he makes a mistake, he can make up for it, no matter what it is. That kind of quickness he has is a real positive.”

Malecki already possessed the traits Wannstedt wants in an offensive lineman — from his attitude and aggression to his technique and toughness — so Wannstedt considers this spring a “refresher course” for Malecki.

“Most of those guys have enough athletic ability, and most of those guys are tough enough,” Wannstedt said. “In John’s case, he’s one of the smarter players on our team. The learning part is coming quicker than most.”

In the 2008 recruiting class, early verbal commits are often forgotten. Especially when they were relatively unknown or undervalued at the time. Take the case of Ronald Hobby. Hobby gave a verbal to Pitt back in July 2007. He had speed, but his “star” value was only 1-2 star “athlete” with speed. By the time of signing day, he was a 3-star for both recruiting sites.

Hobby got an early start at Pitt by doing the early enrollment. He may not be winning a starting corner spot, but he is learning and will have a head start.

“I’m very pleased with Ronnie,” Wannstedt said. “Where being here early will benefit Ron Hobby will be in August. Right now, he’s lost. He’s trying to feel his way. But come August, when the other freshmen show up and don’t know where to line up, he’s going to know the drills, know the defense.”

After starring at Gwynn Park, where he averaged 26.1 yards per catch and had 51 tackles, three interceptions and two fumble recoveries last fall, Hobby is splitting time with Buddy Jackson as the second-team boundary corner. Hobby hopes to get a jump on other incoming freshmen, especially corners Jarred Holley and Antwuan Reed.

“What motivated me was the early start,” Hobby said. “I wanted to get adapted to the college life early, using time management and practicing and competing. I think I definitely have a head’s up on everybody.”

The biggest adjustment?

“Half the time, I want to sleep,” Hobby said, “but I can’t sleep because I have so much work to do.”

Have to say, that last part just doesn’t seem to go away for the rest of your life.

A big Pitt/Wannstedt puff piece from Yahoo!/Rivals.com to start off the day.

The upset of West Virginia may not have been a fluke, but Wannstedt – ever the cautious coach – warns that it won’t matter when the Panthers open the 2008 season against Bowling Green on August 30.

“That will be the focal point, but it won’t have a darn thing to do with us beating Bowling Green,” he said. “Beating West Virginia reinforced that we could be good and reaffirmed to the kids we were recruiting that you could win at Pitt.”

There are a lot of reasons to anticipate a successful season for Pitt this fall. Seven starters return from a defense that ranked fifth in the nation last season. The return of Stull and Kinder should boost the passing game, which will benefit McCoy.

…

You also need a reliable quarterback. Stull, who has thrown only 30 college passes, doesn’t figure to challenge for All-American honors, but he should be an upgrade at quarterback. His presence is another reason many Pitt fans can’t wait for the season to start.

But Wannstedt can. “I can wait,” he said. “We need to work. The season will get here soon enough.”

When it arrives, Wannstedt will have a team with eight offensive starters returning. He’ll have a dynamic tailback, an All-American linebacker, a junior quarterback and an all-conference receiver returning from injury. He’ll have a team with one of the best defensive lines in America. He’ll have emerging stars, like strong safety Elijah Fields or defensive end Greg Romeus.

He has a team that lost three games by a touchdown or less last season and is seeking redemption. He has a team coming off that win over West Virginia. There are a lot reasons to like Wannstedt’s team in 2008. And he does, although not for the reasons listed above.

Looks like Pitt is set to be the trendy media favorite “darkhorse” team to “suddenly” jump from losing record to top-25 team at least. This always begs that deep philosophical question of whether a team can truly be considered a sleeper or darkhorse when everyone is picking them to be that team?

Paul Zeise has had a week to watch practices and the P-G beat writer has had daily Q&As. The first one, to the shock of no one was all questions on the O-line. The now annual concerns for the O-line.

Dickerson has looked great at TE by all reports, and that was another major topic for a Q&A. It was also the topic of this story.

“It feels good catching the ball again,” Dickerson said. “I worked real hard in the offseason. I knew this is what I wanted to do, and me and Bill went in there and started throwing every day.”

What has caught Wannstedt’s attention is Dickerson’s willingness and effort to take on defenders with blocks, even though Dickerson likened the difficulty of blocking linebackers to hitting a moving target.

“I was impressed with how he made an attempt to block. That’s usually the biggest transition for these kids,” Wannstedt said. “Catching the ball and running is an easy thing. Everybody wants to do that. Very few guys want to get in there and get their nose bloodied up. Dorin showed that he’s not afraid to do that. If he can keep that attitude, I think he’ll be an asset for us at tight end.”

At least he is willing and working on the blocking. If he can, then he has huge potential to be a key player in the offense.

The latest Q&A addresses Bostick’s wind-up motion –like everyone and their mother, Zeise believes Bostick will be redshirted — and then questions about the linebackers. Especially the young ones: Brandon Lindsey, Tristan Roberts and Greg Williams. And what do you know? A story on the linebacker corps to tie-in to this.

Now, the coaches seem to have found linebackers capable of delivering that speed. That group includes four redshirt freshmen in Max Gruder (middle), Greg Williams, Tristan Roberts and Brandon Lindsey, as well as redshirt sophomore Nate Nix.

Williams, who is 6 feet 3, 220 pounds and runs the 40-yard dash in 4.5 seconds, is the most intriguing prospect, mostly because he is physically gifted. He is a converted running back who seems to have picked up his new position well and continues to make plays in every practice.

“The competition we have at linebacker, I really like our young linebackers,” head coach Dave Wannstedt said. “I am really impressed with the progress all of them have made in two weeks. It looks like that will be a good competition and they’ll only continue to improve.”

Of the group, Gruder is the one who likely won’t see the field much this fall, because he is behind McKillop at middle linebacker and also is battling Steve Dell for the backup spot. But Gruder has been a surprise and looks like he might be a fixture at the position when McKillop graduates.

At this point, Shane Murray and Adam Gunn look to remain the starters at the WIL and SAM spots. The rotation, though, should be a little more frequent which means a lot more speed and energy regardless of who is out there.
Finally, there was recap article from Zeise at the start of the week on key obsrvations from spring practices so far. Most of them have already been mentioned in this and previous posts — Dickerson at TE, Stull will be the QB, WR is deep, Defense is strong, O-line [sigh] — but this stood out to me.

Buddy Morris is worth whatever they pay him — Morris was brought in last year as the strength and conditioning coach and he has transformed the program. His grueling schedule has instilled a mental toughness the team seemed to lack in recent years, and more importantly, they are stronger and in better shape this spring then they have been. The Panthers seemed to get stronger as the season wore on last year and played some of their best football down the stretch. That has carried over into the spring, and it is clear his contributions are making a difference.

This is a radical shift from his view on the whole matter in February 2007.

My point? Strength and conditioning is an easy target when things go bad, but I’d be willing to bet most strength and conditioning coaches are roughly the same and their success or failure is almost always commensurate with the talent they have to work with.

I agreed with his viewpoint back then, and I think there is something to be said for the change in players. The majority of the players now, are recruits Wannstedt has brought in. If we agree that the players are better physical, athletic talents, then it stands to reason that they will respond to most strength and conditioning better and probably faster.

Still, that he would change positions like this suggests that what Morris is doing has had a significant and noticeable impact on the players.

I’m going to share (one of) the dark thoughts in my mind. That little voice of doom and despair that goes against all this optimism and expectations for this coming season. The puff pieces and encouraging news of how the team is developing. Everything. And then that little voice whispers:

Remember 2005?

That first spring of the Wannstedt era. When everything looked so promising. All the national attention. The darkhorse talk of what that team might do? How good it could be?

I know, on a micro- level this is no where near the same. Players have changed, style, the departure of Rhoads. All that. Then that little voice gets louder when I read pieces foreshadowing in national mags.

I’m here in Pittsburgh and just finished a nice chat with Panthers’ coach Dave Wannstedt. As I got on the elevator at my hotel — a Roberto Clemente long ball from PNC Park — a few Pirates fans hopped on and were grousing about losing to the Cubs in the home opener.

Guy No. 1: “I’m done with the Pirates. Fifteen straight years of losing home openers.”

Me: “You guys know there are 150-something games left, right?”

Guy No. 2: “I can see the end from here.”

And I can see the beginning for the Pitt Panthers. It’s all starting to fall into place for this team, and I’ll address that more next week in SN Magazine.

I really get nervous when the other darkhorse teams Matt Hayes likes include: NC St., Mississippi St., Stanford and Michigan St.

Unsurprisingly, the defense looked great in the first scrimmage. Everyone healthy, more depth, cohesion and not a lot of losses from the starting D-line. That versus an offense that was a mess last year except for McCoy. That still has lots of key players out with injuries and a 1st round O-lineman gone. So nothing too shocking to this point. Still waiting on an O-line to show up.
Everyone’s probably read the stories and the way individual players like Safety Dom DeCicco has done to this point. Dorin Dickerson has looked good at TE, but then no one is asking him to block a this point. Every bit of good news, should come with some dark caveat. Or at least a “but…”
I can’t help but be optimistic, but then I’m always optimistic about the football team in April.

There was a scrimmage today. The View From the Zoo has the all important rundown on 2009 recruits that attended. Nice work on the actual information gathered, guys.

Glad to know that I’m not the only one who isn’t sure what year Doug Fulmer actually is.

Doug Fulmer isn’t sure what to make of his class designation — officially, he is a redshirt junior — but after missing the majority of the past two seasons with injuries, the Pitt defensive end isn’t worrying about it.

“I consider myself a ballplayer,” said Fulmer, in the process of appealing for a sixth year of eligibility. “I don’t even pay attention to it. I couldn’t wait to get back out here. It’s been too long.”

Fulmer recovered from a broken left ankle suffered against The Citadel in September 2006 only to tear the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during spring drills last March 22. Now, a year later, he’s finally back on the football field and trying to reclaim his spot in the starting lineup.

He is fighting for the starting left DE position with sophomore Jabaal Sheard. Sheard has the raw athleticism (and a much healthier body), but Fulmer still has more experience and at this point a more physically mature player.

Moving to the receiving corps. Walt Harris made this a prestige position and spot of strength at Pitt. It’s been something of a surprise that despite Coach Wannstedt’s well known preference for running the ball, that the receiver position is still a big position of strength and depth.

The backbone of the group is formed by returning junior starters Oderick Turner and T.J. Porter and key reserves Cedric McGee, a junior, and Maurice Williams, a sophomore. Those four would constitute an excellent receiving corps, but the addition of two talented redshirt freshmen, Aaron Smith and Aundre Wright, pushes it into a higher category.

And that doesn’t take into account the return of fifth-year senior Derek Kinder, a first-team all-Big East as a junior in 2006 who missed the 2007 season with a torn ACL. Kinder is limited as to what he can do in the spring, but he will be pushing for a starting job in preseason camp.

Kinder said he is taking his rehabilitation slowly, but admits it is tough to watch the younger players make big plays because he knows it means he’ll have a much more difficult time breaking into the lineup.

“I get stronger every day, it feels better every day, but I’m not going to rush it,” Kinder said. “You have to be smart but the competitor in me wants to be out there because I know nothing is going to be handed to me.”

Which is yet another reason why the QB position is of such vital importance and the focus of every Pitt fan. We know that there are a bunch of talented receivers — especially some speedy deep threats. It does little good, though, if there is no chance to hook up with them.

So, that’s when observations come into play. Kevin Gorman’s observations from yesterday’s practice suggest that Bill Stull is still the leading guy to get the starting job. I hesitate to say reclaim the spot, since he was injured in the first game and the whole situation at QB is so different from last spring or even last summer.

The Panthers went without pads Friday for the third time during spring drills, fulfilling NCAA rules that mandate three of the 15 practices are without contact. Tomorrow, they will have a live – or full-contact – scrimmage with Big East Conference officials.

Ever the defensive-minded coach, Wannstedt said the quarterbacks will not wear green jerseys, which protect them from contact. But …

“They’ll be live on my whistle, and I’ll have a quick whistle” Wannstedt said, noting that it will be mostly for the benefit of Pitt’s “bread-and-butter,” the defensive line. “They’ll all get hit a little bit. … When they get a hold of them, I’ll control the whistle.”

Such tactics will put to the test the pocket presence of quarterbacks Pat Bostick, Greg Cross, Kevan Smith and Bill Stull, who are playing behind an inexperienced defensive line but are surrounded by talented skill players.

Stull showed some ability to escape pressure (and gets a high mark for creativity) during the two-minute drill. Flushed to his right, he wheeled back left and used Wannstedt as a screen before throwing a touchdown pass to Dorin Dickerson in the end zone.

I am hoping Wannstedt and Cavanaugh are not so wedded to only one QB type system. It just seems that Pitt has two pairs of QBs that can help change things up. The opportunity to mix things up with Stull and/or Bostick sharing time with Cross and/or Smith doesn’t mean going to a straight spread. It does mean keeping teams off-guard and allowing more variety and dictate things from the offense.

A couple other things from Gorman’s post that I feel like commenting. He notes that Dorin Dickerson looks tremendous at the TE position.

Now, I’m starting to think he’s a natural at H-back. He made a few catches today that raised eyebrows.

Two came during red-zone drills. On the first, he beat corner Aaron Berry and safety Dom DeCicco in the upper right corner of the end zone to catch a Stull pass for a touchdown. Then he got a step on safety Elijah Fields on a crossing pattern and leapt to pull down a Bostick pass in front of McKillop for another score.

Later, in 11-on-11 drills, Dickerson made a spectacular one-handed grab with safety Eric Thatcher in coverage. Not only does Dickerson bring size and speed to the tight end position, but he’s a legitimate downfield threat.

If it was all about catching the ball, Darrell Strong would have never had a battle. The issue — especially in the Cavanaugh/Wannstedt offense — will be his blocking skills. That’s something that remains to be seen with scrimmages and especially come summer practices. I’m optimistic, though.

The other is his observations on Wannstedt being effusive in his praise of Dom DeCicco’s performance at safety.

“Dom’s doing a heck of a job,” Wannstedt said. “We’ve got some good players – you’ve got (Eric) Thatcher with the experience and Elijah (Fields), as talented a player as we have on the team – but Dom DeCicco has probably made as many plays this past week as any defender we have. You trust him back there. It’s a good situation for our football team right now. I wish we had that kind of talent and depth at a few other spots.”

I’m not disputing any of that. I also think that Wannstedt is going to do everything he can to keep Fields from thinking he’s earned anything at this point. It’s probably safest to make sure Fields believes that he needs to keep working — on and more importantly, off the field — to see significant playing time.

Sorry for the lack of posts this week. It’s been a bit hectic in the offline world. Couple that with the coaching carousel craziness and stuff as the Final Four looms for FanHouse, and it has been a frustratingly neglectful week on Blather. Hopefully there’s been stuff from the Pitt Consortium to help fill the gap.

So, let’s do some catching up.

Over the weekend the one story looked at linebackers not named McKillop.

At the Sam linebacker is senior Adam Gunn, on the other side of McKillop at Will linebacker is junior Shane Murray.

Gunn and Murray started every game last year and, while they didn’t grab headlines the way McKillop did last season, the bookends of the linebacker corps improved every time they took the field.

And that is why Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt expects Gunn and Murray to be the glue of a unit that has the makings, especially with McKillop anchoring the middle, of being special.

“Last year at this time I was convincing Shane that he was going to be a linebacker and not a safety, and Adam Gunn was the one guy we were all convinced everybody on the team could take his job away from him,” Wannstedt said. “They were both battling issues and overcame them, and I expect both of those guys to make big plays this year. They have both come a long way in a year.”

No mention of Brandon Lindsey and Nate Nix pushing Gunn. Nor, Tristan Roberts at the Will spot. Apparently Max Gruder is being groomed to see time in the Middle.

Staying on the defense, after Scott McKillop, Greg Romeus probably has some of the biggest expectations to build on last season. Romeus came on strong as the season went on and got plenty of accolades as a redshirt freshman on the D-line. His pure athleticism and strength helped him overcome what he didn’t know. He and D-line coach Greg Gattuso seem to think that is catching up.

Romeus spent most of his high school days reaching for the basketball rim until the football coach spotted him and explained that at 6-5, he could have more potential in football than basketball.

“I enjoy playing football more because it’s a more aggressive game and more of a team sport,” Romeus said. He laughed.

“I like to hit people.”

Romeus, who redshirted as a freshman, became a hit with his coaches once he started to grasp the nuances of the defense midway through the season. He always had the physical skills, but he needed time to learn the techniques involved with playing college football.

“I feel like I’m adapting more to being a football player,” he said. “Things aren’t as shaky as they were at the beginning of last year. I can play faster now. I just want to learn more every day.”

Romeus’ playing time should increase this season because the defensive line has been depleted by the departure of ends Joe Clermond and Chris McKillop.

“We see it as a rotation with everybody getting time,” Romeus said. “I don’t want to set myself up and say that I expect to start. We’re all going to play.”

He may not expect to start, but everyone else does.

Stop me if you have heard this before. The offensive line is struggling. Really, that should just be a stock headline for Pitt. The facts and circumstances may change, but I can’t remember a year where the O-line wasn’t in some sort of major flux in the spring.

As if it’s not bad enough to lose three starters — tackles Mike McGlynn and Jeff Otah and center Chris Vangas — to graduation, compounding the situation is that Pitt’s most veteran linemen are limited to non-contact drills. The Panthers are without senior left guard C.J. Davis (hamstring), a three-year starter; redshirt freshman right guard Chris Jacobson (knee); and bookend tackles in fifth-year senior Chase Clowser (shoulder) and redshirt sophomore Jason Pinkston (shoulder).

“That’s four guys who should all be starters or competing for starting jobs,” Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt said. “We’re a little bit thin there because of graduation and injuries, but they’re working hard with them.”

The offensive line now has redshirt freshman Jordan Gibbs at left tackle, fifth-year senior Dom Williams at left guard, junior Robb Houser at center, junior John Malecki at right guard and junior Joe Thomas at right tackle.

While they form a fearsome front in pads, averaging 6-foot-4, 287 pounds, their inexperience shows once the ball is snapped. Gibbs played tight end at Penn Manor High. Williams is a career reserve. Malecki was a defensive tackle the past two seasons. Thomas has the most experience, but all of his 14 starts are at right guard.

Add in the highly heralded Lucas Nix won’t be on the practice field until August. On the bright side, they and the redshirt freshmen are getting a lot of work.

Wannstedt singled out the large group of redshirt freshmen — John Fieger, Greg Gaskins, Jordan Gibbs and Wayne Jones — as the most in need of work, particularly since that group will be counted on to provide depth.

“Those guys are going to need every full-speed situation we can put them in between now and the season,” Wannstedt said. “Like I said, they have done really well when they are coming off the ball in drills and hitting bags and doing that stuff, but, when they have to line up over a Mick Williams or a Greg Romeus and have to block them, that is where we will find out who gives us a chance to play and who doesn’t.”

The good news is that at least JUCO Center Robb Houser has been healthy and looking good.

“It makes a big difference being able to transfer for the spring semester,” said Houser, who is expected to compete with redshirt junior John Bachman at center. “I was lucky enough to be eligible to transfer in the spring. I’m learning everything I can. I’m learning the offense really well right now. I know that if I would’ve only had the summer to learn this, it would even be harder because this is actual football practice, five hours a day, double-day style.”

Houser said he’s benefitting from the extra time by getting acquainted with new teammates, getting used to a new system, studying plays and getting stronger in workouts.

“It really makes it much easier for me to earn a starting job than the people who are coming in in June and July,” he said.

He and JUCO QB Greg Cross are both expected to provide immediate help.

Derek Kinder gets a nice little puff piece in his return for a redshirt senior year and coming back from injury.

“You can make yourself crazy wondering why,” Kinder says. Or you can work like hell to make it all the way back.

Kinder still hasn’t tested how his knee will hold up to lateral movement and likely won’t face full contact until the first game of the fall. Why risk it?

Pitt knows what it has in Kinder — one of the game’s most dynamic receivers when healthy. What we don’t know is how the script will end.

I wasn’t the only one missing in action. The women’s basketball success drew the Trib’s Kevin Gorman away. He has a post on his observations at the first practice he’s caught and what he’s heard. Here’s the quickie summary.

• Max Gruder looks like the back-up for McKillop at MLB
• Elijah Fields is impressing in spring practice — again
• The QB situation still looks like it’s Stull, but Bostick does indeed look good, Cross is as athletic as advertised and Kevan Smith has a very strong arm.
• LeSean McCoy looks good, and so does LaRod Stephens-Howling.

Naturally it’s worth reading the whole thing.

I didn’t see this in the Spring Practice Guide (PDF), nor anywhere else. I was tipped off by a contact — okay, it’s an old frat brother who works for NFL Films.  And it wasn’t exactly a tip so much as a “why haven’t you posted this” e-mail, you idiot. Details, and that’s not important.

The info I am trying to share is that the Blue-Gold Spring Football game will be aired live on the NFL Network. That’s 6pm on Saturday, April 19. There will be a re-airing again at Midnight.

That’s right, as long as you can watch the NFL Network you can actually see the game on TV. No settling for the grainy and glitchy internet video feed like last year.

Today the available players and hence the focus of stories out of spring football were the sophomore safeies. Sophomore Dom DeCicco and redshirt sophomore Elijah Fields.

The goal for Dom DeCicco and Elijah Fields is to play together someday in Pitt’s defensive backfield.

For now, they are waging a friendly battle for the starting strong safety spot. The competition promises to last through the spring and perhaps well into summer.

“We’re like best friends,” says Fields, a redshirt sophomore out of Duquesne High School who missed last season because of a suspension. “No hard feelings.”

“I’m going to come out and give everything I got every day,” says DeCicco, a sophomore out of Thomas Jefferson High School who backed up Eric Thatcher at free safety last season. “He knows that. And I know he will, too. He’s a great athlete. I like to think I’m a great athlete.”

For now DeCicco is the defacto starter since he played last year. Both are athletic, but Fields is more intriguing because he seems to have a higher ceiling. Add in the fact that because he was suspended last season for “violation of team rules,” he has been tantalizing Pitt fans and observers for a longer time.

Plus because he has screwed up, he is a more interesting storyline.

But he didn’t reject, he stood and fielded questions with impressive candor.

When last year’s transgressions were brought up, Fields looked reporters squarely in the eye and said, “It won’t happen again. Trust me.”

Fields didn’t want to get into the events that led to his suspension, and they likely will never be made public. But to the Pitt staff, players and, perhaps most important, Fields, the past isn’t the important part. Instead, the future of the 6-foot-2, 217-pound defensive back from Duquesne is what is paramount.

“I’ve been down most of my life,” Fields said. “I had to learn how to always work my way back up. … I know I am playing for a lot of people. I feel I let my community down, my family down, my teammates down, my coaches down, and it is time to do the right thing.”

The buzz around camp is that Fields is doing the right thing. There also is a feeling that if he wasn’t, he would not have been asked back to the program after the suspension.

“He needs to be accountable, and we [as a coaching staff] need to be able to trust him and his teammates need to be able to trust him, and he now knows that,” Pitt secondary coach Jeff Hafley said. “With not being able to play last year, that sure opened up his eyes. He knows the most important thing is to look at the future and do the right things every single day that will keep him going in a positive direction.”

I hope he truly gets it. Beyond the potential impact he can have on the team, there’s the fact that he has only so many chances to do something with his abilities. If he doesn’t take advantage of the opportunities — education and athletics — he becomes just another “could’ve been.”

Well, it looks like Pat Bostick really has taken his off-season conditioning very seriously.

Bostick was equally elated, not just because of a new streamlined body that has dropped his weight from 231 pounds (his playing weight last season) to 214 pounds and increased his mobility. But also because of a strength and flexibility program that has improved his arm strength and velocity.

Bostick said he couldn’t throw the football beyond 50 yards last season, even, he joked, if the “wind was at my back.” This year, with the help of strength coach Buddy Morris, he has increased the range of motion in his right arm and can throw the ball 61 yards in the air.

“Even today, there was one play where I was rolling out and I was thinking while I was running: ‘Man, this doesn’t seem normal,’ ” Bostick said. “When you’re lighter, you can move better.”

…

“The best player will play, and that’s what I want for the team,” Bostick said. “You want the best guys out there. It’s a competition within myself right now. If it’s good enough, it’s good enough.”

Bostick saying the right things about the team and doing the right things in the offseason. That’s reassuring. Now, it becomes a question about how things are coming with his delivery. That wind-up of his has to remain a concern.

Bill Stull, was back taking snaps at long last. Predictably, he was happy to be back.

“I think it’s only going to make me mentally and physically stronger,” Stull said. “I understand what it takes to get the job done, but I also know what it takes to have it taken away, kind of.”

Stull is back to full strength after suffering a thumb injury on his right (throwing) hand, and split the majority of the snaps with Bostick yesterday. Both quarterbacks practiced with the first team while Smith and Cross’s snaps were limited. Smith saw more time than Cross, a mobile quarterback who is still learning the playbook.

The conventional wisdom is that Bostick will take the redshirt he should have had last year, this season. Then Greg Cross and Stull ultimately splitting time at QB. Hard to go against that view right now.
Stull, obviously, has the advantage of being in the system for 3 years and familiarity and comfort with the coaches. Cross has the advantage of being a more athletic QB and offering more options to run the ball. Both have maturity and are about the same size.

Still, I think Bostick will force his way into the conversation. He has the advantage, at least early, of being more familiar with the 1st team and knowing the playbook better than Cross.

Well Pitt’s pro-day for the NFL scouts was Monday. The main attraction, Jeff Otah, was unable to go because of a lingering high ankle sprain.

There were other seniors who worked out — Mike McGlynn, Joe Clermond, Darrell Strong and Kennard Cox.

McGlynn (6-4, 310), a four-year starter, started two games at right guard and nine at right tackle last season for the Panthers. But he is being projected as a guard by NFL scouts and coaches because of his height and arm length. However, what makes him an attractive mid-round prospect is that he has what Tomlin called “position flexibility.”

“That’s the good thing about him — he can play three positions,” said Arizona Cardinals offensive line coach/assistant head coach Russ Grimm, a former Steelers assistant who attended the workout. “He was a center before he played guard and tackle.”

Strong is an intriguing prospect because of his size (6-4, 268), athleticism and big hands, yet he is not ranked among the top tight end prospects in the draft. Part of the reason is that Strong began his college career as a quarterback, was switched to wide receiver and has only been a tight end for three years.

“It went good,” Strong said of his workout. “I think I did good in all the drills. I improved on all the things I did at the combine.”

Size likely will be a deterrent for defensive tackle Joe Clermond (6-3, 250), who was a productive player at Pitt and led the team last season with 10.5 sacks, 13 tackles for loss and was second team All-Big East. Colbert said Clermond would be an outside linebacker in the 3-4 style of defense the Steelers employ, but he could play end for a 4-3 team.

The more Pitt players drafted, the better.
Today is the start of spring practice. As is usual, there is a sense of optimism and excitement. This despite a slew of questions and upheaval.

Pitt opens spring football drills Tuesday with a four-way competition at quarterback, an overhaul on the offensive line and a coaching staff that features five new assistants.

That would be cause for alarm at some schools, but the Panthers’ 13-9 victory at No. 2 West Virginia in the season finale and 100th Backyard Brawl has provided optimism.

The challenge for Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt is to build on the momentum of that monumental victory, when the Panthers finally played the way he had long envisioned.

“We’ve got to get coaches and players feeling that confidence that we finished the year with,” said Wannstedt, whose Panthers are a preseason top-25 team in some polls.

The biggest issue will be the position battles. QB, Center, all along the O-line, Linebacker spots outside of McKillop still look open, CB, depth chart issues at WR.

There’s nothing like the spring practices to challenge the cynicism. There’s the anticipated — almost standardized — stories of off-season workouts; new coaches and new perspectives; position changes; players ready to step up; blind optimism; players coming back from injury and so on.

God help me, every year I get sucked into it and believe this year will be different. Can’t wait.

Why wait? Scott McKillop gets the first national puff-piece in the week before spring practice.

It’s a defender’s version of nature vs. nurture. Are good tacklers born or are they made? Good tackling may be all about technique. Ask any safety who has to listen to a coach berate him for lunging at a tailback. But if the player doesn’t have “a nose for the ball,” as coaches are wont to say, it doesn’t matter how good his technique is.

Take the case of Scott McKillop, the Pittsburgh senior linebacker who, in his first season as a starter, led his team in tackling. He led every other team in tackling, too. McKillop made more tackles per game than any player in the nation last season. His 12.58 stops per game is more than 1½ tackles higher than any other returning player averaged in 2007. That adds up to 151 tackles, or 91 more — that’s right, 91 — than Pitt’s runner-up, linebacker Shane Murray.

Let the unbridled optimism flow.

Pat Bostick gets a piece in his local paper. Glowing quotes from Coach Wannstedt abound.

Wannstedt said that after meetings with coaches following the season, Bostick has worked extremely hard and done everything the coaching staff has asked of him.

“Since the season was over, I don’t think there is a player at any position on this team who has worked harder to better himself,” Wannstedt said. “He has lost 18 pounds, and has done everything physically to improve himself. But as in all situations, everyone has to go out and prove themselves again.”

Meaning, despite the accolades, he’ll have to battle to keep his starting role. Wannstedt confirmed the quarterback slot will be a wide-open competition this spring.

With Spring Practice just a couple weeks away we’ll get a chance to see how much Bostick’s physical conditioning has changed.

A few items to get out of the browser tabs.

Spring practices are looming, Pitt’s gets underway on March 25. Auburn is already well underway for spring practice. USF was the first team to start spring practice in the Big East.

A couple things from ESPN.com. There’s a “primer” on spring practices.

What to watch
• As a true freshman last season, quarterback Pat Bostick earned the starting job out of necessity after Bill Stull fractured his thumb in the season opener, but Stull will be back this spring to push him. Junior college transfer Greg Cross, who joined the team in January, will also compete for the job, along with Kevan Smith, who started two games last season after Stull got hurt, but lost the job to Bostick.

• Both offensive tackle positions are wide open, and it will be tough to replace Jeff Otah and Mike McGlynn, both NFL prospects.

• Former defensive coordinator Paul Rhoads, who directed the Panthers to the top overall defense in the Big East and the No. 5 ranking nationally, left after eight seasons to join the staff at Auburn. Can former SMU coach Phil Bennett maintain that success?

Ranking wise, I’m not sure Pitt will be #5 on defense. Consistency and overall balance, I think Pitt will be better.

A power ranking of teams in the Big East “based on what we know, and what we don’t.”

6. Pittsburgh Panthers

What we know: Two of the best players at their respective positions return in linebacker Scott McKillop, who led the country in tackles, and tailback LeSean McCoy, the leading freshman rusher in the country with 110.7 yards per game.

What we don’t know: The Panthers haven’t been an effective passing team because of the inexperience. Can this year’s quarterback change that, and who will it be?

How the Panthers can win the Big East: Find the balanced offense that was missing last year and play the same stingy defense.

Meanwhile, Rivals.com/Yahoo! have their own Big East spring practice preview.

Greg Romeus is listed among players expected to emerge. The QB spot should be the biggest battle for Pitt. Center Robb Houser

A CFN/FoxSports list of 25 players who will emerge from the “scout team” to impact players.

23. DE Myles Caragein, Pittsburgh: Caragein was born to play for Pitt, the type of blue-collar lineman that really gets Dave Wannstedt thinking nostalgic. An intense competitor and former wrestling champ in Pennsylvania, he’s got a non-stop motor and the size and power to move inside if asked. Caragein is an old-school Panther with the personality and work-ethic to be a big hit in the Steel City.

…

6. RB Shariff Harris, Pittsburgh: Obviously, LeSean McCoy is the franchise in Pittsburgh for the next few years, but it never hurts to have a complementary change-of-pace in the backfield. Harris flashes the potential to be that type of a back for the Panthers, a powerful, north-south runner that could have contributed last season if he was needed.

Finally, a profile piece on the sports psychologist who works with Pitt football.

Some things I’ve been forgetting to get to.

Spring practice schedule for the Big East and questions for each.

PITT

Practice starts: March 25
Spring game: April 19

Biggest offensive question: A consistent aerial game is needed to take heat off star RB LeSean McCoy. That means a steady quarterback is needed. Pat Bostick is back after opening the year as the starter. Bill Stull also returns, and he’ll try to reclaim his job after a thumb fracture in the second half of the season-opener ultimately caused him to receive a medical redshirt. Expect athletic JC transfer Greg Cross to make noise and be a factor in Pitt’s “Wildcat” formation.

Biggest defensive question: A veteran defense with seven returning starters needs to replace stud end Joe Clermond, a two-time All-Big East selection. It’s hoped Greg Romeus, a freshman phenom in 2007, steps up. It’s up to new coordinator Phil Bennett to pick up where departed coordinator Paul Rhoads left off in the monumental season-ending upset of WVU.

Yes, I know as well that Bostick didn’t open the year as the starter. Or even start until several games into the season.

At what point does Pitt stop being a “darkhorse” top-25 team and just be a trendy pick? In the mean time, here’s another piece asking “what if” Pitt hadn’t beaten WVU and what it has meant for Pitt.

“My brother-in-law works for Dick’s Sporting Goods,” Wanny said. “They have two (West Virginia) stores — one in Huntington, one in Morgantown. They had all these national championship shirts and hats …”

He didn’t have to finish the sentence.

Paul Zeise had another Q&A and addresses the coaching turnover.

Q: Do we read more into the various assistant coaches leaving this offseason, or is this just the nature of the business. I would have suspected previous years would have generated more offseason movement, but with the sudden positive outlook of the program, what gives with 5 coaches leaving?

ZEISE: There isn’t much you can read into it – these things happen all the time because assistant coaches are generally nomadic and have to be if they want to continue to move up the chain and achieve their goal of becoming a coordinator or head coach. And guys have different reasons for leaving so when it comes to Pitt’s staff. I think each individual situation was different. Paul Dunn was fired because the line struggled so much. Aubrey Hill went to Miami because of a personal family situation — that is where he is from. Paul Rhoads went to Auburn because he knew he needed to make some kind of move if he ever wants to become a head coach. That was obviously a great situation for him – going to the SEC – and the $170,000 raise probably didn’t hurt, either. Once Rhoads left it was only a matter of time before Partridge left to spread his wings as well. Charlie was Rhoads trusted sidekick (in fact, I’d expect Partridge would play a big role on Rhoads first staff if he ever gets a head coaching job). And it was always very clear that Chris Ball was a short-timer when he came in as he had been ready to and trying to make a move up the coaching chain for a long time and that’s what he did. So really, collectively, yes, losing five coaches seems like a big deal but when you break down why each left, it is all just a part of life as assistant.

Practices went back to more intense, physical competition after the Rutgers debacle (is anyone doing a running count on the adjectives used to describe that performance?).

“If we would have gone non-contact today, guys would have been upset,” senior guard Ronald Ramon said after the two-hour practice. “It was definitely good, especially after a loss. Guys want to get after it and want to respond.”

Coach Jamie Dixon, whose practices are closed to observers, is trying to reignite some of the aggressiveness and intensity that seemed to be missing in the second half of the loss to last-place Rutgers.

“Our thing is built on intensity and toughness and physicality,” Dixon said, “You can’t help but lose some of it in some of the practices. Plus, that’s what the guys want to do. They want to play five-on-five. It was good today, and it will be good tomorrow.”

To lessen the chance for injury, No. 18 Pitt has been focusing mainly on skill work and conditioning at practice in recent weeks. The Panthers have held only a handful of all-out, five-on-five competitive practices since losing Cook and Fields in late December.

None of those practices compared to yesterday’s workout, in which redshirt freshman Gilbert Brown estimated “90 percent” of the session was the same five-on-five drills that have defined Pitt’s program for many seasons.

It helped that Pitt actually had enough bodies to go 5-on-5 for the first time in a while. Even if the injury situation isn’t completely good.

G Keith Benjamin reopened the gash on his right index finger in Saturday’s loss to Rutgers and had to get his stitches replaced. He practiced Monday with what coach Jamie Dixon figured was more tape “than he had the other two games.”

C/F Cassin Diggs returned to practice Monday, but only briefly. Dixon said that Diggs’ injured hip wouldn’t allow him to complete the session. Surgery is still not out of the question.

“He’s still struggling,” Dixon said. “He’s not even close … He doesn’t feel comfortable, doesn’t feel good out there.

Getting Diggs back for some of practice along with new walk-on Ryan Tiesi. It also appears that Dixon did give a closed door (and with Dixon there rarely is any other kind) “discussion” of the work ethic and effort after Rutgers.